Burt Lum: Hawaii’s chief broadband strategist envisions a diversified economy built on digital platforms

Five questions with Burt Lum, broadband strategy officer for the state of Hawaii.

Do you see broadband development as largely a long-term economic strategy, or could there be more immediate effects in this recession?

Enabling broadband access has both near term and long-term economic impact. The availability of more quality, fixed broadband services throughout Hawaii would enable our communities to actively participate in the digital economy, like remote work from home, distance learning, telehealth as well as access to e-commerce sites. The list goes on and on, but one basic requirement is you need to be connected.

For a longer-term perspective, broadband infrastructure needs to be robust and resilient enough to attract the cloud platform providers to Hawaii, such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google. The infrastructure to compete in a digital world that is beyond your typical broadband access in a home, must first be built.

Companies like these will help to upskill our workforce and challenge them to create solutions to address 21st-century problems that are national and global in scope.

For the long-term, Hawaii needs to look at itself not just as a consumer but as a provider of value-added solutions. These solutions are for our next generation to design and create.

How could broadband be made more accessible to poorer families who cannot afford a private internet service?

In November 2019, well before the coronavirus pandemic, we had the opportunity to implement a community broadband network at Pu‘uhonua o Waimanalo that provided connectivity that did not exist for their community. This was in partnership with the Internet Society (ISOC) and their Indigenous Connectivity Summit. The community broadband network enabled homes with Wi-Fi access points and was the first in Hawaii.

With the community broadband network in place, the community then continued to maintain and sustain the network. It’s a business model that is community driven and supported. Future community networks include Pu‘uhonua o Waianae and Kipahulu.

There are other programs that provide subsidies to underserved communities like Lifeline and the Emergency Broadband Benefit, but these programs largely benefit the internet service provider and does not always raise the level of digital equity for the recipient families.

Why would the state need the proposed broadband and digital equity office, given the climate seeking reduced government spending?

One of the guiding principles recognized by the Broadband Hui, an informal gathering of broadband stakeholders in Hawaii, was to reach the goal of digital equity for all of Hawaii’s residents. The Broadband Hui also recognized the one organization that could stay focused and convene the right players to marshal collective action was the State of Hawaii. Therefore, the Broadband and Digital Equity Office was proposed as policy in the 2021 legislative session.

Recognizing the state’s budget challenges, the Broadband and Digital Equity Office intends to seek federal funds and philanthropic support as a starting point.

Can you quantify the investment needed to bring Hawaii up to speed with broadband?

In determining the investment to broadband, we look at both the near-term and long- term funding needed to build a robust, resilient broadband network that not only connects all residents with quality broadband service, but helps create a diversified economy that enables Hawaii to be a worthy competitor in the global digital economy.

The pandemic spotlighted the digital inequity across the country. Funds from the federal government are flowing to Hawaii: Hawaiian Telcom announced $24 million for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands will receive $30 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This is a good start but more is needed to grow the digital equity programs and key strategic infrastructure like the carrier-neutral cable landing, which are areas on which the Broadband and Digital Equity Office will continue to focus.

What are your hopes for Hawaii’s technological future?

I’ve been a long-time advocate for a diversified economy based on a solid technology foundation. Hawaii has a wellspring of talent and very unique values grounded in geography, indigenous knowledge and aloha. Even before the pandemic, the pace of technology was breathtaking and that rate has only accelerated.

We are entering into the connected era where data and analytics rule. Applications built on artificial intelligence and machine learning impact our everyday lives. Big data, autonomous vehicles, smart agriculture, cyber security, blockchain, smart communities, augmented reality, automation, cloud computing are already our reality.

In all of this, robust broadband connectivity is foundational. It is my hope that, in my current role, I can help establish this foundation for our future generations to build upon and, with care and nurturing, a hundred flowers will bloom.

The bio file

>> Title: Broadband strategy officer, state of Hawaii

>> Professional experience: First job out of college was GTE Hawaiian Telephone, now Hawaiian Telcom. I was fortunate to witness the rise of the personal computer, local and wide area networking and the internet. I worked for the Maui Supercomputer and was part of the first innovation team at HMSA.

>> Community work: Organized the tech gathering, Unconferenz; started the first civic engagement event for the City and County of Honolulu called City Camp which led to the first civic hackathon in Hawaii. Founded the Code for Hawaii brigade and the nonprofit Hawaii Open Data. Designed the state’s Hawaii Annual Code Challenge now in its fifth year. Wrote a tech column for The Honolulu Advertiser (1998 to 2004); host of Bytemarks Cafe on Hawaii Public Radio (2008 to present).

>> Personal interest: My zen practice is kado (way of the flower) and zazen.

>> One more thing: My motto: Endeavor to persevere.