MCI announced Monday that it would be offering free phone calls and Internet access during the holiday season to troops stationed in Iraq.

MCI will provide military personnel free phone calls for the holidays, from November 20 through 27 and from December 18 through January 1, from its mobile communications trailer at Camp Victory in Iraq. The facility has phones and Internet access, allowing military personnel to make calls and send e-mail 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“A phone call or an e-mail message can go a long way to lift the spirits of those separated from family over the holidays,” said Jerry Edgerton, senior vice president of MCI Government Markets. “This effort to help our troops stay connected to their loved ones is a gesture of appreciation for the sacrifices they make every day.”

MCI also provides free phone cards to U.S. military personnel throughout the year, and also offered free calling over the holidays for military personnel in 2003 and 2004.