MCI Responds To The Announcement of Verizon's "Veriations All"

The following statement should be attributed to Wayne E. Huyard, Chief Operating Officer of MCI:

Arlington, Va., August, 6, 2002 -- "There is no greater form of flattery than when a competitor follows your lead, like Verizon followed MCI today. While The Neighborhood built by MCI has been chosen by more than 800,000 any-distance customers in 34 states and Washington, DC, Verizon's two-state rollout has a long way to go to catch up. It is a good sign that competition is working when a monopoly is spurred by an offering like The Neighborhood to suddenly offer new products and services. We are hopeful that regulators will keep up the pressure to open the Bell networks so consumers can enjoy even greater savings, choice and innovation.

Not only does Verizon's "Veriations All" service lack variety in where you can sign up, it's full of limitations. With The Neighborhood, residential and small business consumers from coast-to-coast not only receive local, local toll, and long-distance phone service, they also receive valuable calling features for an affordable price, appealing to everyone who makes local and long-distance calls."

"Consumers who really want to experience the benefits of all-distance calling, should visit TheNeighborhood.com or call 1-800-285-FREE. Consumers may also join one of MCI's many partner programs to add even more value to their phone conversations."