Rural Cellular Association has petitioned the FCC to investigate the legality of carriers striking exclusive deals for handsets that prevent any other carrier from offering a given phone over a certain period.  

The big five providers in the US have increasingly turned to exclusives in recent months and have always claimed they need this marketing tactic to grow subscriber base.

The down side for many living in rural is they have subpar catalog of phones to pick from.  For example you can not get iPhone in most of Vermont, since AT&T does not operate in most of the state.

Here is a link to the FCC Petition (PDF)

Technorati Tags: FCC, Rural Cellular Association, Cell Phone, iPhone