MCI WORLDCOM ANNOUNCES ‘FIXED WIRELESS’ SERVICE TRIALS

High-Speed Wireless Data Service Trials Underway In Jackson, Baton Rouge, and Memphis

News Bureau Media Relations 800-644-NEWS Investors Scott Hamilton 601-460-4981

CLINTON, Miss. (March 7, 2000) – MCI WorldCom today announced an initial step in bringing a competitive alternative for high-speed data services to customers in markets that lack a speedy option for Internet and broadband services. The market trials underway in Jackson, Miss., Baton Rouge, La., and Memphis, Tenn., mark the start of MCI WorldCom’s “fixed wireless” strategy to offer two-way, high-speed access to customers less likely to be touched by the cable broadband monopolies and the “Mega-Bell” local phone companies.

“Our wireless strategy makes perfect sense in markets where customers have little, if any, choice for high-speed connectivity,” said John Stupka, President of MCI WorldCom Wireless Solutions. “With the technology we have in place, wireless lets us immediately serve residential and business customers in these markets – which is exactly what we’re doing today.”

The Jackson, Baton Rouge, and Memphis service trials are an initial step of MCI WorldCom’s overall strategic efforts to offer high-speed, broadband services using radio spectrum designated for an advanced technology, known as Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS), capable of serving a 35-mile radius.

The current service trials operate on similar frequencies as MMDS (2.1 Gigahertz and 2.5-2.7 GHz) in the Wireless Communication Service (WCS) band (2.3 GHz). MCI WorldCom will roll out commercial MMDS service later this year after FCC licensing approval has been granted.

“As we test and build out our MMDS platform in larger cities, our service market trials will be hosted in smaller cities where we have existing wireless assets,” Stupka explained. “By market testing now, we’ll be able to offer our customers in certain markets a competitive package of broadband services by the end of the year.”

In Jackson, Baton Rouge and Memphis, hundreds of customers – including residential customers, small- and medium-sized businesses, and schools – are using MCI WorldCom’s “WarpOne” and “Warp 310” wireless broadband services. WarpOne offers business customers Internet and web-hosting services with scaleable bandwidth at speeds as fast as digital subscriber line (DSL) service.

Warp 310 Internet access service offers residential users wireless, high-speed connectivity at 310 Kilobits per second (Kbps), solidly beating the fastest dial-up modems. Warp 310 high-speed Internet service is designed initially for residences in apartment complexes that can be served via a wireless local area network, and soon Warp 310 service will be available to residences in entire neighborhoods. At $39.95 a month, Warp 310 customers receive unlimited usage without the extra cost of an additional phone line into the home.

“Getting connected to Warp 310 service is as easy as 1, 2, 3 – call to sign up for service, pop a card into your PC and you’re ready to go,” Stupka said.

In several larger markets, MMDS technology field tests will start in early 2000 so that by late 2001, the merged MCI WorldCom and Sprint will offer its broadband “fixed wireless” service to customers in more than 100 cities. It is the combination of MCI WorldCom and Sprint MMDS that will allow accelerated deployment of these assets to rural areas and markets traditionally underserved by the cable and local phone monopolies.

MCI WorldCom (NASDAQ: WCOM) is a global leader in “all-distance” communications services with operations in more than 65 countries. Revenues in 1999 were $37 billion, with more than $15 billion from high-growth data, Internet and international services. MCI WorldCom and Sprint have announced a merger agreement, which the companies expect to close in the second half of 2000 after regulatory and shareholder approvals. For more information go to http://www.wcom.com.

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