MCI Completes Major Upgrade to New Zealand Internet Hub

Offers New Direct High-Speed Internet Backbone Route to U.S.
With Expanded Network Access and Burstable Bandwidth Options

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, 19 July 2004 - MCI (NASDAQ: MCIP) today announced a significant upgrade to its IP backbone infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region with the completion of its Internet hub expansion in New Zealand. Through this investment, MCI is expanding and enhancing its portfolio of IP services in New Zealand, providing its customers with efficient, value-rich communications solutions with the highest service quality, reliability and support.

MCI is introducing a new direct high-speed STM-1/OC-3 (155Mbps) IP network route from New Zealand to the U.S. for its corporate business customers and Internet service providers. Customers are offered a variety of network access options - including Frame Relay, ATM, and Ethernet - to connect their wide area network (WAN) to the MCI global IP network.

"New and emerging IP-based business applications require optimum network performance to deliver their full functionality, and this is what customers can continue to expect from MCI," said Trevor Duff, managing director of MCI Australia and New Zealand. "The choice of MCI network access options further allows our customers to leverage the full value of their WAN investments by extending the working life of their existing Frame Relay, Ethernet or ATM infrastructure."

The upgrade of the New Zealand Internet hub also allows MCI to introduce a new burstable bandwidth solution that enables its customers to predictably and cost-effectively plan for periodic or unanticipated spikes in data capacity demand. Using burstable bandwidth, a customer elects to install a high-capacity circuit that exceeds its typical daily bandwidth usage. While the full capacity of the circuit is available to the customer at all times, the customer only incurs additional charges for higher bandwidth usage when it chooses to exceed its pre-established circuit utilisation level on a sustained basis.

"The burstable bandwidth option ensures that a company always has the data transmission capacity it needs to get the job done, without paying for more bandwidth than it actually uses," said Duff. "By providing a wide range of network access and bandwidth options, MCI is delivering the kind of service flexibility our customers need to manage their networks with maximum efficiency."

Each of these services is immediately available and all are backed by MCI's industry-leading service level agreement guarantees.

About MCI
MCI, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCIP) is a leading global communications provider, delivering innovative, cost-effective, advanced communications connectivity to businesses, governments and consumers. With the industry's most expansive global IP backbone, based on the number of company-owned points of presence, and wholly-owned data networks, MCI develops the converged communications products and services that are the foundation for commerce and communications in today's market. For more information, go to www.mci.com.