When a person mentions “rural broadband” and “North Carolina,” Jane Smith Patterson’s name comes quickly into the conversation. Jane Smith Patterson is one of North Carolina’s broadband leaders. Her family has roots in North Carolina that go back centuries and she has dedicated her life to equal and civil rights and digital technology. In this 4th episode, Chris Mitchell interviews Jane who talks about the dynamic broadband history of North Carolina, and what it will take to re-establish the state’s leadership in this dynamic field. This conversation is colored by her animated stories of what it was like to grow up in rural Columbus County, and how those early lessons in life led her to push for the first state-wide information highway, and then the Rural Internet Access Authority, later to become e-NC. Jane is currently a Partner at Broadband Catalysts
