MCI Messaging Solution Meets Classified Security Requirements.

ASHBURN, Va. -- SkyTel Secure 2Way Provides Highest Level of Data Protection for Government Agencies, Medical Professionals and Financial Institutions

MCI, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCIP) today announced the availability of one of the first end-to-end wireless solutions developed and hosted by a single provider that meets the federal government's classified security standards and HIPAA's requirements for patient confidentiality. SkyTel Secure 2Way will become available in November to help government; financial and healthcare customers implement one of the highest encryption standards and set security levels for each messaging device within a given organization.

"More customers are relying on wireless devices for expedient and reliable communications, especially during crisis management or recovery efforts," said Bruce Deer, president of SkyTel. "With Secure 2Way, customers can share sensitive or critical data without worrying about a third party accessing their messages. This is particularly important to organizations that need to exchange classified or confidential information in real-time."

SkyTel Secure 2Way provides a complete closed-loop security solution including a password-protected device, encryption keys that change regularly and encrypted wireless transmissions. In addition, Secure 2Way customers benefit from on-site protection of the network server.

While SkyTel's network ensures that a degree of security is inherent in all messaging, Secure 2Way utilizes the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), one of the highest and latest levels of cryptographic protection recommended by the federal government to encrypt messages from end-to-end. This ensures that if any part of a communication is intercepted by someone other than the intended recipient, it cannot be read.

Security Designations

Because messaging services can be sent and received through a variety of interfaces including email, Web portals and other two-way devices, Secure 2Way customers can choose between two levels of security - device level and end-to-end. This provides customers the ability to control and designate how each device receives information and accesses messages.

With device-level security, customers can receive messages originating from an unsecured location or device. Messages are transmitted to SkyTel's Network Operations Center (NOC) and encrypted before being sent to a messaging unit. End-to-end security provides even greater protection by closing access to unsecured interfaces ensuring all communications are kept within an encrypted environment. MCI can also provide end-to-end customers with a direct connection to an Internet portal allowing customers to send messages from a secure website.

Secure 2Way is the latest innovation from SkyTel which has a proud history of wireless industry leadership. SkyTel is the premier source for wireless data and messaging services and provides wireless email, interactive two-way messaging, wireless telemetry services, and traditional text and numeric paging to customers throughout the U.S.

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. SkyTel, a premier wireless messaging provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of MCI. For more information, go to www.mci.com.