At the CANTO Connect 2026 conference and 42nd Annual General Meeting, Liberty Caribbean CEO Inge Smidts delivered a powerful address challenging Caribbean stakeholders to transform digital connectivity into concrete economic prosperity. The telecommunications executive outlined a strategic framework for converting the region’s substantial infrastructure investments into job creation, innovative services, and globally competitive Caribbean solutions.
Speaking under the conference theme ‘Elevate the Caribbean — From Connectivity to Global Competitiveness,’ Smidts emphasized three critical priorities: grounding technology in Caribbean cultural identity, designing people-centered intelligent networks, and accelerating telecommunications companies’ evolution into technology platforms that generate local opportunities.
“Connectivity now forms our foundational infrastructure,” Smidts stated. “The pressing question we face is straightforward yet urgent: what will we construct upon this established foundation?”
The CEO advocated for enhanced public-private collaboration models extending beyond traditional financing to include co-regulation approaches, regulatory sandboxes, and shared governance structures. She described public-private partnership as “the engine that will accelerate progress,” with governments providing vision, industry contributing technical capabilities, and academic institutions offering scrutiny and social purpose.
Liberty Caribbean demonstrated its commitment by offering to facilitate connections between investors and developers, align government programs with cloud infrastructure, and expand apprenticeship pipelines to empower Caribbean entrepreneurs. Smidts highlighted the company’s JUMP inclusion program as a practical example, combining subsidized access, devices, training, and entrepreneurial support for households and micro-businesses.
Addressing regional challenges, Smidts emphasized the necessity of disaster-resilient network design in the hurricane-prone Caribbean. “In our region, connectivity isn’t optional during emergencies—it becomes lifesaving,” she noted, referencing Liberty’s emergency response collaborations with satellite providers and governments that restore critical communications within hours rather than days.
The CEO pointed to Trinidad and Tobago’s digital advancement as exemplary progress, citing the Blueprint Revitalisation Plan, successful investor engagement, and a $1 billion bond roadshow. National initiatives including the ANANSI digital assistant, UNESCO/UNDP AI assessment partnerships, OpenAI collaborations for education transformation, and the Developers’ Hub for SME digital service co-creation demonstrate the country’s ambitious digital trajectory.
CANTO, the region’s principal telecommunications organization, continues to unite operators, ICT providers, regulators, and government representatives to advance Caribbean digital development. Liberty Caribbean, operating across more than 20 markets through Flow, BTC, and Liberty Business brands, maintains a 150-year regional legacy providing broadband, mobile, video, and enterprise services tailored to Caribbean communities.