$89M in grants expected to boost broadband, digital equity for Hawaiian home lands

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has been awarded a $72 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, adding to a $17 million grant received earlier this year. This brings the total to $89 million to improve broadband access for thousands of underserved households on Hawaiian home lands.

The funding will support telecommunications infrastructure at Hawaiian home lands in areas with limited access to broadband service and will be used to establish connections at planned housing developments, according to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

“This new federal funding will mean communities on Hawaiian home lands will have better, more reliable high-speed internet at home, helping more people access education, health care, and employment resources online,” said US Sen. Brian Schatz, who serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and helped secure funding for the grant.

The grant was announced Tuesday at a media event in Honolulu in the offices of Hawaiʻi Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, leader of Connect Kākou, Hawaiʻi’s high-speed internet initiative.

“For too long, many communities on Hawaiian home lands have lacked equitable access to the digital tools citizens need to participate fully in our modern economy,” said Luke.

The four-year project, extending through 2028, includes:

• Telecommunications Infrastructure: High-speed connections in underserved areas and planned developments.
• Workforce Development Programs: Training for digital job opportunities.
• Digital Equity Initiatives: Programs to boost digital literacy for DHHL lessees.
• Community Centers: New hubs on Hawaiian home lands with internet and digital education resources.

“This is about more than connectivity; it’s opening doors to education, employment, access to healthcare and other essential services,” said DHHL Director Kali Watson. “Mahalo to our federal partners at NTIA for supporting this vision.”