US, Retrieve Cell service getting worse, Analog service disappearing.

Did you know analog cell phone coverage is being sunset? Legally, a
FCC ruling says that all analog cell phone services can be shut off
after Feb. 18, 2008, aka the 'analog sunset' ?
And guess what, Verizon will do just that precisely on 2/18/2008!
See:
http://support.vzw.com/faqs/Wireless...etirement.html

There are still some rural areas without digital service, so after
2/18/2008 your retrieval call may just not be as easy ... Especially
out in Texas and other rural areas.


Now I wonder if keeping Verizon with their old digital technology or
if it is better to switch to AT&T and others using the GSM network.
Verizon digital is CDMA - it is the old digital standard, not as
modern as the GSM standard that AT&T now uses. I think CDMA is
currently on more towers.

I think the trimode phones I have is analog, CDMA & TDMA [even older
digital].

I think a lot of the world uses GSM but then in Europe they have much
higher population density than the Western US so I don't know how well
it works
outside the cities.

Which technology would have better reception OMN [out in middle of
nowhere]?

Short of a satellite phone what's the best cell service for a glider
geek?

Does it make sense to supplement a CDMA regular phone with a prepaid
phone on the GSM network?
Does anyone make dual mode CDMA/GSM?

Chris