Canto

stakeholders in mind. These include activities like an Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition, an Annual General Meeting, ICT specific Training & Workshops, and ICT Periodicals. With 130 organizations joined together, the footprint of CANTO stretches far and wide. Seeing itself as a Caribbe- an and Latin American association with a global focus, CANTO has members in Europe, America, South Amer- ica, and Central America, as well as its Caribbean base. Membership includes full members, such as the region’s carrier operators, and affiliate mem- bers, which are those entities that have an inter- est in the telecom industry, including vendors, manufacturers, and suppliers. CANTO’s stated mission is to influence the innovation and development of ICT solutions for the benefit of members by developing, navigating, and leveraging relationships with all stakeholders. To accomplish this, the Associ- ation advocates for policies, legislation, and rules that advance the creation of an environment which CANTO facilitates the growth and development of ser- vices and technologies around the region. “Advocacy is something that we do well through collaborative dialoguing,”Wankin as- serts. “I will give you an example: in the British Virgin Islands, there was an issue where the regulator wanted to regulate unsolicited text messages with intense rigor. At the request of our members there, we brought all the players together, and had a series of meetings, which resulted in the regulator agreeing to providers giving customers the option to “opt out”of text promotions.This is the type of value we add to the region by providing that platform for all stakeholders to dialogue for the common good of the region. So, regardless of your role in the ICT ecosystem, CANTO’s the only platform you need if you want to establish relationships and create new business opportunities.We have a history of getting things done for the growth and develop-