The funding comes from the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, or BEAD, and will support the state’s Connect Kakou initiative, which aims to provide affordable, reliable broadband service on every island. State leaders in a news release said the approval allows Hawaii to move from planning into construction and deployment.
The announcement was made at the Pacific Telecommunications Council’s annual conference, PTC 2026, held in Honolulu from Sunday to Wednesday.
Under the approved plan, about 7, 000 unserved or underserved locations statewide are eligible for investment. Approximately 82 % of those locations will receive fiber-optic service, while the remaining 18 % will be served through low-Earth-orbit satellite technology in areas where fiber installation is not feasible, according to state officials.
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who leads Connect Kakou, said the effort relies on a mix of public and private partners to close remaining coverage gaps. Connect Kakou was launched by Gov. Josh Green and Luke in partnership with the University of Hawaii, the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and other state and county agencies. Public information sessions on the initiative are continuing statewide.
“To connect our islands to the world, it starts with Google and the subsea cables connecting Hawaii globally, ” Luke said in a statement. “Then Ocean Networks helps connect our islands to each other, and Hawaiian Telcom and Amazon bring service into our communities—expanding fiber where we can and reaching areas where it can’t. What you see is a true collective effort to fill every gap and connect Hawaii.”
Hawaii was among the first 18 states and territories to receive approval of its BEAD final proposal from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
The University of Hawaii Broadband Office will oversee implementation and finalize contracts with Hawaiian Telcom and Amazon’s low-Earth-orbit satellite service following a competitive procurement process.
Hawaiian Telcom President Su Shin said the BEAD funding will complement the company’s broader investment in fiber infrastructure across the state.
“We will be investing $1.7 billion … with the support and leadership of Altafiber, our parent (company ), to make Hawaii the first fiber-enabled state in the country, ” Shin said in a statement.
Amazon Vice President Brian Huseman said the company’s participation reflects the role public-private partnerships can play in expanding access in hard-to-reach communities, according to the release.
In addition to “last-mile ” broadband investments, the release said conference speakers highlighted major subsea cable projects aimed at strengthening Hawaii’s role as a telecommunications hub in the Pacific.
Google announced progress on multiple subsea fiber-optic cable systems under its Pacific Connect Initiative, several of which are expected to land in Hawaii and become operational next year. The projects include the Taihei cable linking Hawaii and Japan and the Tabua cable connecting Hawaii to the continental U.S., Fiji and Australia.
Nigel Bayliff, senior director of global submarine networks for Google, said the new systems will significantly expand long-haul capacity and improve reliability.
“That mesh of connectivity gives Hawaii a fantastic position in the center of Pacific with the most modern infrastructure for long-haul telecommunications. And it effectively brings the internet straight into Oahu, ” Bayliff said in the news release.
Ocean Networks Inc. also provided an update on its Hawaiian Islands Fiber Link project, which includes a new interisland subsea cable system spanning roughly 400 miles. CEO Scott Schwertfager said the project is intended to replace aging interisland infrastructure that is operating beyond its original design life. The project is currently undergoing environmental review and cable manufacturing.
State officials said the BEAD funding is part of a broader push that could bring more than $320 million in federal broadband and digital equity funding to Hawaii over the next five years. The state’s Digital Equity Plan was approved in March 2024.
© 2026 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
