As Caribbean islands rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, a renewed agreement between the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG) and Packet Clearing House (PCH) is underscoring the urgent need for resilient Internet infrastructure and the experts who can keep it running when disaster strikes.

CaribNOG and PCH this week signed an agreement to deepen the resilience and expand the technical capacity of the Caribbean’s Internet ecosystem.

The signing comes amid ongoing hurricane recovery efforts across several islands, including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica. Recent hurricane seasons have underscored the region’s vulnerability to climate-driven disruptions and the urgent need for two forms of strength: more resilient hardware infrastructure and a deeper professional community capable of sustaining it.

The memorandum of cooperation formalizes a longstanding partnership between the two organisations, aligning CaribNOG’s work in building the region’s technical community with PCH’s mission to strengthen the Caribbean’s critical Internet infrastructure. Both groups describe this alignment of people and systems as essential to building a more resilient Caribbean.

“The Caribbean’s digital future depends on resilient infrastructure and the people who keep it running,” said Dr. Claire C. Craig, Director and Board Secretary of CaribNOG. “This agreement strengthens a partnership that will help equip the region with the skills and support its networks need right now, and in the years ahead.”

Bill Woodcock, Secretary-General of Packet Clearing House, said the new agreement reflects a longstanding commitment to strengthening the region’s digital future: “We are pleased to continue working with CaribNOG to support the region’s network operators, and strengthen the infrastructure that keeps essential services, national economies, and regional communities across the Caribbean connected.”

Craig and Woodcock signed the agreement at the Connected Caribbean Summit in St. George’s, Grenada, on December 2.

The memorandum sets out a plan for joint training programs, shared technical guidance, and a series of workshops and outreach events across the region. Both organisations also pledged to make their capacity-building efforts more inclusive and to work together in identifying communities that could benefit from Internet infrastructure support. Each side will appoint a focal point to coordinate activities and meet annually to review progress and respond to emerging technical needs.

In a region where the next hurricane season is never far away, both groups agree that resilience isn’t built in the moment of impact, but in the months and years of quiet preparation before it.