Walk into any wireless phone store in the country and you can expect one thing to be the same no matter who’s name is on the door. Everyone wants a two-year customer agreement if you want a new phone at a low price.

Alltel has announced a big change today with a move from 2-year contracts to a 1-year contract. The 1-year contracts will be in effect starting today for all new and renewing customers. It really sucks if you renewed yesterday.

Alltel says that the new 1-year contracts are only available in the 91 cellular markets it serves that weren’t purchased by Verizon last year. Alltel also says that the new contract lengths won’t be in effect on areas where the networks are managed by the Trust who is overseeing the areas Alltel has agreed to sell to AT&T in 79 locations. It might be easier for Alltel to just say where it will offer the new plan.

[via Alltel]