Digicel CEO Marcelo Cataldo on keeping Jamaica online during Hurricane Melissa

However, for Marcelo Cataldo, CEO of Digicel Group, the hurricane showcased a truth that guides his leadership: connection is both a mission and a lifeline.

“Our mission is simple – to keep our customers, our communities, and our countries connected- no matter what. I believe leadership is about purpose. In our business, that purpose is connection – not just technological connection, but human connection,” he tells Capacity.

Weathering the storm

When Hurricane Melissa struck, Digicel’s network was put to the test, as the most powerful hurricane in the country’s recorded history, combined with landslides and severe flooding, caused at least 28 fatalities, destroyed homes and disrupted critical infrastructure across western Jamaica.

“Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica with historic force, and while our core network and data centres remained fully operational, a number of mobile and fibre access sites were impacted mainly due to power outages and physical damage to infrastructure,” Cataldo explains.

“The western parishes – Westmoreland, Hanover, and Trelawny – experienced the most significant outages, while Kingston & St Andrew and parts of St. Catherine maintained service through generator power.

“The resilience of our backup systems made a real difference – more than 260 sites ran on generator power during the storm.”

Preparedness in action

According to Digicel’s CEO, a position he held since May 2024 , the company’s crisis management protocols were in motion long before the hurricane hit.

“Our crisis management and network continuity protocols were activated days before the storm’s arrival. We also established logistics hubs stocked with power systems, spare parts, and fuel to enable quick restoration.

“Meanwhile, our Network Operations Centre monitored site status in real time and rerouted traffic across redundant links to maintain service and we coordinated continuously with JPS, ODPEM, and the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology – ensuring network recovery aligned with the national power restoration effort.

“Our team is working with the Government of Jamaica to help fill its environmental and health supply needs like hand-held foggers, DPD testing tablets, turbidity meters, and blood pressure machines among other items,” he adds.

This comes as , at the peak of the crisis, about a quarter of mobile sites and 20% of fibre-to-home customers were offline – almost entirely because of the loss of commercial power, Cataldo says.

“Our teams began assessments within hours of the all-clear, focusing first on emergency responders, hospitals, and shelters,” he continues.

“Restoration continues in phases as power and access improve, and many communities have already seen services return.”

However, he revealed the company restores methodically and safely, one site at a time.

Energy independence and innovation

According to Cataldo, “Power resilience is central to our operations” as he revealed the company has deployed hybrid backup systems combining diesel generators, battery storage, and solar-ready infrastructure at key locations.

“During [Hurricane] Melissa, over 260 sites seamlessly transitioned to generator power, helping to keep our network on air while the grid was down,” he notes

Additionally, the telecoms giant also expanded its lithium battery systems through its partnership with Caban Energy, which is set to go live in a couple of months on other islands, “strengthening both reliability and sustainability”.

“The goal is to solarise up to 40% of Digicel Jamaica’s cell sites and provide battery backup – a transformative step toward building a system that is environmentally responsible and operationally resilient.”

Supporting customers through crisis

For Digicel, recovery isn’t just technical – it’s human. “We’ve focused on immediate relief under our ‘Reconnecting Jamaica’ initiative,” Cataldo says.

“Customers received free prepaid plans with 30 minutes of voice calls and 2 GB of data, plus 10 GB of post-paid data for 30 days, to help them stay connected during recovery.”

Meanwhile, to bridge power gaps, Digicel brought the network directly to affected communities.

“We’ve deployed mobile charging stations on Digicel buses across impacted parishes, allowing residents to power devices and reach loved ones,” he continues. “Additionally, we’re providing hundreds of SIM cards with data plans to emergency personnel and relief workers supporting national recovery efforts.”

Building for the future

“Hurricane Melissa reinforced that energy independence and preparation are critical,” he says.

“It also showed the value of early, clear communication with staff, government, and customers before, during, and after the event.”

As a result, Digicel has announced it is already implementing a multi-year investment plan focused on network hardening and energy resilience, which includes reinforcing towers, expanding underground fibre, and increasing hybrid power capacity across priority markets.

“Most importantly, it reminded us that our people are the foundation of resilience – their courage and professionalism made our rapid response possible,” he concluded.

“Every storm tests us, but it also brings out the best in our people, our partners, and our customers. Connectivity is critical to national infrastructure – and it’s a responsibility Digicel will continue to uphold proudly as we reconnect Jamaica, together.”

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