Most broadband internet-related bills are dead in the state Legislature, while a surviving bill will create another state agency to develop broadband infrastructure.
About half a dozen broadband bills were introduced in January, ranging from measures allowing electricity providers to build broadband facilities, to requiring internet providers to share statistics with state agencies, to requiring Department of Health buildings to offer free Wi-Fi to elderly users in their parking lots.
Since then, however, those bills have winnowed down to two, one of which now does something drastically different from its original intent.
That bill, Senate Bill 2076, originally added minor clarifying language determining the responsibilities of the Broadband Digital Equity Office, which was established last year in the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
But after House committee hearings earlier this month, the bill now also establishes a wholly separate broadband office — this one in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
The new office, the Hawaii Broadband Infrastructure Authority, would differentiate itself from the Digital Equity Office by managing large-scale infrastructure projects, whereas the Digital Equity Office is focused primarily on getting more residents connected to those projects, said Burt Lum, broadband strategy officer for the Digital Equity Office.
“I think the prevailing thought is that they don’t want all that done in one place,” Lum said.
For now, Lum said he supports SB 2076, as it still includes the clarifying changes regarding the Digital Equity Office. But, he added, the bill currently does not have a specific funding mechanism for the Infrastructure Authority.
“So, does the Authority only exist on paper? Will they just establish it this year and fund it next year?” Lum asked. “I don’t know.”
At a committee hearing Thursday, state agencies were largely supportive about the Infrastructure Authority, but several suggested that the proposal is premature.
“The creation of the Authority may be premature at this time given that the relevant grant programs are still being developed, and guidance on what the allowable uses of these funds will be has not yet been issued,” wrote Catherine P. Awakuni Colón, director of the DCCA.
As for the other surviving bill, SB 2479 would require all public housing projects built after Jan. 1, 2023, to include all infrastructure necessary for tenants to have broadband access. Lum said that bill has had strong support throughout the legislative session and expects it to pass both chambers easily.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
