Cingular to charge very early adopters

US operator Cingular Wireless is to start charging its 4.7 million users still using very early mobile phone models an extra $5 per month.

The additional charge will begin in September and is seen as a move to drive mobile phone subscribers still using analogue and TDMA technologies to migrate to its GSM network.

Around 92 per cent of the operator’s customer base already subscribes to GSM services.

Cingular is required by the Federal Communications Commission to provide analogue service until early 2008 if it still has customers with those phones. However, there is no law against charging through the nose for it.