DQE Communications Acquires Met-Net Communications; Begins Major Expansion of Fiber Optic Network for Business Users

PITTSBURGH, July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pittsburgh-based DQE Communications, one of the leading providers of commercial-grade fiber optic networking to businesses in the Pittsburgh area, has launched a major expansion of its network, beginning with the acquisition of Met-Net Communications effective July 1, 2011.

David Weber, President of DQE Communications, said the acquisition will be seamless for Met-Net customers because the company's network has been powered by DQE Communications since Met-Net's inception. "Met-Net customers will continue to receive DQE Communications' secure, business-class fiber connectivity, and will be backed by DQE Communications' highly trained customer service and operations teams."

DQE Communications provides fully scalable metro-ethernet, dark fiber, Internet and co-location services. "The connections our customers can access are incredibly fast and stable," said Weber. "For example, DQE's dark fiber service is approximately 65,000 times faster than a T1 line, and can transfer a 12.5GB file in approximately one second. For businesses that move a lot of data, that kind of speed can save an exceptional amount of time and money." With one of the most robust networks in the Pittsburgh metro area and surrounding region today, DQE's network expansion efforts will enable them to provide even greater service to businesses in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

One of the results of DQE Communications' network expansion will be jobs. "We are adding to all phases of our operation -- from sales to support operations -- so customers in all areas will benefit from the top-notch reliability and customer service DQE Communications is known for, including fast installations," said Weber.

He also points out that there is a significant difference between DQE Communications and other business networking providers. DQE Communications has the largest contiguous regional fiber network designed with "ring topology" that provides a level of reliability unmatched by the competition.  This built-in redundancy gives the company extraordinary measures of dependability.

"The reach of our fiber system is also under expansion with the launch of the largest capital program the company has undertaken in the last decade," said Weber. As an example, construction will begin later this summer on new backbone routes in Butler and Westmoreland counties, followed by Washington county.

New technology and cloud computing are just a few of the drivers for future bandwidth demand growth. DQE Communications is well positioned to be the premier local provider of metro-ethernet services.

Established in 1997, DQE Communications is a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Light Holdings. For more information about DQE Communications, the acquisition of Met-Net or the expansion into a full 7-county market, visit www.dqecom.com or call 1-866-GO-FIBER (1-866-463-4237).

SOURCE DQE Communications