The nation’s 50th state could become the first to be fully fiber-enabled. Hawaiian Telcom is collaborating with federal, state, and county leaders on a $1.7 billion initiative to position Hawaii as the first fully fiber-enabled state in the U.S. by 2026.
The broadband service provider has worked on expanding its fiber network for a decade and has already reached six out of every 10 households and businesses. The continued expansion is on track to offer fiber connectivity throughout the state by the end of next year, according to Hawaiian Telcom.
The company finished its fiber buildout on the islands of Lanai and Molokai in 2023, with Kauai to be completed next month. Maui is expected to be fully connected by the end of this year. The islands of Oahu and Hawaii are scheduled for completion by late 2026.
“We are incredibly proud of Hawaiian Telcom’s commitment to elevate Hawaii as a leader in broadband connectivity with the goal of being the first state in the nation to be fully fiber-enabled,” said Governor Josh Green, MD, in the company’s announcement. “This is a testament to the power of public-private partnerships and a clear demonstration of how we can create lasting value for our community by working together.”
The carrier’s efforts have been supported by $149 million from the BEAD program as well as other federal and state broadband infrastructure programs and a strong public-private partnership.
Even with the funding and the public-private partnership, there were numerous challenges that needed to be overcome in Hawaii. “100% is hard to get to, but we’re going to make a really good try to get there,” Garret Yoshimi, vice president for information Technology and chief information officer of the University of Hawaii, told Telecompetitor in August.
