Hawaiʻi awarded $149M for high-speed internet expansion

State leaders and partners of Hawaiʻi’s high-speed internet initiative, Connect Kākou, announced that the state has received final approval to begin deploying approximately $149 million in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding, marking one of the most significant digital infrastructure investments in state history.

Partners also shared updates on major internet infrastructure investments, including the deployment of subsea fiber-optic internet lines by Google and Ocean Networks Inc., to enhance interisland connectivity and reinforce Hawaiʻi’s role as a digital hub for the Pacific and global networks.

The announcement was made during the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) annual conference, PTCʻ26, the premier global gathering of digital infrastructure and telecommunications leaders, held annually in Honolulu and drawing more than 10,000 attendees.

BEAD Approval Helps Close Digital Divide

With the BEAD final proposal approved, Hawaiʻi’s Connect Kākou initiative now moves from planning to implementation, bringing the state closer to its goal of universal access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet on every island and closing the digital divide.

Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, who leads the state’s Connect Kākou initiative, said, “To connect our islands to the world, it starts with Google and the subsea cables connecting Hawai‘i globally. Then Ocean Networks helps connect our islands to each other, and Hawaiian Telcom and Amazon bring service into our communities—expanding fiber where we can and reaching areas where it can’t. What you see is a true collective effort to fill every gap and connect Hawai‘i.”

Hawaiʻi was among the first 18 states and territories in the nation to receive NTIA approval of its BEAD Final Proposal. The plan identifies approximately 7,000 unserved and underserved locations statewide eligible for federal investment.

Under the approved proposal:

• About 82% of locations will be served through fiber-optic infrastructure, among the highest fiber percentages in the nation.
• The remaining 18% will be served through low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology, ensuring connectivity in areas where fiber is not feasible.

The University of Hawaiʻi Broadband Office (UHBO) will now move forward with finalizing contracts and beginning construction in partnership with Hawaiian Telcom and Amazon LEO, following a competitive procurement process.

“This incredible BEAD award is going to complement our more sustainable, long-term investment. We will be investing $1.7 billion dollars with the support and leadership of Altafiber, our parent [company], to make Hawaiʻi the first fiber-enabled state in the country,” said Su Shin, president of Hawaiian Telcom.

Brian Huseman, vice president of public policy and community engagement at Amazon, said in a statement, “We’re excited to partner with Hawaiʻi on their BEAD program to help bring high-speed broadband to more communities across the state. Amazon Leo’s participation in Hawaiʻi’s BEAD program is exactly the kind of public-private partnership that can make a real difference in connecting people who need it most, and we’re honored to support the state’s connectivity goals.”  

To view the BEAD final proposal, visit hawaii.edu/broadband/final-proposal. 

Strengthening Hawaiʻi’s Digital Infrastructure

Google, a global leader in submarine cable network infrastructure, shared an update on its continued investment in strengthening Hawaiʻi’s connectivity across the Pacific through Google’s Pacific Connect Initiative, announced in April 2024. 

Nigel Bayliff, senior director – global submarine networks for Google, highlighted Hawaiʻi’s strategic position as a central hub for subsea cable systems, which expand long-haul telecommunications capacity and improve connectivity between Hawaiʻi and key global markets. Google is advancing multiple subsea cable systems that will land and become operational in Hawaiʻi next year. “That mesh of connectivity gives Hawaiʻi a fantastic position in the center of Pacific with the most modern infrastructure for long-haul telecommunications. And it effectively brings the internet straight into Oʻahu,” explained Bayliff.

Ocean Networks Inc. (ONI) provided an update on its subsea and on-island network development, the Hawaiian Islands Fiber Link (HIFL), including the deployment of a new subsea cable system consisting of five segments totaling approximately 400 miles. CEO Scott Schwertfager emphasized the importance of the project in modernizing the state’s connectivity infrastructure, noting that Hawaiʻi’s legacy interisland systems are operating beyond their original design life. The project is currently undergoing a draft environmental assessment and subsea cable manufacturing.

To learn more about Connect Kākou, the state’s initiative to expand affordable, reliable high-speed internet to every community, visit connectkakou.org.