CaribNOG 31 to Be Held from April 14 to 16

At a time when digital infrastructure underpins national security and economic stability, the 31st forum of the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG 31) will bring together key industry leaders, policymakers, and technical experts to confront the urgent challenges facing the region’s digital infrastructure.

From April 14 to 16, regional and international stakeholders will convene at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in St. Andrew for the high-level forum, where the critical issue of network resilience across the Caribbean will take centre stage.

Discussions will also focus on strategies to strengthen infrastructure, improve cybersecurity frameworks, and enhance regional interconnectivity amid rising digital demand and emerging cyberthreats.

The forum, which is being hosted by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) in partnership with the CaribNOG team, will be held under the theme, ‘The Resilient Archipelago, Strengthening the Caribbean Digital Core’.

The industry and technical experts slated to attend the conference also include regional and international network engineers, internet service providers, cybersecurity professionals, policymakers, regulators and technology leaders.

Highlighting the significance of this year’s staging, Director General of the OUR, Ansord Hewitt, said the forum was timely, given the recent natural disasters that severely disrupted telecommunications network infrastructure.

“This year’s forum… comes at a particularly timely juncture for us here in Jamaica. Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl in 2024 and Hurricane Melissa in 2025, the need for robust discussions and decisive action around strengthening the resilience of our national network has never been clearer or more urgent,” he said.

He noted, as well, that the impactful work of CaribNOG continues to lead across the region on ICT and related matters.

“The forum will help deepen partnership and prepare us for the evolving realities of the ICT landscape, recognizing that resilient infrastructure is fundamental to our shared future,” he said.

Director of Research and Stakeholder Engagement at CaribNOG, Claire Craig, said the forum will focus on building stronger, more secure, and more interconnected networks across the Caribbean.

“As our islands continue to navigate increasing cyberthreats, growing digital demand, and natural hazards. The need for reliable connectivity, resilience, has never been more critical,” she shared.

Ms. Craig said natural hazards such as hurricanes have caused unprecedented levels of destruction across the Caribbean, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless and displaced and leading to severe disruption, including loss of communication services.

“CaribNOG recognises that the destruction caused by these natural disasters highlights the urgent need to strengthen the region’s communications infrastructure. So, critical telecommunications services, including mobile networks and internet connectivity, were severely disrupted.

“Relief efforts were hampered not only by disabled networks but also by limited technical personnel and limited knowledge of the technical personnel, and the absence of regulation and rigorous contingency plans to allow for rapid, structured emergency attention to restore connectivity, support disaster response, and maintain critical services and infrastructure,” she added.

Ms. Craig pointed out that it will be an excellent opportunity for all to connect, learn and contribute to the advancing of regional digital ecosystems.

This year’s event will deliver in-depth technical workshops and hands-on training; expert-led presentations on cybersecurity, routing, peering, cloud, and infrastructure resilience; regional policy and strategy discussions; networking opportunities with peers and industry leaders; and knowledge sharing that empowers local talent and strengthens regional capacity.

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

The sessions will be supported by local, regional, and international experts from the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the Caribbean Network Operators Group, Caribbean Data Centre Association, Cloud Caribbean, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the Internet Registry for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Office of Utilities Regulation, and others.

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

Registration for the conference is free, and persons are being encouraged to register before the end of March 2026.