[arsenal]

Well that is what is going to happen when WiFi VOIP mobile phones start more and more popular.
Phone companies in the 50's where the same as cellular companies are now. They wanted to provide full services, and get paid for it, instead of being a simple conduit.
I personally want the cell companies to become just that. A provider to the cellular or WiFi VOIP network.
I want to buy and use of phone of my choice, and be able to put on it what I want, with out having to pay the cell company providing me with the privilege to do so.
It will happen in north america eventually, I just hope it will happen sooner than later.

It's not so much the price of the iPhone plan per say that people are upset with, nor is it the length of contract. We are used to 3 yr contracts in canada.
It's the pitiful amount services you get with that plan. The cheapest plan, is useful to the person that uses their phone weekends only. And they aren't the type of person that an iPhone would appeal to. Unless they just want one to be trendy.

The typical iPhone user is one that is going to be using a lot of data, and actually use the phone to its capacity. Unless that user has a wifi network available to them at least half the time they have their phone, they are going to need the most expensive plan, in order not to endure overage charges. Even then, it would be possible to get over the limit of the most expensive plan.