A Quebec court has approved a national class action against Rogers, Fido, and Chatr over the massive April 19, 2021 wireless outage that crippled cell service across Canada—and even knocked out Interac payments, leaving businesses and customers unable to pay or get paid for hours.
The lawsuit covers anyone in Canada who had a Rogers, Fido, Chatr, or Rogers for Business account when the network went dark. Plaintiffs say the failure caused widespread chaos and financial losses, arguing that Rogers didn’t do enough to prevent or properly handle the breakdown. The notice to the public makes it clear: “You have nothing to pay.”
Authorized on February 20, 2024, by the Superior Court of Quebec, the case will play out in Montreal. The court will decide whether Rogers was at fault for the nationwide collapse, whether the small bill credits offered afterward were enough, and whether customers deserve more in refunds or damages.
If successful, Canadians affected by the outage could see compensation for lost service and possibly additional payouts. Class counsel Lex Group Inc. says legal fees will be approved by the court and either covered by Rogers or deducted from any compensation awarded. As with most class action lawsuits, any payouts could take years (like the ongoing iPhone class action lawsuit).
Back in March 31, 2021, Rogers had about 10.9 million wireless subscribers, which includes both postpaid and prepaid customers.
Those who don’t want to take part must opt out by November 23, 2025, by notifying the Quebec Superior Court and sending a copy to Lex Group, said the law firm on Tuesday. Everyone else will automatically stay in the class—no action or payment required.
The April 2021 meltdown was one of Rogers’ most disruptive failures ever, freezing Interac transactions, cutting off emergency calls, and halting business operations nationwide. The company apologized at the time (and blamed it on an Ericsson software update), but for many Canadians, the damage and the frustration still lingers.
