When large regional operators rethink how they manage international voice, it is rarely about cutting costs alone. It is about control, fraud prevention, service consistency, and preparing legacy services for a future that is increasingly data-driven but still very dependent on voice. Liberty Latin America’s latest move fits squarely into that pattern.

BTS has been appointed the exclusive provider of International Voice Managed Services for 22 additional Caribbean markets within Liberty Latin America’s footprint. The expansion significantly broadens a partnership that quietly began proving its value two years ago.

From January 1, 2026, BTS officially began handling International long-distance voice services across these newly added markets. That brings the total number of Liberty Latin America markets supported by BTS to 26, covering much of the Caribbean basin and key Central American territories.

This is not a symbolic expansion. It is a strategic consolidation of how international voice is run across one of the region’s most complex telecom footprints.

How the partnership evolved

The relationship between BTS and Liberty Latin America did not start at this scale. In 2023, BTS was selected as the exclusive international voice provider for Costa Rica, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. At the time, the goal was clear. Centralize management, improve call quality, and introduce a more resilient operational model for international traffic.

By most industry accounts, that initial phase delivered exactly what Liberty Latin America was looking for. Voice performance stabilized, operational processes became more predictable, and fraud exposure was reduced through tighter controls and better monitoring.

That track record is what made the next step possible.

As Arrigo Guardia, Senior Director of Carrier Services at Liberty Latin America, explained, the unified model proved its value quickly. Operational expertise, responsiveness, and consistent service delivery across different markets mattered more than maintaining fragmented local arrangements.

In a region where telecom infrastructure, regulation, and traffic profiles vary widely from island to island, consistency is not easy to achieve. That is precisely why Liberty Latin America decided to extend the same managed model across a much larger footprint.

The newly added Caribbean markets

Markets are now covered under the expanded agreement

For Liberty Latin America, bringing these markets under a single managed voice umbrella reduces complexity at scale. For BTS, it significantly deepens its role as a long-term technology and services partner rather than a transactional carrier supplier.

Why managed voice still matters in 2026

It is easy to underestimate international voice in an era dominated by data, OTT apps, and messaging platforms. Yet for Caribbean markets in particular, international calling remains a core service. Tourism, diaspora communities, business communications, and government services all rely heavily on stable international voice connectivity.

Managed voice services today are less about routing calls and more about protecting revenue and reputation. Fraud remains a persistent challenge, especially in smaller markets that are frequently targeted for high-risk traffic. Quality issues can also have an outsized impact, as customers often associate call clarity directly with operator reliability.

According to BTS President and Co-Founder Ricardo Olloqui, the expanded agreement allows for unified support across all 26 markets, delivering consistent quality while strengthening defenses against fraudulent traffic. That unified visibility is difficult to achieve when voice operations are split across multiple vendors and local arrangements.

From an operational standpoint, this also means faster troubleshooting, standardized reporting, and clearer accountability across the region.

How does this compare to the wider market

Liberty Latin America’s approach mirrors a broader trend among multinational and regional operators. Companies such as Telefónica, Orange, and Vodafone have all moved toward centralized or semi-centralized managed voice models in recent years, particularly for international traffic.

Specialist providers like BTS, iBasis, and BICS increasingly act as extensions of operator teams rather than simple wholesale partners. Their value lies in analytics, fraud prevention, regulatory expertise, and operational automation.

Industry data from sources such as GSMA Intelligence and Analysys Mason consistently shows that operators who consolidate international voice management see lower fraud losses and more predictable margins, even as overall voice volumes gradually decline. In emerging and island markets, those gains can be especially meaningful.

The Caribbean also presents unique challenges. Traffic patterns are seasonal, roaming volumes fluctuate sharply, and regulatory frameworks differ widely. A single managed partner with regional oversight can adapt more effectively than a patchwork of local solutions.

What this says about Liberty Latin America’s strategy

For Liberty Latin America, this expansion reinforces a clear strategy. Focus internal resources on customer experience, network evolution, and bundled services, while entrusting specialized partners with complex but non-core operational layers.

It also reflects confidence in long-term voice demand. While consumer behavior is shifting, international voice remains commercially relevant, especially when managed efficiently and protected from abuse.

This move aligns with Liberty Latin America’s broader investment in infrastructure, including its subsea and terrestrial fiber network connecting more than 30 markets across the region. Voice may be legacy technology, but it still rides on modern networks and benefits from modern management.

Conclusion

This expanded partnership between BTS and Liberty Latin America is less about adding markets and more about signaling how international voice will be run in the years ahead. Centralized, data-driven, and managed by specialists who understand both technology and regional nuance.

As operators across Latin America and the Caribbean face rising complexity and shrinking tolerance for operational inefficiency, deals like this are likely to become the norm rather than the exception. The voice business may no longer be glamorous, but when handled correctly, it remains profitable, resilient, and strategically important.

Reliable industry analysis from GSMA, Analysys Mason, and TeleGeography all point in the same direction. Operators that simplify and professionalize their international voice operations are better positioned to weather market shifts. Liberty Latin America’s decision to scale its partnership with BTS suggests it understands that reality very clearly.