Pittsburgh, PA — May 1, 2024 — DQE Communications (“DQE” or the “Company”), a leading regional provider of high-speed, data networking for businesses and carriers, announced today the completion of its acquisition by GI Partners, a leading investor in data infrastructure businesses. Concurrently, Michael T. Sicoli has been appointed as CEO of the Company, effective immediately.
Formed in 1997 as a subsidiary of Duquesne Light Holdings, DQE has extended its geographic reach beyond its core Pittsburgh footprint and evolved into the surrounding region’s largest independent fiber provider offering a full suite of infrastructure-oriented communication services. This includes a 4,700-route-mile fiber network that connects more than 3,000 on-net businesses, towers, and data centers with multiple expansion projects underway in strategically adjacent markets. The deal, first announced in December 2023, will bolster expansion of DQE’s fiber network operations to capitalize on growing demand for high-capacity, carrier-class bandwidth services by customers in the enterprise, carrier, wireless, education, municipal, and government sectors.
Mr. Sicoli has held executive leadership roles at several leading telecommunications businesses. Prior to joining DQE, Mr. Sicoli was the President & CEO of Internap. Before joining Internap in 2019, he served as CFO of GTT Communications. Earlier in his career, Mr. Sicoli held various leadership roles including CEO at Sidera Networks, CFO at RCN Corporation, and VP & Assistant Treasurer at Nextel Communications. Mr. Sicoli holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The College of William & Mary and an MBA from University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.
“Mike is a seasoned and accomplished leader in the digital infrastructure sector. His proven track record of driving transformational growth, scaling operations, and building a culture of excellence is a perfect fit for DQE’s next stage of growth. We look forward to working with him and the entire DQE team,” said Brendan Scollans, Managing Director and Co-Head of GI Data Infrastructure.
“I am excited to join DQE as CEO,” said Mr. Sicoli. “DQE is a business with strong foundations, thanks to its robust network, loyal customer base, strong reputation, and most importantly, dedicated employees. I look forward to partnering with the DQE team and GI Partners to serve our customers, accelerate DQE’s growth, and drive operational excellence.”
