Most people would probably like a PC, but not everyone has one. And the reason that this is so, and the reason that most people have portable phones, is cost. If the same happened in the PC market, it's pretty certain that two thirds of the country would own one too. Or if it were cars. This quite frankly bizarre situation has created a wealth of opportunities for the consumer, and should be alarming for the airtime operators.
Lets start with the consumers.
Dump the contract and start again. This writer got a better phone, with a cheaper subscription, cheaper calls and more free minutes. Oh, and its with the same operator too. Mobile operators have spent billions on 3G licences and the only way to raise this cash is by boosting its share price, which is primarily reflected through the number of subscribers it boasts. This is why they are falling over themselves to get new subscribers.