Cause of Rogers outage still under investigation as Toronto seeks WiFi alternatives

Rogers customers in Toronto and the rest of Canada are still dealing with a lack of internet, cell service and WiFi as the communication provider deals with a major nationwide outage.

There's troubles at Pearson Airport, chaos at stores and restaurants and all sorts of other fails causing havoc in the city and around the province.

Rogers outage is affecting people in Toronto💻📱 @KrisReports #Toronto #Rogers pic.twitter.com/TYBuSaNNCr

— blogTO (@blogTO) July 8, 2022

Other phone providers like Telus are stepping in to offer deals and residents are scrambling out of their homes to get WiFi access from Starbucks and other local cafes.

All the while, Rogers is still not saying what is causing the outage or when it might be resolved.

Note… no timetable from Rogers https://t.co/DQ9UVvJcZ7

— blogTO (@blogTO) July 8, 2022

Besides Starbucks, there are a number places across the city that have been letting residents know they have functioning WiFi.

Yorkdale and the Scarborough Town Centre all have free WiFi in common areas like the food courts and they haven't been shy to send a gentle reminder.

"We're seeing people at Square One, Yorkdale and Scarborough Town Centre using our free [WiFi] throughout our centres. We welcome the community to use our [WiFi] access during this service disruption," said Lucia Connor, Vice President Retail Marketing, Oxford Properties.

The Eaton Centre, Shops at Don Mills, Dufferin Mall, Fairview Mall and Cloverdale Mall are also shopping centres where free WiFi is available.

Toronto libraries also have WiFi for residents, though many have reported slow connectivity.

Staples Canada locations throughout the city, except their Midtown location, not that they have available connections.

Our Studio locations are open and available with wifi with the exception of our Midtown Toronto location. We are working to restore internet service in Midtown.

— Staples Canada (@StaplesCanada) July 8, 2022

Complimentary WiFi at the GO York concourse at Union Station has also been well-used today along with TTC stations.

In the Financial District, the Exchange Food Tower at First Canadian Place has had open WiFi too.

Exchange Tower's Food Exchange is working. Look for the Wi-Fi name "Exchange Tower no password" in the food court.

— First Canadian Place (@FirstCanadianPl) July 8, 2022

City Hall, Etobicoke, Scarborough and North York civic centres have been popular spots today as they also offer free WiFi on the ground floor and in certain public areas.

If you’re in search of a connection today, head over to @DistilleryTO, one of Beanfield’s many Free Public WiFi locations. We have extended our Free Public WiFi usage to 4 hours, to help keep our communities connected. You can always reconnect once the first 4 hours are up!

— Beanfield (@beanfield) July 8, 2022

Beanfield, Toronto's largest true fibre network, has shined today. They have multiple WiFi hotspots including at the Distillery District.