Hawaii gets $150M for internet access

Hawaii will receive $149.5 million in new federal funding to expand high-speed internet access across the state, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced Monday.

The new funding from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, also known as BEAD, will be used to help build and improve broadband infrastructure, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said.

“This new funding will help us expand broadband infrastructure across the state, and help make sure more people and small businesses can get affordable, dependable high-speed internet service,” Schatz said in a news release Monday.

Hawaii also received more than $5 million last year from the BEAD program, and $115 million from the Department of Treasury. To date, the state has received more than $335 million to expand broadband access and is expected to receive an additional $86 million later this year, the news release said.

The BEAD program was created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and will bring at least $2.8 billion to Hawaii for infrastructure improvements.