> Analog is all but worthless these days.
GSM rules the day.
As long as you are in a
GSM coverage area.
Three years ago I had my daughter on Cingular. It was fine for her in
Knoxville TN and most populated areas in the south (former Bell South
network).
She had a summer job in Cleveland OH and I went in to the store in March to
change her plan to cingular nation (it was off contact and I agreed to a new
one yr contract) in anticipation of working in OH. I specifically asked if
Cleveland had CN coverage - he said Yes. She arrives and had no service
where she was staying (near the airport). We went up the next weekend and I
called cingular CS on my verizon phone. They said "oh, you need a dual mode
phone. It will cost you $70 to upgrade." I hated to spend $70 on a new phone
but said "Ok, send her a new phone. Can you rush it to her summer address?"
He said "It won't be available for 3 months." I was pissed that they didn't
mention this in March (and why mention that she needed a dual mode if it
wasn't actually available for sale?) There was no way I was going to pay $40
a month for phone service that wasn't available or allow her to live in a
strange city without a working phone. I went to the store when we got home
and intended to cancel the account. He said they were expecting some duals
in but didn't know the exact date so I gave him one week to find me one or
cancel the account. They couldn't get me a phone and he was going to charge
me the early cancellation fee until I *****ed about not being told she
needed a dual mode in March when he (same guy) made the change (I told him
why I was wanted the CN plan and where it would be used and he knew what
phone I had and never once mentioned Cleveland might not have
GSM coverage).
I was also willing to buy one, but they didn't have any. (Not having a phone
to sell me was what got me out of the contract.)
My next stop was at Verizon.

I got her the same phone I had because I
knew it worked there.
Granted, coverage is better now and Cleveland might have good
GSM now - but
my story illustrates the problem with single mode phones in some areas.
(My new phone is a digital but the other phones on our plans are trimodes
and I figure when I'm in rural areas another family member will be with me
or I'll take their phone.)