A system and method for communicating failures in a metro Ethernet network (MEN). Packets are communicated through multiple maintenance entities. A determination is made that there is a failure between or at one of the multiple maintenance entities. An alarm is generated at a maintenance entity nearest the failure in response to determining there is a failure. The alarm indicates a location of the failure. The alarm is communicated back through one or more of the multiple maintenance entities to a maintenance end point. The alarm is routed at least two a communications service provider determined to be associated with the failure.