MCI WorldCom Reacts To Premature Bell Atlantic-Massachusetts Long Distance Bid

Background: Bell Atlantic today asked state regulators to
endorse its bid to provide long distance service in Massachusetts.
Under the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, Baby Bell phone
companies are required to irreversibly open their monopoly local phone
markets to competitors before they are allowed to provide in-region
long distance service. In Massachusetts, Bell Atlantic still controls
nearly 100 percent of statewide residential local phone lines and it
has done little to meet the Federal Communications Commission's
(FCC) rules for opening its market. For example, in violation of an FCC
order and the Telecom Act's requirements, Bell Atlantic still
refuses to provide competitors with access to critical fully automated
computer systems (called "operations support systems" or
"OSS") in order to confirm customer account data, place
orders, provide billing or request repairs.
(Please attribute the following statement to Donna Sorgi, MCI
WorldCom Regional Vice President-Public Policy)

BOSTON, May 24, 1999 -- "The fact that Bell Atlantic still
controls virtually every residential local phone line in Massachusetts
proves that there's no truth to its claim that it has surrendered
its monopoly.

"No state has put Bell Atlantic through the rigors of proving
market readiness like New York. Our experiences there have shown that
even under the watchful eye and clear direction of New York state
regulators, Bell Atlantic is still having a hard time meeting market
opening requirements, including making all of its computer systems
fully electronic and automated and available to competitors on a
nondiscriminatory basis. We urge Massachusetts regulators to quickly
set similarly rigorous standards for proving the openness of the local
phone market here. If Bell Atlantic is granted premature long distance
entry, it will lose all incentive to allow competitors into the local
market.

"The longer Bell Atlantic is allowed to delay competition, the
longer Massachusetts customers will go without the savings, innovation
and improved service that New York consumers are beginning to see
today."