WorldCom, EarthLink Extend Partnership

CLINTON, Miss. -- WorldCom today extended its customer agreement with the award-winning Internet service provider EarthLink by providing EarthLink with wholesale dial-up Internet access via WorldCom's wholly-owned network to hundreds of U.S. cities and around the world, allowing EarthLink to expand its growing customer base. "EarthLink is pleased to extend our long-time relationship with WorldCom. With the strength and stability of their dial-up network infrastructure, our customers will continue to receive the highest quality network connectivity and performance," said Steven Dean, vice president of Earthlink Operations Business Management. In addition to wholesale dial-up Internet access, EarthLink also purchases dedicated Internet, DSL, and data services from WorldCom. "As our customers know, WorldCom has a long-standing commitment to the wholesale dial-up Internet access marketplace," said John Bell, vice president of WorldCom Internet Wholesale Services. "We offer the most expansive global IP network in the world, with more than 3.2 million dial ports, as well as the necessary back-office support to maintain the highest level of service and reliability for our customers." WorldCom Inc. EarthLink Inc.