Cingular to add a surcharge for analog and TDMA users

4.7 million Cingular customers (about 8% of all) are still using the analog and TDMA networks and the FCC requires Cingular to keep providing the analog service until early 2008 or as long as it still has subscribers using it. The $5 a month surcharge aims to convince these subscribers to make the switch to GSM so that the entire network could be used for only one type of signal. This would free up spectrum for the GSM network and probably enable Cingular to provide better service for its customers.

The surcharge is expected to start from September.

Source: Yahoo