Russell Crows: I *Was* Right About Verizon Buying MCI

Well, it's official. As you can read on our front page, Verizon is buying MCI for a total of $6.7 billioninequity, cash, and dividends.

Given regulatory exigencies, the deal should be finalized in about a year. To put it mildly, MCI is excited. So's Verizon.

I saw this coming. But rather than read my "crowing," I suspect you are more interested in what this deal means. On February 1, I explained why "Verizon is sure to buy MCI."

As more details of this deal emerge, we are going to hear more about bulked-up Verizon's plans forIP telephony.To me, the combination of Verizon's installed base, and its existing menu of enterprise and consumer VoIPwill mesh well with MCI's formidable telecommunications infrastructure and existing IP VPN offerings.

Now that the prediction has come true, I'd love to read your TalkBacks. Is this deal a good one for customers? For you?