<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 12.1
WORLDCOM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES
(IN MILLIONS)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
For the Nine Months
Year Ended December 31, Ended September 30,
---------------------------------------------------- -------------------
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1999
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Earnings:
Pretax income (loss) from continuing operations $ 376 $(2,272) $ 578 $(1,590) $ 7,164 $ 6,355 $ 4,796
Fixed charges, net of capitalized interest 285 315 500 774 1,098 822 866
------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Earnings $ 661 $(1,957) $ 1,078 $ (816) $ 8,262 $ 7,177 $ 5,662
======= ======= ====== ======= ======= ======= =======
Fixed Charges:
Interest cost $ 270 $ 308 $ 538 $ 928 $ 1,287 $ 1,064 $ 994
Amortization of financing costs 4 4 2 12 18 18 13
Interest factor of rent expense 16 19 47 78 132 123 117
------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Fixed charges $ 290 $ 331 $ 587 $ 1,018 $ 1,437 $ 1,205 $ 1,124
======= ======= ====== ======= ======= ======= =======
Deficiency of earnings to fixed charges $ - $(2,288) $ - $(1,834) $ - $ - $ -
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (1) 2.28:1 - 1.84:1 - 5.75:1 5.96:1 5.04:1
======= ======= ====== ======= ======= ======= =======
</TABLE>
---------------------
(1) For the purpose of computing the ratio of earnings to fixed charges,
earnings consist of pre-tax income (loss) from continuing operations,
excluding minority interests in gains/losses of consolidated subsidiaries,
and fixed charges consist of pre-tax interest (including capitalized
interest) on all indebtedness, amortization of debt discount and expense,
and that portion of rental expense that the Company believes to be
representative of interest.
