LIHUE — According to a Hawaiian Telcom press release, Hale Lihue has served Kauai residents as a centralized, accessible community gathering place, informally, for the past seven years.
On Wednesday, with thanks to Hawaiian Telcom, Hale Lihue community center will celebrate a milestone — access to reliable high-speed internet service.
In a joint announcement on Monday, Hawaiian Telcom and Hale Lihue announced that Hawaiian Telcom will be the exclusive technology partner for the new community center that will celebrate its grand opening on Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m.
According to the announcement, the public is invited to this free public event.
Hale Lihue is a 3,000 square-foot space dedicated to the community and features a co-working space, community space, and a coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating.
Under terms of the agreement, Hawaiian Telcom will enhance the experience for the community with a state-of-the-art, fiber-enabled Wi-Fi network throughout Hale Lihue.
“Hawaiian Telcom appreciates our partnership with Hale Lihue, and we are proud to support this effort to build stronger connections with this community hub where residents can take advantage of so many incredible resources,” said Su Shin, president of Hawaiian Telcom. “We are also incredibly excited to deepen our support for Kauai families and entrepreneurs through these kinds of partnerships to increase access to our cutting-edge technology across the island.”
Additionally, Hawaiian Telcom is making a financial donation to support additional projects to meet the needs of the community.
“It is exciting to see our vision for Hale Lihue unfold and truly become a community center that connects small businesses, artists, and creators, and that provides daily workshops, classes, and experiences that will bring the community together and improve well being,” said Addison Bulosan, a Kauai County Council member and community organizer.
In addition to Hawaiian Telcom, key sponsors include the Small Business Administration, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Alaska Air, Turo, Kauai Island Brewing Co., Hoike Kauai Community Media, Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Salt, Kauai Shores Hotel, Blue Dolphin Charters, Pacific Media Group, and Blaze Entertainment.
Hawaiian Telcom currently operates a market-leading fiber-to-the-premise, or FTTP, network, offering the state’s fastest internet speeds of up to 3 Gigabits per second, or GBps, symmetrical — both upload and download.
The company recently announced plans that will position Hawaii as the first fully-fiber enabled state in the nation by 2026.
Hawaiian Telcom anticipates the fiber build on Kauai will be completed later this year, the third island to be fully-fiber enabled.
