On May 6, 2026, at approximately 10:54 AM EDT, DQE Communications began experiencing instability on an upstream transit connection, resulting in multiple rapid link state changes and routing session flapping. During this time, customers may have experienced intermittent connectivity, packet loss, or brief service outages across multiple locations.
DQE Engineering immediately initiated an investigation and engaged the upstream provider for support. In response to the instability, the affected upstream port was administratively shut down at approximately 11:23 AM EDT to prevent further impact. To further protect overall network performance, DQE subsequently rerouted (drained) traffic away from the affected upstream path at approximately 12:10 PM EDT. Following these mitigation actions, customer services stabilized and no further widespread impact was observed.
The issue was attributed to instability within an upstream transport path. The upstream provider advised that the event was related to a transient fiber disturbance in the Pittsburgh area impacting multiple services. No further detailed information has been made available at this time.
All services have remained stable since mitigation actions were taken. DQE will continue to monitor network performance closely, and all related tickets will be placed under a 24-hour monitoring period to ensure continued stability.
