MCI Cuts Sunday Rate for State-to-State Calls

MCI Communications Inc. said it reduced to 5 cents a minute its Sunday rate on state-to-state calls, effective immediately. The long-distance reduction, from a rate of 9 to 16 cents a minute, will be available 24 hours a day on Sundays to MCI’s residential customers. That new Sunday rate means a 7-cent reduction for customers of the company’s flagship brand, MCI One, said spokeswoman Kelly Seacrist. She declined to say how many MCI customers will benefit from the reduced rate, but said that 20% of MCI’s residential customers make long-distance calls on Sundays. Washington-based MCI’s reduction could spur new competition, said Jeffrey Kagan, an analyst who runs an Atlanta company. He said MCI’s reduction is new in that telephone companies usually attract customers by getting them to sign long-term contracts with discounts.