It is good to see Hawaiian Telcom extending broadband internet to many rural areas (“Auction brings more broadband funds to Hawaii’s rural areas,” Star-Advertiser, Tech View, Nov. 27).

Unfortunately, the prior owners, despite being chartered under the Kingdom of Hawaii, apparently did not take their obligations seriously.

They did not take full, if any, advantage of the rural telephone grants and high-cost-to-serve subsidies available from the Rural Utilities Service and the Federal Communications Commission. That left the field to Sandwich Isles Communications, which took lots of federal money — our taxes — without much benefit to rural areas.

I note that Hawaiian Telcom has yet to provide high-speed internet to all of Pearl City — not rural for decades. I hope that we are not left out too much longer.

Daniel C. Smith

Pearl City

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