CANTO 40 Wraps in The Bahamas, Focus Shifts to 42nd AGM in Trinidad and Tobago

CANTO, the leading trade association for the Caribbean’s ICT sector, celebrated a major milestone this year with its 40th Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition, held at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in The Bahamas.

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The landmark event brought together more than 800 delegates from 52 countries, including two Caribbean Prime Ministers, ten ICT Ministers, regional telecom executives, and top global regulators — reaffirming CANTO’s position as the region’s premier platform for policy dialogue, investment, and innovation.

Under the theme “Towards a Unified and Sustainable Caribbean Gigabit Society,” the conference explored strategies to accelerate digital transformation, expand broadband access, enhance regulatory collaboration, and future-proof the region’s economies.

Over 800 delegates from across 52 countries participated in CANTO’s 40th Anniversary milestone in Nassau, The Bahamas.

CANTO Secretary General Teresa Wankin described the 40th staging as both a celebration of legacy and a springboard for the future.

“This was not just a conference — it was a signal of intent,” Wankin said. “CANTO has been the conduit through which the region’s ICT sector comes together to shape policy, share innovation, and drive investment. CANTO 40 showed the Caribbean is ready to lead and ready to shape a gigabit society that empowers every island, business, and citizen.”

She noted that the participation of global and regional leaders — including Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, and Brendan Carr, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission — underscored the Caribbean’s growing influence in the global digital landscape.

“When our Ministers, regulators, operators, and innovators sit side by side, it sends a clear message: Caribbean voices will shape Caribbean solutions,” Wankin added. “We are not passive adopters of technology; we are building systems, policies, and partnerships that reflect our unique realities.”

Wankin emphasized that the next phase of CANTO’s mission is about turning regional dialogue into tangible results.

“As we look ahead, our priority is action — harmonising policy, expanding infrastructure, investing in talent, and ensuring no Caribbean nation is left behind. The Caribbean must move from pilots to platforms, from projects to ecosystems.”

Prime Minister of The Bahamas, The Honourable Philip “Brave” Davis, delivers the Feature Address at the Opening Ceremony of CANTO’s 40th Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition

Delivering remarks at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister of The Bahamas Philip “Brave” Davis urged regional leaders to pursue digital transformation with purpose.

“Digital transformation must be about more than systems and speed. It must improve lives, create opportunity, and expand access to justice, education, and entrepreneurship,” he said. “The tools may be global, but the solutions must be national.”

Grenada’s Prime Minister, The Honourable Dickon Mitchell, urged regional telecom and digital service providers to deepen their role in nation-building.

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell echoed this sentiment, calling on telecom operators and digital service providers to act as partners in national development.

“Your success is tied to the prosperity of the societies you serve,” Mitchell said. “Governments cannot do this alone. We need a full and active private sector committed not just to service delivery, but to co-investment, policy shaping, and digital equity.”

He also envisioned a digitally unified Caribbean by 2030 — one where cross-border health systems, seamless fintech operations, and resilient connectivity empower every citizen.

“A nurse in St Vincent accesses a Grenadian patient’s records. A Dominican fintech company launches in Jamaica. A student in Barbuda logs on after a hurricane via satellite broadband. These are not dreams — this is the Caribbean we must build,” Mitchell said.

As CANTO 40 concluded, attention now turns to its 42nd Annual General Meeting, scheduled for February 1–3, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency in Trinidad and Tobago. The event will be held under the theme “Elevate the Caribbean: From Connectivity to Global Competitiveness.”

“The work does not end here,” Wankin affirmed. “CANTO’s mission is to ensure that our digital future is not something that happens to us, but something we shape — together.”