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1. Transpacific fiber optic cable and carrier neutral fiber landing station <br />2. Terrestrial backhaul to connect subsea cables to data centers and aggregation <br />points on -island <br />3. Wireless broadband deployment including 5G small cells <br />4. Inter -island fiber optic connectivity between the Hawaiian Islands <br />5. Rural broadband, last mile/first mile and community networks <br />6. Broadband application drivers: telehealth, big data, smart city, smart grid, <br />machine learning, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, <br />eSports, etc. <br />In March 2020, cases of COVID-1 9 virus were detected in our state, upending all that <br />residents knew as normal. Governor Ige was joined by Mayors in mandating <br />restrictions and policies on operations, travel between islands, and working from home <br />policies. The drastic and sudden change required leaders and managers in <br />government, business, education, and nonprofits to expeditiously solve functions and <br />communications to achieve their objectives in a virtual mode. <br />With thousands forced to function from residences, workers relied on the quality of <br />their Internet connections for Zoom communications. Public and private education <br />scrambled to set up distance learning procedures and soon discovered that pockets of <br />students needed tailored solutions for access to hardware and to Wi-Fi. Health care <br />providers had a new reliance on connectivity to bridge isolated patients through <br />telehealth. Businesses who could remain open or tried to remain open looked to <br />Internet sales to shore up lost revenue. Nonprofits adjusted annual plans to effectively <br />serve their target populations virtually. Government relied on social media and <br />websites to keep constituents informed on the latest developments and procedures. <br />The common thread was broadband. The resulting solutions adopted underscored our <br />ongoing dependence on our broadband infrastructure. Previously considered an <br />amenity and not prioritized, broadband's efficacy in every aspect of our lives could not <br />be ignored. <br />DCCA and its BAAC members responded with an array of initiatives to aid those <br />stranded by inadequate or lack of Internet service. A Wi-Fi pilot evaluates the feasibility <br />and cost of providing residents with free internet access at government locations. <br />-3- <br />