Rogers to Invest C$10 (Canadian Dollar) Billion in Artificial Intelligence

Rogers (NYSE:ROG) Communications Inc said on Sunday it will invest C$10 billion ($7.74 billion) over the next three years in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and more testing and audits, just weeks after the company reported network problems that caused widespread outages across the country.

Chief Executive Tony Staffieri said the Canadian telecom operator is making progress on a formal agreement between carriers to automatically switch 911 calls to each other's networks, even in the event of an outage on either carrier's network. "I believe this is the only responsible way forward and I am personally committed to making it possible for all Canadians," Staffieri said in a letter on Sunday. (https://roge.rs/3zu3iU4) Staffieri said the company is physically separating its wireless and internet services to create an 'always-on' network to ensure customers never again experience interruptions to both cellular and internet services. Earlier this month, the operator, which has about 10 million wireless subscribers and 2.25 million retail internet subscribers, suffered a disruption that lasted about 19 hours and disrupted services from flights to banking and emergency 911 calls. The Canadian government has also launched an investigation and demanded that telecom companies develop communications protocols to better inform people within 60 days.