Chair Ailā Statement on Over $17.2 Million NTIA Broadband Connectivity Grant

Posted on Dec 19, 2022 in Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Media Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 19, 2022

 Chair Ailā Statement on Over $17.2 Million NTIA Broadband Connectivity Grant

(Kapolei, Oʻahu) – Hawaiian Homes Commission Chair William J. Ailā, Jr. issued the following statement on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) announcement of a $17,284,762.85 Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program grant to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL).

“During the pandemic, we all learned how critical access to high-speed internet is to our daily lives. These grant funds will provide the opportunity for broadband use and adoption activities to alleviate many connectivity issues highlighted throughout our communities during that time.

“The allocation of this funding comes from the championed efforts of many, but I would like to express direct gratitude to Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson and Division Chief Adam Geisler for their efforts. I would also be amiss to not acknowledge and thank Senator Brian Schatz for his consistent and continued advocacy and inclusion of Native Hawaiians in these programs.

“I appreciate the trust that the Federal government has in DHHL to effectively utilize these funds. The Department staff looks forward to bringing fiber to the Trust Lands and ensuring that beneficiaries have the access and devices they need to move forward in the 21st century.”

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About the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands:
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands carries out Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole’s vision of rehabilitating native Hawaiians by returning them to the land. Established by U.S. Congress in 1921, with the passage of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, the Hawaiian homesteading program run by DHHL includes the management of over 200,000 acres of land statewide with the specific purpose of developing and delivering homesteading.

Media Contact:
Cedric Duarte
Information and Community Relations Officer
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
(808) 620-9591
[email protected]