OUR Finalising National Emergency Telecommunications Plan

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is working to finalise the National Emergency Telecommunications Plan (NETP) in the coming months.

Director General, Ansord Hewitt, said that the entity is collaborating with the Ministry of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications and other stakeholders to develop the plan, which sets out the telecommunications-supported activities required during disasters or emergencies.

It outlines the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, the step-by-step actions to be taken at each stage of the disaster management cycle and articulates the national vision for using telecommunications technologies to provide early warnings and alerts during emergencies.

Mr. Hewitt was addressing the virtual launch for the 31st forum of the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CARIBNOG) on Wednesday (February 25).

The NETP is part of measures by the OUR to strengthen the resilience of the public telecommunications networks.

The entity is also moving to develop guidelines to identify incidents/scenarios that pose major risks and provide clear recommendations to harden the telecoms networks and services.

Mr. Hewitt noted that the experience of Hurricanes Beryl and Melissa highlighted the need for the improvement.

“We saw first-hand, how the delayed restoration of electricity impacted the telecommunications infrastructure. In fact, this is still happening, particularly in relation to Melissa. This resilience project will, therefore, examine, among other things, the dependence of network and commercial power, and indeed, the interdependence between fixed and mobile networks and I dare say that the interdependence also stretches across other utility infrastructure as well,” he said.

Turning to the Jamaica Internet Exchange Point (JAIXP), Mr. Hewitt said that the work to strengthen the capacity of the facility is nearing completion.

He noted that the JAIXP is a critical component of the national communications infrastructure and an essential facility for Jamaica’s digital resilience.

“During 2025, the OUR began work to enhance the capacity and the redundancy of the facility in support of Jamaica’s broader digital developmental agenda. This work will be completed in April 2026,” he said.

The JAIXP, located in Kingston, is a critical infrastructure that enables local Internet Service Providers to exchange traffic directly, reducing latency and reliance on expensive international routes.

Beyond improved performance, the facility serves as an anchor of national digital resilience.

Mr. Hewitt said it helps to maintain access to local online services during periods of international connectivity disruption, such as subsea fibre outages due to climate-related events or accidents.

He noted that the JAIXP also “enhances cybersecurity response capacity by keeping domestic traffic local, enabling quicker incident detection, analysis and response, while strengthening data protection and promoting national data sovereignty”.

Meanwhile, the OUR Director General highlighted the importance of the upcoming CARIBNOG forum in deepening partnerships while preparing stakeholders for the evolving realities of the information and communications technology (ICT) landscape.

The event will be held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel from April 14 to 16 under the theme ‘The Resilient Archipelago: Strengthening the Caribbean’s Digital Core’.

It will, among other things, focus on building stronger, more secure, and more interconnected networks across the Caribbean.

Director of Research and Stakeholder Engagement, CARIBNOG, Claire Craig, said that the three-day event is designed to deliver expert-level presentations on cybersecurity, routing, peering, cloud and infrastructure resilience, and regional policy and strategy discussions.

It will include in-depth technical workshops, hands-on training, and networking opportunities with peers and industry leaders, and knowledge-sharing to empower and strengthen local talent and capacity.

There will be a focus on women in the industry and sessions targeted at tertiary-level students.

For more information persons may visit www.caribnog.org or send email to admin@caribnog.org.

Registration for the conference is free.