Hawaiʻi begins $150M broadband expansion for underserved communities

The Office of the Governor and the University of Hawaiʻi announced that deployment of $149.5-million in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) projects is set to begin to bring reliable high-speed internet connections to Hawaiʻi’s most rural and underserved communities.

Project backers say this effort marks a major milestone in the state’s ongoing initiative to provide universal access to affordable broadband internet on every island.

Hawaiʻi has finalized a contract with Hawaiian Telcom to deliver fiber-optic service to approximately 5,800 homes that currently lack modern broadband access. The effort, coordinated by the University of Hawaiʻi Broadband Office, follows years of planning, community engagement, and a competitive bidding process to ensure connectivity reaches those who need it most. 

Across the state, the BEAD program targets approximately 7,000 unserved and underserved locations, with about 82% of these locations slated to be served through state-of-the-art fiber-optic infrastructure.

“Reliable, modern Internet infrastructure is critical to help ensure that all of our communities have access to information and opportunities for healthcare, education, commerce and public safety,” said Gov. Green. “All of our residents benefit when we can leverage federal investments that truly complement and amplify the efforts of our local business partners like Hawaiian Telcom.”

“The University is proud to continue to lead Hawaiʻi’s public investments in internet infrastructure that will ensure our residents and business are globally competitive for years to come,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “Open access to information, resources and collaborations are key to enabling our residents to thrive and prosper.”

This partnership with Hawaiian Telcom represents the first major wave of work to build modern fiber internet connections, expanding the state’s reach further into local communities to reach difficult-to-provision locations.

“This incredible BEAD award complements our more sustainable, long-term investment,” said Su Shin, president of Hawaiian Telcom. “We are investing $1.7 billion to make Hawaiʻi the first fiber-enabled state in the country.”

The BEAD investment is integral to the state’s broader Connect Kākou initiative, which aims to close the digital divide and increase access to life-enhancing broadband benefits, such as telework, remote learning, telehealth, and fostering community connections. This crucial “last-mile” deployment directly complements other major internet infrastructure investments currently underway, including subsea fiber-optic systems being deployed by Ocean Networks and Google that will fortify Hawaiʻi’s role as a digital hub.

For more information on the BEAD program and Hawaiʻi’s ongoing efforts to connect all residents, visit Connect Kākou.