text: Total operating expenses were $87.2 million, an increase of $3.6 million or 4.3%. The primary driver in the increase in 
  operating expenses is continued growth in the PCS operation somewhat offset by a significant decline in bad debt 
  expense compared to 2002. 
  
  Late in 2003, the Company made an employee benefits policy change, which eliminated the requirement for the 
  Company to accrue a vacation liability in advance of the year in which the benefit was used. The result of this change 
  was a reduction of benefit expense of $0.5 million for the year compared to 2002. Benefit expenses impact all 
  operating departments based on the amount of direct labor charged to the department. The change has a one-time 
  impact on the financial statements of the Company. The benefits policy now provides that employees earn and use 
  their paid time off in the same period. In the future, under this policy, unused hours can be banked but only used for 
  extended illness, not carried over for use as vacation. 
  
  Cost of goods and services was $10.9 million, an increase of $0.4 million or 4.2%. The PCS cost of goods sold was 
  $8.5 million, an increase of $0.2 million or 2.3%. This change is due primarily to higher volumes of handsets sold 
  through Company owned stores and PCS handset subsidies paid to third-party retailers. In 2003, the Company 
  recorded approximately $1.8 million in handset costs related to existing subscribers upgrading their handsets. Prior to 
  2003, the Company did not track the specific costs related to subsidizing new handsets to existing customers. The cost 
  of handset up-grades sold to existing customers is expected to increase as the customer base matures and handset 
  manufacturers introduce new technologies in new handsets. The cable television programming (cost of service) 
  expense was $1.6 million, an increase of $0.2 million or 16.3%. The Company has seen continuing upward pressure on 
  the cost of cable TV programming by cable TV program providers. 