NASSAU, The Bahamas — As tech continues to advance, telecommunications provider Liberty Caribbean has underscored the importance of building a Caribbean that is resilient, inclusive and gigabit‑capable.

The company sponsored the 40th Annual Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organisations (CANTO) Conference Trade Exhibition, currently underway in The Bahamas under the theme “Towards a Unified and Sustainable Caribbean Gigabit Society”.

Gigabit-capable connections are those that can deliver speeds of one gigabit per second, usually used for high-bandwidth activities that require a large amount of data transfer.

“Today, we stand at an inflection point. We have the vision and now we must translate our dialogue into public-private partnerships, joint infrastructure projects and policy frameworks that will deliver a truly gigabit-enabled Caribbean — one that’s resilient, inclusive and sustainable by design,” said Liberty Caribbean, Chief Executive Officer Inge Smidts, during the event.

She identified six critical priorities to guide this transformation: ensuring universal gigabit connectivity for education and healthcare; delivering smart, cloud-powered public services; harnessing IoT (Internet of Things) for hospitality and tourism innovation; developing hurricane-resilient infrastructure; embracing green information and communications technology (ICT) operations with sustainable networks; and securing equitable digital access for every Caribbean community.

“This is where real progress happens — not in isolation, but in shared dialogue and united action…Together, we will shape the digital strategies that benefit all Caribbean communities — from the most remote isles to the dynamic city centres,” said Smidts.

“Let this fortieth anniversary be more than a milestone. Let it be a launchpad as we step confidently towards a unified and sustainable Caribbean gigabit society. We are stronger island to island, shoreline to shoreline, when we stand together,” she added.

CANTO is the region’s premier telecoms conference that brings together regional heads of state and government, along with regulators, telecom operators and other key stakeholders to network, build alliances, review policy, and share best practices as it relates to the regional telecoms sector.