Hawai'i is Working to Connect All to Affordable Broadband

Connect Kākou is the Hawaiʻi statewide broadband initiative led by the University of Hawai'i' Broadband Office (UHBO) to ensure people from all walks of life have reliable and affordable access to high-speed Internet. The name “Connect Kākou” was chosen to reflect Hawaii’s goal of using high-speed internet to connect everyone across the state. The Hawaiian word “kākou” is used to convey the idea of “all of us,” and underscores the sense of collective responsibility and unity that this initiative represents. In Hawai'i's Initial Proposal Volume 2 for Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding, the Connect Kākou initiative plans to expand affordable broadband to every person in Hawai'i. Affordability is a key factor in broadband adoption among income-constrained and low-income individuals in several covered populations in Hawai'i. A May 2023 Aloha United Way report found that  “the minimum income needed to pay for basic essentials as a family of four in Hawaiʻi has ballooned to $104,052 a year.” The report goes on to say that 12 percent of residents live below the federal poverty line. In 2023, Honolulu County conducted a survey among community members through its Oʻahu Digital Equity Coalition (ODEC), which indicated that 26 percent of those surveyed were unable to afford Internet service.