Connect K?kou’s Digital Detectives Initiative included 6,000 participants statewide

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(Videos/Photos Courtesy: Connect K?kou)

HONOLULU - Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke announced today that more than 6,000 Hawai?i residents, many of them students, participated in the Digital Detectives campaign to map internet speeds across the state. Part of the Connect K?kou initiative, Digital Detectives aimed to close the digital divide by identifying areas in need of urgent broadband infrastructure improvements.

By taking a simple 30-second internet speed test last October, residents provided valuable data to help ensure federal funding is directed where it is most needed. Classes from Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School and Kona Pacific Charter School received the top Digital Detectives Super Sleuth Awards for student participation and classroom reporting. The classes received a visit from Lieutenant Governor Luke and a gift card for classroom supplies.

“Thanks to the thousands of students and their teachers who participated in Digital Detectives, we now have a clearer picture of Hawai?i’s internet speeds and where improvements are most needed,” said Lieutenant Governor Luke. “Reliable internet is crucial for education, future careers, and so much more. We were thrilled to see so many students taking part in shaping a more connected future for our state.

“Digital Detectives encouraged our students to become active participants in expanding internet access for their communities,” said Ken Hiraki, executive director of the Public Schools Foundation. “By turning a simple classroom activity into meaningful data for our state, students had a front row seat to civic engagement and real-world impact.”

Results from the internet speed tests have been aggregated to provide a more comprehensive view of connectivity across the state. Construction of fiber-optic internet lines in underserved areas is expected to begin as early as this year.

Connect K?kou is a State of Hawai‘i initiative led by Lieutenant Governor Luke, in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Broadband and Digital Equity Office (HBDEO), the University of Hawai‘i, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and multiple state and county agencies. Connect K?kou is working to ensure people from all walks of life have reliable access to high-speed internet and the tools and knowledge to safely and confidently use the internet. Visit www.connectkakou.org to learn more.