{"id":1120,"date":"2023-08-07T19:45:45","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T19:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/broadband\/?page_id=1120"},"modified":"2025-11-18T10:31:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T20:31:42","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/broadband\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 2007, the Hawai\u2018i Legislature created the Hawai\u2018i Broadband Task Force to <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cremove barriers to broadband access, including gaining wider access to public rights-of-way; identify opportunities for increased broadband deployment and adoption, including very high-speed broadband services; and enable the creation and deployment of new advanced communication technologies in Hawai\u02bbi (Act 2, First Special Session 2007)”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a year of fact finding, deliberations, and report writing, the task force published its final report and recommendations. This report concluded that for Hawai\u2018i to effectively compete in the global economy to support its community with necessary essential services, including education, healthcare, and social services, the State must invest in its broadband infrastructure to ensure that every citizen has access to robust, reliable, and affordable broadband services<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the Taskforce Report, two editions of the Hawai\u02bbi Broadband Â鶹´«Ã½ (2012<\/a> and 2020<\/a>) were published, outlining the broadband goals for our state. In August 2021, the governor’s office designated the University of Hawai\u02bbi as the lead coordinator of all broadband initiatives in the State. This led to today\u2019s Connect K\u0101kou <\/strong>as we know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goals outlined in both versions of the Â鶹´«Ã½ and the Task Force Report have since been adapted into benchmark goals in the Hawai\u02bbi BEAD Five-Year Action Plan<\/a> published in July 2023, which defines the top priorities for broadband and digital opportunity investments, the challenges and barriers our State will face, and the projects planned and underway to achieve universal service by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a timeline of the activities to date that Hawai\u02bbi has accomplished, as well as other important milestones achieved during the #InternetForAll era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timeline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2021<\/summary>\n