New certification program for Ookla relies on its Ekahau take a look at capabilities
Cell and glued community operators around the globe brag once they rating excessive in Ookla’s rankings. Now, it is probably not lengthy earlier than a lodge, condominium 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 can use its Ekahau Wi-Fi testing instruments for an evaluation of Wi-Fi networks in locations like occasion venues, workplace buildings, condominium and rental buildings, and extra. This system is “designed to finish the guesswork for customers on the lookout for dependable connectivity and to permit property house owners to show the standard of their community,” in line with Ookla.
Whereas Ookla is maybe greatest identified for its Speedtest device that permits customers to check the wired and mobile community speeds that they’re receiving, the corporate has assembled a testing portfolio that goes properly 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 chance to fuse among the competencies that we’ve got 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.
Corporations 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 placement meets Ookla’s requirements — certification, together with skill to make use of an official emblem 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 develop the Speedtest Licensed program with a second part that can embody mobile efficiency testing for the venue.
The Speedtest Licensed designation can be legitimate for one 12 months after the testing, and Ookla stated that the precise requirements of the testing can be a “dwelling benchmark” that adjustments as Wi-Fi evolves. The corporate additionally stated that testing in several environments will take into concerns 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 house owners 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 thought is that it turns into one thing largely executed 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 house owners and companies can pay for the Speedtest Licensed assessments and certification renewals. Pricing will differ primarily based on the property measurement. Secondly, firms like SIs can pay to turn out 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 in the end, Unusual stated, the objective is for the Speedtest Licensed program to make it “is simple to know, from a client’s perspective, in the event that they’re strolling in a espresso store they usually see, or they’re wanting on-line they usually see that we’ve got licensed their location, then they’ll belief that they’ll do the work that they should do. … I feel that it’s going to proceed to develop, the place any such assertion will turn out to be a core a part of the filters that you just’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 entice 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 gradual,” stated Stephen Bye, president and CEO of Ookla, which is a part of Ziff Davis. He added: “For years, you’ve trusted Speedtest in 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, providing you with a seal of approval you’ll be able to rely on.”
Ookla needs the designation to be one thing significant, primarily based on extra granular knowledge than what may be gleaned from, say, its normal Speedtest knowledge.
“That is about community suppliers at a micro stage, and having the ability to fulfill these wants in a method that we’ve not been in a position to do earlier than,” stated Unusual. “Even with all the crowdsourced knowledge that we’ve got, 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 stage.” Whereas Ookla’s total Speedtest knowledge may be capable to present a handful of information factors from any given venue he defined, the corporate isn’t prepared to hold certification on that — therefore, the on-site testing course of.
“Actually, we’d like ft on the bottom to go in and actually completely assess this stuff to have the ability to assist one thing like this,” Unusual stated.