3G SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL ROAMING Can't agree with you more with regard to new features and deploying new technology for technology's sake as inadequate drivers for developing third generation (3G).

However, what I'm looking for in the 3G initiative as a roamer guy is some sort of global standardization of network and air interfaces to support international roaming. As the international roaming adviser supporting the GTE TSI Users Group for the past couple of years, I've had the opportunity to try to raise the awareness of the North American roaming community about international roaming.

I think it's finally sinking in that there is a whole world out there that wants to visit America as well as many Americans who want to roam the world. Unfortunately, there are a number of technical as well as other issues barring the way. 3G has the potential if we do it right to help make it happen.

Gary Drouillard, Manager, Roaming Administration & Fraud Control, BC Tel Mobility, gary_drouillard@bctm.com.

MOTIVATION FOR 3G? A great editorial in the Feb. 15 issue on 3G systems. I also question the whole motivation for this. I'm glad to see someone else saying it. I think the vendors would love to see it, but I doubt that carriers will be too enthusiastic, unless they have to replace their entire networks for some other reason.

David Crowe, crowed@cnp-wireless.com

'MENACE' SKEWED In reviewing "Menace to Society" in the Feb. 15 issue, my colleagues and I were surprised to see that it was skewed to a limited segment of the hands-free market. While your article claims to focus on hands-free car kits, it primarily addresses the "installed" segment and fails to consider the majority unit of hands-free unit sales, which are represented by portables.

While we realize there are limited studies in the market, and you cannot be expected to talk to everyone in the industry, we feel that your article may have centered a little too much on Cellport and Mr. Kennedy's impressions of the market.

We found the "Hands-Free Kit Projections" chart on page 144 to be completely inaccurate. For example, the chart states 1997 Wireless Phone Projections to be 65 million. According to CTIA, there were more than 54 million in the United States alone at the end of 1997. The TAG Reporter, a monthly newsletter on the Wireless Communications Industry from Asbury, NJ, in its October 1997 edition reported 165 million worldwide at the end of the second quarter of 1997. Further research by The Strategis Group estimates the 500 million mark by 2002, compared to the 220 million in your chart.

In addition, had the portable segment of the hands-free market been included in the analysis, the average wholesale cost of car kits could not be $135 when portable kits, which still have a dominant market share, wholesale for between $10 to $30 each.

Finally, the "Car Kit Revenues" column is misleading because it takes a close review to realize that this shows cumulative revenues for the 10-year period, not annual figures as implied.

Mark Orlinsky, Sales & Product Manager, Vivox USA

There are a variety of hands-free accessories on the market. For this reason, we focused our efforts. Admittedly, safety issues are a hot topic right now. With this in mind, it seemed most appropriate to center our attention on installed, high-end car kits, which addressed safety issues and the cost and marketing challenges of offering this type of car kits.

You are right. Uncovering current or accurate figures about accessories and hands-free sales posed a real menace to us in preparing this story. The chart in "Menace to Society" was dated 1997 and featured projections for the future 12 months. Looking at it from the 1998 perspective, it illustrates how projections sometimes don't measure up to reality.

Unfortunately, that was the only information we could uncover about hands-free. We thought it important to give this market some shape, even if it was based on projections.