"We think every GM car deserves to have a dial tone," said Mark Hogan, head of e-GM, the automaker's Internet division.

The service will come as part of OnStar, GM's safety and concierge system that has about 160,000 subscribers. GM hopes to have 500,000 OnStar subscribers by the end of this year, and up to 4 million OnStar-equipped vehicles in three years.

The phone service, called OnStar Personal Calling, will be voice-controlled. Customers will push an OnStar button on the dashboard, then say "dial" and speak the phone number; users can also store up to 20 numbers under names. The service will handle incoming calls through a phone number assigned to each vehicle by GM.

The system will not include a handset; GM said that was for safety reasons, namely to keep drivers from taking their eyes off the road.

GM did not say how much the service would cost, but said it would be competitive with other national cellular plans. Like cell phone contracts, GM will offer a block of minutes per month, but without roaming or long-distance charges.

Chet Huber, head of OnStar, said that 60 percent to 70 percent of time spent by the nation's 90 million cell phone owners is in cars. He said the main target for the product would be casual cell-phone users, rather than people who use several hundred minutes a month.

"A significant percentage of owners have chosen to get a cell phone for $15 or $20 a month, put it in the glove compartment and hold it there in case they need to be connected on the road," he said.

GM already has said it also will use OnStar to offer voice-controlled Internet access later this year. That system will read e-mail and Internet text over a car's sound system.

Ford and Sprint announced last month that some 2001 Lincoln models would come with a voice-activated cell phone with a removable handset and limited Internet access.

Published 4/8/2000