Honolulu, Hawai‘i (April 27, 2023) – Hawaiian Telcom, which celebrates its 140th anniversary of service in the islands this year, announced a partnership with Vanta, a youth esports and coaching platform, and the Hawai‘i Esports League.
The partnership kicks off with Hawaiian Telcom serving as title sponsor of the statewide Hawai‘i Esports League Championship, a competition for middle and high school students from more than 50 public, private and charter schools. The two-day event, in which students play up to 10 different games and recognizes Hawai‘i’s best youth esports gamers, will be held at Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Esports Arena at Aloha Tower Marketplace on Saturday, April 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 30, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“As we celebrate 140 years of serving Hawai‘i, we’ve seen the evolution of technology and the rise of esports and are proud to champion this growing program,” said Su Shin, president and general manager of Hawaiian Telcom. “Avid gamers of any age, including student players who participate in esports programs, want the fastest internet speeds in the state. They look to Hawaiian Telcom to provide innovative technologies to meet their needs and enable them to be competitive.”
“Hawaiian Telcom’s vision to connect and empower Hawai‘i aligns with our mission to help and inspire our talented youth gaming community,” said Ed Lallier, Vanta’s chief corporate development officer, who was recently named the 2023 Tech Entrepreneur of the Year by Hawaii Business magazine. “The growing availability of faster internet speeds helps to drive the esports phenomenon across all gender and educational classifications.”
Vanta has the largest esports league in Hawai‘i with nearly 950 players representing about 55 schools. According to a recent World Economic Forum article, students who engage in competitive esports gain confidence, enhance their communication, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and experience the value of collaboration and teamwork, similar to the skills learned from participating in traditional sports programs.
“By engaging in competitive gaming through our Esports League, students can acquire new skills in a safe space, which can open doors to a variety of careers in STEM fields,” he added.
Lallier co-founded the Vanta platform in 2020 after his son was cyberbullied. Vanta’s esports curriculum, platform and leagues help students ages eight to 18 learn positive digital citizenship, playing popular games such as Rocket League, League of Legends, Valorant, and Fortnite.
For more information about the partnership, please visit: hawaiiantel.com/esports.
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About Hawaiian Telcom
Established by King David Kalākaua in 1883, Hawaiian Telcom celebrates 140 years of proudly serving the people of Hawai’i in 2023. Headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaiian Telcom delivers communications solutions including internet, video, voice, data network solutions and security, managed and cloud services to residential, business and wholesale customers over its statewide future-proof fiber network. For more information, visit hawaiiantel.com
Contact
Ann Nishida Fry
(808) 285-9289
Ann.nishida@hawaiiantel.com