SB 553 - Broadband Service Infrastructure Grant Program

• Establishes the broadband service infrastructure grant program within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to award grants for deploying broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved areas of Hawaii.

• Defines "unserved areas" as locations without broadband service meeting minimum speeds of 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream, and "underserved areas" as lacking service with minimum speeds of 50 Mbps downstream and 5 Mbps upstream.

• Requires applicants to contribute a minimum 20 percent match in non-government funds, prohibits receiving funding from other federal or state programs for the same project, and limits eligible applicants to non-governmental entities with demonstrated broadband service experience in Hawaii.

• Establishes competitive grant scoring criteria prioritizing project scope, applicant experience and financial ability, necessity of government funding, matching fund contributions, and preference for unserved over underserved areas.

• Appropriates $5,000,000 from general revenues for fiscal year 2019-2020 to establish and administer the program, with the department to adopt implementing rules within 180 days.