Accenture to acquire Ookla to expand network intelligence capabilities

Accenture has entered into an agreement to acquire Ookla, a provider of network intelligence, competitive benchmarking and customer experience analytics. The acquisition will allow Accenture to integrate Ookla’s data products, including Speedtest, Downdetector, Ekahau and RootMetrics, into its services.

The companies said the integration is intended to support communications service providers, hyperscalers and enterprises in managing and optimising Wi-Fi and 5G networks that underpin digital infrastructure.

Network performance data has increasingly become important beyond the telecommunications sector. As artificial intelligence deployment expands, insights gathered across network, device and application layers are being used in areas such as fraud detection in banking, smart home analytics in utilities and traffic optimisation in retail. According to the companies, Ookla’s platform captures more than 1,000 attributes per network test, providing detailed data for network performance analysis.

Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, said modern networks have evolved from basic infrastructure into platforms that support core business operations. She noted that measuring network performance is essential for organisations seeking to improve service quality, revenue opportunities and security.

Headquartered in Seattle, Ookla operates several connectivity measurement platforms used globally. These tools provide technical visibility for multiple stakeholders. For communications service providers, network data can support benchmarking and infrastructure planning through real-time analytics and predictive modelling. For hyperscalers and cloud providers, the data can help assess the resilience of AI infrastructure and edge data centres. Enterprises use tools such as Ekahau to design and troubleshoot private 5G and Wi-Fi networks.

Manish Sharma, Chief Strategy and Services Officer at Accenture, said the combined capabilities are expected to expand the company’s network intelligence services. He noted that different tools within the Ookla portfolio provide insights into network performance, service disruptions and Wi-Fi optimisation.

Founded in 2006, Ookla operates as a division of Ziff Davis and employs around 430 specialists in software engineering, radio-frequency engineering and data science. Its data platform is supported by more than 250 million consumer-initiated network tests each month, along with controlled drive testing, walk testing and embedded testing technologies. These sources provide data on quality of service (QoS), radio-frequency (RF) signals and quality of experience (QoE).

Stephen Bye, Chief Executive Officer of Ookla, said joining Accenture would allow the company to expand the reach of its network data services across enterprise and infrastructure markets.