Gov. David Ige on Wednesday announced more than $5.5 million in new federal funding to expand high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved communities.
The “Internet for All” grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration will be used to plan for the deployment of high-speed internet networks and the development of digital skills training programs.
“The challenges we faced over the past few years showed how important it is to have reliable and affordable internet access is for all residents, whether they live in urban Honolulu or a rural part of a neighbor island,” Ige said during a press conference in Honolulu. “This federal funding will allow the state to continue advancing digital literacy and broadband projects throughout the state in the years to come.
“I especially pleased that this funding includes support for broadband access in Native Hawaiian communities through the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.”
The grant is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Joe Biden to provide affordable, equitable and reliable high-speed internet service throughout the U.S.
The funding comes from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, the first phase of which is to support a dedicated broadband office, employee training, technical assistance and outreach to encourage community engagement, determine eligibility, and ensure successful implementation.
“Everyone in Hawaii should have access to high-speed internet,” said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawaii Democrat and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a statement. “This funding will allow us to expand broadband infrastructure across the state, and help make sure families and small businesses can get affordable, dependable broadband service.”
Burt Lum, the state’s broadband strategy officer, said during the press conference his office has been “doing analysis on how many people are not connected, and I think the money coming in from the BEAD program can help address that.”
“We’re probably looking at 56,000, 57,000 households that are not connected,” Lum said. “So, if you kind of look at … what is the task at hand? It’s taking some of that BEAD money and identifying exactly where in the community does last-mile infrastructure need to be deployed.
“From the BEAD program, we in Hawaii are going to get, at a minimum, $100 million. … That’s the order of magnitude that we’re looking at in terms of building a broadband infrastructure to all residents of Hawaii.”
U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a Democrat representing urban Honolulu, said in a statement that the COVID-19 pandemic “drove home how essential” broadband internet connectivity is,” and “how it can greatly improve tele-anything such as education, health, business and communities.”
“That’s why I fought so hard in Congress for passage last year of our historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the largest federal investment ever in broadband across our nation,” he added. “Already our law has brought $994 million to Hawaii for crucial infrastructure projects. These include a minimum of $100 million to help ensure high-speed internet coverage across the islands, thus far enabling more than 35,000 households to improve access to the internet through the Affordable Connectivity Program.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
