Burt Lum

I also had the honor of working on several nonprofit innovation projects involving technology, civic engagement and open data for the City and County of Honolulu. It became clear if I really wanted to influence systemic change, I would need to work inside the government.

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I currently serve in the Broadband Strategy Office within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, where I’ve worked since 2018. My primary responsibility is to oversee broadband and digital equity development in the state which includes working with private sector, nonprofit and government organizations. My work also involves keeping track of national trends in funding and policy, which significantly changed when the pandemic hit in 2020.

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My 5 year journey in state government has shown me what is possible, even in difficult times. For three years, we struggled to get funding for broadband projects. But in 2019, with the support of the Internet Society, we were able to establish the first community network for a previously homeless community called Pu'uhonua o Waimanalo. This was the first major milestone in broadband and digital equity. Then, in March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic brought on a statewide stay-at-home order, I established the Broadband Hui consisting of over 500 community stakeholders dedicated to closing the digital divide. 

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We committed to meeting every week and, in November 2020, developed the Digital Equity Declaration. This Digital Equity Declaration compiles the collective priorities articulated through months of thoughtful Broadband Hui conversations and, in alignment with the 2020 Hawai‘i Broadband Strategic Plan, sets a foundation for collective action among private- and public-sector partners by providing a vision and goals that will move Hawaiʻi toward a more equitable digital future. 

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