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[WORLD ACCESS, INC. LOGO]



                 WORLD ACCESS RAISES $50 MILLION IN NEW CAPITAL

  Company to Sell New Series of Convertible Preferred Stock to Fund Managed by
                         Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.


           Lawrence C. Tucker to Join World Access Board of Directors


ATLANTA, GEORGIA - April 19, 1999 - World Access, Inc. (Nasdaq: WAXS) announced
today that it has entered into an agreement to raise $50 million in equity
capital through the sale of 50,000 newly issued shares of 4.25% Cumulative
Senior Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A (the "Preferred Stock")
to The 1818 Fund III, L.P. In connection with the closing of the transaction
later this week, Lawrence C. Tucker, a partner at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
and a co-manager of The 1818 Funds, has agreed to join the Company's Board of
Directors.

The 1818 Funds are a family of private equity partnerships organized to acquire
substantial, non-controlling, long-term ownership positions in growing,
strongly positioned companies. The Funds have provided active early support and
capital to a number of highly successful telecommunications and media
companies, including MCI WorldCom and Frontier Vision. The General Partner of
the Funds is Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH"), America's largest private
bank and the oldest owner-managed business partnership in the country. Lawrence
C. Tucker has been a partner of BBH since 1979 and currently serves as a
director of MCI WorldCom, National HealthCare Corporation, Riverwood
International Corporation and the MCI WorldCom Venture Fund.

John D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Although we are
obviously pleased to complete this transaction and further strengthen the
Company's balance sheet, we are particularly excited to add BBH as a strategic
partner. BBH and Larry Tucker have an excellent track record of assisting
management teams in building profitable, world-class telecommunications
companies. We expect Larry to play a key role in the development and execution
of World Access' future strategic plans."

"With the sale of the Preferred Stock, the Company now has cash balances
approaching $100 million as well as $75 million in available funds through a
revolving line of credit facility with a banking syndicate group led by Bank of
America. We believe the Company is in a strong financial condition and,
therefore, is well positioned to aggressively pursue the large number of
external and internal growth opportunities present within the Company's core
telecommunications markets."
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Mr. Tucker, partner at BBH, said, "World Access is in almost all respects a new
company since the mergers of last year. World Access represents a group of very
promising and complementary businesses in both the service and equipment
sectors has been brought together under strong leadership, and we are pleased
to be associated with the company at this interesting transition point in its
development."

The Preferred Stock pays dividends on a quarterly basis. Each share of
Preferred Stock is convertible into one share of Common Stock at $11.50 per
share. If the closing trading price of the Common Stock on The Nasdaq Stock
Market exceeds $30.00 per share for 45 consecutive trading days, the Preferred
Stock will be automatically converted into Common Stock. As part of the above
sale, The 1818 Funds also received an option to purchase, at the same price, an
additional $20 million in Preferred Stock from the Company prior to June 30,
2000.

World Access, Inc. provides international long distance voice and data services
and proprietary network equipment to the global telecommunications markets. The
World Access Telecommunications Group provides wholesale international long
distance service to over 200 foreign countries through a combination of its own
international network facilities, various international termination
relationships and resale arrangements with other international long distance
service providers. The World Access Equipment Group develops, manufactures and
markets digital switches, billing and network telemanagement systems, cellular
base stations, fixed wireless local loop systems, intelligent multiplexers,
digital microwave radio systems and other telecommunications network products.
For additional information, please refer to the World Access web site at
www.waxs.com.

        THIS PRESS RELEASE MAY CONTAIN FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS OR OTHER
        FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MADE PURSUANT TO THE SAFE HARBOR
        PROVISIONS OF THE SECURITIES REFORM ACT OF 1995. SUCH
        STATEMENTS INVOLVE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES WHICH MAY CAUSE
        ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY. THESE RISKS INCLUDE THE
        COMPANY'S ABILITY TO IDENTIFY, COMPLETE AND INTEGRATE
        ACQUISITIONS, CONTINUE INTERNAL GROWTH, AND OTHER RISKS
        DESCRIBED IN THE COMPANY'S SEC FILINGS, INCLUDING THE
        COMPANY'S ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE YEAR ENDED
        DECEMBER 31, 1998 AND THE COMPANY'S REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON
        FORM S-3 (NO. 333-43497) INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THIS
        PRESS RELEASE.

WORLD ACCESS CONTACT:    NANCY L. DE JONGE
(404-231-2025)           DIRECTOR OF INVESTOR RELATIONS
                         http://www.waxs.com