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Appearance before the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) presented information to Parliament regarding its study of Rogers Communications Service Outage.

Presentation date: July 25, 2022

Presented to: Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (external link)

Details: Information about the subject matter examined by the committee and who appeared at the meeting can be found in the Notice of Meeting (external link).

Information presented at the meeting

CRTC opening remarks

Background information

Standing Committee on Standing Committee on Industry and Technology

Overview of the Committee

Committee members and biographies

  1. Chair – Joël Lightbound
  2. Vice-Chair – Rick Perkins
  3. Vice-Chair – Jean-Denis Garon (in French only)
  4. Liberal Members
  5. Conservative Members
  6. NDP Member
    • 6.1 Member Brian Masse (no biography available)

Questions and answers
  1. Will the CRTC be looking at ways to compensate Rogers’ customers who were affected by the outage - Rogers says they will compensate customers five days’ worth of service but does the Commission feel this is adequate?
    • The national outage was completely unacceptable, and we will need to carefully study Rogers’ response to the questions we sent on July 12 before we can determine what further action should be taken, including in relation to Rogers’ response to its affected customers.
  2. Will you be imposing an AMP on Rogers’ for the outage?
    • The CRTC takes this matter very seriously and will take a leadership role within its mandate in ensuring that Canadians are protected and safe.
    • Our first step will be to assess how Rogers handled the outage and what next steps are appropriate. At this point in time, we cannot rule out using any tools in our toolkit, including AMPs, but we can assure Canadians that we will take appropriate actions based on the facts we find as we investigate this matter.
  3. After the CRTC studies Rogers’ response to the RFI, what are the next steps in this process, and what is the timeline to ensure this type of outage does not occur again?
    • The CRTC takes the national outage very seriously and will take a leadership role within its mandate in ensuring that Canadians are protected and safe.
    • Once we have assessed the adequacy of Rogers’ response to the questions we sent them on July 12, CRTC will decide on appropriate next steps.
    • Our priority will be to improve network reliability and resiliency, particularly in relation to access to essential services such as 9-1-1 and emergency public alerting.
  4. If ever there is another outage, what is the sequence of recovery in terms of connectivity (e.g., 9-1-1, banking, public alerting, etc.)?
    • The number one priority will always be the safety of Canadians.
    • Canadians should have access to essential services such as 9-1-1 and emergency public alerting, and in the case of a major event service providers should communicate clearly and effectively to their customers about what to expect and how to access emergency services.
  5. Is there spectrum set aside for public emergencies, such as the outage that occurred on July 8, 2022?
    • Spectrum management falls under ISED’s jurisdiction. Kindly direct your question to ISED.
  6. Outages have occurred in the past and more so in northern communities – but has this outage shed light on the importance of strengthening/enhancing network resiliency?
    • Outages are susceptible in all regions of Canada due to climate events, and for other reasons; they are typically resolved as quickly as possible.
    • The Rogers July 8 outage illustrates that we must do more to mitigate the impact of future events, particularly in relation to Canadians’ ability to access essential services such as 9-1-1 and emergency public alerting.
    • Regarding outages in northern communities, we are looking at that issue in our Notice of Consultation regarding Telecommunications in the Far North that was launched in June.
  7. Why doesn’t Canada have a Public Safety broadband network like they have in the US?
    • Questions about a Public Safety Broadband Network would fall within the mandates of ISED and Public Safety Canada.
  8. Is it true that you can call 911 without being a subscriber to a cellular service?
    • If you are not subscribed to a cellular service, you are able to reach 9-1-1 as long as you are within range of an active cellular network.
  9. Why were Rogers’ subscribers unable to reach 911 during their network outage?
    • While it’s been reported that Rogers’ subscribers were unable to reach 9-1-1 during the outage, we will have to review Rogers’ response to our July 12 RFI to understand what happened in this specific case.
  10. What protocols should be put in place by wireless providers to better communicate with customers on how to access essential services during a widespread outage (e.g., many customers did not know they could still access 9 1 1 services if they removed their SIM card)?
    • During a major service outage, it should always be the number one priority for a service provider to communicate clearly to its customers what to expect and how to access emergency services, such as 9-1-1.
    • This was part of our communication to Rogers as the outage was ongoing and it was also part of our July 12 RFI to Rogers; it will be reviewed carefully as the CRTC considers appropriate next steps.
  11. What is the CRTC’s role moving forward with respect to addressing the outage?
    • The CRTC is dedicated to ensuring that Canadians have access to world-class communication system. We take very seriously any matter where Canadians’ access telecommunications services and, in particular, to essential services such as 9-1-1 and emergency public alerting are affected.
    • As an initial step, the CRTC has asked detailed questions of Rogers, which we will review carefully as we consider what next steps may be appropriate.
    • Our priority will be to improve network reliability and resiliency, particularly in relation to access to essential services such as 9-1-1 and emergency public alerting.
    • A coordinated approach is key in addressing this issue, therefore the CRTC will continue to work with the government to improve network resiliency for the benefit of all Canadians.
  12. If the CRTC had facilitated and encouraged more competition, would this outage have been less likely?
    • I am not in a position to speculate on hypotheticals, especially since we are still investigating all the facts. I will note, however, that this outage was as a result of a network system failure and that competitors that rely on incumbent networks, like that of Rogers, are similarly affected when there is an outage on that incumbent’s network. Ultimately, the Commission must look at these issues holistically, with the goal fulfilling the policy objectives of the Telecom Act. These include everything from affordability and competition to ensuring the reliability of services that meet the economic and social needs of Canadians.
  13. Will the CRTC disclose all the information Rogers provided through the RFI?
    • The public will evidently be informed of everything that is essential for its safety. However, finer, more specific details that could potentially put the physical and virtual security of the network – and, by proxy, Canadians’ safety, security and wellness – at risk, will not be shared publicly.
    • We will require Rogers to share everything Canadians need to know about the events leading to, during, and stemming from the Rogers’ outage, as well as information on the measures subsequently put in place since, and to be put in place in the future.

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