Podcast Episode 75 – Casey Pipes on Broadband Expansion via Utility Easements

Casey Pipes, managing partner at the Helmsing Leach law firm in Mobile, Alabama, joins the show to discuss an emerging issue: the legislated expansion of existing utility easements to allow access by private broadband companies to install data cables. We discuss the motivation for and constitutional issues of these statutes, as well as current and potential implications for property owners. An interesting subtopic is how these issues specifically affect railroads, and what these types of statutes could mean for other private entities in the path of broadband expansion.

Below are links to the case in Virginia and the FCC memo that were discussed on the show:

Waldo and Lyle challenge to Virginia’s broadband statute

Railroad Crossing Memorandum

Casey Pipes LinkedIn profile is here: Casey on LinkedIn

As noted in the Opening Argument of the podcast, Professor Diane Zahn of Virginia Tech alerted me to an Assistant Professor opening at Virginia Tech. Teaching responsibilities include land use law, environmental law, critical areas law, and legal foundations of planning. Interested applicants can see the details at the HR site: https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/516325/assistant-professor-uap.

Please share your thoughts on the show or this episode with me. I’m on Twitter @J_Clint. If you have thoughts about future show guests or ideas for episodes, please let me know.