I work in Telecom - landline not wireless, and I know what you are talking about, extra fees, hidden charges etc. That being said some of that crap is from the government(taxes & fees). I work and receive service from the company I work for and I can't even hardly read the damn bill. Customer service for these large Telecom/Cable companies sucks because they have so much turnover. I catch sh*t everyday while out doing installs/repairs but the complaints are well warranted.
On the cell phone issue. I have friends that have bought phones off ebay which by-passes having to re-up your contract. I am doing this as soon as my current contract is up. It sucks to have to sign for 2 years everytime I want/need a new phone. Also have seen some of the larger cell carriers are starting to have a pay-as-you-go type service as well.