Shifting Caribbean Connectivity: A Vision for the Future

Shifting Caribbean Connectivity: A Vision for the Future

April 21, 2025

On Thursday, April 17, 2025, Giovanni King, organizer of the conference and representative of the Association of Caribbean Datacenter, closed the event with a passionate call to elevate the Caribbean’s data infrastructure and truly connect the region’s data centers. His facility is already advanced, with a direct connection to Trinidad. He rightfully pointed out that about twenty-one undersea cables already link the islands. Only Puerto Rico, with eight cables, surpasses Curaçao’s seven. Most other islands still operate with only one or two. Recently, the Minister of Curaçao announced signing a contract for the island’s eighth cable.

The hardware for Caribbean cyberspace is mainly in place, yet King argues that progress is anything but easy. A fundamental lack of trust appears to be a significant barrier. Still, despite these challenges, the Association has made remarkable progress in just one year: participation has grown, and the conversations are becoming more profound and more impactful.

It reminds me of our efforts in the late 1990s with "2020: Creating Our Caribbean Future" (Arthur Andersen, 1997). Back then, the internet was still in its infancy, but we already understood that the Caribbean is not divided by the sea—it is connected by it. Water has always carried people and goods; now, it carries information through these cables. Just read the story of Piar and Brion.

What truly divides the Caribbean is the inward-focused island mentality and cultural differences. There are several Caribbean "worlds": the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch spheres, each with its own nuances. Language barriers also pose a challenge—for in-stance, English-speaking islands often struggle to connect with Span-ish-speaking counterparts and vice versa. These cultural and linguistic divides complicate regional unity.

Curaçao’s strength lies in its multicultural nature, making it the ideal bridge-builder in this effort. It is no coincidence that Curaçao is leading this initiative. The hope is that this project will continue to move forward. While driven by technology, Curaçao must also re-member the importance of maintaining and building connections with other continents, like North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Efforts in that direction are underway as well.

Miguel Goede