"As part of our ongoing support for Hawaiian projects by Hawaiian-owned businesses, PixiNet is honored to be asked to participate in this important journey," said Bill Richardson, PixiNet Director and General Partner of HMS Investments. "We are totally committed to providing the best, most innovative technical support and Internet connectivity for the Hokule`a journey."

Providing pro bono services for this important educational and cultural project is part of PixiNet's expanded content build-out of http://www.hula.net, the company's latest ISP domain acquisition. Developing new comprehensive sites-of-interest for local and worldwide audiences is part of PixiNet's community services program for 1999-2002. The company seeks greater statewide, national and worldwide participation with kama`aina and visitors.

Using navigational skills of Polynesian ancestors, the crew of the Hokulea follows the stars, bound for Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas on the first leg of a 15,000-mile series of voyages to and from Rapa Nui, one of the most remote islands on the planet.

PixiNet plays a key role in the voyage, providing the Internet link from the small vessel to the world, to classrooms of children who will be in daily contact with the Hokule`a, and to crew's family members.

"It all began with a phone call from Bishop Museum's Brad Evans to PixiNet's Technical Support Department, asking for assistance in connecting the canoe's G3 laptop to the Internet via satellite phone," said Technical Support Manager Victoria Stevens who, along with Technician Trey Bosse met with Evans the following day.

The question was could it be done.

"The following day, to better test satellite transmission under outdoor conditions, we took the equipment to the park across the street from PixiNet. The first image we sent was successfully received by another computer upstairs in the PixiNet offices. I cannot tell you how pleased we were that the setup worked almost instantly, and that when the Hokule'a set sail, we at PixiNet were a part of the effort," recalls Stevens. PixiNet's access will allow the Hokulea to send back pictures and reports, and to communicate live via call-in with students from Hawai`i's public and independent schools.

"Everyone at PixiNet is delighted to be participating," added Richardson. "We have the technical expertise and commitment for the long course of the journey. It's an exciting new adventure, and a bit outside the envelope -- after all, you can't think much more differently than Internet connectivity via satellite aboard an ancient-style voyaging canoe to Rapa Nui."

Hawai`i's Internet `Ohana. The Pacific Information Exchange "family" of domains contributes a rich texture to the company. Hawai`i's Internet `Ohana consists of three sites - aloha.com, pixi.com and hula.net. PixiNet is one of Hawai`i's oldest and largest Internet Service Provider companies, providing extensive Internet services for businesses, individuals, seniors, students and military since August 1994. It was preeminent in providing Internet services to the Islands' business community, and the first Hawai`i based ISP to provide T1 bandwidth for access to the Internet.