The State of Hawaiʻi is committed to affordable access to high-speed Internet for ALL residents. In collaboration with Governor Josh Green, M.D., Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke has launched Connect Kākou with the following organizations:
- Hawaiʻi Broadband and Digital Equity Office (HBDEO),
- University of Hawaiʻi (UH),
- Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and
- Multiple State and County agencies
Connect Kākou encompasses all broadband efforts across the state, totaling more than $400 million in federal resources.
Funding will largely be dedicated towards middle mile and last mile infrastructure developments with priority given to locations without any Internet service, underserved locations (those with speeds consistently under 100/20 Mbps), rural and high-cost communities, and covered populations (e.g., low-income households, aging, incarcerated, veterans, individuals with disabilities, those with a language barrier, individuals of a racial or ethnic minority, and individuals residing in rural areas), as well as digital literacy skills development.
To summarize, our goals for the State are:
- High-speed Internet availability for all;
- Affordable access for all; and
- Digital literacy skills for all
This broadband investment is a once-in-a-generation occurrence and is a chance for Hawaiʻi to ensure that Internet connectivity goals historically outlined in a 2008 Task Force Report, both editions of the Strategic Broadband Report, and most recently, our Five-Year Action Plan, are met.