A gigantic bubble is coming to Waiʻanae

WAIANAE, Hawaii (KHON2) — That’s right. You read that correctly. There is a bubble coming to cover the area of Waiʻanae.

But it’s not postapocalyptic like in ‘Under the Dome’ by Stephen King.

No, this is an internet bubble; and it’s going to bring greater equity to the area as it will allow a greater number of people to gain reliable access to the internet.

Ed Sun, CEO of Sun Global Broadband, had a dream to bring this technology to the people of Hawaiʻi.

Sun is working with Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Administration to bring this technology to the west side of Oahu.

“This is a very important project to me,” said Sun. “I have been working on this for more than 10 years and am proud to say that community stakeholders are realizing what an incredible move this will be for the people of Hawaiʻi. With this, we can begin tackling the digital divide that is preventing residents from accessing digital equity”

If you do not live in Waiʻanae, then you are not aware of the current situation with regards to lack of access to internet in the area.

So, Sun provided some great visual information to help you see.

The first image contains visuals on the current fiber carrier’s coverage that is available right now for Waiʻanae residents.

As you can see, there are hundreds of homes that do not have access to the internet through the current fiber carrier.

Then, there’s the current cable coverage for the area.

While there is more coverage, you can see that, still, there are hundreds of residents who cannot access the internet through a reliable source.

“Sun Global Broadband has a one-mile community Wi-Fi bubble that overlays the area and will bring in the areas that are experiencing the digital divide,” explained Sun.

Let’s take a look at what he means by this. Below is an image of the coverage the WI-FI bubble will bring to Waiʻanae.

“This WI-FI bubble has the ability to bring affordable connectivity that shares the revenue with the community,” explained Sun. “It’s a flexible management model that will have low overhead that is ‘vendor neutral’. And it will tackle the current ‘Swiss cheese’ coverage that is currently the standard from cellular and fiber.”

Sun said that the bubble will provide low-cost internet access at one-tenth of what other carriers are charging. It also reduces infrastructure costs and offers greater speed that the current fiber, cable and cellular offerings provide.

“Our Bring Your Own Network [BYON] integrates existing networks and infrastructure supporting multiple backhauls and Internet Access Systems,” explained Sun. “It provides symmetrical high-speed service and can help stimulate tourism and economic development.”

Sun said that as it stands now, few people in Waiʻanae can create an online business due to lack of coverage or lack of speed. His system will tackle this digital divide and provide equitable access to Waiʻanae residents, thus expanding their economic opportunities.

This technology was invented and developed here in Hawaiʻi by Sun and his team of engineers, scientists and business professionals.

“This coverage greatly expands telehealth, telemedicine and behavioral health services to the area and will provide reliable access for emergency services,” added Sun. “SGB’s status as a registered certified ISP and Super Wireless Operator and Integrator opens up opportunities for further funding and partnerships allows the expansion of services to meet community needs.”

Sun said he’s also working on some bubbles for other areas of Oʻahu and the rest of our neighbor islands. But we’ll save that information for a day when he’s closer to ensuring he has community partners.