The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) – Hawaiʻi Broadband and Digital Equity Office holds a leading role in digital equity and literacy efforts in the state. HBDEO currently leads the Digital Equity Act programs in the State (i.e., State Digital Equity Planning and Capacity grants), in addition to Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enablement. HBDEO will produce the State’s Digital Equity Plan, fulfilling the BEAD Program requirement for a State Digital Equity Plan, which will detail a plan supporting community-centric digital equity solutions and ensuring that our residents have the necessary digital skills to use the Internet successfully.

To learn more, visit the HBDEO website.

The Broadband Hui

As part of their efforts, HBDEO, in collaboration with the Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii and Transform Hawaiʻi Government, established the Broadband Hui as a grassroots effort in March 2020 during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to find solutions to digital inequity across Hawaiʻi. Over the last three years, over 200 individuals representing wireline and wireless carriers, federal, state, and county legislative and administrative leaders, local, national, and international non-profits, public and private schools, universities, and private businesses joined the exploratory conversations. This diverse group of participants continues to convene weekly to offer solutions and discuss opportunities and challenges faced by those in the community. Visit the Broadband Hui webpage for the most recent meeting agendas and recordings of previous meetings.