Assessing the ‘Land Grab’ in the U.S. Fiber Market: Who’s Next?

The U.S. fiber broadband market is in the midst of a massive “land grab,” mirroring the consolidation seen in the early days of wireless and cable. This race is driven by the reality that most U.S. cities can only sustainably support one or two fiber providers—and that fiber is now viewed as a critical component of future telecommunications earnings and revenue growth, not to mention a pathway for advanced AI services. But how to assess the current state of the U.S. fiber marketplace? An analysis of Ookla Speedtest data from almost 1,700 fixed internet providers in the U.S. in the first half of 2026 turned up roughly 500 internet service providers that show likely fiber network characteristics. While major providers like AT&T and Verizon made up about 60 percent of fiber Speedtest samples, smaller regional operators accounted for the remaining 40 percent. Meaning, roughly 40 percent of the U.S. fiber market—based on Speedtest samples—is composed of hundreds of smaller fiber players, providers that might emerge as players in a fiber operator rollup. Such data stands apart from federal Broadband Data Collection programs because it’s derived from actual fiber users and collected in real time.