Hawaiian Telcom
Hawaiian Telcom is a Hawaii-based integrated telecommunications provider offering 100% fiber-to-the-home internet, TV, phone, and business communications services. A subsidiary of altafiber (Macquarie Asset Management), it is investing $1.7 billion to become the first fully fiber-enabled U.S. state by 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1883
- HeadquartersHonolulu, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Hawaiian Telcom does
Hawaiian Telcom is a Hawaii-based integrated telecommunications provider founded in 1883 as the Mutual Telephone Company, now operating as a subsidiary of altafiber (formerly Cincinnati Bell) under Macquarie Asset Management ownership. The company delivers 100% fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet, TiVo-powered Fioptics+ TV, home phone, Whole Home WiFi (via eero mesh), and HT SafeGuard cybersecurity (via F-Secure) to residential customers, alongside business internet, hosted VoIP, dedicated internet access, private networks, managed security, and data center colocation for enterprise and government clients. It also operates the SEA-US trans-Pacific submarine cable system, providing wholesale bandwidth and carrier services to other telecommunications providers.
The company generates revenue through recurring monthly subscriptions across speed tiers ($30/month for 100 Mbps to $100/month for 3 Gig symmetrical internet), multi-year promotional contracts with eBill discounts, equipment rentals (eero gateways $10–$15/month), TV channel packages, bundle discounts, and wholesale carrier fees. Distribution is multi-channel: self-serve online ordering for residential, dedicated field sales for enterprise and government, two physical retail stores in Honolulu and Kapolei, a residential sales partner/affiliate program, and a business reseller channel. Recent strategic focus centers on a landmark $1.7 billion investment announced January 2025 to make Hawaii the first fully fiber-enabled state by 2026, having already reached 50% of the state by January 2024 and full enablement of Lana'i and Kaua'i. The company employs over 1,100 technology, communications, and customer service professionals and is led by President Su Shin, the first female president in the company's 140-year history.
Hawaiian Telcom firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hawaiian Telcom
- Legal name
- Hawaiian Telcom
- Website
- https://hawaiiantel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1883
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Hawaiian Telcom is a Hawaii-based integrated telecommunications provider offering 100% fiber-to-the-home internet, TV, phone, and business communications services. A subsidiary of altafiber (Macquarie Asset Management), it is investing $1.7 billion to become the first fully fiber-enabled U.S. state by 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hawaiian Telcom industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Telecommunications (517), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), All Other Telecommunications (5178)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Home Networking & Connected Home Infrastructure (Wi‑Fi Mesh, Routers, Matter/Thread/Zigbee Bridges) (HSAPAQAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Unified Communications & Collaboration Network Services (VoIP/QoS) (BPAEAEAI), Residential Broadband CPE (DSL/Cable/Fiber Gateways) (HDAFAIAA)
Keywords
Where Hawaiian Telcom is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Honolulu
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Hawaiian Telcom business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Residential Internet Services: Monthly subscription fees for Fioptics fiber internet at various speed tiers (100 Mbps to 3 Gbps). Includes promotional pricing for new customers with eBill discounts.
- Business Internet & Communications: Business internet subscriptions (600 Mbps to 1 Gbps), dedicated internet access, private networks, hosted VoIP, SIP trunking, and managed security services.
- TV Services: Fioptics+ TV subscriptions across Basic, Advantage, and Advantage Plus tiers; premium channel add-ons (HBO, Showtime, STARZ, Cinemax); international channel packs (Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese).
- Home Phone Services: Local phone service (Go Local Plus, Basic), nationwide long distance plans, international calling packages with per-minute rates and unlimited options.
- Wholesale Services: Undersea cable capacity (SEA-US), wholesale bandwidth, and carrier services to other telecommunications providers.
- Equipment Rentals: Gateway/wireless router rental ($10-15/month), eero mesh extenders ($5/month), set-top boxes for TV service, and premium support services.
- Bundle Discounts: Discounts applied when customers bundle internet, TV, and phone services together, creating customer stickiness and reducing churn.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Fioptics 100 Mbps - Entry-level fiber internet |
| Subscription | Monthly | Fioptics 600 Mbps - Mid-tier fiber internet |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Fioptics 1 Gig - High-speed fiber internet |
| Subscription | Monthly | Fioptics 3 Gig - Premium fiber internet |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Business Fioptics 600 Mbps |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Business Fioptics 800 Mbps |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Business Fioptics 1 Gig |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Go Local Plus Home Phone |
| Subscription | Monthly | Nationwide Long Distance - Call More |
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic TV |
| Subscription | Monthly | Advantage TV |
| Subscription | Monthly | Advantage Plus TV |
| Subscription | Annual | Fioptics Internet Assistance |
| Subscription | Monthly | Internet Kokua Program |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hawaiian Telcom product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hawaiian Telcom delivers 100% fiber-to-the-home (Fioptics) internet, TV, and voice services to residential customers across Hawaii, alongside business-grade internet, hosted VoIP, dedicated access, private networks, managed security, and data center colocation for enterprise customers. The company also operates the SEA-US trans-Pacific submarine cable system providing wholesale bandwidth to other carriers.
Product overview
Hawaiian Telcom offers a comprehensive telecommunications portfolio built around its 100% fiber-to-the-home Fioptics infrastructure. The core product is Fioptics Internet (offering speeds from 100 Mbps to 3 Gig symmetrical), paired with Fioptics+ TV (a TiVo-powered streaming platform). Add-on services include Whole Home WiFi (eero mesh technology), HT SafeGuard security (F-Secure powered), TV channel packages (Basic, Advantage, Advantage Plus, and premium add-ons), and Home Phone service. For business customers, offerings include Business Internet, Business VoIP, Dedicated Internet Access, Private Networks, Managed Security Services, and Data Center Colocation. The company also operates the SEA-US trans-Pacific submarine cable system for wholesale customers. Assistance programs include Fioptics Internet Assistance ($30/month for qualified households), Internet Kokua (low-income discounts), and Kupuna TV Discount (senior discounts). Hawaiian Telcom serves residential, business, and wholesale segments across Hawaii.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fioptics: 100% fiber internet service brand offering multi-gig speeds (100 Mbps to 3 Gig), TV streaming, and home phone services across Hawaii.
- HT SafeGuard
- Fioptics+
- Hawaiian Telcom Secure Network
Products and services
- Fioptics Internet (Residential) 100% fiber-to-the-home internet service offering symmetrical speeds from 100 Mbps to 3 Gbps for residential households across Hawaii, with 99.99% reliability and affordable long-term pricing without bundle requirements.
- Fioptics+ TV Streaming TV and entertainment platform powered by TiVo, offering voice search, universal search, OnePass, cloud DVR, and mobile apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Firestick. Combines live TV and streaming apps in one experience.
- Whole Home WiFi
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.99% network reliability during normal operations and critical situations like the 2023 Maui wildfires
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hawaiian Telcom
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Hawaiian Telcom technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Hawaiian Telcom partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hawaii Government LeaderscoreLandmark $1.7 billion partnership to transform Hawaii into the first fully fiber-enabled state by 2026, involving government coordination and support.
- Navy Region HawaiicoreCompleted new fiber connection directly linking West and Metro Oahu, providing enhanced connectivity for military installations and surrounding communities.
- Vanta and Hawaii Esports LeagueminorTitle sponsor of Hawaii Esports League championship events, supporting local gaming community.
- Hale Lihu'eminorPartnership to deliver Wi-Fi connectivity throughout new community center serving Kauai residents.
- Nexstar Media Inc.minorChannel agreement restoring six Nexstar channels including KHON2, MyNetwork and CW for local customers after FCC complaint and negotiation.
- Bell Charitable FoundationminorIndependent charitable organization 501(c)(3) launched to support nonprofit organizations in areas where altafiber companies provide service. Awards grants focused on economic/social mobility and environmental sustainability.
- SEA-US ConsortiumcoreHawaiian Telcom invested $25 million to become an owner and operator of the Southeast Asia-United States (SEA-US) trans-Pacific submarine cable system. The 100 gigabit per second technology delivers 20 terabit per second capacity, connecting Indonesia, Philippines, Guam, Hawaii and California.
- Hawaii News Now (HNN)minorPartnership to stream high school sports content live on HNN's website and via Fioptics+ TV channel KFVE.
- F-SecurecorePartnership with cybersecurity leader F-Secure to provide award-winning internet security protection through HT SafeGuard, including identity monitoring, banking protection, browsing protection, and password management.
- eero (Amazon)corePartnership with eero for WiFi technology. eero Pro 6E and Pro 7 mesh WiFi systems provided to Fioptics customers. eero TrueMesh technology optimizes home network coverage.
- TiVo (Xperi)corePowered by TiVo for Fioptics+ TV platform, providing voice search, universal search, OnePass, SmartBar, Cloud DVR functionality, and mobile app streaming capabilities.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hawaiian Telcom competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Charter Communications (Spectrum): Charter's Spectrum brand is the primary cable broadband and TV competitor in Hawaii, serving the same residential and business customers with bundled DOCSIS-based internet and TV. Most directly comparable in market overlap, product set, and target segments.
- altafiber (formerly Cincinnati Bell): Parent company that acquired Hawaiian Telcom in 2018; operates a near-identical fiber-to-the-home, TV, voice, and business services model in Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana. Closest strategic and operational comparable for the FTTH build-out, pricing, and bundling strategy.
- Frontier Communications: National fiber and DSL provider pursuing an aggressive FTTH overbuild across rural and suburban America. Comparable in business model (incumbent telco pivoting to fiber), customer segments, and product mix (internet, voice, TV).
- Lumen Technologies: Incumbent telecom with fiber and copper residential broadband, enterprise services (hosted VoIP, dedicated internet), and wholesale/carrier offerings. Comparable in legacy voice-to-fiber transition, enterprise/government focus, and wholesale carrier business.
- Consolidated Communications: Rural and small-market fiber and broadband provider pursuing FTTH upgrades with similar regulatory and federal-grant exposure (RDOF, CAF). Comparable in rural fiber economics, residential/business service mix, and capital-intensive transformation.
- TDS Telecom: Regional incumbent telco with fiber-to-the-home builds across rural and small-town America. Similar product portfolio (internet, TV, voice) and federal-grant participation for rural broadband expansion.
Broad incumbents
- AT&T: Large national incumbent offering fiber (where available), 5G home internet, and bundled wireless services in Hawaii. Competes in adjacent product categories (5G fixed wireless, mobile) and as a broader incumbent rather than a pure FTTH specialist.
- Verizon: National incumbent carrier that historically owned Hawaiian Telcom's predecessor (Verizon Hawai'i). Offers 5G home wireless and Fios-style fiber services on the mainland; competes in Hawaii primarily via fixed-wireless and mobile rather than wireline.
- T-Mobile: National wireless carrier expanding aggressively into 5G home internet and fixed-wireless broadband nationwide, including Hawaii. Competes for the same residential broadband dollars without owning last-mile fiber.
- Comcast (Xfinity): National cable broadband and TV provider; while not a major Hawaiian Telcom competitor in Hawaii, it is the canonical cable bundling benchmark for product set, pricing tiers, and bundled internet/TV strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hawaiian Telcom social profiles
Digital presenceHawaiian Telcom financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hawaiian Telcom leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Hawaiian Telcom funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hawaiian Telcom M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hawaiian Telcom
What does Hawaiian Telcom do?
Hawaiian Telcom delivers 100% fiber-to-the-home (Fioptics) internet, TV, and voice services to residential customers across Hawaii, alongside business-grade internet, hosted VoIP, dedicated access, private networks, managed security, and data center colocation for enterprise customers. The company also operates the SEA-US trans-Pacific submarine cable system providing wholesale bandwidth to other carriers.
Is Hawaiian Telcom a public or private company?
Hawaiian Telcom is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Hawaiian Telcom founded?
Hawaiian Telcom was founded in 1883. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Hawaiian Telcom based?
Hawaiian Telcom is headquartered in Honolulu, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hawaiian Telcom make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Residential Internet Services are the primary driver. The others are business Internet & Communications, TV Services, home Phone Services, wholesale Services, equipment Rentals and bundle Discounts.
Who are Hawaiian Telcom's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Charter Communications (Spectrum), altafiber (formerly Cincinnati Bell), Frontier Communications, Lumen Technologies, Consolidated Communications and TDS Telecom. Broad incumbents are AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast (Xfinity).
Does Hawaiian Telcom have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hawaiian Telcom.
What industry is Hawaiian Telcom in?
Hawaiian Telcom's product category is Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAPAQAG, Home Networking & Connected Home Infrastructure (Wi‑Fi Mesh, Routers, Matter/Thread/Zigbee Bridges), with a secondary code of BPAEAEAI, Unified Communications & Collaboration Network Services (VoIP/QoS). Its NAICS code is 517 and its SIC code is 4813.