(BIVN) – The State of Hawaiʻi is moving forward with a $150 million broadband expansion for underserved communities.
On Tuesday, the University of Hawaiʻi announced that, along with the Office of the Governor, it was deploying $149.5-million in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) projects in order “to begin to bring reliable high-speed internet connections to Hawaiʻi’s most rural and underserved communities.”
The University says Hawaiʻi has finalized a contract with Hawaiian Telcom to deliver fiber-optic service to approximately 5,800 homes that currently lack modern broadband access.
“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,” a UH news release stated.
The effort, coordinated by the University of Hawaiʻi Broadband Office, follows years of planning. The University says the BEAD investment “is integral to the state’s broader Connect Kākou initiative, which aims to close the digital divide and increase access to life-enhancing broadband benefits,” which includes a subsea fiber-optic systems being deployed by Ocean Networks and Google.
In February 2026, a draft environmental assessment was published on the subsea fiber optic cable system. There is one cable landing site on Hawaiʻi island described in the 1,587-page document. The location is in the Keaukaha-area of Hilo, and will connect to the University of Hawaiʻi-Hilo campus off Lanikāula Street. From the draft EA:
The cable landfall site on Hawaiʻi Island is located at Pacific Aquaculture & Coastal Resource Center(PACRC), just east of the Hilo Harbor breakwater on the east side of the island. PACRC, which is affiliated with UH Hilo, is a research and education facility focused on aquaculture and resource management. Adjacent land uses include a county wastewater pump station to the east (with associated pipelines extending offshore), Keaukaha Beach Park further to the east and extending north along the shoreline past PACRC, the DHHL Keaukaha homestead residential tract to the south (across Kalanianaʻole Avenue), and Hilo Harbor to the west. UH Hilo is located approximately 3 miles southwest of PACRC; it is surrounded by a variety of residential neighborhoods, government facilities, and other civic structures.
“Reliable, modern Internet infrastructure is critical to help ensure that all of our communities have access to information and opportunities for healthcare, education, commerce and public safety,” said Governor Josh Green in Tuesday’s broadband news release. “All of our residents benefit when we can leverage federal investments that truly complement and amplify the efforts of our local business partners like Hawaiian Telcom.”
“The University is proud to continue to lead Hawaiʻi’s public investments in internet infrastructure that will ensure our residents and business are globally competitive for years to come,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “Open access to information, resources and collaborations are key to enabling our residents to thrive and prosper.”
“This incredible BEAD award complements our more sustainable, long-term investment,” said Su Shin, president of Hawaiian Telcom. “We are investing $1.7 billion to make Hawaiʻi the first fiber-enabled state in the country.”
