Should Telecom Networks Be Required to Stay Up During Emergencies?
Official title: Share your thoughts about improving the resiliency of telecommunications networks and reliability of telecommunications services
Why This Matters
Remember the Rogers outage that knocked out phones, internet, and even 9-1-1 for millions? This consultation was about preventing that from happening again. If you rely on your phone for emergencies, work from home, or live in a rural area with limited options, network reliability directly affects your safety.
What Could Change
New regulations could force telecom companies to build more backup systems and redundancy into their networks. Providers might face stricter standards for 9-1-1 uptime and emergency alert delivery. Companies could be required to report outages faster and restore service within set timeframes.
Key Issues
- What principles should guide regulations to improve network resiliency?
- What measures should telecom providers take when designing and operating networks?
- How can providers improve reliability of 9-1-1, emergency alerts, and accessibility services?
How to Participate
- Review the Notice of Consultation for full details on the questions being asked.
- View the interventions submitted during the consultation period.
What Happened
The consultation ran from September 4 to December 3, 2025. Comments were received online, by mail, and by fax. The interventions are available for public viewing through the CRTC portal.