Charlotte is first and foremost a banking city. “With more than $2 trillion in assets, it is the second largest financial center in the nation, behind only New York … Two of the nation's largest banks, Bank of America and Wachovia, are headquartered here. In total, 20 banks with more than 229 local branches, as well as a Federal Reserve Branch, are located in Charlotte.” While financial services may be the most widely recognized sector of Charlotte’s economy, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County’s largest employers represent many sectors. Charlotte “enjoys a vibrant, balanced economy … one of the healthiest and strongest in the nation.” The Charlotte Chamber notes: “Booming with economic and commercial activity, Charlotte has all the advantages of one of the most rapidly growing metropolitan areas of the nation.

Because of the rapid growth in the region, the top community issues appear to revolve around managing that growth and planning for future development. That focus, however, does not currently include plans for a municipal broadband network. Over the past few years, the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County began investigating a citywide Wi‐Fi initiative, ultimately deciding to not move forward with the project due to financial and operational issues. City representatives also cited the fact that there are already numerous ways to access broadband and Wi‐Fi Internet in Charlotte, and approximately 75% of the city’s population has regular Web access.