P.M. BRIEFING : U.S. Callers Will Be Able to Dial Moscow Directly in Fall, AT&T; Says

Callers in the United States will be able to dial Moscow directly this fall for the first time since 1982 under an agreement with the Soviet government, American Telephone & Telegraph Co. said today.

Direct-dial service will make it easier to phone Moscow and will improve transmissions from facsimile machines and computers, AT&T; said.

Direct dialing was permitted from July to October of 1980, suspended, and then resumed from March, 1981, to September, 1982.

“I suppose it mirrors the rise and fall of relationships with the Soviet Union,” AT&T; spokesman Rick Wallerstein said.

MCI Communications Corp., the No. 2 long-distance carrier, is negotiating with the Soviets and expects to provide direct-dialing to Moscow and possibly other cities by the end of the year, spokeswoman Kathleen Keegan said.