Consumer protections during an outage: Responses to online survey
Download the English PDF version (PDF 90 KB) – Survey participation: 8
Download the French PDF version (PDF 113 KB) – Survey participation: 1
The data presented in this report is auto-generated by Granicus, a public engagement software contracted by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The data contained on this page covers 9 submissions made to an online survey (1 participation to the French survey and 8 to the English survey). The survey was made available on the CRTC Conversations website from September 4, 2025, to November 13, 2025. The HTML report below combined the French survey participation and the English survey participation.
Survey questions
- What went wrong? What went right? What would you like to see?
- Would you find it useful to receive information about planned outages? What information would you like to be provided with ahead of time?
- What information would you like to be provided with during an outage? What would be the best way for you to receive or access this information?
- Should service providers be required to offer refunds or bill credits in the event of an outage? If so, how should that work?
- Should there be reasonable exceptions?
- Is there anything else you would like to add?
- What are the first 3 digits of your postal code?
Survey results
1. What went wrong? What went right? What would you like to see?
The survey was conducted online using usernames chosen by participants. These usernames have been removed from the results to protect participants' privacy. The responses are presented in their original format: No corrections or translations were made.
| Participant ID | Response |
|---|---|
| Participant 2 | There was a discrepancy if our disruption of service was part of a larger outage or not. We determined that no one in our neighborhood was having issues aside of a direct neighbour. Online searches showed no outages listed in our area. We were told repeatedly about a larger outage affecting our household even though we tried to communicate that our direct neighbour had an issue and that when their service was restored our isp dropped and remained unserviceable for a week. The technician who arrived (after five days of no isp) spent hours between our home and a large junction box a distance from our home. Service was restored but it remains uncertain where the outage was and why. After hours and hours on the phone with Telus - we eventually learned that we cannot cancel our contract if the lack of service is due to a wider outage. It was difficult to find ANY information or complaints online given the larger outage we were told was happening. I saw one question on unreliable service in Calgary on a forum known for its complaints - however it was flagged by a moderator and as suddenly closed down. Information was not forthcoming. Information of any kind of outage seemed suppressed. At one time - independent outage maps provided real world and timely information. I am concerned that even if providers are required to communicate outages more clearly they will mediate to a consumer’s disadvantage anyhow. We cannot cancel our contract without penalty if part of an outage we cannot prove or determine. As 28 year customers - we are not gaming the system. We want fair practice. 1) independent outage maps used to provide honest analytics and real time information. 2) companies should be prohibited from upselling or trying to get more from you during outages or breaches of contract - as well as in cases of death etc - please Institute restrictions on taking advantage of customers during outages or similarly with the Elderly. We filed a complaint with the CCTS and the Telus manager assigned to resolve our complaint even tried to sell us a home security system. We understand that Telus employees are being held to a heightened sales expectation - however high stakes selling has no place during outages, the complaint resolution process, bereavement or with those most vulnerable in our society. 3) Stricter language written into contracts that any outage - no matter what - especially five days or more - nulls the contract. |
| Participant 3 | During a power outage I have no wifi access, even though we have a generator and our modem is plugged in and working. Roger's says we cannot expect service during a power outage unless we pay an extra $15 per month. If they have the technology to provide reliability it should be part of their core service, not only available at a higher premium. |
| Participant 5 | Bell Fibe tv/internet/phone I have been without 2 weeks out of the last 6 weeks. Bell Canada out sources there repair and it takes way to long to get it fixed. They show no urgency in getting the repair done. They just say that is the best they can do. I pay for good service . I am not getting it |
| Participant 6 | Oct 21, 2025 our Rogers internet went down around 11 AM and returned on Oct 22, 2025 around 5 AM. There was a total lack of information until mid-afternoon from Rogers about the issue, how extended it was (most of Caledon, ON) and when it would get fixed. Phoned and got a $7 credit, still waiting on an email / text from Rogers to say the issue is fixed but appears to be working. |
| Participant 7 | Outage starts at, let's say 3am, and you are Bell or Bell Aliant customer, problem is, that is you call their tech support lines to report or get help, no one will answer, because, oh they are not open, no more 24/7 tech support. Also when an outage is identified by those companies, most of the time they do not put an advisory anywhere online, and when they do, it is often hours into the situtation before customers are notified and by then it is probably almost resolved. Stricter controls need to be put on providers as when these outages occurs, there should be a set protocols to follow and shortly after that the public gets notified, and then regular hourly updates as to the issue causing the outage and the estimated time of a fix for restoration. |
| Participant 8 | My internet was out for 10 days North Frontenac Telephone Company did not seem to care or communicate to me or their various services techs Mostly nothing happened for a week despite me calling daily / multiple times a day. Ended up eventually with two different services crews doing things that the other didn't know about. No call backs ever, and no bill credit for no services being provided during that time. |
| Participant 9 | 'Le problème : Mon fournisseur d'internet et de téléphonie résidentielle est Bell depuis près de 30 ans, dont 23 ans à la même adresse à Gatineau, en pleine ville. Depuis le 13 juin 2025 et à ce jour, je n'ai plus accès à l'internet, ni à ma ligne téléphonique résidentielle avec Bell, donc depuis 5 mois. Ce qui a fonctionné : Le 15 juin 2025, un technicien m'a indiqué que l'équipement extérieur sur le poteau était défectueux. Le 17 juin 2025, cet équipement a été réparé ainsi que le fil de fibre optique qui avait été rongé par un écureuil. Ce qui n’a pas fonctionné : Le 17 juin 2025, le fil de fibre optique n'a pas été rebranché puisqu'un fil d'Hydro-Québec (HQ) était trop bas et donc, je devais attendre qu'HQ adresse le problème. J'ai appelé Bell maintes fois qui me disait à chaque fois que le problème serait réglé dans une semaine, ce qui n'a pas été le cas. Vers le 26 juin 2025, je me suis branchée temporairement à un autre fournisseur d'internet car ma famille et moi n'habitions essentiellement plus à la maison, faute d’internet et nous avions besoin d'internet. J'ai continué mes démarches régulièrement auprès de Bell pour régler le problème du fil d'HQ, sans succès. À la demande de Bell, le 2 septembre 2025, j'ai téléphoné directement HQ qui est venu sur les lieux le jour même. Les techniciens m'ont indiqué qu'un fil d'HQ était sectionné au niveau de mon 2e voisin et donc ils devaient couper la verdure chez mes voisins, au plus tard avant l'hiver pour que Bell puisse faire la réparation. Le 3 septembre 2025, Bell m'a assigné une personne contact à qui je peux m'adresser. Bien qu'elle m'ait indiqué qu'elle s'assurerait que mes factures soient annulées à chaque fois qu'elles sont émises, je dois tout de même appeler à tous les mois pour faire annuler les factures, ce qui est alors fait. J'ai informé mon contact chez Bell des travaux à venir par HQ qui m'a demandé de la tenir au courant. Le 16 septembre 2025, j'ai changé de fournisseur pour la téléphonie résidentielle. Le problème du fil fibre d’optique n’est toujours pas réglé pour l’internet. Les améliorations à faire : -J'ai reçu des textos de Bell que j'aurais des mises à jour dans les 24 heures. Ce n'était pas le cas. Bell devrait agir sur les mises à jour émises. -Quand j'appelais le service à la clientèle, il n'y avait pas de notes des techniciens. Mes appels au service de réparation n'étaient pas répertoriés à mon dossier. Il n'y avait aucune façon pour le service de réparation de prendre en note que j'avais parlé à HQ directement et qu'HQ avait l'intention de procéder aux travaux avant l'hiver. Des notes devraient apparaître dans mon dossier. -Bell aurait dû assigner une personne contact plus tôt dans le dossier, pas dans 2 ½ mois. -Bell devrait assurer l’annulation de mes factures sans que je doive les appeler. -Bell devrait assurer un suivi avec HQ et non pas se fier sur moi. -Bell aurait dû me compenser pour les deux semaines où ma famille et moi n’avons essentiellement pas habiter à la maison, faute d’internet. |
2. Would you find it useful to receive information about planned outages? What information would you like to be provided with ahead of time?
The survey was conducted online using usernames chosen by participants. These usernames have been removed from the results to protect participants' privacy. The responses are presented in their original format: No corrections or translations were made.
| Participant ID | Response |
|---|---|
| Participant 1 | ### 🔔 **Key Information to Provide About Planned Outages** 1. **Start and End Time** - Exact date and time the outage will begin and end. - Time zone information to avoid confusion. 2. **Systems or Services Affected** - A clear list of what will be unavailable or degraded. - Any dependencies that might also be impacted. 3. **Reason for the Outage** - Brief explanation (e.g., maintenance, upgrades, testing). - Helps users understand the necessity and benefits. 4. **Impact on Users** - What users can and cannot do during the outage. - Any workaround or alternative access options. 5. **Contact Information** - Who to reach out to for questions or support. - Emergency contacts if something goes wrong. 6. **Recovery Plan** - What will happen once the outage ends. - Any expected delays or post-outage checks. 7. **Advance Notice** - Ideally, notifications should be sent well ahead of time (e.g., 48–72 hours). - Include reminders closer to the outage window. 8. **Communication Channels** - Where updates will be posted (email, dashboard, SMS, etc.). - Real-time status updates if the outage is extended or resolved early. |
| Participant 2 | Yes communication on planned outages would be helpful and appreciated. Timing, length and reason for the disruption would be good to know. During our breach of service - we received texts intermittently - one day then not the next and then none at all. Any texts we received were canned messages that we suspected did not apply to our situation given the scale of the outage (two households) while our whole surrounding area was not affected. |
| Participant 3 | Yes. Notice of times of planned outages received by text would be helpful. |
| Participant 4 | Yes it is useful. I would like to be provided with information as to when the outage is going to take place, how long it will be, and how can i connect if the plan isn't followed (taking longer than expected etc). It can help inform me if I go to the office, if I should make other plans, or let those who might need to connect with me know that I won't be reachable for a certain time. |
| Participant 5 | Need better quicker repair service |
| Participant 7 | Ideal yes, as in throught sms, or emails notifications or push notifications through the providers app. |
| Participant 8 | Yes.. I would like atleast a daily update of what they are doing to fix the problem |
| Participant 9 | Oui, ce serait utile dans un cas de panne planifiée de recevoir l’information suivante d’avance : les jours et les heures de panne ainsi que la durée prévue. |
3. What information would you like to be provided with during an outage? What would be the best way for you to receive or access this information?
The survey was conducted online using usernames chosen by participants. These usernames have been removed from the results to protect participants' privacy. The responses are presented in their original format: No corrections or translations were made.
| Participant ID | Response |
|---|---|
| Participant 1 | ' ### 🛠️ **Information to Provide During an Outage** 1. **Current Status** - Confirmation that the outage is ongoing. - What systems or services are affected. 2. **Estimated Time to Resolution** - A realistic ETA for when service will be restored. - Updates if the timeline changes. 3. **Progress Updates** - What steps are being taken to resolve the issue. - Milestones reached (e.g., “Issue identified,” “Fix in progress”). 4. **Impact Details** - Who is affected (e.g., specific regions, user groups). - What functionality is limited or unavailable. 5. **Workarounds or Alternatives** - Temporary solutions users can apply. - Redirects to unaffected services if available. 6. **Acknowledgment and Apology** - A brief message showing awareness and empathy. - Reassurance that the issue is being actively addressed. --- ### 📡 **Best Ways to Receive or Access This Information** 1. **Status Page** - A centralized, publicly accessible dashboard (e.g., status.company.com). - Should include real-time updates and historical logs. 2. **Email or SMS Alerts** - For users who opt in, send concise updates at key intervals. - Useful for critical outages or high-impact services. 3. **In-App Notifications** - If the app or platform is partially functional, show banners or pop-ups. - Keep messages short and link to more detailed info. 4. **Social Media Updates** - Twitter/X, LinkedIn, or other platforms for quick outreach. - Ideal for reaching a broad audience fast. 5. **Help Desk or Support Portal** - Updated FAQs or outage notices. - Live chat or ticketing system for personalized support. |
| Participant 2 | Independent outage maps that monitor and analyze services Email - text - landline - online outage forum by regions / cities / neighborhoods that isn’t heavily censored to prevent communication entirely. |
| Participant 3 | Info about the duration. By text. |
| Participant 4 | Who's it effecting and how long is it likely going to take. |
| Participant 6 | Would like any information. Posted on a website, sent as an email and also as a text. Really depends on what the outage is so they should post in multiple places. Social media including FB would be good. |
| Participant 7 | Cause of the outages and suspected location and estimated restoration time through sms, email or app push notifications |
| Participant 8 | Email me a status update of what the problem was once diagnosed, and the work being conduct to fix the problem to diagnose the problem |
| Participant 9 | Lorsqu’un client est informé qu’il y aura une mise à jour dans un délai quelconque (comme 24 heures dans mon cas) quant à l’interruption, le fournisseur devrait respecter son engagement d’informer le client. Durant une interruption prolongée, le fournisseur devrait s’assurer que des notes soient prises au dossier de ses actions, des appels du client et des informations transmises par le client afin d’assurer un suivi. Si l’interruption dure plus de quelques jours, le fournisseur devrait assigner rapidement une personne contact qui prend charge du dossier et devrait prendre l’initiative d’aviser le client que ses factures sont annulées. Le fournisseur devrait assurer les suivis avec Hydro-Québec et informer le client. Le fournisseur devrait informer le client qu’il sera compensé pour les inconvénients subis, autre qu’un ajout de données d’internet inutilisables, mais plutôt une compensation significative. La meilleure façon de recevoir l’information ou d’y accéder dépend des enjeux. Si c’est une information simple, un texto ou un courriel suffit. S’il y a davantage d’explications à offrir, comme les raisons techniques pour lesquelles l’équipement ne peut être réparé rapidement, un appel du fournisseur permet d’en discuter. |
4. Should service providers be required to offer refunds or bill credits in the event of an outage? If so, how should that work?
The survey was conducted online using usernames chosen by participants. These usernames have been removed from the results to protect participants' privacy. The responses are presented in their original format: No corrections or translations were made.
| Participant ID | Response |
|---|---|
| Participant 1 | Yes. Credit the account, plus an inconvenience charge. |
| Participant 2 | Yes please and perhaps this credit should be a lump sum payment agreed to in email instead of verbally on a per month basis to hold you to the contract - especially if the contract disallows cancellation due to a wider outage you could not find or prove. Customers should not have to ensure the credit each month after being left without service for five days. Credits in full and up front. |
| Participant 3 | Yes, if it is more than 24 hours. I would sooner see them required to provide reliable service. |
| Participant 4 | Yes - there is relatively no competition in this sector, so it's unlikely people are going to switch providers due to outages- being required to offer refunds or credits put incentive back on the provider, in so far as they are able, to ensure minimal impact. Connectivity effects every facet of life - communication with loved ones, work, hobbies, etc. Dealing with outages can cause significant disruption (requiring finding other places to go, or spending time letting people know if you're unreachable) and there should be incentive on both sides to ensure that disruption is as minimal as possible. |
| Participant 5 | Yes absolutely. Also should pay for time on the phone waiting for answers. Everybody’s time is money |
| Participant 6 | YES - until they start managing outages appropriately and tell us why. They should also be constructing their core networks to sustain an outage. Taking out one main pipe should not take a whole network down. Networking101 |
| Participant 7 | If the outage is more then 24 hours in length then yes. This should cover so called acts of god as well, because in most ways, the company maintenance routine can mitigate or stop these so called acts of god from getting worse or causing the outage. As in things can be done to prevent an issue. |
| Participant 8 | Absolutely, if you are not providing the service I am paying for, you should not be able to bill me for it. |
| Participant 9 | Oui, les fournisseurs devraient être tenus de rembourser les factures. Je préfèrerais un remboursement qu’un crédit puisque je peux alors décider de quitter un fournisseur, alors qu’un crédit me garde liée au fournisseur. Le fournisseur devrait assurer un suivi et communiquer avec le client à son initiative quant au remboursement. |
5. Should there be reasonable exceptions?
The survey was conducted online using usernames chosen by participants. These usernames have been removed from the results to protect participants' privacy. The responses are presented in their original format: No corrections or translations were made.
| Participant ID | Response |
|---|---|
| Participant 2 | Yes of course - however, reasonable exceptions can get used against customers who trust their provider is doing honest business.I am not sure reasonability was even a factor for the ISP other than to leverage against us. |
| Participant 3 | Yes |
| Participant 4 | I think planned outages in small areas, once or twice a year during times people are unlikely to be effected is reasonable. The refund/credits ought to be used as a way of incentivizing minimal outages- not penalizing for necessary work. |
| Participant 5 | Loss of business sales are there responsibility as well |
| Participant 6 | No |
| Participant 7 | Reasonable exceptions as in, if, the issue was caused by routine maintenance and it is already being addressed then a pass should be given to the company to not have to reimburse as that was most likely an unexpected issue while being actively worked on. |
| Participant 8 | NO! care and maintenance of the line or damage to the line by accident should be rectified immediately. Internet is a necessary these days for work and communication. |
| Participant 9 | Non, je ne vois pas en quoi il devrait y avoir des exceptions. S’il n’y a pas de service offert, il n’y a pas de paiement à effectuer donc le client doit être remboursé. |
6. Is there anything else you would like to add?
The survey was conducted online using usernames chosen by participants. These usernames have been removed from the results to protect participants' privacy. The responses are presented in their original format: No corrections or translations were made.
| Participant ID | Response |
|---|---|
| Participant 2 | Please prohibit sale tactics during outages or disruption of service - reasonable or not. Please fund independent monitoring of ISP providers for accurate outrage reporting. I cannot select the postal code correctly - our postal code is (personal information redacted) not the one selected - this feature is glitching. |
| Participant 3 | Providers should be required to provide wifi access during power outages at no extra cost. Canadians need wifi access for communication during power outages, which often happen during storms and other emergencies. |
| Participant 4 | I think there is risk any refunds/credits determinations, if left with the providers, could turn into a CTA/airline issue- where airlines, when self-reporting, aren't always being truthful and the workaround is very onerous on consumers. Having an ombudsperson, or having the onus on the service provider to be the one justifying the outage should be enough- and a decision as to the outage should immediately apply to everyone effected without needing individuals to prove a case. |
| Participant 5 | Find providers that care!!!!! |
| Participant 6 | Postal code (personal information redacted) - very frustrating that communication is handled so poorly. |
| Participant 7 | Tighter controls and monitoring when outages occur, new protocols for dealing with widespread outages, creation of a backup plan and systems to maintain the infrastructure backbone and minimal connectivity to 911 and emergency services. |
| Participant 8 | Companies that wilfully take excessive time to fix a problem should be penalized. |
| Participant 9 | Étant donné que j'ai le même courriel depuis près de 30 ans auprès de Bell, je n'ai pas encore annulé mon service internet car je dois alors faire plusieurs changements d'adresses. Mais, je n'ai plus tellement espoir que le fil de la fibre optique sera rebranché un jour. J’ai plutôt perdu confiance en l’équipement de la fibre optique de Bell. Pour davantage d’informations sur mon cas, vous pouvez rejoindre mon contact chez Bell: (personal information redacted). J'ai fini par contacter Bell en anglais qui a assuré un meilleur service qu'en français en me fournissant un contact direct. Je souhaite qu’un jour, les services de fourniture d’internet soient nationalisés comme les compagnies d’hydro. Bien que cela relève de nos politiciens, peut-être est-ce-possible que le CRTC pourra en glisser un mot dans ses discussions à de hauts niveaux avec ces politiciens. |
7. What are the first 3 digits of your postal code?
Responses to this question were taken out of the report due to a technical issue and to protect user privacy. This action was taken to ensure compliance with our privacy standards.
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