Launching Hawaii’s Fastest Internet
The Hawaiian Telcom van | Photo courtesy Hawaiian Telcom
Earlier this week, Hawaiian Telcom launched its next-generation fiber network that features up to 500 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 50 Mbps upload.
This is much faster than anything previously available in the state. Just to give you an idea how fast this is, when I did a speed test at home, I received 22.38 Mbps down and 3.42 up, and that is considered fairly decent for Hawaii.
But with this fiber upgrade, this will be speed-demon fast, almost like being in Japan. (I’ve seen the fastest Internet speeds there!)
“Hawaiian Telcom’s expansive deployment of fiber optic technology is connecting Hawaii to the world with speeds never before seen in the Islands,” Eric K. Yeaman, Hawaiian Telcom’s president and CEO, stated in a release.
“We’ve invested $125 million in our next-generation fiber network and systems and there is more to come. As a committed local company with deep roots in the Islands, Hawaiian Telcom is dedicated to meeting Hawaii’s bandwidth needs today and into the future.”
To give you an idea of how fast the 500/50 Mbps speed is, you can download a 2 gigabyte (GB) high-definition video in less than 35 seconds, versus three minutes with a 100/5 Mbps speed. Further, you can upload a 1 GB file in less than three minutes versus 28 minutes (with 100/5 Mbps).
Visit hawaiiantel.com, input your address and see if your area qualifies. You can sign up for residential broadband speed tiers of 100 Mbps ($95/month), 300 Mbps ($200/month) and 500 Mbps ($300/month), and even higher speeds are available to businesses.
All packages include a wireless networking gateway, Internet security software and access to local 24/7 technical support. Call Hawaiian Telcom at 643-3456 (residential) or 643-4411 (business) for more information.
Kaiser Permanente
On a similar note, Kaiser Permanente announced last week that complimentary wireless Internet now is available in hospital rooms and waiting areas throughout its 20 locations across Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island.
This is a great service offered, and it seems to be a growing trend among hospitals and medical facilities.
The “Kaiser Guest” network will make it easier for patients, especially long-term ones, to stay connected with family, friends and work with their Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
In addition, note that Kaiser Permanente members can use My Health Manager through its kp.org website to access their personal health records, email providers, check lab results, order prescription refills or manage appointments. You can become a fan of good health by following Kaiser’s Twitter @KPHawaii or like the Facebook page: Facebook.com/KPHawaii.
AVCO Show
If you happen to see this before March 4, The Audio Visual Company is having its Spring 2014 Tech Fair at its office in Aiea (98-910 Moanalua Road).
On March 4 and 5 (1-6 p.m.), you can see the latest technologies for education, the hospitality industry, corporate and the military. The Newtek Tricaster Portable Live TV Studio in a box will be featured – this is what MTV, ESPN and XGames utilizes.
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