I was very frustrated when I bought a Nokia N82 so that I could have an unlocked GSM phone, only to find out that the only service that works in my area is AT&T

I was very frustrated when I bought a Nokia N82 so that I could have an unlocked GSM phone, only to find out that the only service that works in my area is AT&T anyways. But hey, I already bought my phone, I should just be able to get a non-contract plan, especially if I'm willing to pay the full (phone-subsidizing) price each month, right? Nope. You can't get a normal monthly plan without signing up to at least a one-year contract. I even had to pay for the freaking sim card, not to speak of the activation fee. So I paid something like $500-550 for my phone, sim card, and activation fee, and I'm still in a one-year contract, all for the same monthly rate that I would be paying if I had gotten a plan that came with a free phone. Something is wrong here.