Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke

August 28, 2025

HONOLULU — As part of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, the University of Hawaiʻi Broadband Office (UHBO) has released Hawaii’s BEAD Final Proposal for public comment.

BEAD is a federal initiative to provide affordable, high-speed broadband access to all Americans, especially those in areas that currently have no access (unserved) or have substandard access (underserved) to high-speed Internet.

Hawaii’s BEAD Final Proposal is the culmination of three years of planning aimed at expanding high-speed Internet access across the state. The posting of the draft Final Proposal is one of the last steps before UHBO finalizes the outcome of eight competitive Requests for Proposals (RFPs) released in July that sought bids from internet service providers to build out the infrastructure necessary to address disparities in broadband coverage across the state.

“High-speed internet is critical for creating opportunity and advancing equity in digital access,” said Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, who leads the state’s Connect Kākou initiative. “We are taking an important step forward to connect communities that have been historically underserved, and I’m grateful to the many partners who are contributing to a more connected Hawaiʻi.”
The RFP process will lead to the competitive selection of vendors to connect these communities, as well as many community anchor institutions, which include schools, libraries, healthcare facilities, and other public spaces that provide broadband access and essential support services to residents.

The Final Proposal was posted for public comment on the UH Broadband website on August 27, 2025. Comments are accepted via telephone and email. The public comment period runs seven days and concludes on September 3, 2025. Comments and feedback will be reviewed and incorporate into the official BEAD Final Proposal, due to NTIA on September 4, 2025.

To view the Hawaiʻi BEAD Final Proposal as well as an Executive Summary, please visit www.hawaii.edu/broadband.

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