If your Hawaiian Telcom internet, TV, or phone service just stopped working, you’re not alone — and you’re in the right place. Before you spend an hour on hold with customer service, report the outage on our site so we can help escalate it.
→ Report your Hawaiian Telcom outage here
When you submit a report, we log the issue, track it by location, and work to escalate it with Hawaiian Telcom on your behalf. The more reports we get from a specific area, the faster we can identify widespread outages and push for a resolution.
Below, we’ll walk you through exactly what to do when your service goes down — step by step.
Step 1: Report the outage on our site
This is the fastest way to get your issue on our radar. Head to our outage report page and fill out the form with your name, email, address, and phone number. It takes less than a minute.
Why report here instead of just calling Hawaiian Telcom?
You can (and should) do both. But here’s what happens when you report to us: we track outage reports by area so we can see patterns. If we get multiple reports from the same zip code or neighborhood, we know it’s a widespread issue — not just a single home — and we can escalate it more effectively. We also follow up with you directly, which is more than you’ll typically get from a call center.
Think of it as a second line of reporting. You’re not replacing Hawaiian Telcom’s support — you’re adding a local team that’s paying attention and following through.
Step 2: Check if it’s your equipment or a wider outage
Before assuming the whole network is down, take two minutes to rule out problems on your end. Here’s how:
Check your gateway lights. Look at the Hawaiian Telcom gateway (the white box they installed). If the lights are off, it may have lost power. If the lights are on but blinking red or amber, there’s likely a connection issue between your home and Hawaiian Telcom’s network.
Power cycle your gateway. Unplug the power cord from the back of the gateway. Wait 30 seconds — a full 30 seconds, not a quick unplug-replug. Plug it back in and wait 2–3 minutes for it to fully restart. This fixes a surprising number of issues.
Check other devices. Try connecting to the internet on a different device — your phone, a tablet, another computer. If one device can connect but another can’t, the issue is with that specific device, not the internet service.
Check your WiFi vs. wired connection. If you can, plug a computer directly into the gateway with an ethernet cable. If the wired connection works but WiFi doesn’t, the issue is with WiFi coverage — not the internet service itself. This is especially common in larger homes. If your WiFi coverage is consistently spotty, Hawaiian Telcom’s eero mesh WiFi system may help.
Ask your neighbors. If you live in a condo or apartment, check with a neighbor who’s also on Hawaiian Telcom. If they’re down too, it’s almost certainly a network-level outage — which makes your report on our site even more valuable.
Step 3: Contact Hawaiian Telcom directly
If power cycling didn’t fix it and it seems like a real outage, contact Hawaiian Telcom’s support team:
Phone: 808-643-3456
Online: Hawaiian Telcom Outage Information page
Social media: @HawaiianTel on Twitter/X — they’re usually responsive to DMs
When you call, have your account number ready (it’s on your bill) and be prepared to describe:
- Which services are affected (internet, TV, phone, or all three)
- When the outage started
- Whether you’ve already power cycled your gateway
- Whether neighbors are experiencing the same issue
Hawaiian Telcom can often tell you whether there’s a known outage in your area and give you an estimated restoration time. If there’s no known outage, they’ll typically schedule a technician visit.
Step 4: What to do while you wait
Outages are frustrating, especially if you work from home or your kids need internet for school. Here are some practical options while you wait for service to come back:
Use your phone as a hotspot. Most cell phone plans include mobile hotspot capability. On an iPhone, go to Settings → Personal Hotspot. On Android, go to Settings → Network → Hotspot. Connect your laptop to your phone’s hotspot and you can get back to email and video calls. It won’t be as fast as fiber, but it works.
Find free WiFi nearby. Hawaii’s public libraries all offer free WiFi. Starbucks, McDonald’s, and most coffee shops do too. If you’re near a University of Hawaii campus, eduroam WiFi is available to students and staff.
Check for updates. Come back to our outage report page to see if others in your area have reported the same issue. You can also check Downdetector’s Hawaiian Telcom page for real-time user reports.
Common causes of Hawaiian Telcom outages in Hawaii
Not all outages are the same. Understanding why your service went down can help you know what to expect for restoration.
Planned maintenance. Hawaiian Telcom occasionally performs network upgrades and maintenance, usually during off-peak hours (late night or early morning). These are typically announced in advance via email or on their website, and service is usually restored within a few hours.
Weather. Hawaii’s tropical storms, heavy rain, and high winds can damage above-ground cables and equipment. Fiber optic cables are more resistant to weather than cable or copper lines, but the equipment connecting your neighborhood to the network can still be affected. After major storms, restoration can take 24–72 hours depending on the extent of damage.
Construction damage. Accidental cable cuts during road construction or building projects are one of the most common causes of localized outages. These typically affect a single neighborhood or block and can take several hours to repair.
Equipment failure. Sometimes a piece of network equipment fails — a router at a distribution point, a power supply, or a switch. These are usually resolved within a few hours once identified.
Power outages. If your home loses power, your gateway loses power too — and your internet goes down even though Hawaiian Telcom’s network is fine. If you have a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for your gateway, it can keep your internet running during short power outages.
Outages by island
Outage patterns vary by island because each has different infrastructure. Here’s what to know:
Oahu: The most connected island with the most redundant infrastructure. Outages tend to be localized and resolved faster. Most of Oahu has fiber coverage. The most common reports we see are from Kapolei, Ewa Beach, and Kalihi areas.
Maui: The Lahaina area has seen significant infrastructure rebuilding. Some neighborhoods are still on temporary connections. If you’re in West Maui and experiencing intermittent issues, it may be related to ongoing reconstruction.
Big Island (Hawaiʻi Island): The largest island with the most dispersed infrastructure. Hilo and Kona typically have reliable fiber service, but rural areas between them may experience longer restoration times due to the distances involved.
Kauai: Generally reliable, but the north shore (Hanalei, Princeville) can be affected by weather-related issues more frequently due to higher rainfall and mountainous terrain.
No matter which island you’re on, reporting your outage on our site helps us track patterns and push for faster resolution in your area.
How to prevent future outage frustration
Save Hawaiian Telcom’s support number in your phone. When your internet is down, you can’t easily Google it. Save 808-643-3456 now.
Bookmark our outage page. Save fiberinternethawaii.com/outages to your phone’s home screen so you can report quickly when something goes wrong — even on mobile data.
Know your account number. Keep your Hawaiian Telcom account number somewhere accessible (not just in your email, which you can’t access without internet). Write it on a sticky note by your gateway or save it in your phone’s notes app.
Consider a cell backup. If you work from home and can’t afford any downtime, a T-Mobile or Verizon mobile hotspot device can serve as an emergency backup when your primary internet goes down.
Get a UPS for your gateway. A small uninterruptible power supply (around $40–60) plugged into your Hawaiian Telcom gateway will keep your internet running during short power outages. It won’t help if the network itself is down, but it prevents losing internet every time the lights flicker.
Frequently asked questions about Hawaiian Telcom outages
How do I check if Hawaiian Telcom is down in my area?
The fastest way is to report and check on our outage page. You can also call Hawaiian Telcom at 808-643-3456 or check Downdetector for user-reported issues. If you power cycle your gateway and the problem persists, and your neighbors are also affected, it’s likely a network outage.
How long do Hawaiian Telcom outages usually last?
It depends on the cause. Planned maintenance is typically 1–4 hours. Equipment failures are usually resolved within 2–6 hours. Weather or construction damage can take 6–72 hours depending on severity and accessibility. During major events, Hawaiian Telcom usually provides estimated restoration times through their support channels.
Will I get a credit for Hawaiian Telcom outage downtime?
Hawaiian Telcom may provide service credits for extended outages. Contact their customer service at 808-643-3456 to request a credit if your service was down for an extended period. Having the outage dates and duration documented (which we track when you report to us) helps when making this request.
Why does my internet go down when the power goes out?
Your Hawaiian Telcom gateway needs power to operate. Even though the fiber network itself may be fine, your home equipment can’t connect without electricity. A UPS (battery backup) for your gateway solves this for short outages.
Is Fioptics fiber more reliable than Spectrum cable?
Generally, yes. Fiber optic connections are less susceptible to interference, weather damage, and signal degradation over distance compared to cable (coaxial) connections. That said, no internet service is immune to outages — equipment fails, cables get cut, and maintenance happens regardless of the technology. For a full comparison, see our Hawaiian Telcom vs Spectrum page.
I keep having Hawaiian Telcom outages. Should I switch providers?
If you’re experiencing frequent, recurring outages that Hawaiian Telcom isn’t resolving, it may be worth exploring your options. Start by reporting each outage to us so we have documentation of the pattern. We can also help determine whether the issue is with the network in your area or your specific connection, and walk you through your options. Compare providers here →
Report your outage — we’ll follow up
The bottom line: if your Hawaiian Telcom service is down, don’t just wait and hope it comes back. Report it. The more we know about what’s happening and where, the better we can help.
→ Report your Hawaiian Telcom outage now
Already reported? Here are some other helpful pages:
Compare Hawaiian Telcom vs Spectrum →
View Fioptics internet plans →
Disclosure: We are an authorized Hawaiian Telcom retailer. This article is intended to help Hawaii residents troubleshoot and report service outages. For official outage information, contact Hawaiian Telcom directly at 808-643-3456 or visit hawaiiantel.com.
