What is a Community Anchor Institution (CAI)?
Community Anchor Institutions (CAI) are an important alternative to having a broadband connection at home. The term “community anchor institution” means an entity that facilitates greater use of broadband service such as a:
- School,
- Library,
- Health Clinic,
- Health Center,
- Hospital or Other Medical Provider,
- Public Safety Entity,
- Institution of Higher Education,
- Public Housing Organization, or
- Community Support Organization*
*A community support organization is a location that facilitates greater use of broadband service by vulnerable populations, including low-income individuals, unemployed individuals, and aged individuals
UH further clarified community support organizations by the following:
- Whether the community support organization has physical location(s) in a permanent structure to facilitate greater use of broadband service by vulnerable populations.
- Whether the physical location(s) of the community support organization is dedicated to the organization’s usage for activities to facilitate greater use of broadband service by vulnerable populations (e.g. not a residential house) and as part of the organization’s mission, involves or plans to involve activities that facilitate greater use of broadband service by vulnerable populations.
- Whether the physical location(s) of the community support organization is public-facing in nature, meaning the organization does not require paid or unpaid membership before using its services.
Why are CAIs important in BEAD?
The BEAD program aims to connect every household, but there can be multiple reasons that this may not be enough to connect all individuals to reliable, fast speed Internet. These reasons can include but not limited to:
- Individuals cannot afford the Internet subscription
- Individuals are houseless
- Individuals do not have or cannot afford appropriate device(s).
Community Anchor Institutions can fill in these gaps. People can go to their closest or most convenient CAIs to get access to broadband Internet for their needs. Since the BEAD program covers the connection of Broadband to CAIs, it is important to identify all the CAIs and make sure that they have the proper connection to provide Internet access (1Gbps upload and download speed).
How to check if a location or organization is identified as a CAI
To check whether a location or an organization is identified as a CAI, follow these steps.
- Open the CAI List Document. This has the list of all identified CAIs.
- The first page shows what each of the columns mean and help you navigate through the document.
- Search for the CAI you are looking for with their organization name or address.
- You can use Control+F to find a specific name or address.
- Make sure to check they are the right CAI type.
By County
What if the list is missing a CAI?
If you cannot find the CAI on our current list and believe that it meets the CAI definition, contact broadband@hawaii.edu.
What if the CAI is on the list, but has unreliable, slow Internet?
If you believe your CAI does not have fast, reliable Internet connection, contact broadband@hawaii.edu to assist with your situation.