In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which devastated Jamaica in October 2025, the current focus is on disaster recovery. In telecoms and ICT, much of the infrastructure was adversely affected, hence the priority is remediation and restoration. Learning from the experience of the region, we are joined by Craig Nesty, the telecoms regulator in Dominica, and Sylvester Cadette, of the International Telecommunications Union Area Office for the Caribbean. We discuss, among other things, Dominica’s experience following Hurricane Maria in 2017; why having a well-functioning National Emergency Telecommunications Plan is critical; innovative projects that have been implemented; and strategies that countries could consider implementing prior to or following a disaster to expedite recovery.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.

A sobering truth about living in the Caribbean is that we are often subject to the whim of nature. Natural disasters, such as tropical storms, hurricanes and earthquakes, are regular occurrences that require both individuals and countries to be in a continual state of readiness to not only withstand the experience but also to restore and recover from the damages and loss sustained.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which barrelled through the northern Caribbean in late October 2025, causing over 83 deaths and damages of in excess of USD 6 billion, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba are trying to pick up the pieces.  Jamaica, the most devastated country, experienced Melissa as an extremely powerful Category 5 hurricane, resulting in considerable structural and infrastructure damage on the western side of the country due to flooding, storm surges and wind speeds of up to 185 miles per hour (295 kilometres per hour).

Regarding telecommunications, and based on reports published days after the storm, only 40% of Flow’s network was active, with mobile connectivity at 22% whilst only 31% of Digicel users were online, with 24% of its sites operating on generators. Though the recovery process has begun, a major consideration going forward has to be improving the resilience of our telecoms and ICT infrastructure and thus the speed of recovery. Further, are there lessons we can learn from other Caribbean countries that experienced similar devastation?

 

Introducing our guests

Craig Nesty

Craig Nesty has been the Executive Director of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission for over 16 years. He is responsible for the overall stewardship of the organisation and routinely deals with regulatory matters such as spectrum management, dispute resolution, anti-competitive issues, and retail tariff regulations.

During his tenure, he implemented the Universal Service Fund, worked with the World Bank to establish NTRC Dominica as a Mobile Hub in the Pitch IT project, where Dominican Entrepreneurs were trained to develop and pitch mobile applications to investors. Under his watch, the Dominica Internet Exchange Point (DANIX) was created to help increase the efficiency of the internet traffic on the island. He also worked with CISCO to introduce a Cisco Academy at the Dominica State College and collaborated with the Internet Society to start the Dominica Internet Society Chapter. Under his leadership, the NTRC applied for and won the FRIDA Grant and SKYE DFID grant, which sought to further increase digital skills on the island. Craig is of the firm view that digital content creation is one of the opportunities available to small island states, which is underexplored and hopes to see the day when islands like Dominica can fully exploit the internet to create a thriving digital economy and sustainable livelihoods.

Apart from seeking ways to drive digital creation projects, Craig has sought to increase internet penetration through a series of Community WIFI projects, some of which are funded through the Universal Service Fund and Others through the Internet Society.

Before joining the NTRC, Craig worked as a Telecommunications Engineer and was the regional IP and Data Manager for Cable and Wireless, now Flow. When not working, he enjoys playing chess and exploring the beaches, rivers, and waterfalls in Dominica with his family.

Sylvester Cadette

 Sylvester Cadette is a Programme Officer appointed to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area Office for the Caribbean, in Bridgetown, Barbados. Before joining ITU, he served as Director of Telecommunications and Advisor to the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica and helped shape Dominica’s domestic and regional Telecommunications policy at senior policy levels both nationally and regionally.

Sylvester was also a member of the five-member Project Implementation Committee in the World Bank-funded Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Telecommunications Reform Project and was one of the key contributors to the formulation of the unique Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority/National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (ECTEL/NTRC) structure.  He also oversaw the implementation of ICT policy and e-business strategy development and awareness and leadership development; legislative and regulatory framework; capacity-building, enhancing skills base of workforce, business-oriented e-government initiatives, business skills development and e-business incubation in Dominica.

Sylvester is a national of the Commonwealth of Dominica, holds a Master of Science degree in Telecommunications and Broadcasting from the Ukrainian State Telecommunications Academy and speaks fluent Russian. He is also an alumnus of the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) and has received training from the United States National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University.

 

Insights into our conversation

One of the benefits of being part of the Caribbean is that we share common experiences, allowing us not only to commiserate but also to share the lessons learned from our individual experiences for the betterment of the whole. In 20217, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Dominica as a Category 5 hurricane, resulting in widespread devastation, resulting in 65 deaths and USD 1.37 billion in damages.

The island’s mobile/cellular, radio and internet infrastructure was obliterated, and ultimately needed to be rebuilt better and stronger. However, as Craig shares, that was a long process, especially to get the fixed-line network, in order to deliver fixed broadband services, restored. Although other technologies and services, such as via low-earth orbiting satellite, are not available, which Jamaica is leveraging, regulators still ought to pay attention to the interventions made by the telcos and the longer-term rebuilding efforts to ensure that consumers’ interests are being considered.

Below are the main questions that drove the conversation with Craig and Sylvester.

  1. Craig:  Please give us a recap of the destruction to Dominica’s telecoms infrastructure due to Hurricane Maria in 2017. How is Dominica now?
  2. Sylvester:  Although Hurricane Melissa was among the worst storms on record, give us some insight into the devastation experienced by other Caribbean countries, especially regarding their telecoms and ICT infrastructure.
  3. Sylvester:  The ITU has been encouraging Caribbean countries to develop National Emergency Telecommunications Plans. To your knowledge, does Jamaica have one? Also, what are the benefits of such a plan generally, and especially in light of Hurricane Melissa?
  4. Craig: Were there any innovative projects or initiatives that either accelerated the recovery process or strengthened the resiliency of the networks and the services delivered?
  5. Sylvester:  Can you share any innovative strategies that other countries implemented to restore their telecoms and ICT infrastructure that Jamaica could consider?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

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Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that were mentioned during the episode, or might otherwise be useful:

 

 

Images credit:  C Nesty;  S Cadette; Adriano Gadini (Pixabay); Jan Mallander (Pixabay); WikiImages (Pixabay)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez