PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic (August 11, 2026) – The Caribbean has reached a pivotal moment in its digital development and must now translate advances in connectivity into greater innovation, productivity and global competitiveness.
In delivering the keynote address on the opening day of CANTO’s 41st Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition, Inge Smidts, Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Caribbean, highlighted the opportunity to build on the region’s increasingly connected environment.
“Connectivity has transformed the Caribbean, but our ambition cannot stop there. We now have an opportunity to build on the digital foundations we have created and use them to drive innovation, strengthen our economies and position the Caribbean to compete more effectively on the global stage,” she said.
Smidts delivered the address as Liberty Caribbean returns for the fifth consecutive year as headline sponsor of the region’s leading telecommunications and ICT gathering, taking place August 9 to 12 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana under the theme ‘Elevate the Caribbean: From Connectivity to Global Competitiveness’.
“We cannot build a globally competitive digital Caribbean in isolation. It will take governments, regulators, technology companies, businesses and communities working together, along with the courage to invest, the willingness to innovate and the urgency to turn ambition into action,” she said.
“The Caribbean has the talent, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and resilience to compete. Our responsibility is to give that potential the infrastructure, technology and opportunity it needs to thrive.”
"We cannot build a globally competitive digital Caribbean in isolation."
Leaders in Dialogue
The address set the tone for Liberty Caribbean’s broader participation in the conference, with the company contributing to discussions on the issues shaping the region’s digital future.
Smidts also joined the ‘CEO Dialogue: Powering Caribbean Competitiveness’ with John Gomez, CEO, Aliv; Ray Collins, CEO, Liberty Networks; Marcelo Cateldo, CEO, Digicel Group; and Naji Khoury, CEO, ATN International, for a discussion on the role of industry leaders in building the digital capabilities and enabling environment needed to strengthen Caribbean competitiveness.
The CEO Dialogue: (from left) Naji Khoury, Chief Executive Officer, ATN International; Ray Collins, Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Networks; Inge Smidts, Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Caribbean; Marcelo Cataldo, Chief Executive Officer, Digicel Group; and John Gomez, Chief Executive Officer, Aliv.
The conference also featured a presentation by noted Caribbean economist Marla Dukharan, “Economic Outlook: The Caribbean in the AI Decade,” exploring the potential economic impact of artificial intelligence and the opportunities it presents for the region.
Daniel Neiva, Chief Commercial Officer, Business Markets, Liberty Caribbean, also led a panel discussion titled “Building the Digital Capabilities Behind Caribbean Competitiveness,” examining how businesses can harness technology, talent and digital solutions to compete and grow.
Daniel Neiva (second left), Chief Commercial Officer, Business Markets, Liberty Caribbean makes a point during the panel discussion ‘Building the Digital Capabilities Behind Caribbean Competitiveness’.
Liberty Caribbean Voices on Day One
Other company speakers on Day One included Stephen Price, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Jamaica, who participated in “Building a Cyber-Resilient Foundation for Caribbean Digital Competitiveness,” Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad & Tobago who participated in “Wires. Wealth. Web. Women Leading the Caribbean’s Digital Transformation,” and Darron Turnquest, Director of People, Flow Jamaica, who contributed to “The Future of Work in the Caribbean.”
Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad & Tobago who participated in the session ‘Wires. Wealth. Web. Women Leading the Caribbean’s Digital Transformation’.
Stephen Price, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Jamaica, who moderated the session ‘Building a Cyber-Resilient Foundation for Caribbean Digital Competitiveness’.
CANTO’s 41st Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition brings together more than 800 delegates from across the Caribbean and beyond for four days of dialogue, knowledge-sharing, networking and collaboration focused on advancing the region’s ICT sector.
CANTO is a non-profit association made up of operators, organisations, companies and individuals primarily focused on advancing the information and communications technology (ICT) sector across the Caribbean region and the Americas.
