MCI VoIP Solution Leads Industry in Meeting 9-1-1 Requirements

-- MCI Advantage Delivers Caller Phone Number and Location to Correct 9-1-1 Agency For More Than Two Years -- -- Company Working with National Emergency Number Association to Develop Life-Saving 9-1-1 Services for Mobile VoIP Users -- ASHBURN, Va., August 3, 2004 -- MCI (NASDAQ: MCIP) today announced that MCI Advantage is one of the industry's first Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions to support 9-1-1 capabilities at fixed locations. In addition, the company has teamed with the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and regional emergency communication organizations to develop and implement long-term solutions for 9-1-1 services to support mobile users. "We are able to offer MCI Advantage customers, who order service for fixed locations, the same benefits they would expect from their traditional phone service," said Nancy Gofus, MCI senior vice president of Product Management. "As a pioneer, developing and delivering VoIP services to market, MCI proactively invested in the equipment and resources to support true 9-1-1 service to protect our customer's safety." While most VoIP services offer a "9-1-1 like" solution, MCI has provided "true 9 1 1," or E9 1 1, capabilities by utilizing the existing 9-1-1 network to route calls to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) since 2001. This allows the VoIP caller's location and phone number to be automatically displayed in front of the 9-1-1 call taker so emergency assistance can be dispatched to a location even if the caller cannot communicate. In addition, it ensures that 9-1-1 calls are routed to the local emergency response teams for the area where the call was placed. "It is our goal to have all the 9-1-1 calls utilize the E9 1 1 systems," said Roger Hixson, National Emergency Number Association (NENA) Technical Issues Director. "If the public is able to make a telephone call from a broadband VoIP 'telephone service,' they should be able to reach 9-1-1 services in an emergency. MCI's deployment of its VoIP service is proof that true 9-1-1 services, including location identification, can be provided today for customers at fixed locations." The "9-1-1 like service" provided by others in the VoIP industry compromises a customer's ability to access emergency services via 9-1-1 because calls route to an agency's 10-digit telephone number that may not be answered at the same priority as a 9-1-1 call. In addition, the caller's telephone number and location may not be displayed and if a caller is unable to respond or does not know their current location information, emergency response could be delayed or worse, fail to respond. "Having important information, such as caller's location, display automatically is invaluable when it comes to responding to an emergency situation where every second counts," said Richard Atkins, Assistant Director, Tarrant County 9-1-1 District in Fort Worth, Texas. "There is nothing more distressing than knowing someone is in need of assistance and not being able to locate them because their information is not made available to emergency operators." MCI fully supports an administrative approach to maintain funding of 9-1-1 resources at a level equivalent to those generated by current or evolving funding processes. MCI is remitting 9-1-1 service fees in accordance with local 9-1-1 requirements. Available since 2001, MCI Advantage utilizes MCI's voice, DSL and IP footprint and expertise with the industry's leading technologies, to offer customers the first nationwide, business-grade, converged VoIP solution. MCI Advantage changes the way customers do business, by driving increased employee productivity, simplifying the way telecommunications products and services are bought and managed, scaling easily as a company grows and positioning customers for future services. 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.