Major network outage Rogers affects millions of Canadians

Rogers Communications, one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies, suffered a network outage for hours this week. The outage left millions of Canadians unable to use the internet and make telephone calls. Banks, government agencies and emergency services were also affected.

During the outage, it was not possible for many people to use ATMs and to make debit card transactions in shops and restaurants. Government agencies and banks were also affected. Passport offices, among others, closed their doors and the country’s tax authorities could not be reached. Canadian police say some callers were unable to contact emergency services via 911, reports Reuters.

The network outage brings with it the necessary criticism due to a lack of competition. Rogers is with over 11 million subscribers one of the largest telecom providers in the country and, together with BCE and Telus, holds about 90 percent of the market share in Canada.

The outage is said to have started around 4:30 a.m. on Friday and was slowly restored about nineteen hours later. It is the second time in fifteen months that Rogers has had a major network outage. In April last year, thousands of customers reported problems with voice and data services that lasted for hours. Earlier this month there was also a major telephone and internet outage in Japan. Nearly forty million people were affected there.