AARP Applauds Broadband Wins in Hawaii, Oklahoma

En español | We’re thrilled that our work to help close the digital divide has netted wins in Hawaii, where all new public housing developments will now need broadband infrastructure, and Oklahoma, where we successfully lobbied the state to apply for nearly $900,000 in federal funding for increasing broadband access.

Hawaii’s new law will require all new public and low-income housing projects and dwelling units to be outfitted with broadband infrastructure beginning next year. And in Oklahoma, we pushed the governor’s office to apply for federal digital adoption funds made available through an AARP-backed national infrastructure bill signed last year. State officials will use those funds to build a strategy around making broadband more widely available throughout the state, where nearly 4 in 5 voters believe elected officials should do more around high-speed internet access, according to an AARP poll published last year.

AARP has long pushed for affordable high-speed internet investments, particularly those that benefit lower-income areas. A recent AARP survey found that 3 in 5 adults age 50-plus believe the cost of high-speed internet is a problem, and 1 in 7 don't have internet access at home.

Read more about broadband internet access and how it impacts older adults.