The Phoenix will return to Eden Park on 2 February 2013 against long-distance rivals Perth Glory.

The deal has also galvanized long-distance rivals like Sprint and MCI Communications into searching for wireless partners of their own.

AT&T and Sprint, WorldCom's two largest long-distance rivals, had more modest losses.

A.T.&T.'s long-distance rivals are not regulated in the same way and they set their rates below that of the industry leader.

Foremost is the competition - both from the Bells and AT&T's long-distance rivals.

In Japan, the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation has three long-distance rivals.

The big question that remained unclear tonight was whether the four phone companies would renew their efforts to team with one of AT&T's two top long-distance rivals.

In 1992, Bell Atlantic seized on a Federal court decision that required AT&T's long-distance rivals to disclose their prices.

The cable companies have gotten a strong reception in part because businesses are looking for service options other than the Bells, which are rapidly absorbing their former long-distance rivals.

Telefonos de Mexico, Mexico's dominant phone company, signed an agreement yesterday with two long-distance rivals to allow more competition in Mexico's $12 billion telecommunications market.