8-K

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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549



                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                      THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 15, 1997


                                 WORLDCOM, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)


    Georgia                        0-11258                      58-1521612
(State or Other               (Commission File                 (IRS Employer
Jurisdiction of                    Number)                Identification Number)
 Incorporation)


                             515 East Amite Street
                        Jackson, Mississippi 39201-2702
                    (Address of Principal Executive Office)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (601) 360-8600


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ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

         On October 15, 1997, WorldCom, Inc. issued a press release, a copy of
which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by
reference.

ITEM 7 (c) EXHIBITS.

            The following exhibits are filed herewith in accordance with Item
601 of Regulation S-K:



            Exhibit No.           Description
         --------------           -----------
                               
         99.1                     Press release dated October 15, 1997.



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                                   SIGNATURES

                 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                       WORLDCOM, INC.



                                       By: /s/ Scott D. Sullivan   
                                           -----------------------------------
                                           Scott D. Sullivan
                                           Chief Financial Officer

October 16, 1997


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                                 EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit No.               Description of Exhibit
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99.1                      Press release dated October 15, 1997.

EX-99.1

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[WORLDCOM LETTERHEAD]




                                                           
FOR MEDIA:                                           FOR INVESTORS:
Josh Howell, (601) 360-8750                          Gary Brandt, (601) 360-8544
Mark Weeks, 011-44-171-570-5759
Joele Frank, Abernathy/MacGregor, (212) 371-5999
Lucas van Praag, Brunswick Group, 011-44-171-404-5959


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                WORLDCOM RESPONDS TO GTE PROPOSAL TO ACQUIRE MCI

         Jackson, Miss., October 15, 1997 -- WorldCom, Inc. (NASDAQ: WCOM)
today issued the following statement in response to the proposal from GTE
Corporation (NYSE: GTE) to acquire MCI Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:MCIC).

         "Our $41.50 offer provides superior near-term and long-term value for
         MCI shareholders.  The financial benefits and powerful synergies of
         our offer are compelling for the stockholders of MCI and WorldCom.
         WorldCom and MCI have more compatible cultures than GTE and MCI and
         share a common entrepreneurial spirit, enabling WorldCom-MCI to
         compete more effectively.  We believe together we can create a more
         exciting future for the management, employees and customers of MCI as
         we form the preeminent communications company for the next decade and
         beyond."

         On October 1, WorldCom offered to acquire all of the outstanding shares
of MCI for $41.50 of WorldCom common stock per MCI share.   WorldCom is a global
telecommunications company.  Operating in more than 50 countries, the company is
a premier provider of facilities-based and fully integrated local, long
distance, international and Internet services.  WorldCom's subsidiary, UUNET 
Technologies, Inc., is an international provider of Internet services with over 
1,000 Points of Presence (POPs) throughout the United States and in Canada, 
Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.  WorldCom's World Wide Web address is 
http://www.wcom.com.  The common and depository shares of WorldCom trade on the 
NASDAQ National Market (US) under the symbols WCOM and WCOMP, respectively.


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