Bank ATMs and emergency service hotlines were impacted by a significant outage experienced by Canada’s leading mobile and internet provider.
The Rogers Communications problem has also impacted government functions. The business claims that it is moving quickly to address the widespread issue.
“We know how important it is for our customers to stay connected,” the company said in a statement.
The reason for the outage, which is the second in 15 months, remains unknown.
It started at about 4:30 ET (08:30 GMT). By Friday morning, internet usage had decreased to about 75% of its usual level, according to CBC News.
Nearly 11 million Canadians use Rogers as their cellphone provider, and the company has a stake in everything from cable TV to hockey.
Despite being “completely operational,” Toronto’s police department reported that some mobile phone customers were having problems dialing the emergency services.
The force advised individuals to stay on the line for as long as possible if it connects and to call back if it doesn’t.
Police in Ottawa tweeted: “If your call fails, please try again, or call from a landline or cellphone with another provider.″
Additionally affected by the disruptions were courthouses, transit payment systems, and passport offices.
The Scarborough Health Network, which runs hospitals in Toronto, has requested its on-call medical staff to report to work until the situation is handled.
After jail staff was unable to connect disgraced fashion magnate Peter Nygard to a videoconference system, a court hearing for him in Montreal, Quebec, was postponed.
People have flocked to cafes and other locations with working Wi-Fi in urban areas.
One Starbucks patron in Toronto said “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,”
Within a little more than a year, Rogers has had two significant outages. Customers reported sporadic outages in April when attempting to access broadband or make voice calls.
