MCI Enhances 17 Data Centers across United States

--Advanced Data Centers Offer Internet Customers More Flexibility in Outsourcing
and Direct Access to MCI's global IP network--

ASHBURN, Va., May 19, 2004- MCI (MCIA.PK) today announced it is enhancing 17 Standard Data Centers in key U.S. metropolitan areas across the United States to provide a more robust environment for customers with hosted applications. Businesses will now have access to a new set of tiered data center capabilities including value-added a la carte offerings, providing them with optimal flexibility.

MCI's Advanced Data Centers complement the company's current footprint of Standard and Premium Data Centers which offer colocation services, and its Smart Centers that offer managed hosting. Each type of center has been engineered to provide businesses with just the right set of features from basic to premium to fully outsourced to meet specific requirements, while giving customers the level of management they need.

"MCI is committed to meeting the growing demand of customers that want to outsource a broad range of data center needs for a variety of reasons," said Nancy Gofus, MCI senior vice president of product management. "Businesses need a secure offsite facility to locate and manage their equipment to enhance business continuity and disaster recovery planning. Also, it gives them peace-of-mind to know their servers are housed in robust, rigorously-engineered facilities with management and monitoring capabilities."

MCI is enhancing Standard Data Center locations where an MCI Internet hub is located to meet customer demand for a dedicated carrier-grade site with easy access to bandwidth, enabling them to securely house their Internet servers, data networking and/or voice equipment. Without access loops or cross connects, MCI customers are assured of a high performance, high reliability setting for their hosted applications.

Each Advanced Data Center offers a standard set of services including direct access to MCI's global IP network through its Fast Ethernet Service as well as connections to MCI's Frame, ATM, Private Line and Voice Services. Customers also have convenient access to equipment during specified hours; on-site technical support; choice of space options to accommodate a variety of equipment from Web servers to frame switches and modem banks for Internet Service Providers. MCI also provides companies with a wide range of IP bandwidth options including tiered and burstable offerings up to 100 Mbps and, in some locations, MCI offers Gigabit Ethernet Service for customers requiring more than 100 Mbps handoffs.

Taking advantage of the new services in the San Diego area is MCI data center customer Data On Call, a premier Internet-based business serving Fortune 1000 companies with its highly cost-effective and reliable Internet fax services.

"By leveraging MCI's expanded capabilities locally, we're able to provide our customers with superior service and performance," said Ken Truesdale, president, Data On Call. "Housing our data center within MCI's facilities helps us provide our customers with the levels of security, reliability, uptime and redundancy that they require."

Additionally, MCI provides value-added managed services including IP VPN and Firewall services. All locations are secured with a variety of measures including lock and key access to racks and cabinets; card key access and electronic surveillance.

With the enhanced sites coming online throughout May and June 2004, MCI's Advanced Data Centers will be open for business in: Phoenix, Ariz.; San Diego, Calif.; Sacramento, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; Washington, D.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Tampa, Fla.; Detroit, Mich.; St. Louis, Mo.; Las Vega, Nev.; New York City; Raleigh, N.C.; Cleveland; Ohio; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

MCI's Hosting Services Portfolio
MCI offers the full array of Web hosting and application solutions from managed to shared to Internet and network colocation. Each runs over MCI's facilities-based global networks, through its state-of-the-art data centers located across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia Pacific. Web hosting services are part of the full continuum of advanced data communications solutions MCI provides to business customers around the world.

About MCI
MCI, Inc., (MCIA.PK), 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.