As the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season approaches, officially kicking off on June 1, leading regional telecommunications provider Liberty Caribbean — parent company of consumer brands Flow and BTC, and enterprise division Liberty Business — has formally announced it has completed all preparations to protect its networks and support communities across the Caribbean throughout the storm season, which runs through November 30.
The company’s latest readiness push comes on the heels of Hurricane Melissa, which caused widespread disruption across Jamaica in 2025. That devastating storm served as a critical reminder of how vital resilient communications infrastructure is for crisis response across the hurricane-prone Caribbean region. In the aftermath of Melissa, Liberty Caribbean accelerated ongoing investments to harden its networks and sharpen its emergency response capabilities across all 20+ markets it serves.
“Hurricane Melissa reminded us once again that connectivity is far more than technology. In moments of crisis, it becomes a lifeline for families, businesses, emergency responders, and governments,” said Inge Smidts, Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Caribbean. “The lessons from that experience have further strengthened our resolve and accelerated our investments in network resilience, operational preparedness, and recovery capabilities across the region. We remain committed to ensuring our customers and communities can rely on us when it matters most.”
Over the 12 months following Hurricane Melissa, the company has rolled out a series of strategic infrastructure upgrades across its footprint. In Jamaica alone, upgrades include a major overhaul and expansion of the mobile network, increased spectrum capacity, more diverse transport routes to avoid single points of failure, hardened physical infrastructure to withstand extreme winds and flooding, expanded backup power systems, and additional network redundancy to minimize outages and speed up recovery efforts if service is disrupted.
Beyond physical infrastructure upgrades, Liberty Caribbean has also ramped up operational preparedness across all markets. The company has conducted regular full-scale emergency response simulation drills, pre-staged fuel and critical logistics supplies across key hubs, and strengthened cross-functional coordination between local teams, regional leadership, and external partners to enable rapid mobilization the moment a storm threatens.
While forecasters at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are predicting a milder-than-average 2026 season, Smidts emphasized that the company is preparing for the worst regardless of projections. NOAA’s official outlook puts the chance of a below-normal season at 55%, compared to a 35% chance of near-normal activity and just a 10% chance of an above-normal season. The agency forecasts 8 to 14 named storms (with winds of 63 km/h or higher) for the season, 3 to 6 of which will strengthen into hurricanes (with winds of at least 75 mph). Of those hurricanes, 1 to 3 are expected to reach major hurricane strength (Category 3, 4, or 5, with winds of 115 mph or more). By comparison, an average Atlantic hurricane season sees 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
“Our teams have worked tirelessly to modernize our infrastructure, strengthen operational readiness, and improve how we respond during emergencies. While no network is immune to extreme weather events, our focus remains on building stronger, smarter, and more resilient systems capable of supporting the Caribbean through disruption and recovery alike,” Smidts added.
With more than 150 years of history serving communities across the Caribbean, Liberty Caribbean frames its hurricane preparedness work as a core part of its commitment to the region. “We understand the responsibility that comes with serving the Caribbean. Our commitment extends beyond connectivity alone. It is also about supporting the resilience of the communities we serve and standing beside them before, during, and after times of crisis,” Smidts said.
To complement its own preparations, Liberty Caribbean is urging all residential and business customers across the region to review their personal emergency preparedness plans and stay updated on weather forecasts and official alerts throughout the 2026 season.
As a leading regional communications and technology provider, Liberty Caribbean serves more than 20 Caribbean markets. It delivers broadband, mobile, video, and voice services to residential consumers via its Flow and BTC brands, while its Liberty Business division provides enterprise-grade connectivity, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data center services to private businesses and government agencies, supporting digital economic growth across the region.