MCI WorldCom wins DoD telecom contract

The Defense Department Monday chose MCI WorldCom as its long-distance telecommunications provider.

MCI WorldCom will provide non-classified telephone services to DoD through the General Services Administration's FTS 2001 long-distance contracts. Under the contracts, MCI WorldCom and Sprint are the top competitors for federal long-distance business. AT&T, the Defense Department's current long-distance services provider, is also competing for federal business, but not under the FTS 2001 program.

"DoD's decision was based on a best-value assessment that obviously included price, but also placed a high value on the vendor's level of transition support," John Johnson, DoD's transition manager for FTS 2001, said in a statement.

DoD's MCI WorldCom contract includes commercial long distance, calling card, toll-free and "900" services.

Under the FTS 2001 contracts, federal long-distance costs are expected to drop to under a penny a minute by the end of the eight-year term of the contracts.