As a quasi-libertarian, I blame the billions of dollars needed for base station hardware, fiber optic networks, and a nationwide salesforce for the... uh... hig

As a quasi-libertarian, I blame the billions of dollars needed for base station hardware, fiber optic networks, and a nationwide salesforce for the... uh... high entry cost. 90% of people^ won't use a cell carrier that doesn't have nationwide coverage, so it's not like you can build these things on a shoestring. Witness the long slow rise of Cricket Wireless (http://www.mycricket.com http://www.mycricket.com), even though it offers flat rates without contracts. ^ Yes, I made up this number, but I'm sure it's not far off.