The Winds of Broadband Change Blowing Through State Legislatures?

With developments of the past two months, we have to wonder if there is a new trend of public broadband network advocates becoming more powerful in state legislatures. We've seen three bills to introduce or increase restrictions going down to defeat in conservative legislatures, and Tennessee saw serious efforts in their legislature to roll back restrictions on public networks.

Veteran telecom attorney Atty. Jim Baller, President the Baller Herbst Group and strong advocate for informed local choice in broadband matters, helps us decipher what these recent events that go counter to state legislative action that gave 19 states restrictive anti-muni network laws. What do these developments tell us about the power of lobbyist or the political attitude of legislators? Have the pro-muni net forces become better organized?

Tennessee is of particular interest since previously conservative legislators have held fast in their antagonism towards public entities' involvement in broadband. Atty. Baller also discusses currently unfolding developments in some Democrat-controlled legislatures. The interview is coming live from the annual conference of the Southeastern Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors, which focuses heavily on broadband and telecom issues important to city and county governments in S. and N. Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.