Hawaiian Telcom recently announced it has fully enabled Pahala on Hawaii Island with access to its fiber internet service called Fioptics. The expansion also extends into Naalehu, Waiohinu Town and the Discovery Harbor subdivision.
Residents and businesses within zip code 96777 now have access to the company's high-speed internet, which has one of the fastest upload and download speeds in Hawaii, according to the announcement.
"The place you call home shouldn’t limit your access to education, housing, healthcare and other opportunities," Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said in a statement. "Mahalo to Hawaiian Telcom for continuing to invest in Hawaii Island so our residents and businesses have access to online resources that enhance our quality of life here and enable our residents to thrive."
To expand its fiber footprint, Hawaiian Telcom invested more than $160 million last year alone, and has invested more than $1 billion since 2010.
"In our 140th anniversary year of serving Hawaii, we’re proud to continue making a positive impact by increasing digital equity and enabling as many homes and businesses with fiber internet service as quickly as we can," Hawaiian Telcom President Su Shin said in a statement. "Access to broadband is essential and empowering, especially for our rural communities."
Residents of Pahala and Naalehu may qualify for free internet through August 2024, courtesy of the Hawaii Department of Transportation's HI Connect Broadband Project. For more information, visit hawaiiantel.com/hiconnect.
