Keeping Canadians Connected

How the CRTC is helping to minimize service outages

Outages disrupt Canadians’ access to the telecom and broadcasting services on which they rely. We’re helping to stop outages before they occur and make those that do happen less disruptive.

What we’ve done

Outage reporting

We require telecom providers to notify us of major service outages and submit reports to help prevent future disruptions.

Infrastructure funding

We continue to fund projects that boost access to reliable, high-speed Internet and cellphone services.

Emergency access

We called on telecom providers to strengthen 9-1-1 and public alerting systems.

Bill credits

We secured bill credits for Northwestel customers when Internet services are disrupted for more than 24 hours.

What we’re working on

Stronger rules

We’re developing new rules to help telecom providers strengthen their networks and make their services more reliable.

More consumer protections

We’re exploring new consumer protections, like better communication and refunds from providers when outages occur.

Accessible alerts

We are looking at ways to make public alerts more accessible for everyone.