Charlotte's digital innovation will help upward mobility, says FCC Chairman Pai

North Carolina residents will be among the first to have faster 5G broadband access thanks to legislation approved by lawmakers making the state a leader in digital innovation, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said. “I remember Charlotte and the surrounding communities in the '80s and '90s and to see how quickly things are moving, the energy in this town and in this county, it’s a testament to the leadership on all kinds of levels, public and private sector,” Chairman Pai said.  He especially praised 2017 legislation to install 5G broadband in the state. But critics of the North Carolina law opposed it because oversight of transmitters would be shifted from the cities to the state, giving municipalities less regulatory control over where the transmitters are located.