Hawaiian Telcom said Monday it has expanded its high-speed internet service to homes in Hawaii island’s Puu Lani Ranch subdivision and the surrounding Puuanahulu area.
Since 2015 Hawaiian Telcom has been expanding its broadband infrastructure on the Big Island. The extension is supported in part by the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund (CAF). Last year Hawaiian Telcom said that it was awarded approximately $26 million from CAF to deploy its service by 2020 to roughly 11,000 unserved and underserved locations.
Earlier that year CAF awarded $1.4 million to Hawaiian Telcom to extend to more than 1,800 locations on the Big Island.
More than 125,000 homes and 5,600 businesses statewide are enabled for Hawaiian Telcom’s high-speed internet service, the company said.
8 groups chosen for mentorship program
The University of Hawaii announced Monday it chose eight teams to be a part of its startup mentorship program called XLR8UH.
XLR8UH, developed by the University of Hawaii and investment firm Sultan Ventures, is a program that educates and invests in companies created by UH students, researchers, faculty and alumni.
The companies are Smart Yields, a data analytics platform that provides crop protection alerts; HealthTech Apps, mobile technology to monitor sports concussions; OiOiOT, which offers internet-based solutions for community projects; Herbavore, a horticultural hand tool company; Radial3D, a mobile app to share medical images; iFirst Medical Technologies, a blood analysis app; Natural Resource Data Solutions, a platform for data collection and project management for conservation and agriculture customers; and Azimov Technologies, a guidance and control technology for unmanned aircraft systems.
The teams are eligible to receive $25,000 to $50,000 for completing the program and up to $100,000 in follow-up funding.
ON THE MOVE
Ed Case will serve as the only representative from Hawaii on the board of directors of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. He is a senior vice president and chief legal officer of Outrigger Enterprises Group, having joined Outrigger in 2013. Case previously served as a congressman for Hawaii from 2002 to 2007, and from 1994 to 2002 he served as a state representative. He also practiced property and business law for 30 years with Honolulu law firms Bays Lung Rose Holma and Carlsmith Ball.
Honolulu Federal Credit Union has promoted Davin Yamada to indirect lending manager from loan officer. His responsibilities include quality, growth and profitability of the indirect loan business operations. Yamada will also assist with developing strategic planning as well as managing high-quality sales and encouraging growth and retention of member relationships.