Jim Baller, telecom attorney, Baller Herbst Law Group

Jim Baller is the founder of the Baller Herbst Law Group and a leading figure in the field of telecommunications law. He's appeared twice previously in this space, first on January 6, 2005, in "Telecommunications attorney Jim Baller says that the United States must address the growing 'broadband gap' if it intends to remain internationally competitive," and most recently, on "Telecommunications attorney Jim Baller updates the muni-broadband legal and regulatory story."

Mr. Baller spoke again today with Broadband Wireless Access World about broadband developments in Lafayette, Louisiana; the Utopia broadband project in Utah; the Sessions, Ensign, and Lautenberg-McCain telecom reform bills now pending in Congress; the low and sinking ranking of the U.S. globally in terms of broadband penetration; the importance of both broadband wireless and ultra-fast fiber optic cable in creating an optimal broadband infrastructure; past histories of incumbent opposition to municipally-driven technology infrastructure upgrades; and the role of citizen-consumers in asserting their rights to the information future of their choice.

You can hear all the details of this conversation with telecom attorney Jim Baller by clicking here.

You can listen to an excerpt from that interview in which Mr. Baller talks about "why it is important for our country to get moving forward with broadband as rapidly as possible because the more access we have to advanced communications technology the more cars we can get off the streets, the more telework and telemedicine and distance learning and all those other things we can implement without requiring the movement of bodies through space that is becoming increasingly expensive in this environment that we're facing today" by clicking here.

To access a broad and diverse collection of Mr. Baller's writing and speaking on the subject of broadband reform, visit his web site click here.