Big Island DSL....a show of hands? (Kailua, Waimea: rental, house)

[hotzcatz]

Maybe all this is why Honokaa is putting in town wide wi-fi. Of course, Honokaa is more concentrated than Puna so their subscribers aren't miles from each other.

Not only are we in Honokaa, but we got the cable guy as a neighbor. Woot!

[Fredesch]

I have a similar need for high speed internet. I have been taking with a real estate agent and emphasized that I must have high speed Internet but could be anywhere on the east side of the island. His response is limit your search to Hilo. As others mentioned, you may theoretically be able to get Internet all over, but if you need it for sure, look in Hilo.

[hotzcatz]

It probably has to do with population density to even make it available and then distance and lines for the rest of it. Most of the lines to and from Puna/Pahoa would be running along the side of the Keaau-Pahoa road, wouldn't it? That's about the only right-of-way they have through that area for most utilities, isn't it? Not, of course, that there are all that many utilities to go anywhere, but if there were, that's where they'd be, no? Might be why its so limited, kinda matches the roads in and out of the area.

Yup, Hilo should have better coverage for just about everything. Well, except days without rain, but most times there's some sun to go with so it's not a dreary rain.

[Munchi Mike]

Funny,
I'm not convinced that there's a GOOD reason for any of this; all I'm getting is that the internet providers are unwilling and resistant to filling the demand for their services. Even funnier when you realize that internet travels in phone lines but just because you have a phone.......
The outlook is dismal folks but thank you all for your resounding clarification of the cluster fork that is Hawaiian internet service;
since any location listing internet access would be stripped of that service the second the service was cancelled by the selling owner and the number of places that even list it aren't sufficient to satisfy the rest of the requirements, but without DSL the whole thing is dead in it's tracks.

[mdand3boys]

No, there really isn't a good business reason why either Oceanic or Hawaiian Telcom wouldn't bother to invest some money in order to garner additional and willing paying customers, by the possible thousands.

Don't despair, but do remember to do your due diligence before renting or buying. Some areas have cable internet, some DSL, some both, some have varied combinations.

[Hakware]

I was surprised to find out myself that Internet access was spotty at best. It seems crazy with the population density out here in the area that oceanic wont do something.

I finally managed to get a wireless connection which seems to work better than and cheaper than my phone Internet. But even so, the wireless ISP's dont cover everywhere.

[Pupule]

The Dept. of Commerce has a Hawaiian Broadband Map project. It doesn't say that you can get service, just where the lines run.

http://bbmap.pdc.org/bbmap/

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by Pupule

The Dept. of Commerce has a Hawaiian Broadband Map project. It doesn't say that you can get service, just where the lines run.

http://bbmap.pdc.org/bbmap/

Yep, that's the one. thanks for finding and posting it.

[Fredesch]

Originally Posted by Munchi Mike

Funny,
I'm not convinced that there's a GOOD reason for any of this; all I'm getting is that the internet providers are unwilling and resistant to filling the demand for their services. Even funnier when you realize that internet travels in phone lines but just because you have a phone.......
The outlook is dismal folks but thank you all for your resounding clarification of the cluster fork that is Hawaiian internet service;
since any location listing internet access would be stripped of that service the second the service was cancelled by the selling owner and the number of places that even list it aren't sufficient to satisfy the rest of the requirements, but without DSL the whole thing is dead in it's tracks.

Of you think Hawaii is bad you should check out southwestern Virginia. In the Allegeny highlands region only one town Covington has high speed Internet and they also have a paper mill. Not moving there... Mountainous rural areas have the double whammy of sparse population and few places to have line of site for point to point solutions like Aloha broadband.

It seem like Hawaiian politians should make universal access to high speed Internet a requirement for approval of comcast buying Time Warner. And make sure that they pay for the infrastructure before the merger is approved.

[Munchi Mike]

Let me just thank everyone here for their enlightening and depressing input. The agent I have been communicating with from Clark Realty seems to think there's no problem about getting internet but since I have gotten these answers from locals with savvy I must agree with them; since they aren't trying to make a sale. This situation is difficult at best and I thank MDand3boys for her useful tips. The map supplied by Pupule is great and much what I was looking for though a Helco map would likely follow that for a better idea of who actually has juice too, (for modems). With this new info I don't see how I can possibly continue my online property search. The kind of places I like that say internet merely means that they are somewhere on the map showing potential for access and that's about all it tells me. Since promises of hookups in ads are deceptive and local ISP are so devious my efforts are stymied to frustration and cessation. Aloha and Mahalo to all.