Hawaiʻi begins $150 million 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 projects is set to begin to bring reliable high-speed internet connections to Hawaiʻi‘s most rural and underserved communities. 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 $34-million 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.