Ezee Fiber Acquires City-Built Network, Tightens Grip on Houston Market

HOUSTON, TX – February 10, 2026 – By Nancy Torres

Houston-based Ezee Fiber today announced its acquisition of DayNet, the city-owned fiber optic network in Dayton, Texas, in a strategic move that underscores the company's aggressive expansion across the Greater Houston region. The deal transfers 76 miles of high-quality, installed fiber infrastructure to Ezee Fiber, a company rapidly becoming a dominant force in the Texas telecommunications landscape. While financial terms were not disclosed, the acquisition marks a significant moment, transitioning a public utility born from a municipal dream into the portfolio of a major private-sector player.

This transaction is more than a simple line item on a balance sheet; it represents a key piece of Ezee Fiber's broader strategy to consolidate the fiber market in its home state. For residents of Dayton, it signals a new chapter for their internet service, shifting from a community-run provider to one with a multi-state footprint and deep financial backing.

A Strategy of Aggressive Growth

The DayNet acquisition is the latest in a series of calculated moves that have defined Ezee Fiber's trajectory since CEO Matt Marino took the helm in 2023. Backed by I Squared Capital, a global infrastructure investment manager, the company has leveraged over $1.25 billion in investments to fuel a rapid expansion combining organic network construction with strategic acquisitions.

"The acquisition enables us to further accelerate our Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network deployment in Greater Houston," said Matt Marino, Chief Executive Officer of Ezee Fiber, in a statement. This acceleration builds on the momentum from its 2025 acquisition of Woodlands-based Tachus Fiber Internet, a deal that significantly grew its regional subscriber base and brought its total fiber passings to over 600,000 across multiple states by the end of that year.

Ezee Fiber's playbook is clear: identify and acquire existing fiber assets to quickly establish market presence and then overlay its own service model and brand. This approach has allowed the company to establish a significant presence not only in Texas but also in New Mexico, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington. The company's ambition, as evidenced by its rapid growth and Marino's stated plans for further expansion into additional states, is to become one of the largest independent fiber providers in the United States.

The DayNet Story: From Municipal Dream to Private Ownership

The journey of the network Ezee Fiber just acquired is a compelling case study in the challenges and complexities of municipal broadband. The City of Dayton embarked on its ambitious DayNet project in 2020, funding it with a $13.7 million bond to build a community-owned utility. The goal was to provide fast, reliable, and affordable internet to every home and business, fostering economic development and closing the digital divide.

Construction began in early 2021, and by 2022, the network was connecting its first customers with competitive pricing and a promise of local control. However, the path for municipal broadband projects is often fraught with operational and financial hurdles. In a surprising move in April 2025, the Dayton City Council voted to reject all bids for the sale of DayNet, signaling a commitment to continue operating the system themselves.

Less than a year later, the city's position has evolved. The sale to Ezee Fiber marks a definitive transition, handing the reins of the city-built infrastructure to a private operator. Dayton Mayor Martin Mudd framed the decision as a positive step for the community. "The City of Dayton is pleased to transition ownership of the Daynet Fiber System to Ezee Fiber, a trusted local provider committed to serving and supporting Daynet customers into the future," Mudd stated, suggesting the city ultimately determined that a specialized provider was better equipped to manage the network long-term.

What the Deal Means for Dayton Residents

For existing DayNet customers, the acquisition heralds a period of transition. They will soon be integrated into Ezee Fiber's ecosystem, a move that brings both change and potential opportunity. Dayton's internet market is already competitive, with major players like AT&T, Xfinity, and Spectrum offering high-speed services. Ezee Fiber will enter this fray not just as another option, but as the new operator of established local infrastructure.

Ezee Fiber's service model is built on offering multi-gigabit speeds with a focus on customer experience. Its current residential plans in the region range from a 1 Gbps service to an ultra-fast 8 Gbps option, all marketed with transparent, lifetime pricing, no term contracts, and no hidden fees. These packages typically include high-end eero Wi-Fi routers and access to 24/7 U.S.-based customer support. The company has also been known to offer contract buyouts of up to $500 to entice customers to switch, a policy that could ease the transition for residents.

While the integration is just beginning, Marino has confirmed that customers can expect to hear from Ezee Fiber soon about the process of switching their service. The focus will be on migrating customers to the new service tiers and ensuring a smooth handover from the city's system.

The Bigger Picture: Consolidating the Fiber Frontier

This local acquisition in a small Texas city is a microcosm of a much larger national trend: the billion-dollar race to build and control America's next-generation broadband infrastructure. The insatiable demand for faster, more reliable internet has attracted immense investment from private equity, fueling a land grab for fiber assets across the country.

Companies like Ezee Fiber are at the forefront of this consolidation wave. By acquiring smaller providers and municipal networks, they can achieve the scale necessary to compete with incumbent telecom giants. Integrating existing networks like DayNet's is far faster and more capital-efficient than building from scratch in every new territory. This strategy allows them to rapidly expand their footprint and customer base, solidifying their position as major regional and, eventually, national players.

The acquisition of DayNet is another step in Ezee Fiber's methodical campaign to dominate the fiber landscape, starting with its own backyard. As the company continues to absorb smaller networks and build out its own, it is actively shaping the future of connectivity not just for Houston, but for communities across several states, with more planned for 2026 and beyond.