MCI Raising Rates

MCI customers should get ready to pay more for calls.

The nation's second-largest long-distance phone company has announced plans to hike rates beginning next month.

A spokeswoman for the company says the rates for some plans will go from 5 cents to 9 cents.

The spokeswoman said that the change would only affect only a small percentage of MCI's 20 million customers.

Experts said that the change is aimed at getting more people to select the company's bundled services, which saves the company money.

MCI will also start charging its customers a new late charge for bill payments that are more than 21 days late.