HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0430.007 2014-2016PICOx.LWe.
Murashiqe, Laura
From:
Shawn James Leavey <shawn@nalukai.org>
Sent:
Tuesday, September 01, 2015 10:24 PM
To:
Council Testimony
Cc:
Maeda, Stewart
Subject:
Sept 2nd Meeting LATE TESTIMONY
Attachments:
Nalukai Testimony Hawaii County Council Reso 257-1 9-2-15.pdf, ATT00001.htm
Aloha,
Can this be provided to the members, even though it is late?
C-1)
thanks!
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Shawn James Leavey
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Executive Director
Nalukai Foundation www.Nalukai.orQ
shavena,nalukai.org +1.808.937.5523
>
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Comm. No.
Ref. To: wlx
Ref. Date SEP 0 2 2013
1
Hawaii County Council
Sept 2nd, 2015, 9 AM
Support with Suggested Amendment for Resolution 257 Draft 1:
General Plan Amendments.
Aloha e Chairman Kanuha, Vice Chair Eoff and Members,
Nalukai Foundation is non-profit charitable organization with the mission of spurring
entrepreneurship and innovation .in the islands. We support Reso 257-1, and in
particular, Exhibit C: Economic Development, Section 5, on BROADBAND. We suggest
the following amendment:
"Prioritize the availability of high-speed broadband accessibility and ere-atc�
high teeh industrial num with the objective of providing community based
broadband of 1 gigabit per second fiber optic lines or wireless broadband, and
with no region of the Island served with less than 25 megabits per second. "
To clarify, we don't need high tech industrial parks when any home on the island with
fast enough and cheap enough internet service can be its own high-tech park that can
participate and compete in the global economy.
The trouble is in Hawai'i, the incumbent Internet providers Hawaiian Telcom and
Oceanic TimeWarner Cable enjoy monopoly (duopoly) prices. Internet here is not FAST,
not CHEAP and is not available EVERYWHERE.
In many areas of the Big Island, current service does not meet the threshold definition of
"broadband" as set by the Federal Communications Commission. In areas where true
broadband at a speed of 25mps can be had, service is either sold as residential/
consumer class "up to" that speed but throttled at peak demand hours, or service is
exorbitantly priced commercial service with "dedicated" speeds.
Access to the Internet means far more than gaming, video streaming, music downloads
and entertainment. The Internet is used for connecting with other people, and
WWW.NALUKAI.ORG
conducting commerce digitally in the global marketplace, which is accessible only
through the digital connectivity. Also, education and medicine are rapidly transitioning to
the Internet, offering more equitable access to both
in remote areas.
The importance of this is most obvious in rural areas chronically underserved or
unserved by incumbent providers. In these instances, whole communities are unable to
share in the benefits of ever-expanding product markets, essential and convenient
services and telecommunication options available to the rest of the country.
Communities without access to broadband service are not able to fully participate in the
expanding digital world. And given HawaiTs remote location, over 2200 miles from the
next economic market of any size, access to broadband is even more essential.
Access to high-speed Internet services in the 21 st century is a necessity not a luxury.
In August of 2011, Governor Neil Abercrombie launched the Hawai'i Broadband Initiative
(HBI) with the goal of ensuring that all of HawaiTs citizens have access to ultra high-
speed broadband at affordable prices. Specifically, HBI calls for ubiquitous statewide
access to 1 Gbps broadband service at affordable prices by 2018.
In numerous other municipalities in US and around the world, community-based
broadband networks operated by rural utility cooperatives or local governments
themselves have increased competition, reduced broadband prices, improved equitable
access to bandwidth, empowered communities, resulted in community -wide cost
savings and fueled local economic development.
County government can and should prioritize development of broadband as a
critical rural utility that's as essential as electricity, roads and water. This general
plan provision is a good start.
me ka maha ,
Shawn A. James-Leav
Executive Director
WWW.NALUKAI.ORG