New program for Ookla relies on its Ekahau check capabilities
Cell and stuck community operators all over the world brag once they rating excessive in Ookla’s rankings. Now, it will not be lengthy earlier than a lodge, house constructing or airport close to you begins to promote that its Wi-Fi connectivity has been licensed by Ookla.
The community benchmarking firm is launching a brand new program, Speedtest Licensed, that may use its Ekahau Wi-Fi testing instruments for an evaluation of Wi-Fi networks in locations like occasion venues, workplace buildings, house and condominium buildings, and extra. This system is “designed to finish the guesswork for shoppers searching for dependable connectivity and to permit property homeowners to show the standard of their community,” in line with Ookla.
Whereas Ookla is probably finest recognized for its Speedtest instrument that enables shoppers to check the wired and mobile community speeds that they’re receiving, the corporate has assembled a testing portfolio that goes effectively past crowd-sourced knowledge, together with community testing firm Rootmetrics. Ookla purchased Wi-Fi testing and design firm Ekahau in 2018. Speedtest Licensed “is creating a possibility to fuse a few of the competencies that we have now inside our enterprise that we haven’t actually taken full benefit of but,” stated Chip Unusual, Ookla’s chief technique officer, in an interview with RCR Wi-fi Information.
Firms which need to be Speedtest Licensed will undergo a four-stage course of, from confirming particulars in regards to the location, to an on-site testing course of utilizing Ekahau instruments, which ends up in an in depth report on community efficiency, after which — if the situation meets Ookla’s requirements — certification, together with potential to make use of an official brand on-site or on-line.
Ookla stated that its analysis will embody assessments of Wi-Fi radio frequency (RF) high quality, community configuration, efficiency metrics, its backhaul service, and a Wi-Fi community safety evaluation. It additionally plans to ultimately increase the Speedtest Licensed program with a second section that may embody mobile efficiency testing for the venue.
The Speedtest Licensed designation shall be legitimate for one yr after the testing, and Ookla stated that the precise requirements of the testing shall be a “residing benchmark” that adjustments as Wi-Fi evolves. The corporate additionally stated that testing in numerous environments will take into issues their distinctive traits — such because the distinction between Wi-Fi testing aboard a cruise ship, in comparison with an workplace constructing or a college campus.
Ookla has already been working with a number of venue homeowners for certification, and has been instantly testing a big U.S. venue over the previous month for the Speedtest Licensed program, Unusual stated. However the concept is that it turns into one thing largely carried out by system integrators who already use Ekahau instruments for Wi-Fi community design and testing.
The brand new program will generate income from Ookla in two methods: One, property homeowners and companies pays for the Speedtest Licensed assessments and certification renewals. Pricing will fluctuate based mostly on the property measurement. Secondly, firms like SIs pays to grow to be testing companions after which will be capable to generate extra income themselves, by providing the Speedtest certification as a part of the Wi-Fi community design and commissioning course of.
However finally, Unusual stated, the aim is for the Speedtest Licensed program to make it “is straightforward to know, from a client’s perspective, in the event that they’re strolling in a espresso store they usually see, or they’re trying on-line they usually see that we have now licensed their location, then they’ll belief that they’ll do the work that they should do. … I believe that it’s going to proceed to develop, the place this kind of assertion will grow to be a core a part of the filters that you simply’re going to see on hospitality areas or resorts.”
For companies and residential buildings, the branded certification program is supposed to leverage Wi-Fi testing as a differentiator to raised appeal to guests and residents.
“We’ve all felt the frustration of arriving at a lodge, convention, airport, or sporting occasion – solely to find that the web connection is painfully sluggish,” stated Stephen Bye, president and CEO of Ookla, which is a part of Ziff Davis. He added: “For years, you’ve trusted Speedtest to your personal connectivity. Now, with Speedtest Licensed, we’re extending that belief to the locations you go to. Our rigorous testing takes the gamble out of discovering a dependable community, supplying you with a seal of approval you’ll be able to depend on.”
Ookla desires the designation to be one thing significant, based mostly on extra granular knowledge than what may be gleaned from, say, its basic Speedtest knowledge.
“That is about community suppliers at a micro degree, and with the ability to fulfill these wants in a approach that we’ve not been capable of do earlier than,” stated Unusual. “Even with all the crowdsourced knowledge that we have now, it’s not sufficient. … We don’t have sufficient knowledge in sufficient locations to have the ability to constantly apply even a Licensed-type of methodology at that hyper-local degree.” Whereas Ookla’s general Speedtest knowledge would possibly be capable to present a handful of knowledge factors from any given venue he defined, the corporate isn’t keen to hold certification on that — therefore, the on-site testing course of.
“Actually, we want ft on the bottom to go in and actually completely assess these items to have the ability to help one thing like this,” Unusual stated.
