MCI Win: US Department of Agriculture Selects MCI WorldCom as its FTS2001 Provider; Selection Continues String of FTS2001 Wins - Government Activity

EDGE, On & About AT&T, April 5, 1999

The United States Department of Agriculture Wednesday selected MCI WorldCom to be its telecommunications services provider under the FTS2001 program. Under this multi-year agreement, which is potentially worth more than $150 million, MCI WorldCom will provide a full range of services including voice, data, and Internet to the USDA's 29 agencies.

This announcement is another in an impressive string of contract victories that MCI WorldCom Government Markets has achieved since receiving one of the two FTS2001 awards earlier this year. With USDA selection, MCI WorldCom has now captured three of the top ten agencies including the Department of Defense and Department of Interior.

"This long term partnership will enable MCI WorldCom to provide the USDA with a full range telecommunications services into the next century," said Mike Serbousek, executive director, MCI WorldCom Government Markets. "As one of the industry's largest telecommunications providers, MCI WorldCom is committed to delivering cost-effective, innovative solutions to enable the USDA and other government agencies to better serve the public.

"MCI WorldCom has more than ten years of success working with the Federal government including such agencies as the United States Postal Service, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense. MCI WorldCom is proud of its ability to respond to our customers' needs by continuously delivering new products and services over one of the most technologically advanced, local to global to local networks in the world."

In January of 1999, MCI WorldCom captured the second of the two FTS2001 awards, guaranteeing minimum revenue of $750 million. Under FTS2001, individual user agencies such as the USDA, are allowed to choose from two awarded companies to provide telecommunications services.

MCI World Government Markets is a sales and marketing unit of MCI WorldCom, serving the United States Government and its agencies, and state governments. Offering managed network services, systems integration, and other products, MCI WorldCom Government Markets is a leader in providing communications solutions to government organizations. For more information on Government Markets, visit its home page at www.governmentmci.com.

MCI WorldCom is a global communications company with revenue of more than $30 billion and established operations in over 65 countries encompassing the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. MCI WorldCom is a premier provider of facilities-based and fully integrated local, long distance, international and Internet services. MCI WorldCom's global networks, including its state-of-the-art pan-European network and transoceanic cable systems, provide end-to-end high-capacity connectivity to more than 40,000 buildings worldwide. For more information on MCI WorldCom, visit the World Wide Web at http://www.wcom.com.