The state has officially launched a new program to get high-speed internet to communities across Hawaiʻi.
Connect Kākou was launched on Tuesday by Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke. It’s a collaboration between the University of Hawaiʻi and several state agencies, including the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Hawaiʻi Broadband and Digital Equity Office.
“Connect Kākou conveys that this initiative is about everyone, not just the select few,” Luke said in a statement. “A reliable internet connection is essential to access quality healthcare, education, government, career opportunities, and more, yet nearly one in ten households in Hawaiʻi does not have internet access.”
The initiative will use hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to provide reliable and affordable internet statewide.
Hawaiʻi has received $320 million in federal funding and anticipates more in the coming years. This summer the state was awarded more than $149 million under an initiative financed by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
That funding will go toward building critical infrastructure and boosting digital literacy programs.
The group is holding public information sessions about the initiative and is seeking feedback from communities that will be served.
Luke's two long-term initiatives are universal preschool access and broadband for all.
Updated information on the initiative and the sessions can be found at ConnectKakou.org.
