Rogers network resuming after major outage hits millions of Canadians

RogersTelecommunications said itsnetworkwas beginning to recover late on Fridayaftera 19-hour serviceoutageat one of Canada's biggest telecom operators shut banking, transport, and government access formillions, drawing outrage from customers and adding to criticism over its industry dominance.

Nearly every facet of life has been disrupted, with theoutageaffecting internet access, cell phone, and landline phone connections. Some callers could not reach emergency services via 911 calls, police across Canada said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Canadianscrowded into cafes and public libraries that still had internet access and hovered outside hotels to catch a signal. Canada's border services agency said theoutageaffected its mobile app for incoming travelers. Retailerscashless pay systems went down andbanks reported issues with ATM services.

Rogers said in a statementthat "our wireless services are starting to recoverand workers are trying to get people back online as quickly as possible".

In a separate statement,RogersPresident and Chief Executive Officer Tony Staffieri apologized for theoutage, saying,"Today we let you down. We can and will do better".

He added that the company doesn't have a timeline on when thenetworks will be fully restored, "but we will continue to share information with our customers as we restore full services".

He said a credit would be applied to affected customers.

A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Friday evening that theoutagewas not the result of a cyber attack.

Rogers' shares closed down 73 cents at C$61.54 ($47.53)on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The disruption also made transport and flight bookings more difficult at the height of the summer travel season.

So far, Transport Canada has not received reports of direct safety or security impacts to any flights, marine, or rail services as part of thisoutage, according to spokesperson Sau Liu.

The interruption wasRogerssecond in 15 months. It began around 4:30 amET (0830 GMT) and knocked out a quarter of Canada's observable internet connectivity, said the NetBlocks monitoring group.

Watch |Canada: Network outage draws customer criticism as Rogers telecom faces network failure

With about 10 million wireless subscribers and 2.25 million retail internet subscribers,Rogersis the top provider in Ontario, Canada's most populous province and home to its biggest city, Toronto.Rogers, BCE Inc, and Telus Corp control 90% of the market share in Canada.

Canadian Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne in a tweet called the situation "unacceptable" and said he was in communication with telecom CEOs, including those fromRogers, Bell, and Telus, to find a solution.

Canadian financial institutions and banks, including Toronto-Dominion Bank and Bank Of Montreal, said theoutagedisrupted services. Royal Bank of Canada said its ATMs and online banking services were affected.

A spokesperson for Vancouver International airport, among Canada's busiest, said travelers could not pay for parking, use terminal ATMs, or purchase items at airport retailers.

Air Canada, the country's largest airline, said its call center had been affected. Airlines in Canada, like those in Europe and the United States, have been experiencing high call volume amid flight cancellations and delays due to pandemic staffing shortages.

Pop star the Weeknd on Friday evening announced that his tour stop at theRogersCentre stadium had been postponed due to serviceoutages affecting venue operations.

"I'm crushed & heartbroken. Been at the venue all day but it's out of our hands because of theRogersoutage", the singer wrote in a tweet.

COMPETITION

Critics said theoutagedemonstrated a need for more competition in telecom.

Earlier this year, Canada's competition bureau blockedRogers' attempt to take over rival Shaw Communications in a C$20 billion deal, saying it would hamper competition in a country where telecom rates are some of the world's highest. The merger still awaits a final verdict.

"Today'soutageillustrates the need for more independent competition that will drive morenetworkinvestment sooutages are far less likely", said Anthony Lacavera, managing director of Globalive, an investment firm that had bid for a wireless provider involved in theRogers/Shaw deal.

On Friday, some government agencies canceled servicesafterlosing internet access, including Canada's passport offices and the telecoms regulator. The Canada Revenue Agency, the country's tax collection body, lost telephone service.

"CASH WILL BE KING"

Shops and restaurants in Toronto put "Cash Only" signs on their doors. Residents crowded into and around a nearby Starbucks coffee shop offering free Wi-Fi on an unaffectednetwork.

"There are tons of people here with their laptops just working away ferociously, the same as they would at home because they've got no service at home", said Starbucks customer Ken Rosenstein.

In downtown Ottawa, Canada's capital, cafes including Tim Hortons were not accepting debit and credit cards and were turning away customers who did not have cash.

Michelle Wasylyshen, the spokeswoman for the Retail Council of Canada, saidoutages would vary from one retailer to the next and that"cash will most certainly be king at many stores today".

While the disruptions were widespread, several companies and transport points said their services were unaffected. The Port of Montreal reported no disruptions. The Calgary Airport Authority said it had "nomajoroperational impacts".

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.