Company will match employee contributions up to US$500,000

Johannesburg, 05 Jan 2005

MCI, Inc. and its employees are donating humanitarian and financial aid to help those impacted by the December 26 earthquake and following tsunamis that hit the coastal areas of southern Asia and eastern Africa. MCI will make an initial financial contribution of US$100,000, with US$50,000 going to UNICEF and US$50,000 to the Red Cross to help the thousands of children and their families who are in serious need of medical and basic health care in the region.

MCI also will match employee financial contributions up to US$500,000, and donate the funds to UNICEF; the Red Cross; Sri Lanka`s President`s Fund for Disaster Relief; India`s Prime Minister`s National Relief Fund; Thailand`s Prime Minister`s Disaster Relief Fund (OPM Disaster Relief Fund); and Indonesia`s Indonesia Red Cross Society.

"We are a global communications company with more than 1,000 employees and many customers in the Asia-Pacific region," said Michael D. Capellas, MCI president and CEO. "On behalf of all 41,000 employees in the global MCI family, we would like to express our deepest sympathy and support to those who have been affected by these tragic events."

In addition to the humanitarian relief and financial contributions, the company is providing several thousand pre-paid calling cards to be used by survivors, relief workers and medical personnel in the impacted region. The company also is making its communications equipment available for organisations as needed.

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

MCI operates under the UUNET brand in South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.

UUNET

UUNET SA, an MCI company, is Southern Africa`s only pan-African provider of Internet-based network solutions and is one of the largest global carriers of Internet traffic. The company provides Internet connectivity and corporate network solutions to major corporations as well as access services to Internet Service Providers. All UUNET SA products and solutions are delivered within the required regulatory conditions. For more information please visit the UUNET SA Website on www.uunet.co.za

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