Are Cellular Companies ripping us off?

Most definately ! The more they get the more they want, charges have gone up for texting, roaming, pictures and the phones are very expensive.

With these modern times and modern technology i am surprised at your experiences with the high cost of making telephone calls. There are options such as Skype that are free to call anyone anywhere in the world as long as they have the same standard skype handset and software. There are also many free sms websites i use on a regular basis to cut the cost.