Honolulu-based telecommunications company Hawaiian Telcom (NASDAQ: HCOM) announced that it has expanded its fiber broadband deployments into 5,000 rural locations in Hawai'i, including the first Connect America Fund (CAF) deployment on Moloka'i, which is partially supported by CAF. Approximately 70% of the expansion used fiber to the premises (FTTP) deployments to enable 1-Gbps Internet service accessibility.
In June of 2015, Hawaiian Telcom was the first in Hawai'i to deploy this technology, the company asserts. Hawaiian Telcom has expanded gigabitbroadband availability by over 50% to more than 140,000 residences and businesses on O'ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui, and the Big Island since then. In 2016, Pu'u Lani Ranch and Pu'uanahulu on the Big Island were the first CAF-eligible areas enabled for broadband with FTTP technology.
Hawaiian Telcom was awarded approximately $26 million in CAF Phase II support in 2015 to deploy a minimum of 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream to more than 11,000 unserved locations by 2020. CAF-eligible areas were chosen by the Federal Communications Commission.
According to Hawaiian Telcom, broadband is now available in parts of Eden Roc, Fern Acres, Fern Forest, Glenwood, Hawaiian Acres, Hakalau, Kaiwiki, Kalapana, Kalōpā Mauka, Kapoho, Kurtistown, Leilani Estates, Miloli'i, Nanawale Estates, Nīnole, Ocean View Estates, Orchidland, Ouli, Pa'auilo Mauka, and Waiki'i Ranch on Hawai'i Island, Huelo on Maui, and Kaluako'i on Moloka'i.
Residents in these communities can visit www.hawaiiantel.com/Internet for more information.
"As Hawai'i's Technology Leader, Hawaiian Telcom is committed to expanding broadband access so more of our residents can experience its extensive benefits," said Scott Barber, Hawaiian Telcom's president and CEO. "We're proud to be the only local provider actively expanding broadband within high-cost rural areas and of our ability to deploy speeds more than 100 times higher than the federal requirement."
Hawaiian Telcom was acquired by Cincinnati Bell in July, who stated at the time that it planned to invest in Hawaiian Telcom's fiber-optic network (see "Cincinnati Bell to acquire Hawaiian Telcom, OnX Enterprise Solutions").
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