An FCC decree in 1969 that granted MCI Communications Inc., as well as any other company, the right to offer long distance service to customers in the U.S. and to connect to AT&T's network for access to the customer's premises. At the time, AT&T was a telephone monopoly in the U.S., and the MCI Decision eventually led to its breakup (see
Divestiture). See
MCI and
WorldCom.