MCI Board Maintains Recommendation of Verizon Merger

MCI, Inc. (www.mci.com) today announced that its Board of Directors has determined that Qwest Communications International Inc.'s latest offer to acquire the Company is superior to the terms of the current MCI/Verizon merger agreement.

Under the terms of the MCI/Verizon merger agreement, Verizon has five business days (through Friday, April 29, 2005) to respond with a revised proposal.

Under Qwest's irrevocable offer MCI's Board of Directors has until May 3, 2005, to change its current recommendation in favor of the MCI/Verizon merger agreement.

On April 21, 2005, Qwest presented MCI with a revised offer comprised of $16.00 in cash (excluding MCI's March 15 dividend payment of $0.40 per share) and 3.373 Qwest shares (subject to adjustment under a collar which fixes the value of the Qwest shares at $14.00 provided Qwest's share price is between $3.32 and $4.15) per MCI share.

On March 29, 2005, MCI and Verizon amended their merger agreement. Under that agreement, each MCI share would receive cash and stock worth at least $23.10, comprising $8.35 (excluding MCI's March 15 dividend payment of $0.40 per share) as well as the greater of 0.4062 Verizon shares for every share of MCI Common Stock or Verizon shares valued at $14.75.

MCI, Inc. (www.mci.com) 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.

This document contains statements about expected future events and financial results that are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

The following important factors could affect future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements: a significant change in the timing of, or the imposition of any government conditions to, the closing of the previously announced proposed transaction between MCI and Verizon; actual and contingent liabilities; and the extent and timing of our ability to obtain revenue enhancements and cost savings following the previously announced proposed transaction between MCI and Verizon.