Hawaiian Telcom earlier this month unveiled a new training center in Halawa and more than 100 new Fioptics-branded vehicles — a $15 million investment that will support employees and the Honolulu-based telecommunications company's ongoing statewide fiber expansion.
According to a July 9 announcement from Hawaiian Telcom, the company invested $2 million to acquire and transform the nearly 15,000-square-foot Halawa training center, located near the top of Iwaena Street, "into a one-stop training center for Hawaiian Telcom's technicians and construction teams statewide."
Pole-climbing classes will take place in an area where the company placed multiple 30-foot poles. There, technicians can get hands-on-training to safely climb and descend poles while in the field, the announcement noted.
"In another area, Hawaiian Telcom created a simulated residential space so the technicians can practice drilling into floors from crawl spaces, from the ceiling in attics or between walls to property install fiber-optic cables," the announcement continued.
According to the announcement, the company invested another $13 million in more than 100 Hawaiian Telcom Fioptics-branded vehicles, which will roll out across the Islands.
"To improve efficiency, Hawaiian Telcom also implemented a fleet management system that will enable faster reporting of performance issues, logging mileage and making service appointments via a mobile device," the announcement noted. "This system eliminates paper forms, supporting the company's commitment to sustainability."
"We're in an exciting expansion phase at Hawaiian Telcom," President Su Shin said in a statement. "As we continue to invest in expanding our future-proof fiber network, we're also investing in our employees, ensuring that our team members continue to do their jobs safely and serve our community effectively. These investments in our new training facility and in our fleet of vehicles are crucial to our fiber expansion, especially as we prepare to launch new services statewide."
"To achieve internet access for all of Hawaii, we must invest not only in reliable infrastructure but also in a skilled workforce to expand our fiber network," Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said in a statement. "Hawaiian Telcom's new training center will help build up our workforce and significantly contribute to our state's internet expansion efforts under the Connect Kakou initiative."
According to the announcement, Hawaiian Telcom has invested more than $1 billion since 2010, "half of which was invested within the past five years, to expand its statewide fiber network and support broadband access for Hawaii residents."
