Major Internet Outage Hits Canada: Bell and Telus Affected
On May 21, 2025, a significant internet outage struck several provinces in Canada, impacting major providers like Bell and Telus. The disruption started around 9:00 a.m. ET, leading to numerous reports of connectivity problems on social media and outage monitoring sites.
Extent of the Disruption
The primary impact was on wired internet services. However, some users also faced sporadic issues with mobile connections. Downdetector.ca recorded over 130,000 complaints for Bell alone. Other companies like Virgin (a subsidiary of Bell) and Rogers also reported considerable service interruptions.
Provider Responses
Bell confirmed that Ontario and Quebec were experiencing outages and stated that their network team was looking into the situation. On the other hand, Telus recognized service issues in Alberta, British Columbia, and Eastern Canada but initially suggested that these were related to wireless services rather than internet access.
Rogers experienced its own set of problems but denied any widespread outages. They did acknowledge slower speeds reported by users in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
Gradual Restoration of Services
By mid-morning on the same day, some customers in Hamilton and other areas began noticing improvements as services slowly returned to normal. Eventually, the cause of the outage was determined; Bell later issued an apology to those affected by this incident.
Implications for Internet Infrastructure
This event underscores how fragile Canada's internet infrastructure can be when multiple providers face disruptions at once. The simultaneous failures raise concerns about reliability among major ISPs operating across different regions.
In summary, this widespread outage serves as a reminder for both consumers and service providers about potential vulnerabilities within communication networks in Canada.
