Honolulu, Hawai‘i—Hawaiian Telcom, which is the only internet provider in the state offering a 100% fiber connection directly to the premises of homes and businesses, has received two major industry awards from the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA): the 2025 Star Award and the Community Impact Award. FBA is the only trade association representing service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment.
The Star Award recognizes a person, community, or company that has gone above and beyond what is expected to advance fiber to the home. The Community Impact Award is given to an organization that is making a significant impact through its fiber expansion initiatives.
Jason Thune, Hawaiian Telcom’s vice president of fiber strategy and deployment, accepted the award on behalf of the company at Fiber Connect 2025, the Fiber Broadband Association’s annual fiber optic industry trade show, held in in Nashville, Tennessee. The event brought together more than 5,000 professionals, including network operators, 5G carriers, infrastructure providers, and investors.
Hawaiian Telcom was selected from among nearly 100 submissions for the 2025 FBA Awards and was named one of three finalists in the Community Impact category leading up to the announcement.
“The individuals and organizations recognized this year are driving real progress in our industry,” said Gary Bolton, President and CEO of Fiber Broadband Association. “Their leadership, innovation and commitment to delivering high-performance fiber broadband are not only connecting communities but also shaping the future of economic opportunity and technological advancement.”
In January, Hawaiian Telcom president Su Shin announced the company’s plan to make Hawai‘i the first fiber-enabled state in the nation by the end of 2026. Over 60 percent of the state is fully fiber-enabled. Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i were fiber enabled in 2023, and Kaua‘i will have fiber island-wide by the end of June 2025. Fiber expansion on Maui will be completed by the end of this year, and O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island by the end of 2026.
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About Hawaiian Telcom
Hawaiian Telcom is the only organization in the state that provides 100% fiber internet service. Hawaiian Telcom’s is investing $1.7 billion to make Hawai‘i the first fully fiber enabled state in the nation by the end of 2026. To date, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i are fully fiber enabled. Kaua‘i is targeted for completion by this summer and Maui by the end of the 2025. Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu will be fully fiber-enabled by the end of 2026. Hawaiian Telcom has been named the “Top Rated Internet by Consumers” and “Top Gaming Experience” by Ookla, an objective, independent source and global leader in connectivity intelligence. For more information, visit hawaiiantel.com.
About the Fiber Broadband Association
The Fiber Broadband Association is the only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities, and policymakers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MEA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org
Contact:
Nathan Hokama
Corporate Communications
Hawaiian Telcom
(808) 226-7470
nathan.hokama@hawaiiantel.com