As technology advances, so do the expectations for seamless, reliable, and high-speed networks. In an exclusive interview with Telecom Review, Chip Strange, Chief Strategy Officer at Ookla, expanded on the biggest challenges and opportunities for network operators in 2025, the evolution of network performance metrics beyond speed, and how Ookla is leveraging data-driven solutions to bridge connectivity gaps and enhance user experience worldwide.
How has the global connectivity landscape evolved over the years, and what are the biggest challenges and opportunities you see for network operators in 2025?
The global connectivity landscape has evolved massively since the turn of the century. The first 3G mobile data networks launched in 2001, and since then we’ve seen the launch of two additional mobile technology generations, continuously enhancing performance to the point where today’s 5G networks can rival many fixed networks in speed and reliability.
In terms of fixed networks, we've transitioned from a world dominated by basic broadband to one where high-speed, low-latency connections are increasingly essential for everything, from remote work and education to entertainment and critical infrastructure.
Fiber is now the dominant access technology globally, and we’re seeing regulators and network operators prioritize greater fiber penetration through rapid deployment in more developing markets and targeted investment in previously underserved locations in more developed markets.
At the same time, we’ve seen a rise in mobile device ecosystems and over-the-top (OTT) services. This has enabled operator networks to not only drive a wide range of digital services for consumers and enterprises but has also posed challenges for network operators intent on forming closer relationships with customers and evolving their business models to offer more than just a connectivity vertical.
Network operators in 2025 are faced with a range of challenges; chief of which is: where to invest to drive value for end users?
Network leadership remains a prime driver of operator investment worldwide and there is a continued need for operators to benchmark themselves against their competition and understand the drivers of churn among their users, while also pinpointing and fixing network issues as they arise. However, incremental revenue growth remains elusive in many markets as new technologies primarily replace revenue from previous generations, rather than building upon it. As a result, capital spending remains under pressure, and network operators must continue to focus on driving operating efficiencies and reducing costs.
At the same time, the current geopolitical landscape drives uncertainties for network operators and the wider industry. The prospect of more barriers to international trade, and further restrictions on exports, will only increase costs and raise the risk of industry fragmentation. There remain significant opportunities for network operators as telecom networks are increasingly seen as critical infrastructure, both in terms of being an essential utility and an enabler of economic growth, which places pressure on regulators and governments to help create a positive investment environment for the sector.
As user expectations for seamless connectivity grow, how is Ookla refining its approach to measuring network performance beyond just speed?
While speed remains a key metric, user expectations for connectivity have evolved beyond download and upload speeds. There’s now a demand for seamless, reliable, and consistent connectivity experiences, wherever the user is, or whatever application they are using.
Median speeds remain an excellent proxy for network quality of service as they provide a strong indication of network capacity and a point of comparison across networks and markets. Although, as advanced telecoms networks are deployed in more locations, serving an increasingly varied set of use cases, user expectations for connectivity have evolved.
We see strong demand for a seamless, reliable, and consistent connectivity experiences, whether the user is at home, or on the road.
We’ve been evolving our approach to network measurement since our inception. Our data allows network operators to monitor how consistent their network is in delivering broadband service to all the Speedtest users on their network, not just the median user.
We also supply much more granular location-based insights, helping identify spots of poor connectivity within cities, or inside buildings where mobile signals can often struggle to penetrate. We’re seeing a lot of demand from our users to understand the user experience for services such as video streaming, web conferencing, or mobile gaming, which can be impacted by latency and jitter across the network, rather than by network throughput metrics alone, such as download speeds.
Networks will continue to grow in complexity, alongside an expanding, diffuse set of use cases, and we’re committed to evolving the range of network metrics and insights we deliver to support operators in optimizing the user experience.
That doesn’t mean abandoning speed as a metric—speed isn’t going away—but rather adding to it to paint a complete picture.
Despite advancements in network infrastructure, connectivity gaps persist. How does Ookla contribute to bridging these gaps, especially in underserved areas?
Networks and the services delivered over them will continue to evolve, which, in turn, creates a moving target in terms of broadband definitions. The United States Federal Communications Commission recently redefined the 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload broadband speeds to 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speeds, while seeking separate comments on a future target to achieve 1 Gbps download and 500 Mbps upload speeds. Our publicly available Ookla Speedtest Global Index provides an invaluable birds-eye view of network performance in each market; however, our work in the market runs much deeper. We already work closely with a wide range of forward-looking regulators and governments to help them identify underserved locations in their markets and assess the impact of their policy decisions on connectivity outcomes. Our recent work with the Dublin City Council, whereby we helped them uncover poor-performing locations within the city of Dublin is a prime example.
Additionally, through our ‘Ookla for Good’ program, we partner with a range of not-for-profit organizations to provide data, analysis, and content to help improve people’s lives through internet accessibility. We work with these organizations as well as governments to provide customized data and insights on connectivity in underserved areas. Our platforms enable communities to conduct their own tests taken using Speedtest and collect data on local network performance, empowering them to advocate for better connectivity.
By providing transparent and data-driven insights, Ookla helps highlight connectivity gaps and accelerate efforts to bridge the digital divide via better, informed policymaking.
As we move further into 2025, what innovations or improvements can users and operators expect from Ookla’s analytical products?
Ookla’s journey began with Speedtest, a platform we are exceedingly proud of due to its positive impact on the global telecommunications market and consumers. Over the past seven years, we’ve pursued an aggressive strategy encompassing mergers, acquisitions, and innovation, expanding our capabilities to meet the needs of a more complex and diverse set of global clients.
A key focus has been enhancing the synergies between our solutions to provide deeper insights into user experiences.
By driving greater interaction with end users who seek to understand their connectivity, we can offer network operators actionable insights to improve their services. For example, we recently integrated Downdetector into the Speedtest suite of mobile applications while retiring the standalone Downdetector app. This allows Speedtest users to access real-time incident monitoring insights seamlessly, enriching their understanding of connectivity issues.
We are also investing in integrating the Speedtest software into Ookla’s Wi-Fi planning and optimization suites—Ekahau AI Pro and Sidekick 2. This is over and above the consistent improvements to the core Speedtest data acquisition and analytical platforms, where we have a diverse data acquisition strategy in place that not only serves more use cases and geographies but also utilizes differing approaches to deliver our insights via more client-friendly methods.
Our innovation efforts will continue to accelerate in 2025.
We plan to incorporate quality-of-experience (QoE) data across products like Speedtest Insights, Speedtest Intelligence, and the Speedtest Global Index. This advancement will empower consumers to better understand their connected experiences while enabling operators to identify hidden network issues by correlating QoE with quality-of-service (QoS) data.
Another major innovation slated for 2025 is the launch of AI Recommendations, an AI-driven dashboard designed to provide operators with actionable insights. With the ability to identify growth opportunities, this tool can assist with potentially advancing a market's ranking on the Speedtest Global Index and ultimately help improve connectivity for users worldwide.
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