The Rogers network outage that began on July 8 affected government services, businesses, banking systems, and in some cases, even 911 emergency calls.
Many Canadians were unable to make phone calls or use the internet, and incoming travellers couldn’t access the government’s ArriveCan app to submit the information required to go through customs.
Timeline of the Outage
The outage started early in the morning of July 8, with the Toronto-based telecommunications service provider confirming the issue at roughly 9 a.m. EDT.By the morning of July 9, Rogers said it had restored its services to “the vast majority” of customers, while it continued to bring services back to the rest of the country.
Impact
Rogers didn’t disclose the number of customers who were affected by the outage, though internet tracking website NetBlocks said a quarter of Canada’s observable connectivity was knocked out.Government services and call centres were also impacted.
On July 8, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) warned travellers coming into Canada that they “may not be able to complete their ArriveCAN submission.”
All travellers are required to use the government’s mobile app to submit information about their COVID-19 vaccination status before entering the country. Anyone affected by the outage was asked to instead complete a Traveller Contact Information Form prior to their arrival.
Financial institutions reported issues with online payment and e-transfer systems, including TD Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, and INTERAC.
Response
On July 11, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne met with Staffieri and other CEOs of major telecom service providers in Canada to demand they provide a framework to improve “the resiliency and reliability” of their networks.The companies were given 60 days to reach agreements on several aspects: emergency roaming, mutual assistance during outages, and establishing a communication protocol to keep the public and authorities informed in any future telecommunications emergencies.
Champagne also said that Canada’s broadcasting and telecommunications regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), will be investigating the Rogers outage.
In his July 9 statement, Staffieri released a three-pronged “action plan” to improve Rogers’ network that includes monitoring network stability as the company works to restore all services, completing a root cause analysis and testing of its systems, and making any “necessary changes.”
“We will take every step necessary, and continue to make significant investments in our networks to strengthen our technology systems, increase network stability for our customers, and enhance our testing,” he said.
Rogers said it will “proactively credit all customers automatically” although it didn’t give a dollar amount that customers would be reimbursed for.
The company also warned of spam text messages sent to customers concerning fake credit offers.
Calls for More Competition
Rogers is one of the three largest wireless providers in Canada and has been seeking regulatory approval from the government to purchase Shaw, the fourth largest telecom provider in the country, in a $26 billion merger.The deal is currently being fought by the Competition Bureau, while the recent outage has added momentum to calls for more competition in Canada’s telecom industry.
“Many in my community have expressed concerns over the years related to the high costs of cell phone and wireless services due to limited competition enforced by Canada’s current regulatory structure,” she said.
“When critical infrastructure is impacted, Canadians need answers. I am calling for an immediate explanation to Canadians with respect to the cause of the Rogers outage. I believe that an emergency parliamentary committee meeting may be beneficial to look into this matter and to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
After his meeting with the telecom executives on July 11, Champagne weighed in on the issue.
“It says very clearly, what is in my mind, in terms of what needs to happen in Canada, which is additional competition, and always striving for more affordability.”