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Mike Dano, a lead industry analyst at Ookla, has identified more than half a dozen ISPs that could be M&A targets. We talked to him about what’s behind the trend.
By Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
October 23, 2026
Recent analysis from Ookla’s Mike Dano has identified a handful of ISPs that stand out from the pack as targets for potential acquisition.
Speaking to Beyond the Cable, Dano said a combination of factors is driving M&A in 2026, including political factors.
The list includes names you’d expect: Allo Fiber, Gateway Fiber, LiveOak Fiber, Wire 3, Ripple Fiber, Intrepid Fiber, and Ezee Fiber.
While the M&A trend in telecom is undeniable, with AI and BEAD also playing major roles, Dano says he’s most interested in how the convergence is going to play out.
He said fiber is one element of the tapestry of telecom.
“We’ve got satellite players that are making an increasing impact in the industry, we’ve have fixed wireless that is obviously gobbling up a lot of net broadband customers in recent years,” he said.
Dano said he wants to know if the combination of a mobile and fixed service plays a key role in coming years, and how that eventually impacts fiber providers.
“Once you roll up these fiber networks, then what?” he asked.
Watch the full interview with Dano on Spotify or listen to it on Apple Podcasts in full.
Dano’s full analysis on the subject is available in a September 28 post titled “Assessing the ‘Land Grab’ in the U.S. Fiber Market: Who’s Next?” on Ookla’s website.
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