New technology, old rulebook: what we learned at CANTO 2026

My colleague Berry Bartels (CTO) and I recently attended our fourth CANTO’s Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition. As usual, there was lots to discuss: from policy to regulations, economic insights, market developments and, of course, PXS solutions.

My key takeaways from this year's conference:

• Connectivity alone isn't enough
• New technology raises policy questions
• Protect your number portability data

Connectivity alone isn’t enough

The theme of this year’s CANTO was right up our alley: Elevate the Caribbean: From Connectivity to Global Competitiveness.

Fiber is up-and-running in much of the region, and 5G is being rolled out. But not everyone has access to it, or is productive. During her keynote, economist Marla Dukharan examined whether the Caribbean is creating the conditions for its people to benefit from emerging technology.

She made it clear that this requires more than just connectivity. It’s also about affordability (share of wallet), devices, and the skills and capabilities to effectively use technology. Dukharan noted that technology literacy is lacking in the Caribbean, compared to other regions.

There’s a significant parallel with number portability, service switching, and market competition in general. The mere fact that it’s possible to port a number or switch a service alone, isn’t good enough. They are only enablers.

True competition and freedom of choice result from many other factors: regulatory frameworks, service availability, affordability, public awareness, and so on. In that context, it’s encouraging to note that over the next 9 months, three more markets in the Caribbean will launch number portability. We happily support this important step to advance consumer choice.

Berry Bartels (CTO at PXS) talking to a representative from Qonekt, Curaçao.

New technology raises policy questions

Emerging technology was another key topic throughout this year’s conference, with satellite internet providers sparking debate. Are these new providers complementary to mobile network operators, or a threat?

The consensus was that every communication service provider (fiber, mobile, or satellite) should be held to the same standards. New technologies demand close attention of policymakers and regulatory authorities to address their impact on regulatory frameworks. Yet resources are scarce and time can only be spent once.

That’s why we talked to several regulators throughout the conference about digitalizing their day-to-day work. Our Number Management System is a great example, and is used by several authorities in the region to eliminate manual and paper-based tasks, freeing up time for more critical work. Read how it prepared Sint Maarten for the future. 

Marc Kruijs (CCO at PXS) talking with the country managers of Liberty Caribbean.

Protect your (number portability) data

Data protection and security have become crucial topics in the past decade, driving the implementation of data protection frameworks world-wide, including in the Caribbean. While the debate moves to data autonomy and sovereignty, we voiced our concern about the uncontrolled and illegitimate trade in number portability data.

Third parties are monetizing this asset without explicit operators’ consent. Although regulators and operators recognized the problem, this data still needs to be accessible to route traffic correctly and prevent fraud.

It’s our mission to further protect this valuable data, and to help operators monetize it. Our new Number Lookup Gateway is an essential part of that. Through this solution, operators can grant access to their data to authorized third parties.

From discussions to action

We really enjoyed our conversations in Punta Cana. It’s valuable to meet face to face, understand our partners priorities and challenges better, and talk about more than just our day-to-day work. Now it’s time to turn those discussions into action!

To the CANTO Caribbean team, our dear partners, and all our hosts: thanks for having us! We’re proud to be part of the CANTO family. We’re already looking forward to reconnecting next year in Trinidad and Tobago.