...So why did AT&T turn off my phone today, January 10th? It seems like AT&T has found a loophole of sorts in the FCC's mandate where AMPS will be discontinued on February 18th: the analog cellular towers are still up and running, and I can still dial out, except every call is forwarded to a tape that tells me to upgrade my phone. Anyone attempting to call the number is now presented with a message stating, "This phone has been deactivated." If I were to receive that sort of message with no warning, my first thought would be that the person on the other end didn't pay their phone bill. That's one of the last things I want people to think.
According to what I've been reading from other users online, this also means that I've lost my phone number, so even if I want to I'm no longer eligible to transfer my number from AT&T to T-Mobile. I'm going to try and get to the T-Mobile store tomorrow night to set up my GSM v60i; failing that I'll try for Saturday. The sooner the better, as my chances of retrieving my number dwindle as time passes. The only problem is that the nearest T-Mobile store is conveniently located at a nearby supermall, where on a Friday night or a weekend it's nearly impossible to find parking.