Department of Defense Awards WorldCom Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) Contract

WorldCom to Provide High Performance, High Speed Network Services for DoD Scientists and Engineers

CLINTON, Miss., April 5, 2002 - WorldCom (NASDAQ: WCOM), the leading global business data and Internet communications provider, today announced that it will provide the high performance network and associated services for the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN). DREN is the Department of Defense's premier state-of-the-art network supporting more than 6,000 DoD scientists and engineers at super computer laboratories, test centers and universities across the U.S.

Under terms of the agreement, WorldCom will implement leading edge Wide Area Network (WAN) services to enable researchers and engineers to better communicate and collaborate on DoD initiatives. When completed, DREN will provide data communications for Department of Defense civilian and military research facilities. The minimum guarantee of the contract is $6 million. An estimated $70 million in orders will be issued during the three-year base period of this contract, with a $450 million ceiling price over the ten-year period.

In addition, DREN is the broadband backbone component supporting DoD's High Performance Computing Modernization Program and will be used for large data transfers, complex science based modelling and simulations. By enabling low latency and high capacity connections, multipoint and point-to-point distribution of video and advanced network services, DoD scientists will be able to quickly collect, analyse and share information.

"DREN represents one of the most valuable technologically-driven networking initiatives in all of DoD and requires a network that meets the highest levels of reliability, availability, and integrity," said Jerry Edgerton, senior vice president, WorldCom Government Markets. "WorldCom has been providing federal, civilian, and defense agencies with advanced network services for more than 10 years and has the essential expertise to meet the challenges of supporting the DoD's High Performance Computing community well into the next decade."

WorldCom will deliver a private, high-performance network solution for DREN that supports high-bandwidth applications such as high-speed data transfer, IP multicasting and next-generation Internet protocol (IPv6). The DREN network will support both native mode ATM and IP traffic, providing the DoD with the flexibility it needs to support a nationally distributed system of super computers. DREN will benefit from WorldCom's guaranteed network reliability assurances -- the highest available in the industry today -- as well as a network designed to adapt and grow to accommodate DoD's future capacity and service requirements.

ABOUT WORLDCOM GROUP

WorldCom group (NASDAQ: WCOM), an operating unit of WorldCom, Inc., is a pre-eminent global communications provider for the digital generation, operating in more than 65 countries with annualised revenues exceeding $21 billion. With one of the most expansive, wholly owned IP networks in the world, WorldCom provides innovative data and Internet services for businesses to communicate in today's market. For more information, go to http://www.worldcom.com.