Amazon Web Services Outage Disrupts University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY, October 21, 2025

News Summary

A global outage of Amazon Web Services caused widespread disruption at the University of Kentucky, affecting access to the Canvas learning platform and other services. The outage began early in the morning due to issues with AWS’s domain name system and led to connectivity problems for various online services including Snapchat and Netflix. Instructors were advised to be flexible with students amid the disruptions. Over 11 million user reports were logged, highlighting society’s reliance on a few key digital infrastructure providers.

Lexington, KY – A global outage of Amazon Web Services (AWS) disrupted access to several platforms at the University of Kentucky, including the learning management system Canvas, on Monday, October 20. The outage, which began at approximately 3:11 a.m. EST, was attributed to issues related to AWS’s domain name system and impeded connectivity for a variety of online services.

AWS is currently working to resolve the issues, having communicated to users to check its status page and the University of Kentucky’s outgoing information site for updates. The company indicated that the affected systems were expected to be fixed within two hours, promising updates by 6:30 p.m. EST. By 6:53 p.m. EST, AWS reported that all services had been restored, although some systems were still processing backlogged data. The disruptions not only impacted the University of Kentucky but also affected many services that rely on AWS infrastructure, such as Snapchat, Netflix, Disney+, and Ring doorbells.

In light of the outage, University of Kentucky instructors were advised to remain flexible with students during this period and encouraged to accept direct communication regarding any issues experienced by students, particularly those difficulties associated with submitting assignments and accessing course materials through Canvas, which is used by about 50% of college and university students in North America.

The global outage saw more than 11 million user reports logged on DownDetector, affecting over 2,500 companies and platforms. Significant connectivity problems were reported by users of Roblox, Fortnite, the Robinhood app, and the McDonald’s app, among others. Even Amazon’s own services, such as Ring and Alexa, experienced disruptions due to the outage.

Institutions such as the University of California, Riverside, and Ohio State University also reported problems as students faced challenges related to submission of coursework during the outage. Cybersecurity experts noted that the recovery process might be slow and sporadic as AWS rolled out fixes, similar to recovery efforts following large-scale events like power outages. This incident underscores society’s heavy reliance on a handful of companies for a substantial portion of internet infrastructure.

AWS had previously encountered outages in 2023 and experienced its longest downtime in late 2021, which also affected multiple sectors. The frequency and impact of these outages raise questions about the stability and resilience of digital infrastructure heavily reliant on a few key providers.

Key Facts

• Outage began at approximately 3:11 a.m. EST due to DNS issues
• AWS expected systems to be restored within two hours; confirmed restoration by 6:53 p.m. EST
• Over 11 million user reports related to the outage
• Approximately 50% of North American college students use Canvas
• Previous outages occurred in 2023 and late 2021

Impact on Services

• Major platforms affected included Snapchat, Netflix, Disney+, and Ring
• Users faced issues with Roblox, Fortnite, Robinhood, and McDonald’s apps
• Students at various educational institutions also experienced submission and access issues

Conclusion

The AWS outage exemplified a critical vulnerability in digital infrastructures relied upon by millions, making it apparent that while technology offers great benefits, it can also lead to significant disruptions in our daily lives.

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Additional Resources

• Kentucky Kernel
• WDRB News
• West Kentucky Star
• Spectrum News 1
• Times of India
• Wikipedia: Amazon Web Services
• Google Search: Amazon Web Services outage
• Google Scholar: AWS outage
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Amazon Web Services
• Google News: Amazon Web Services outage

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The LEXINGTON STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERELexingtonKY.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Lexington, Fayette County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Woodland Art Fair, Crave Food and Music Festival, and Railbird Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like Commerce Lexington and Blue Grass Community Foundation, plus leading businesses in education, manufacturing, and technology that power the local economy such as University of Kentucky, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, and Lexmark. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREBowlingGreen.com and HERELouisville.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Kentucky's dynamic landscape.