If you live in the Bay Area, you can watch me on the 10pm news tonight (KTVU) discussing the Verizon purchase of MCI. If you won’t be home, the summary version is that the deal is good for consumers, good for industry, and good for innovation. For too long, real competition and growth has been absent in the telecom space, but because of some decisions at the FCC and the continuing technology revolution, things are changing. Verizon’s acquisition of MCI will allow it to better compete with SBC, cable companies, satellite, and other providers of broadband. The telephone industry doesn’t really exist anymore — it’s now all about communications. That means data services, Internet telephony, entertainment services, wireless, and a host of other products. When companies can bundle and consolidate, prices will go down and convenience should be maximized.