I thought that the CDMA network was fantastic and was really negative about Next G. But Next G is really good now. It took a couple of years, but now it is good. Initially I had a Nokia NextG handset which was a loser. I gave it away after a month. Then changed to the LG flip phone. This worked well in flight and with an external aerial on a good ground plane we can get over 50 km from a tower. Then I moved to the blue tick Palm to get email as well. That was a waste of money for more than one reason. I canned it a few months later and moved to the (unrated by Telstra) iphone. The iphone gets better reception than the LG handsets without external aerials but not quite as good as when the external aerial is added. Initially I kept an LG handset for use flying, but now I don't bother. I get call drop outs, but no worse than the LG handsets or the old CDMA phones. I tend to use it most at TOD in Nth & Western Vic & Nth SA. A number of rural pilots I've met swear by the Telstra NextG phone with the pull out aerial.