What the future may hold

GSM technology is a young technology in the US, but is thriving, with almost complete coverage in most parts of Europe. However, TDMA and CDMA coverage is very extensive throughout most regions of the US. While the Europeans are in process of Converting to wCDMA, most GSM technology in Europe will remain establish for a good while longer. Just as Europe finishes with thier wCDMA networks, the US will finally have GSM(800/1900MHZ) established to the point where TDMA and CDMA are at present.
While TDMA is on its way out being replaced by GSM in the states, TDMA will still be around for a good while while the transition to GSM is being made. Even when GSM is in place in all markets, TDMA will still remain for awhile longer, much like that of analog services, although many providers no longer offer analog as of now.
There will always be two forms of wireless technology, namley CDMA based technologies and GSM based technologies. Eventually, both of these forms of technologies will be combined into one handset, which can used around the world. Europe will most likely remain with GSM technologies while the rest of the world, such as the US and Aisa will remain with CDMA based technologies. However, although wCDMA, which is being deployed in Europe is considered a CDMA form of technology, it is based more on the existing GSM.
GSM in the US may never reach the coverage area as in Europe,but will always have a strong presence in the US, along with CDMA.
The world standard will always most likely be a GSM technology as is today. Unfornately, as of now the US has a long way to catch up with the Europeans based soley on coverage alone, but the US also has different geography which plays a major part in covering all of the coverage gaps that may exist. Why play around with techology which is new when time tested and established networks, such as TDMA still provide overall good coverage. Until GSM is as extensive as TDMA, it would be best just to stick with a provider which provides good coverage instead of playing the "who's got the newest phone and technology game".
While change is good, it is best to stick with time tested and proven technology until a newer, younger technolgy is finally tested and proven to the same extent as extinct technology.

[WirelessBeachBum]

It's not about gadgets or call clarity etc, if it were about gadgets we would see the phones currently available in Japan here, if it were about call clarity you would have seen digital in US a long time ago instead the carriers stuck with Analog.

CDMA networks are less expensive to operate and have a higher call capacity per channel, that's why they are here, it's all about profits.