ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 30, 1996 TAG: 9604300082
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Bloomberg Business News
MCI Communications Corp. on Monday became the first major telephone company to offer a package of services that gives consumers a cellular phone, pager, calling card, long distance and Internet access on a single bill.
The cornerstone of the offer is an 800 number that can track each customer on the phone, pager or computer. The second-largest U.S. long-distance company will market the offering under the brand name MCI One. It plans to wrap in local phone service later this year.
``It's a major step toward offering high-value bundled service,'' said Brian Adamik, analyst at the Yankee Group in Boston.
MCI One includes: long-distance calling; a cellular phone; a pager; free software including Microsoft's Explorer Internet browser; five free hours of Internet access and e-mail; a calling card; and the personal 800 number.
Customers can choose from packages ranging from $4.95 per month for the basic package to $37.95 for the wireless communication package, which includes a cell phone and a pager.
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