T-Mobile USA announced that it was canceling handset upgrade fees for its customers.

The move came into effect Dec. 17, according to a spokeswoman for T-Mobile. "The elimination of the $18 upgrade fee applies across-the-board to all handsets (including the T-Mobile G1) and in all channels (e.g., retail, online, etc.)," she said in an email message. 

The cancellation of the fee is not a holiday promotion and there is no specified end date. Handset upgrade fees are a fairly standard practice throughout the wireless industry, with operators charging anywhere between $18 and $40 when customers upgrade their phones.  

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