Broadband Speed Testing Giant Ookla Acquired by Accenture for £900m
Global internet and network connection benchmarking firm Ookla, which operates the popular Speedtest.net broadband connection testing and Downdetector websites and apps (among other things), has been acquired from Ziff Davis by Accenture in a deal that is said to have a cash value of $1.2 billion (c.£900m).
By integrating Ookla’s data products, which also includes Ekahau and RootMetrics, Accenture hopes that the acquisition will help Communications Service Providers (CSPs), hyperscalers, and enterprises optimize the mission-critical Wi-Fi and 5G networks that power their digital core. Meanwhile, Ziff Davis will be left to focus on their enthusiast websites, like IGN and Mashable, as well as Everyday Health and iBuyNewCar.
The press release seems to be focused on how the deal will better enable Ookla to “more effectively” serve CSPs, AI infrastructure providers, edge data centres and enterprise networks. But on the flip side there’s very little mention of whether their more consumer facing platforms, like those mentioned at the top, will see a benefit.
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Stephen Bye, CEO of Ookla, said:
“Joining Accenture will allow us to scale our premiere network data business across the world’s largest enterprises and accelerate our goal of creating better connected experiences. Our combined capabilities will enable us to more effectively serve CSPs, AI infrastructure providers, edge data centers and enterprise networks. Together, we will redefine how the world measures, understands and experiences connectivity.”
Manish Sharma, Accenture’s Chief Strategy and Services Officer, said:
“With the Ookla portfolio, we will offer end-to-end network intelligence services essential for AI-based transformation. Speedtest and RootMetrics define the experience; Downdetector identifies incidents faster; and Ekahau drives digital workplace transformation through superior Wi-Fi. In an era of omni-channel and agentic access, low-latency, zero-friction connectivity is a competitive necessity, and these tools give enterprises the power to build the high-performance environments they need.”
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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That’s the end of them then 🙁
Yep, the same way that Samknows disappeared as public free resource when it became a part of network equipment giant Cisco.
Cory Doctorow still wins the internet with his apt description of such things: ensh**ification.
Based on experience of Accenture being brought in for projects at work I expect it to be immediately destroyed.
“the deal will better enable Ookla to “more effectively” serve CSPs, AI infrastructure providers, edge data centres and enterprise networks”
so yes, speedtest, downdetector etc will go enterprise. no public speedtest anymore. Or it will end up behind a paywall. Shame because speedtest is the only reliable test system out there. others are really behind.
if I test with think broadband, fast, and others I do not see my full 1.6gbps. on Speedtest I do.