Frequently Asked Questions

Connect Kākou is a State of Hawaiʻi initiative to ensure people from all walks of life have reliable and affordable access to high-speed Internet, and the skills needed to use online tools. Connect Kākou is bringing partners together to provide digital equity and literacy resources to the community and build new infrastructure to connect unconnected and underserved areas. Our goal is to achieve universal access in Hawaiʻi to reliable and affordable high-speed Internet service by 2030.

We are spreading the word about existing programs that provide free and low-cost Internet to eligible Hawaiʻi residents. In addition, Connect Kākou’s investments in Internet infrastructure should increase competition, availability, and affordability of high-speed Internet services throughout the state.

We expect to complete infrastructure construction by the end of 2026. That will allow Internet service providers to serve areas that previously had no service and encourage new providers to enter the market, increasing competition and lowering costs in the long term.

We are targeting the most underserved communities, using data from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Map. This map displays where Internet services are available across the United States. Information from the public helps to improve its accuracy and we are working with counties and nonprofit partners across the state to gather this data as part of a state-wide Challenge Process.

Please contact us at broadband@hawaii.edu if you need help reporting information about your internet speeds or service.

Hawaiian Telcom received a federal National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) grant to build new fiber networks that carry large amounts of data at the fastest speeds over long distances. This middle mile infrastructure will bolster the State of Hawaiʻi’s existing inter-island fiber system by building a regional network that connects to national Internet networks. Together, the State and Hawaiian Telcom are creating resiliency within Hawaiʻi and other parts of the world to ensure we stay connected in the event of crises that could limit our access to the Internet.

Digital literacy and readiness means making sure everyone in Hawai‘i, from keiki to kūpuna, can use technology like the internet and computers to stay involved and connected to the world around them. People who lack Internet access have a harder time seeing a doctor online, succeeding in school, finding a good job and accessing government services. That’s especially true for people living in rural areas and low-income households. This inequity creates a "digital divide," that leaves certain groups and neighborhoods at a significant disadvantage.

To improve digital opportunity, everyone needs to be able to get online easily and affordably, have the right tools like computers and smartphones, and the ability to use them.

The term “digital skills” refers to the practical knowledge required to successfully use technology to connect, learn and work.

Community anchors are organizations that help residents access high-speed Internet. They may include schools, public libraries, health clinics, health centers, hospitals or other medical providers, public safety entities, institutions of higher education, public housing organizations, or community support organizations.

Hawaiʻi is on track to receive a historic investment of more than $400 million from the federal government over the next five years. This is part of the federal government’s Internet For All initiative, a $65 billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access in communities across the U.S. Much of the funding is coming from the National Telecommunications and Information (NTIA) and its Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

Funding under BEAD and Digital Equity programs will be awarded on a competitive basis. The State of Hawaiʻi will release a request for proposals (RFPs) and applicants will have the opportunity to apply for funding. RFPs will be posted on the University of Hawaiʻi website here.

Yes, there are Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds that are first being deployed to Maui. In addition, some BEAD funds will be set aside specifically to build resilience in Maui’s infrastructure.