Why is Nextel so freakin expensive?

I want to get a family cell phone plan. But not many cell phones work where my family lives, booney central. So I must research. According to a recent survey, conducted by my father, out of over 50 booney residents, Nextel gets the best rating. Cingular is probably second best, but there are holes in reception. Nobody wants that. The rest of the phone companies are pretty sucky there.

So Nextel seems like the reasonable choice, right? Since I'm in a metropolitan area, pretty much anything will work for me. But while most phone companies offer their run-of-the-mill cell phones for free with a contract, freakin Nextel charges eight million dollars per phone. WTF? Plus if you want free mobile-to-mobile, that's an extra ten bucks per phone. I'm pissed.

One of the reasons their phones cost more is b/c of their walkie-talkie "Direct Connect" capabilities. I don't need that shit. I won't use it. I don't want to pay for it. Pointless.

But I DO want my fam to get decent cell phone service and not have to walk out to the edge of the driveway in 8 inches of snow to use the phone! Argh! [I'm feeling a little Charlie Brown-ish here, and if I seem whiny, I apologize.]

So - use Nextel and forgo buying Christmas presents this year? Or use Cingular and make 7 calls to have one conversation? Decisions, decisions.