WORLDCOM, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the US, has taken a 30 per cent stake in the small Irish telecommunications company, TCL Telecom. TCL intends to use the unspecified cash injection on an extensive expansion programme which will allow it to increase its capacity five-fold.

According to the UK managing director of WorldCom, Mr David Harwick, the investment will allow WorldCom to "cement" its existing partnership with TCL. That partnership began when TCL was set up in November, 1994.

Since that time, TCL has won almost 300 corporate customers from Telecom Eireann.

According to the managing director of TCL, Mr Sean Melly, the company intends to increase this to 1,000 customers before the end of 1996.

The company is currently growing by an average 30 per cent a month. In November growth reached 82 per cent - a record for the company.

TCL's clients include McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Arnotts and the industrial holding company IWP.

TCL's rates were between 30 per cent and 40 per cent lower than those offered by Telecom Eireann, said Mr Melly.

TCL operates five switching stations in Dublin, one in Cork and one in Limerick. Over the next three months it also intends to open switches in Galway and Waterford.

During the same period, the company hopes to begin offering ISDN-based services such as video-conferencing. Up to now, the company has concentrated on international and long-distance voice and fax telephony.

Mr Melly used the opportunity of yesterday's announcement to call for the immediate liberalisation of the Irish telecommunications market. "We're in the market with one hand tied behind our back," he said.

"Telecom Eireann are big boys. Why not liberalise telecommunications services as quickly as possible?"