Prime Minister Philip Davis’s Remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the Strategic Dialogue of the Seventh World Telecommunications/ICT Policy Forum 2026

Madame Secretary-General,

Ministers,

Excellencies,

Delegates,

Friends,

Welcome to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

It is a privilege to have you join us in Nassau for the Seventh World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum, and to do so for a truly historic occasion.

For the first time, this forum is being held in The Bahamas. And for the first time in its history, it is being hosted by a Small Island Developing State.

For us, that is both a milestone and a recognition that the conversations shaping the world’s digital future must also be informed by the experiences of small islands.

For years, this forum has convened global leaders in places like Geneva and Lisbon. 

Even when the world closed its borders in 2021, this important work continued because connectivity had already become essential to how we live and how we govern.

Today, that dialogue comes to our archipelago, where connectivity is inseparable from opportunity and resilience.

The Bahamas understands that reality intimately.

Our geography has taught us that although our islands are separated by miles of ocean, distance from the capital should never determine a person’s destiny or growth.

Across more than 700 islands and cays, digital connectivity is how a student in Cat Island accesses college applications in Brazil.

It is how a young entrepreneur or content creator reaches subscribers beyond our shores.

It is how a mother applies for social support for her family.

And it is how communities stay connected before, during, and after a storm.

Seven years ago today, Hurricane Dorian reminded us in the most devastating way that for a nation living with the realities of climate change and rising sea levels, resilience must be built into our infrastructure.

We have learned that a resilient digital network is one that can withstand disruption and continue to connect people when they need it most. That means redundancy in our networks, diverse connectivity pathways, and the cybersecurity to protect the systems that increasingly underpin our economy and our communities.

For The Bahamas then, infrastructure resilience is inseparable from digital development. 

That is why we continue to make investments today anticipating tomorrow’s storms, and that is the kind of progress we are building on. 

In my administration’s first term, we worked to ensure that our policy and regulatory environment kept pace with the technologies on which our people increasingly depend.

Through our Communications Fee Reduction Scheme, we have used regulation to encourage investment in 5G, fibre and emerging satellite technologies.

We have strengthened the foundations of a trusted digital economy through data protection legislation, and we have strengthened our national cybersecurity architecture through our National Cybersecurity Strategy.

And just this year, URCA, our independent regulator, finalized a technology-neutral framework for satellite services, including low-Earth-orbit, direct-to-device and Internet-of-Things technologies.

This is what enabling regulation should do: create space for innovation, encourage investment and competition, and ensure that new technologies can serve the public interest.

But the measure of digital transformation cannot be found only in legislation or regulatory frameworks. It must also be felt in the everyday lives of our people.

Free public Wi-Fi is now available in more than 85 public parks and community centres across our country, with the rollout continuing.

Government services are increasingly moving online, reducing the distance between citizens and their government. And connectivity continues to expand across our Family Islands.

The establishment of the Ministry of Innovation and National Development (MIND) reflects a simple conviction: innovation is central to national competitiveness, government modernization, and the future readiness of our people. 

This work did not begin yesterday, but MIND gives it sharper focus, stronger coordination, and a clear national direction.

Friends,

The Bahamas already has one of the strongest connectivity foundations in the Caribbean. 

Nearly 95 percent of our people are connected to the internet, and more than 96 percent have access to mobile connectivity. 

Those numbers tell us we have made progress. 

They also remind us that our work is unfinished. 

The next step is ensuring connectivity is meaningful, reaches every community, and creates opportunity for every Bahamian.

That is why hosting WTPF-26 carries real significance for our country.

It tells the world that The Bahamas is prepared to convene conversations at the highest international level. 

It demonstrates that a Small Island Developing State can contribute ideas and help shape policy on issues that affect every nation represented here.

And if this gathering is to leave a lasting legacy, it cannot be measured only by the conversations we have over the next few days. It must be measured by what those conversations inspire us to do together.

So let me offer two hopes that I believe should guide this Strategic Dialogue.

First, let us commit ourselves to connectivity that is meaningful.

Our success cannot be measured by infrastructure alone. It must be measured by whether people have the skills, affordability, confidence, and access to participate fully in a digital society. 

Every island, every province, and every community, everywhere, deserves to be part of that future.

Second, let us build resilience in a way that also creates growth.

For countries like The Bahamas, resilience is a way of life. 

Our digital systems must withstand disasters, adapt to emerging technologies, and earn the trust of the people who depend on them. 

But resilience is also about what comes next: creating an innovation economy where our people are developers, entrepreneurs, creators, and leaders in the industries of the future.

Over the next few days, you will exchange ideas and practical solutions and engage as partners in this work. I hope this dialogue strengthens cooperation among us and across the wider international community.

My friends, The Bahamas is honoured to host you. We look forward to the conversations ahead, to the partnerships that will grow from them, and to the progress that we will build together.

Welcome to The Bahamas, and welcome to Seventh World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum.

Thank you.