Hawaiʻi BEAD Challenge – Individual Submission Guide

Welcome to the Individual Submission Information Page!

If you have checked your address on Hawaii’s broadband map and found an error, you may be eligible to submit a correction through the BEAD Challenge Process.

This page contains information on how to:

Create an Individual Submission (Availability Challenge and Speed Test Challenge are the two most common);
Find a participating non-profit organization that can help you create a challenge.

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is intended to connect households that completely lack access to reliable high-speed Internet (defined as 100 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads) due to infrastructure limitations.

If you have tried to sign up for high-speed Internet but were told by service providers that your location was not serviceable for various reasons, we’d like to know. You could be eligible to submit an Availability Challenge.

If you subscribe to a high-speed connection but it is extremely slow and unreliable, you MIGHT be eligible to submit a Speed Test Challenge.

Individual Challenge Submission Page

OVERVIEW

Connectivity Quiz & What Next Guide

Please take this Connectivity Quiz and follow the flow chart illustration to see if you are eligible to submit a challenge!

*Slow and/or unreliable Internet can refer to:

blurry video calls (even when no one else is online);
kupuna unable to participate in telehealth because of poor connection or major signal delays;
keiki falling behind in school because there isn’t enough bandwidth for them to access online learning tools.

AVAILABILITY CHALLENGE

If your quiz results directed you to an Availability Challenge, you may be eligible to submit an Availability Challenge through the BEAD Challenge Individual Submission page.
You can watch the following YouTube video for instructions for submitting an availability challenge.

SPEED TEST CHALLENGE

If your quiz results directed you to the Speed Test Challenge, you may be eligible to submit a Speed Test Challenge through the BEAD Challenge Individual Submission page.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before creating this submission, you must conduct at least THREE (3) speed tests on THREE (3) different days for your evidence.
You can watch the following YouTube video for instructions for submitting a speed test challenge.

Please refer to the Challenge Information page for more information.

Not Eligible for a BEAD Challenge?

If your quiz results indicate that you are not eligible to file a BEAD challenge, you may still have a connectivity issue that should be reported to your Internet service provider.

If you have any questions or need help navigating this process, please contact one of these local non-profits or government entities that are participating in the Hawaiʻi BEAD Challenge Process.

How to Talk to Your ISP

Talking to your ISP can be frustrating, but with a good approach, you can get the information or resolution you need.

Be clear on your goal:

Reporting a problem?
Negotiating a better rate?
Canceling service?
Asking specific questions? (Plan details, account details, etc.)

Gather relevant information like account details and speed test results if applicable.

Try to find your recent bill or receipt for your plan, or your initial plan details.
You can check your speed test here.

Be polite and firm with the customer service representative.

Clearly explain your situation and desired outcome.

If you’re not satisfied with the initial response, politely ask to speak to a supervisor. Remember, documentation is key! Keep records of call times, reference numbers, and any promises made by the representative.

Contact Information (for Hawaii’s 2 largest providers)

Spectrum:
- Phone:
  - TV, Internet and Home Phone questions: Call (833) 267-6094 (available 24/7)
  - Spectrum Mobile questions: Call (833) 224-6603 (available 24/7)
- Website: https://www.spectrum.com/contact-spectrum
Hawaiian Telcom:
- General Inquiries:
  - Phone: (808) 643-6111
- Residential Service:
  - Phone: (808) 643-3456 (Customer Service and Billing Inquiries)
  - Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM HST
- Business Service:
  - Phone: (808) 643-4411 (Customer Service and Billing Inquiries)
  - Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM HST
- 24 Hour Internet Service Tech Support:
  - Phone: (808) 643-4375
- Website: https://www.hawaiiantel.com/

Are you subscribed to at least 100/20 Mbps?

Q: What does 100/20 mean?

A: 100/20 means 100 Mbps (Megabits per second) download speed and 20 Mbps upload speed. Imagine the Internet is a highway. The download speed is how fast you can receive information, such as downloading a movie. A 100 Mbps connection is equivalent to a local two-lane surface road that only gets backed up during rush hour – good for everyday tasks like browsing the Internet and streaming shows. Upload speed is how fast you can send information, such as uploading a large photo album or joining a video call without major glitches or signal delays. A connection of 20 Mbps upload and 100 Mbps download is like having an extra lane for sending things out, which is helpful for video calls and some online gaming. This 100/20 speed is the new standard in the US for good Internet at home.

How to read your Internet bill (Spectrum & Hawaiian Telcom Tutorials)

Spectrum

Spectrum provides information on how to read your Internet bill and determine what speeds you subscribe to via the links below. Note that the web pages also include some broadband packages with symmetrical speeds. The symmetrical speed tiers are only available in markets that have already completed the network upgrade.

Hawaiian Telcom

Hawaiian Telcom provides a ‘how to read your bill’ document which is usually sent to customers when they first sign up for service.

This information is also available on their website: https://www.hawaiiantel.com/Portals/0/SupportPDF/HTHowtoReadBill.pdf

This is an overview of their speed packages: https://www.hawaiiantel.com/Residential/Internet-Overview

List of BEAD Challenge Participating Entities (Counties & Non-Profit Organizations)

Below are the organizations that are participating in the Hawaiʻi BEAD Challenge Process and have opted-in to assist residents with individual submissions, including submitting them as formal challenges on an individual’s behalf.

Statewide

Organization	Type	Primary Contact	Email	Phone
Auamo Collaborative	Nonprofit	Brad Kaleo Bennett	kokua@auamocollaborative.org	808-216-1685
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement	Nonprofit	Rufino Dan Magliba	rufino@hawaiiancouncil.org	808-232-8962
Mapunawai	Nonprofit	Isaia Souza	isaia@mapunawai.com	808-253-8473

City and County of Honolulu

Organization	Type	Primary Contact	Email	Phone
City and County of Honolulu	Local Government	Constancio Paranal	c.paranal@honolulu.gov	808-768-4932
Acton Digital Inc.	Nonprofit	Wendy Awai-Dakroub	admin@actondigitalacademy.com	808-954-5555
ʻElepaio Social Services	Nonprofit	Chrissy Kuahine	mkuahine@wcchc.com	808-590-1244
Hui O Hauʻula	Nonprofit	Dotty Kelly-Paddock	dotty.kellypaddock@gmail.com	808-255-6944
Ka Makani Kaili Koa	Nonprofit	Robert Kakalia	ike@kamakanikailikoa.org	808-990-9139

Hawai’i County

Organization	Type	Primary Contact	Email	Phone
County of Hawai’i	Local Government	Riley Saito	riley.saito@hawaiicounty.gov	808-323-4704
County of Hawai’i	Local Government	Shola Kahiapo-Trevino	skahiapo-trevino@hawaiicounty.gov	808-961-8090
Hawai’i Department of Health	Local Government	Paul Strauss	paul.strauss@doh.hawaii.gov	808-322-1513
Hui ʻOihana Foundation	Nonprofit	Pono Kekela	info@huioihana.com	808-990-0346
Pepeʻekeo Community Development	Nonprofit	Wanda Louis	pcdc96783@gmail.com	808-895-2172
Piʻihonua Hawaiian Homestead Community Association	Nonprofit	Ron Kodani	phhcahilo@gmail.com	808-938-0072

Kaua’i County

Organization	Type	Primary Contact	Email	Phone
County of Kauaʻi	Local Government	Nate Prescott	nprescott@kauai.gov	808-241-4948

Maui County

Organization	Type	Primary Contact	Email	Phone
County of Maui	Local Government	Jolie Jenkins	Jolie.Jenkins@co.maui.hi.us	808-270-1795
Akakū Maui Community Media	Nonprofit	Louis Diliberto	manager@akaku.org	808-283-7303
Hana Business Council	Nonprofit	Marc Sanders	marc@hanamaui.com	425-999-9972
Molokai Homestead Farmers Alliance	Nonprofit	Chadlyn Hirata	xchadlynx@gmail.com