WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) more than $72 million from the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program to expand high-speed Internet access and adoption in Native Hawaiian households.
The nearly $3 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative. This grant to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands marks the first award from the second round of funding, which made nearly $1 billion available for the deployment of Internet infrastructure on Tribal Lands, affordability programs, telehealth and distance learning initiatives.
“Access to affordable, reliable Internet is not a luxury – it’s a necessity,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “That’s why this historic investment to connect Tribal communities is so important. This award will ensure that Native Hawaiians have the Internet connections they need to take advantage of digital opportunities for work, education, health care, and other essential services.”
“Access to the Internet is just the starting point for today’s award,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. “With this Internet for All grant, Native Hawaiians will have new high-speed Internet connections – and new opportunities through device purchases, workforce training, and digital education to make the most of those connections.”
“This new federal funding will mean communities on Hawaiian home lands will have better, more reliable high-speed internet at home, helping more people access education, health care, and employment resources online,” said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (HI).
“This $72 million award will greatly assist to reduce the digital divide faced by those communities who have been underserved in accessing the Internet,” said U.S. Representative Ed Case (HI-01). “Broadband is a lifeline that enables users to access a wide range of online services including education, healthcare, e-commerce and government. It is a great equalizer which must be available to all and this award will help.”
“In today’s world, digital access is a fundamental right. Whether it’s for school, work, or health, broadband connectivity is essential to daily life, but sadly, too many families especially in rural areas are living without it,” said U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02). “That’s why this award to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is urgently needed and essential for our beneficiaries. It will provide more Native Hawaiian families with the tools needed to thrive online and beyond while supporting digital equity. We must continue to move forward in this digital age by equipping everyone with equal access to a brighter future.”
“For too long, many communities on Hawaiian home lands have lacked equitable access to the digital tools citizens need to participate fully in our modern economy,” said Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke. “This grant empowers people with the resources they need to succeed and will strengthen the bonds of our communities.”
“The TBCP grant will enable DHHL to bring high-speed internet, digital education programs, and new community centers to our homesteads across the pae ʻāina,” said DHHL Director Kali Watson. “It’s more than just connectivity; it’s about opening doors to opportunity, through education, employment, and access to healthcare and other essential services. Mahalo to our federal partners at NTIA for supporting this vision.”
The $72,708,711 award will fund both Internet infrastructure deployment and Internet adoption projects to connect unserved Native Hawaiian households to high-speed Internet service. This grant will provide Native Hawaiian households with essential resources to participate fully in the digital economy, including access to telehealth services, remote education, and job training.
Infrastructure activities include:
- Investing over $26.1 million to deploy middle mile fiber optic lines to Hawaiian homestead communities;
- Investing over $15.45 million to construct community digital innovation centers to be used for digital workforce development training and digital literacy training courses; and
- Managing wireless telecommunications towers across the Hawaiian Islands to ensure connection remains to currently served households.
Adoption and use activities include:
- Offering digital literacy skills classes to Native Hawaiians across several of the Hawaiian Islands;
- Purchasing and providing those participants with computers;
- Providing in-person workforce development opportunities to equip them with expertise, hands-on experience, and certifications in the telecommunications sector; and
- Creating new Outreach Coordinators for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
The funding for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ($980 million) and the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($2 billion). Additional grants will be announced on a rolling basis. Projects funded by the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program are complete or are now under construction in 27 Tribal communities, and more than 4,600 households have received access to free or low-cost high-speed Internet service.
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About the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the Executive Branch agency that advises the President on telecommunications and information policy issues. NTIA’s programs and policymaking focus largely on expanding broadband Internet access and adoption in America, expanding the use of spectrum by all users, advancing public safety communications, and ensuring that the Internet remains an engine for innovation and economic growth.