On Wednesday morning, more than 130,000 Bell Canada customers across Ontario and Quebec lost internet access due to a major service disruption. The outage, triggered by a technical update that affected certain Bell routers, began around 9:30 a.m. ET and impacted both landline and mobile internet services. Bell managed to restore connectivity by 11 a.m. ET after rolling back the update. The telecom provider has confirmed it was not a cybersecurity breach, but rather a technical malfunction. A full review is underway to prevent future interruptions. Read the full story on the National Post.
This unexpected internet outage is a powerful reminder of how dependent we’ve become on stable, high-speed connectivity—especially in the healthcare sector, where real-time access to patient data, EMRs (Electronic Medical Records), and e-health tools is essential. Events like this—and the more extensive Rogers outage of 2022—reveal the fragility of digital infrastructure when clinics rely solely on third-party internet service providers for access to mission-critical systems.
At YES Medical System, we believe healthcare providers must remain vigilant and well-prepared in the face of unexpected disruptions. When patient care is on the line, having secure, reliable access to clinical data is non-negotiable. Understanding where and how your data is managed—and maintaining a level of control over that access—can make a significant difference in service continuity during an outage.
Our approach emphasizes operational resilience and preparedness. YES Medical System’s platform is designed with flexibility in mind to support continuity of care, even when external connectivity fails. For over two decades, we’ve helped clinics across Ontario stay agile and responsive in the face of change, ensuring they are not caught off guard by technical outages.
This latest outage is a timely reminder for healthcare leaders to assess their infrastructure, build robust contingency plans, and take steps to strengthen their digital resilience.
For more insights, read our post: Ensuring Healthcare Resilience: The Risks of Uncontrolled Data and System Outages
