Even as the second Digital Inclusion Week kicked off Monday, participation in a federal program offering discounts on internet bills is still lower than expected.
Digital Inclusion Week, which ends Friday, is part of a national campaign highlighting the need to promote digital accessibility in underserved areas. The state is holding several events — including one in Hilo today — aimed at promoting digital literacy and skills training.
“As our society becomes increasingly digitized, we have a responsibility as state leaders to ensure that our communities not only have access to essential infrastructure, such as broadband, but also the knowledge to use these tools to their full capacity,” state Sen. Bennette Misalucha of Oahu said in a statement.
But even as the week highlights the need for improved availability of online infrastructure, residents’ participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which offers $30 off of monthly internet bills to eligible households — $75 off if the household is on Hawaiian Home Lands — is still well below expectations.
Burt Lum, broadband strategy officer for the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, said Monday that there are about 33,000 households enrolled in the program statewide, considerably lower than the estimated 100,000 households that are eligible to participate.
“I think part of the problem is still a lack of awareness,” Lum said. “People still don’t know about it, which is part of what Digital Inclusion Week is about.”
Lum said he is working with the state Department of Education to present information about the program to beneficiaries of the state’s Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program, because people eligible for that program also are eligible for the connectivity program.
“There are about 50,000 households getting free and reduced lunches, so if we can get the word out to them … we could get all the way up to 80,000 in the connectivity program just with that,” Lum said.
Regardless, it will be a while before reliable internet infrastructure can be rolled out to the rural corners of the state. Lum said the state will receive some federal grant funds to promote rural connectivity, but the actual amount of funds to be awarded has not yet been announced.
Those funds — which Lum said will be awarded through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Equity and Deployment Program — eventually will be used to build coverage maps of the state to determine which areas are in most need of infrastructure.
But Lum said that between drafting and reviewing those maps and initiating the procurement process, it will take about a year before the state can carry out any widespread development.
“We’re kind of just waiting for the feds at this point,” Lum said. “It feels like the calm before the storm.”
A Digital Equity Showcase will be held throughout today at the Hilo Public Library, and will highlight digital literacy programs and other support that is available on the Big Island.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.