Unfortunately, a lot of this roaming is at 1xRTT speeds which is a little slow. Sprint also has 3G speed issues in some markets but Network Vision is helping with this, along with bringing LTE which will be a big improvement over Clear's spotty 2500MHz WiMAX network.

The only other issue with roaming is that the phone will desperately hold on to a weak Sprint signal over a stronger Verizon (or US Cellular, or local provider) signal which can still cause missed calls and poor call quality. This is usually only a problem in some buildings, and is partly due to 1900MHz not penetrating buildings as well as 800MHz. Thankfully, it isn't a common issue and they can often be talked into providing a free femtocell (unlike Verizon)

Despite these issues, Sprint is still a very good carrier in a lot of ways. Their customer service has improved a lot and they are working on their network.

It should not surprise anyone that Verizon is going to eventually push people off the unlimited plans. However, if you have unlimited data now, you should not worry until you upgrade your device (or your contract expires). They do retain the rights to change plans and pricing at any time, but they would have to let everyone out of their contract. They will just wait out the current contracts rather than let everyone out since the "issue" of unlimited will work itself out in less than 2 years from the date they stop allowing contract renewals on the old unlimited plans. If they want to boot the users who burn through ridiculous amounts of data such as 1TB a month now, they can deal with those on a case by case basis.

Right now, the only un-throttled unlimited service in the US is with Sprint, who isn't known for fast 3G speeds, and is just getting ready to launch LTE in a handful of markets. Rural customers will be waiting quite some time for Sprint LTE and some may never see it. Also, Sprint may decide to drop unlimited someday. AT&T has caps and overages (and places still stuck on EDGE), and T-Mobile has caps + throttling, and limited coverage in rural areas (also has places stuck on EDGE). The value oriented prepaid carriers all cap or throttle as far as I know. Leaving Verizon just to prove a point isn't likely to accomplish any more than leaving AT&T.

To the carriers defense, there's only so much capacity to go around. LTE will help, but usage continues to grow. More spectrum helps (but this complicates device design and roaming). More cell sites would help too, but they are becoming next to impossible to build in urban and suburban areas, where they are needed most, due to ridiculous health concerns, aesthetic / property value concerns (which is silly since most people want their mobile phones to work at home), and general local government roadblocks for permits.

Verizon users used to pay around $40 for unlimited data on a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device. This was before the iPhone, and before streaming video and music was common over wireless networks. In fact, I seem to recall that streaming was blocked in the terms of service. Typical usage was low - mine was less than 100MB. The browsers on most devices were terrible and couldn't load a full site without crashing or rendering it in an unreadable mess, so it was hard to use a lot without tethering which was also not allowed. Now, 2 GB for $30 seems a little high, but it is more value for the money than what was available just a few years ago.

I don't want to give up my unlimited plan any more than anyone else, but I never expected it to last forever either. At the end of the day, the carriers are seeing a shift away from voice usage and towards data usage. That's why you can now get an unlimited voice plan for about the same cost as 1,000 minutes a few years ago. Voice isn't the money maker anymore. The wireless carriers are in business to make money, and will make sure that continues to happen. And before anyone suggests having the government run the networks, think of the last time you dealt with the DMV, IRS, or any other government oriented operation. Then look at just about any politician to see the very definition of greed.

Cap & Trade won't swap smokestacks for windmills. Instead, it will just push energy costs through the roof and push most manufacturing jobs that are left overseas where there are no pollution controls at all. For anyone who is left here, all of these costs will be pushed right on to the consumer, as no business can afford to absorb this massive tax increase, nor should they be expected to absorb it even if they could.

It won't push people into smaller cars. Americans spend too much time in our cars to drive around in a micro car. Not all of us live in big cities with public transportation and easy access to stores. The Smart Fortwo couldn't even fit a one week load of groceries for the average American family. We have states that are larger than entire countries in other parts of the world - what works for them doesn't work for us.

All of this for reducing Carbon Dioxide - which is not proven to be a pollutant, and for reducing global warming - even when there is no proof that human activities are impacting climate.

Ludicrous speed, of course.