(BIVN) – The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands on Friday provided an update on the ongoing situation with Sandwich Isles Communications, warning beneficiaries that up to 1,500 households on Hawaiian Home Lands could face a sudden loss of phone and/or internet service on Saturday, June 1st. 

Sandwich Isles Communications, or SIC, announced in an email to customers on May 30 that it would end its service just two days later, the DHHL reports, noting that affected parties “are located throughout the state and include many households in remote communities.” 

DHHL says it is working to establish interim service, and transition lessees to other providers. Last week, DHHL urged SIC customers to switch phone and internet service providers to avoid the loss of telecommunications services due to SIC facing foreclosure by the federal government due to nonpayment of a major loan. 

From the DHHL news release:

SIC’s apparent plans to disconnect service violates the company’s contract with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), which requires SIC to provide reliable service. SIC is also required to continue phone and internet service unless it gives regulators at the FCC and the Hawaiʻi PUC advance notice that it is unable to do so – and receives permission to stop services. DHHL is not aware of any such notifications to these agencies – and is working with these agencies to formulate a response. DHHL will continue to provide updates as the situation unfolds.

SIC has had multiple opportunities to work with DHHL and alternate service providers to keep services on for its customers. Unfortunately, SIC has chosen its current course of action instead. DHHL is working to ensure minimal disruption to affected beneficiaries. SIC is facing foreclosure by the federal government due to nonpayment of a major loan.

“Reliable phone and internet service is a lifeline for our communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke in the latest DHHL news release. “It is unacceptable that Sandwich Isles Communications is planning to disconnect the services that its customers depend on with so little notice. We strongly urge Sandwich Isles Communications to transition Hawaiian Home Lands lessees to alternate service providers in an orderly and responsible process.”

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Honolulu developer broke ground Thursday on the future home of new industrial space in West Oahu.

Developer Avalon Development Company started building “The Crossing” at the Kapolei Business Park on the corner of Kalaeloa Boulevard and Lauwiliwili Street.

The Industrial Warehouse Project will feature 28 warehouse units for small and medium businesses.

The concrete tilt-up buildings have high ceilings, clear spans, high power capacity, covered loading dock access, and other features sought by businesses.

Most importantly, the project is expected to provide much needed industrial space to local businesses.

Avalon hopes to open by June 2025.

Learn more about the project by clicking here.

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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Gov. Josh Green signed a series of bills into law Thursday that’s aimed at addressing housing challenges for Hawaii condominiums.

Raelene Tenno, Education Chair for the Hawaii Council of Community Associations, said she and many other owners are scrambling to pay huge insurance increases.

“We’ve already planned our budgets for the for the next year and then we get this notice that it went up that high, so it just kind of blew the budget out of whack,” said Tenno.

”Even for my condo that I own, the maintenance fees are almost equal to the rent that you collect.”

But help is on the way, thanks to several bills signed by the governor on Thursday.

One offers government loans to help condo buildings make improvements such as fire sprinklers and pipe replacement.

House Speaker Scott Saiki said condos were a priority this legislative session.

“One is because the loan is amortized, you avoid a large front-end assessment on unit owners,” said Saiki. “The second benefit is that the loan is repaid by individual unit owners in the building.”

“So if a unit owner sells the unit and moves, the new owner will assume that obligation, so it goes from owner to owner over a period of time.”

Another bill lets individual condo owners invest in a fund to finance solar, rooftop panels and batteries.

“For people who live in homes that can’t afford to pay for those systems, or who can’t even get conventional financing for those systems… The people who receive these rooftop improvements, will repay that loan over time through the real property through their electric utility bill,” explained Saiki.

Richard Emery works for the nation’s largest condominium management company, Associa.

He said about 70% of the condos in Hawaii are more than 40 years old.

“So, all of these components are starting to come due for need of replacement or upgrade and certainly the cost of energy is a major concern,” said Emery. “So, anything we can do to provide another tool for condos to use to refinance its capital components and lower its operating costs through energy reform is a good thing.”

“It’s going to be good in the long run especially when you use energy efficient projects like elevators where they have to do their elevator upgrades,” said Tenno. “It’s always gonna involve electrical upgrade.”

The other bills signed into law will streamline the paperwork for buying a condo and modernize procedures for condo meetings and voting process.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.