
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 10, 1995                   TAG: 9505100084
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

BARRIER TO PHONE COMPETITION FALLS

Help could be on the way for people who might someday consider switching to another local telephone company but don't want to give up their listing, executives said Tuesday.

MCI Communications Corp. demonstrated a plan it says will remove a major barrier to local telephone competition by allowing consumers to keep their existing numbers and other phone features after they sign up with a new company.

Without that ability, residential and business customers say they would be unwilling to switch local carriers, even to get large discounts.

The new plan, developed by MCI and others, relies on software that uses a special three-digit code to send routing instructions through the phone network by identifying the local carrier that is supposed to receive a particular call.

Customers will receive calls faster and directly from their chosen provider - without changing telephone numbers, losing use of special features such as Caller ID or dialing additional digits.

- Associated Press

by CNB