Hawaii County has partnered with T&T Electric and other various organizations and individuals to deliver free Wi-Fi to the Panaewa Park area as part of a scalable pilot program, according to a press release from the office of Mayor Mitch Roth.
T&T Electric is responsible for installing and maintaining the Ubicquia Ubihub Wi-Fi 6 Access Point located atop an existing streetlight across from the Panaewa Gymnasium.
The street light router has low street visibility, provides secure data connectivity, and has an effective radius of 328 feet.
This device also provides street light dimming capabilities, energy monitoring, vehicle/pedestrian/bicycle counts, and surveillance via two wide-angle lens cameras.
The press release did not state the cost of the Wi-Fi project.
“We are excited to work with a group of incredibly thoughtful partners to deliver free high-speed internet access to our communities,” Mayor Mitch Roth said in the press release. “… We would like to thank the Panaewa community for being so willing to accept this pilot project as we look to scale to other communities across Hawaii Island.”
The pilot program will continue to monitor and assess the need and feasibility of providing free public Wi-Fi access as it relates to the Panaewa Park area. If deemed a pressing need, the county and its partners will look to scale the project accordingly, according to the press release.
The other organizations and individuals involved with the project include Spectrum Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy, Ubicquia Smart City Applications, Sustainable Energy Hawaii, David De Luz Jr. and the Hale Mua Cultural Group.
To learn more about the Ubicquia Ubihub Wi-Fi 6 Access Point, visit https://www.ubicquia.com/products/Wi-Fi.