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 16, 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 16, 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 16, 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 17, 1997



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                                 EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit No.               Description of Exhibit
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99.1                      Press release dated October 16, 1997.

EX-99.1

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[WORLDCOM LETTERHEAD]                                EXHIBIT 99.1

                                                     NEWS RELEASE


FOR MEDIA:                                           FOR INVESTORS:
                                                     Gary Brandt, (601) 360-8544
Josh Howell, (601) 360-8750
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 MCI AND
                     BRITISH TELECOM AGREEMENT PERMITTING
                          DISCUSSIONS WITH WORLDCOM

        Jackson, Miss., October 16, 1997 -- WorldCom, Inc. (NASDAQ: WCOM) issued
the following statement in response to the MCI (NASDAQ: MCIC) and British 
Telecom agreement permitting discussions with WorldCom:

        "We are delighted to have the opportunity to discuss our offer with MCI
and British Telecom. We believe a WorldCom-MCI transaction offers compelling
financial benefits and powerful synergies. By 1999 in a WorldCom-MCI merger,
cost synergies -- before revenue enhancements -- are conservatively expected to
be $2.5 billion; over five years, WorldCom-MCI's cost synergies -- before
revenue enhancements -- are anticipated to total at least $15 billion. Together,
WorldCom and MCI will have the capital, marketing abilities, and state-of-the-
art network to compete more effectively, and help fulfill the intent of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996.

        "We believe that our offer provides superior near-term and long-term
value for MCI shareholders, bondholders, employees, and customers.  We are
confident that our offer can be completed no later than the first quarter of
1998."

        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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