HI HCR131

Requests the Public Utilities Commission to report on progress and deployment plans to ensure rural communities receive cellular and broadband services comparable to metropolitan areas.

Requests the Public Utilities Commission to report on efforts to identify and access funding for rural telecommunications services, including from federal sources such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service.

Requests the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to report on progress and plans to establish affordable, accessible broadband services in unserved and underserved areas of Hawaii.

Requires the Public Utilities Commission and Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to collaborate and submit findings, recommendations, and actions to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the 2016 Regular Session.