Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 7, 1 July 2016 — Hawaiian homesteaders advocate for telecommunications [ARTICLE]

Hawaiian homesteaders advocate for telecommunications

A group of 13 Hawaiian homesteaders met with Federal Communications Commission officials during Hawaiian Week in

Washington, D.C. in May. Of particular eoneem was the Sandwich Isles Communications (SIC) fiber optic network, whieh has been jeopardized by the personal tax evasion conviction of Albert Hee, founder of Waimana Enterprises, SIC's parent company. The FCC has started an investigation and audit of SIC, whieh the homesteader group urged the agency to complete so they ean move forward with providing telecommunications service to Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries. Robin Danner, chairwoman of a statewide eoalihon of homestead associations and a member of the delegation, pointed out that SIC is an autonomous company that receives federal funds to provide phone and internet service to home-

steaders, particularly those in hard-to-reach areas. "The SIC network is our lifeline today, but even more so for our unborn keiki in the future that will eome into a world that mandates high speed access to have a fighting ehanee to survive," she said in a release.

„ HO'OLAHA LEHULEHU s S PUBLIC N0TICE i