Hawaii will receive nearly $5.6 million in “Internet for All” planning grants as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Gov. David Ige announced on Wednesday.

“The challenges we faced over the past few years showed how important it is to have reliable and affordable internet access is for all residents, whether they live in urban Honolulu or a rural part of a neighbor island,” Ige said. “This federal funding will allow the state to continue advancing digital literacy and broadband projects throughout the state in the years to come. I’m especially pleased that this funding includes support for broadband access in Native Hawaiian communities through the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.”

The funding from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration will be used to plan for the deployment of high-speed internet networks and develop digital skills training programs.

“Everyone in Hawaii should have access to high-speed internet,” said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This funding will allow us to expand broadband infrastructure across the state and help make sure families and small businesses can get affordable, dependable broadband service.”

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson joined Gov. Ige by Zoom today to announce the grants in a press conference at the Hawaii State Capitol. Also participating were U.S. Rep. Ed Case, digital literacy trainer Kaʻala Souza and Rosie Davis, executive director, Maui County Area Health Education Center on Molokai.

“If we didn’t understand the critical and still-growing importance of internet connectivity and broadband before COVID, the pandemic drove home how essential it is and how it can greatly improve tele-anything such as education, health, business and communities,” said Case, D-Hawaii. “That’s why I fought so hard in Congress for passage last year of our historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the largest federal investment ever in broadband across our nation.

“Already, our law has brought $994 million to Hawaii for crucial infrastructure projects,” Case said. “These include a minimum of $100 million to help ensure high-speed internet coverage across the islands, thus far enabling more than 35,000 households to improve access to the internet through the Affordable Connectivity Program. These first grants under two other programs are but part of what I hope will be much more to come.”

The state will receive $5 million through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program to identify unserved and underserved households; increase capacity of the state Broadband Office; and work with the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to better understand barriers to broadband adoption for unserved and underserved communities.

An additional $570,883 made available via the Digital Equity Act will go toward the development of a digital equity plan by DBEDT; outreach with the state Broadband Office to unserved and underserved communities, and development of partnerships to achieve digital equity in Hawaii.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii.