We're Definitely Not in Denmark David Heinemeier Hansson's take on cutting the cord in a less-savvy mobile land

David Heinemeier Hansson comes from a place where calls never drop and mobile phone customers only pay for the minutes they use. That place isn't Shangri-La--it's Copenhagen, Denmark. There are more places like it, but judging from the rate at which U.S. mobile users complain about their service, none of them is in the U.S.

Hansson is a partner in 37signals, a Chicago software and Internet applications firm focused on small businesses. He moved from Copenhagen to Chicago four years ago, and he still isn't accustomed to the differences in quality and cost.

"In Denmark, I never had dropped calls, and here it happens all the time, he says. "And everyone in Denmark is on minute plans that amount to about $15 to $20 a month. Here, you pay $50 a month minimum. It's ludicrously insane.