Google will fund a $1 billion project to create new fiber-optic internet subsea cables, in what Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said is a “significant step forward” in building the state’s digital infrastructure.
“As connectivity has become increasingly necessary in our lives, we must ensure that every person in our state has reliable access to high-speed internet, and that starts with infrastructure,” Luke said Tuesday in a press conference at Entrepreneurs Sandbox in Kakaako. “With our unique geography, Hawaii depends heavily on undersea cables that are the foundation of our ability to connect, including access to health care, education, finances, social services, and connection to friends and family throughout the state.”
However, Hawaii has not seen recent significant upgrades to existing cables, Luke said during the conference. She noted that the state’s connectivity is reliant on three existing undersea cables, two of which are nearing the end of their operational lifespans.
Google had announced plans for the new cables earlier this month, and officials revealed further details about the project during Tuesday’s conference. One of the new cables will connect Hawaii directly to Japan. The second is a cable to connect Hawaii with the Mainland, as well as with Fiji and Australia. Another will connect Hawaii to Guam.
“These are not just simply upgrades to old systems, they are brand new undersea cables and essential to keeping Hawaii connected to the entire world,” said Luke, who leads Connect Kakou, the state’s initiative to bring reliable internet all of Hawaii.
“This will ensure that thousands of our families, businesses, institutions that depend on reliable, high-speed internet will not get left behind,” she added.
The funding from Google is part of the company’s Pacific Connect initiative, which aims to bolster internet connectivity throughout the Pacific region.
During the conference, Benji Robinson, director of Asia Pacific Network Planning and Acquisition for Google, said that with the new cables, “Hawaii becomes a key digital hub in the Pacific.”
“Submarine cables are the backbone of the internet. Human connectivity today depends on them more than any other kind of infrastructure, and you should be proud that Hawaii is now a center of this activity,” Robinson said.
He noted that building these types of cables are multiyear projects, and the earliest completion date is targeted for 2026, though that will depend on a number of factors, including weather, he said.
In addition to the Google commitment, Hawaii will receive more than $320 million in federal funding for internet infrastructure and digital literacy and equity efforts over the next five years, state officials noted in a release following Tuesday’s conference.
The Connect Kākou initiative involves various partners including the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office, the University of Hawaii, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and various state and county agencies. Officials are hosting informational sessions for about the initiative throughout the state. Visit ConnectKakou.org for a list of upcoming sessions and more information about the initiative.
