Thanks for the responses everyone, they got me googling and I learned that AMPS coverage, while better in rural areas, is in fact a rapidly dying, soon to be extinct, network. The FCC apparently issued a ruliing that allowed cell phone carriers to shutdown their analog AMPS 800mhz service as of Feb 18, 2008, "the AMPS sunset". Most carriers have already shut down their AMPS systems and the network will most likely be history by the end of the year. The biggest problems caused by the sunset were apparently in alarm system backup analog cell phones and older onstar car systems. In my area, Utah, alltel will end analog service by the end of this month! Guess this won't be a good excuse for Sprint to upgrade me to a touch pro (lol)! I actually now wonder if the fact my old touch had analog support was the reason by battery drained so quick when I was in lousy service areas!!!! I did often set my touch to sprint only for just that reason!
If you want to read more about sunset dates
http://www.mountainwireless.com/analog.shtml