Canada creeping back online after outage

A major network outage at one of Canada's biggest telecom operators is starting to ease, with Rogers Telecommunications saying its network is beginning to recover after a 19-hour widespread loss of service.

The outage shut banking, transport and government access for millions of Canadians, drawing outrage from customers and adding to criticism over Rogers' industry dominance.

Nearly every facet of life has been disrupted, police across Canada said, with some people unable to reach emergency services via 911 calls.

Canada's border services agency said the outage affected its mobile app for incoming travellers, while retailers' cashless pay systems went down and banks reported issues with ATM services.

Rogers said in a statement on Twitter, "Our wireless services are starting to recover", with workers trying to get people back online as quickly as possible.

In a separate statement on its website, Rogers President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Staffieri apologised for the outage, saying: "Today we let you down. We can and will do better".

He added the company does not have a timeline for when networks will be fully restored.

A representative for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said on Friday the outage was not the result of a cyber-attack.

Transport Canada has not received reports of direct safety or security impacts to any flights, marine or rail services as part of the outage, according to spokeswoman Sau Sau Liu.

The interruption was Rogers' second in 15 months. It began about 4.30am Eastern Time (6.30pm AEST) and knocked out a quarter of Canada's observable internet connectivity, said the NetBlocks monitoring group.

With about 10 million wireless subscribers and 2.25 million retail internet subscribers, Rogers is the top provider in Ontario.

Rogers, BCE and Telus control 90 per cent of the market share in Canada.

Canadian financial institutions and banks, including Toronto-Dominion Bank and Bank Of Montreal said the outage disrupted services. Royal Bank of Canada said its ATM and online banking services were affected.

An official at Vancouver International airport, among Canada's busiest, said travellers could not pay for parking, use terminal ATM machines or purchase items at retailers.

Air Canada, the country's largest airline, said its call centre had been affected.

Pop star The Weeknd on Friday evening announced his opening night tour stop at the Rogers Centre stadium had been postponed.

"I'm crushed & heartbroken. Been at the venue all day but it's out of our hands because of the Rogers outage," the singer wrote in a tweet.

Critics said the outage demonstrated a need for more competition in telecom.

Earlier this year, Canada's competition bureau blocked Rogers' attempt to take over rival Shaw Communications in a $C20 billion ($A22.5 billion) deal, saying it would hamper competition in a country where telecom rates are some of the world's highest. The merger still awaits a final verdict.

"Today's outage illustrates the need for more independent competition that will drive more network investment so outages are far less likely," said Anthony Lacavera, managing director of Globealive, an investment firm that had bid for a wireless provider involved in the Rogers/Shaw deal.

On Friday, some government agencies cancelled services after losing internet access, including Canada's passport offices and the telecoms regulator.

The Canada Revenue Agency, the country's tax collection body, lost telephone service.

While the disruptions were widespread, several companies and transport points said their services were unaffected.

The Port of Montreal reported no disruptions. The Calgary Airport Authority said it had "no major operational impacts".