The 2022 Rogers Outage
A Case Study in Crisis Communication and Public Trust
On July 8, 2022, Rogers Communications suffered a nationwide outage that disrupted internet, wireless, and banking services across Canada. Millions of Canadians lost access to critical services, including 911 emergency calls, debit payments, and essential communications. The outage lasted nearly 24 hours in some areas, exposing weaknesses in both infrastructure resilience and corporate crisis management.
The Immediate Impact
The disruption affected individuals, businesses, and government services, cutting off communications when they were needed most. The financial sector faced widespread payment failures, hospitals struggled with communication breakdowns, and emergency services lost reliable access to 911 calls. For many Canadians, the outage underscored how reliant modern society has become on a handful of telecom providers.
The Communication Breakdown
Despite the scale of the crisis, Rogers failed to provide timely, transparent, and clear communication. Customers were left in the dark for hours, with only vague corporate statements released via Twitter and other platforms. The lack of direct updates fueled frustration, speculation, and public outrage.
Three key communication failures stood out:
Delayed Response: Rogers took hours to acknowledge the extent of the outage, leaving customers uncertain about what was happening.
Lack of Clarity: The company’s initial statements provided no meaningful details on the cause or expected resolution time.
Failure to Reassure Customers: Rogers did not effectively address customer concerns about compensation or steps to prevent future outages.
Damage to Brand and Trust
The outage eroded public confidence in Rogers and Canada’s telecom industry as a whole. Customers took to social media to express frustration, and competitors capitalized on the backlash by positioning themselves as more reliable alternatives. The federal government intervened, demanding explanations and mandating stronger telecom resilience measures to prevent future failures.
Rogers eventually offered a five-day credit to affected customers, but the compensation did little to repair the damage. Public trust had already been shaken by the perception that Rogers failed to communicate effectively during a critical moment.
Lessons for Crisis Communication
Acknowledge the Issue Quickly – Silence fuels frustration. Companies must immediately acknowledge service disruptions and provide a basic timeline for updates.
Be Transparent and Specific – Customers need clear, direct information on what caused the problem and what steps are being taken to resolve it.
Show Empathy and Accountability – A generic corporate statement is not enough. Affected customers expect personalized outreach, meaningful compensation, and a clear plan for future prevention.
Leverage Multiple Communication Channels – Outages can affect company websites and apps. Businesses should use radio, TV, media partnerships, and external platforms to keep the public informed.
The Bigger Picture
The Rogers outage served as a wake-up call about the risks of concentrated telecom ownership and the need for stronger infrastructure safeguards. It also reinforced that in times of crisis, effective communication is just as critical as the technical fix.
Companies operating in essential services—whether telecom, utilities, or public infrastructure—must prioritize transparency, proactive updates, and public accountability. Customers may tolerate service failures, but they will not tolerate being left in the dark.
