FCC Grants Licenses To Allow DHHL To Build Its Own Wireless Networks

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a grant that would provide the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) ownership of broadband spectrum to deploy wireless internet services on Kaua‘i, Lana‘i, Moloka‘i, and Maui.

The new FCC licenses provide for exclusive use of up to 117.5 megahertz of 2.5 GHz band spectrum that can be used by DHHL to create their own wireless networks. The buildout is expected to be completed by 2022.

“This news means that people can expect faster and more reliable internet service,” said US Sen. Brian Schatz, the top Democrat on the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, the Internet, and Innovation. “We all know how important internet access has become during this pandemic as we try work or go to school from home so this is good news.”