Keiki to Kupuna, All Hawaiʻi's Residents Need Broadband

The Aloha State was not prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic's stay-at-home/work-from-home orders. The immediate halt to most in-person interaction resulted in disruptions to business, education, healthcare, the provision of other essential services, and social functions—demonstrating Hawaiʻi’s vulnerabilities, which were exacerbated by inadequate digital infrastructure. As a result, providing equitable access to broadband, improving digital literacy, and effectively applying digital tools in essential sectors are now among the state’s most pressing challenges. The Broadband Hui, a cross-section of some 250 public and private stakeholders, is working to achieve digital equity in the state. “The Broadband Hui has helped galvanize the community voice,” said Burt Lum, the State Broadband Coordinator of the Hawaiʻi Broadband and Digital Equity Office. “What the pandemic helped everyone realize is that we’ve got to have the internet connection, the hardware, the digital literacy, and the know-how to be full participants. If you don’t have ‘digital equity,’ you’re still not there.”