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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, December 1, 2001

Cable project gets federal loan

Advertiser Staff

The federal government has released a $97 million loan to Sandwich Isles Communications Inc., a company that is stringing fiber optic wiring to link all of the state's Hawaiian Home Lands, U.S. Rep Neil Abercrombie announced.

The Department of Agriculture loan through the Rural Utilities Service is part of a program to bring modern telecommunications services to rural areas.

So far, Sandwich Isles has received approval for about $166 million in loans for a project the company expects to cost about $500 million.

Eventually, Sandwich Isles plans to spend $100 million installing fiber optic cable on the Big Island; $35 million to install cable on O'ahu; $30 million installing cable on Maui, Moloka'i and Lana'i; and $10 million to place underground cable on Kaua'i.

The company also plans to spend an additional $60 million stringing undersea cable between the islands.

The project would create Hawai'i's third interisland fiber optic network.

"The money couldn't come at a more opportune time," said Abercrombie. "With Hawai'i's economy in trouble, the project will provide paychecks for hundreds of people and jobs for years to come."