Hawaiian Telcom unveils plan to reduce greenhouse gases 40% in 7 years

Hawaiian Telcom has unveiled its climate action plan, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in seven years.

To achieve this goal, the company is focusing on reducing carbon emissions by transitioning to energy-efficient, fiber-optic cables and aggressively reducing power usage from its legacy copper network.

According to data from trade association U.S. Telecom, fiber is 100 times more energy-efficient than copper, requiring less energy to transmit data, and leading to a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.

Hawaiian Telcom plans to replace its energy-intensive copper network with fiber, a move that will improve the service to its customers and reduce unwanted emissions.

Fiber-optic cables are more durable, less susceptible to elements such as water and electromagnetic interference, and carry 10,000 times more bandwidth than traditional copper cables.

The company has invested $160 million in private capital to expand and support its fiber infrastructure. Approximately 268,000 homes and businesses in Hawaiʻi now having access to Hawaiian Telcom’s 100% fiber internet service, which provides the fastest upload speed in the state of 500 megabits per second.

Hawaiian Telcom has begun migrating customers served by its ‘Āina Haina central office to fiber-based services, which will reduce carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions by 63 metric tons.

The climate action plan also accelerates existing initiatives to decarbonize its network, facilities and fleet.

The company has installed solar photovoltaic panels on its building rooftops and properties throughout the state over the past 10 years, which now produce nearly 10% of its electrical power. The plan seeks to continue building new solar at additional locations throughout the state.

The company also has begun using Hawai‘i-made biodiesel fuel — a renewable, biodegradable fuel alternative made from waste oils — in some of its vehicles. It also plans to add electric vehicles to its fleet.

Hawaiian Telcom’s climate action plan calls for many changes to achieve its overall goals, and will evolve based on lessons learned from the ‘Āina Haina project.

Click here to learn more about Hawaiian Telcom’s sustainability plans and goals.