Hāna Business Council

Broadband Committee

Broadband Related Articles

State of Hawaiʻi Broadband and Digital Equity Office (HBDEO)

Digital Equity Plan Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Downloadable PDF

As the State of Hawaiʻi works on developing a statewide digital equity plan, we are gathering input throughout Hawaiʻi! Below are some frequently asked questions and additional information to better understand the planning process and how you can get involved.

What is the Digital Equity Plan all about?

The Digital Equity Plan will come up with solutions for individuals and communities across our state who are impacted by the “digital divide,” which means they do not have reliable, affordable access to devices, training, and the Internet.

 Spectrum Provides Internet Credit 

to East Maui Residents!

Aloha Mai Kakou

UPDATE ~ MARCH 14, 2023

East Maui is still waiting for Spectrum Hawaii to complete the new microwave dish construction, so residents should still not be charged for their internet on Spectrum billing. If you do see that your service has resumed being charged, contact the following to report and get reimbursed again:

William C. Wesselman

Email – William.Wesselman@charter.com

Ph. – (303)489-5436

Other News:

Once again we are asking residents to run speed tests on their internet connections – download speed should average 100 Mbps in the evening. There have been many reports of inconsistent internet connections. Go to https://www.speedtest.net/ and choose to have the test run through the optimal server which should test going through Honolulu, not Spectrum on the mainland. If you are seeing low results running a few tests over a 10 minute period, send screenshots of your results to hbc@hanabusinesscouncil.com and we will put together a package to send to Spectrum.

 

Bill Sides

HANA BROADBAND COMMITTEE

A Sub-Committee of

THE HANA BUSINESS COUNCIL

P.O. Box 432
Hana, HI 96713
Ph. (808)248-7758
Cell (808)281-8073
wrsides@Hotmail.com

HAWAIIAN TELCOM BROADBAND 

 After discussing the confusion experienced by East Maui customers regarding their new broadband service, Hawaiian Telcom has assigned their customer relations manager (Dana Wong) to work directly with interested parties to resolve their problems when inquiring about eligibility for the new limited broadband service.  Upon request she has submitted the notice below for me to distribute.  I think this will make it easier for folks inquiring about new service.  Please feel free to call me if you have questions or any further issues.

Bill Sides, Hana Broadband Committee

(808) 248-7758

Hawaiian Telcom is now offering broadband service to certain addresses in East Maui. Because the situation in our community is unique and requires special handling, Dana Wong from the Customer Relations office will be helping to facilitate the process.

Please follow these simple steps:

  1. Call 808-643-3377 (toll free), Text 808-859-6390 (Honolulu cell, charges may apply) or Email Customer.Relations@hawaiiantel.com to share your full name, your street address or Tax Map Key and the best contact number.
  2.  By the next business day, you can expect to receive a response letting you know if your address is eligible for services or not.
  3. If your address qualifies, Dana will help to coordinate issuance of your order and scheduling of your appointment.

Appointments are limited to Tuesdays and Wednesdays and are on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you contacted the Hawaiian Telcom customer service team in the past and were told your address was not eligible, please contact Dana Wong and have her double check your address. Our community addresses, which include non-traditional street addresses, were not uploaded into the customer service systems, so there is a chance that your address is eligible.