ASHBURN, Va. -- MCI, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCIP) today announced its latest global IP network expansion to deliver much needed bandwidth to South East Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe (SEA-ME-WE) has been completed and customer traffic is being transmitted on the new SEA- ME-WE4 submarine network cable system. The next generation undersea cable spans 20,000 kilometers and links France to Singapore via the Middle East and Indian sub-continent.

MCI is the only U.S.-based service provider participating as an initial member in the SEA-ME-WE4 cable system. MCI is joining 15 other SEA-ME-WE4 Consortium members during a kickoff ceremony in Dubai, UAE, on Tuesday. The members are celebrating the launch of the state-of-the-art submarine network cable system that links Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia and UAE.

"We know how important it is to deliver critical IP, data and voice communications services to all regions of the world for our customers," said Fred Briggs, president of MCI Operations & Technology. "This new cable system will give our customers the bandwidth, flexibility, route diversity and fast service activation needed to compete in today's environment. This becomes even more important in the developing countries that now will be serviced by MCI and this cable system."

MCI Inc.