MCI Welcomes Maine To The Neighborhood

For Mainers, The All-Inclusive, Any-Distance Service
Offers An Unprecedented Value On One Bill

ARLINGTON, Va.- Oct. 8, 2002 - For years, the majority of Mainers had one choice for their local phone service - the local phone monopoly. Consumers were forced to accept whatever rates and services the monopoly offered. Today, the era of "no choice" is finally over. Effective immediately, the majority of Maine residents may join The Neighborhood built by MCISM, a new nationwide phone business that is revolutionizing the communications industry and creating a new era of competition by unifying local and long-distance service on one bill for one fixed price.

The brand's flagship offering, Neighborhood Complete, provides unlimited local and long-distance calling within the U.S., whether across the street or across the country. This means consumers can talk with whomever, whenever, wherever in the U.S., and for however long, they choose - for the same price every month. Neighborhood Complete also provides five popular calling and messaging features from one company, on one bill for $49.99 per month, plus applicable taxes and surcharges, in many parts of Maine. The entire U.S. effectively becomes one local calling area and the entire country becomes one neighborhood.

"More than 1 million consumers have already joined The Neighborhood - the ground-breaking service designed to unite historically separate local and long-distance services - since it launched in 32 states less than six months ago," said Wayne Huyard, president, MCI Mass Markets. "Our success proves that consumers overwhelmingly want "any distance" phone service and, The Neighborhood built by MCI is the only company to offer that choice."

Consumers who select Neighborhood Complete can now enjoy the convenience of a single company, a single invoice and one fixed monthly price for all home phone service. Five popular calling features - Caller ID, Call Waiting, Voicemail, Three-Way Calling, and Speed Dial - and the ability to take advantage of free partner reward benefits, such as frequent flyer miles or movie video rentals - are also included.

The Neighborhood built by MCI is the communications industry's first large scale, credible threat to the local phone monopolies' lock on the consumer calling market because it is the only enterprise to truly offer a fully integrated service across the country. With The Neighborhood now available in 36 states, plus the District of Columbia, MCI has become the first communications company to truly fulfill the vision of the "any-distance" future outlined by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

How to join The Neighborhood
To join The Neighborhood, Maine residents should call 1-800-285-FREE or visit http://www.TheNeighborhood.com.

About MCI Group
MCI group (MCWEQ), an operating unit of WorldCom, Inc., is a leading provider of residential voice, advanced messaging and commercial communications services. MCI group offers a robust portfolio of products, including local, international and long-distance voice services, advanced messaging, and wholesale voice, dial-up Internet and data services. For more information, go to http://www.mci.com.