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Project to map broadband access in rural areas

The Maui News

A local nonprofit is seeking community members to help map broadband capabilities in rural areas of Maui, Kauai and Hawaii counties.

‘Auamo Collaborative is hiring short-term data collectors to serve on a community outreach team as part of the Rural Broadband Mapping Project. Team members will be deployed to rural areas to monitor the quality of internet coverage, ability to access broadband services and gauge broadband utility.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed poor or nonexistent broadband service in Hawaii’s rural areas and we need a better understanding of what connectivity exists in our communities,” Brad Bennett, founder of ‘Auamo Collaborative, said in a news release Tuesday. “The lack of access affects a families’ ability to obtain educational opportunities, telehealth services and government assistance, made even more acute by pandemic restrictions that hinder people’s access to in-person services.”

Results of the project will inform efforts towards creative solutions in creating community networks and advocacy for underserved communities, as well as provide a snapshot of what access is needed in certain communities.

Community outreach team members will be compensated $150 per day for up to 12 days, depending on the location. Interested applicants should email kokua@auamocollaborative.org.

For more information, visit auamocollaborative.org/rural-broadband.

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