State opens public comment period on draft Hawaiʻi Digital Equity Plan

The State of Hawai‘i Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism’s Hawaiʻi Broadband and Digital Equity Office has spent much of 2023 meeting with community members and organizations to provide information on the development of the state’s first digital equity plan.

With the first draft now complete, Hawaiʻi residents can now share their feedback and provide their manaʻo on the plan and its recommendations during a 30-day public comment period.

The draft of the Hawaiʻi Digital Equity Plan is available for public comment through Oct. 31, 2023 at broadband.hawaii.gov/digitalequityplan. Hard copies of the feedback survey are available at all the state public libraries. Responses can be mailed to: HBDEO, P.O. Box 2359, Honolulu, HI 96804, Attn: Burt Lum, State Digital Equity Coordinator.

To share the plan with the public, the project team presented the draft at the state’s first digital equity gathering, an in-person Digital Equity Hōʻike at the Sheraton Kauaʻi in Kapaʻa. The event will be conducted in conjunction with Digital Inclusion Week, which this year takes place Oct. 2-6, and is an annual week of awareness, recognition, and celebration in which organizations and individuals across the country host special events, run social media campaigns, and share their digital inclusion actions and progress with others.

“This Digital Equity Plan is Hawaiʻi’s next step towards achieving digital equity and we are excited to welcome communities across the state to be a part of this important effort,” said Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke. “We mahalo those who have given generously of their time and manaʻo to participate in focus groups and interviews. The project team appreciates this valuable input and encourages all Hawaiʻi residents to review and share their thoughts on how we can put forth a plan that will make life better for all our residents.”

Digital equity objectives include the availability and affordability of both fixed and wireless broadband; the accessibility and inclusivity of online public resources and services; digital literacy; awareness and use of security and online privacy and cybersecurity; and the availability and affordability of consumer devices and technical support for those devices.

Comments or questions on the plan can be directed to 808-587-9001 or emailed to dbedt.internetforall@hawaii.gov. Feedback received will be carefully reviewed, synthesized, and incorporated as appropriate to enrich the Hawai‘i Digital Equity Plan. The final version will be available in November following the end of the public comment period at broadband.hawaii.gov/digitalequityplan.