MCI offers customers long and short of it

WorldCom Inc., the second-largest U.S. long-distance phonecompany, started selling a combined local and long-distance callingplan to fight competition from regional carriers such as Ameritech inIllinois.

The package is being sold under the MCI brand in 32 states for aflat rate of $49.99 to $59.99 a month. It will be available in 48states by early 2003, spokeswoman Claire Hassett said.

WorldCom is betting the convenience of a flat-rate plan willattract consumers and boost sales at its MCI Group long-distanceunit, where revenue fell 15 percent to $13.8 billion last year.Calling prices have plunged to as little as 2 cents a minute as localphone providers win government …