Accenture has entered into an agreement to acquire Ookla, a global provider of network intelligence and connectivity analytics, in a move aimed at expanding its capabilities in AI-powered infrastructure optimization, according to an official release dated March 3, 2026. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Make Telecom Talk My Trusted Source
Strengthening Connectivity Intelligence Portfolio
Headquartered in Seattle, Ookla operates a portfolio of connectivity platforms, including Speedtest, Downdetector, Ekahau and RootMetrics. The company’s data platform processes more than 250 million consumer-initiated tests each month and captures over 1,000 performance attributes per test, providing granular insights into network quality of service, radio frequency conditions and user experience.
Expanding AI-Powered Network Capabilities
“Network data is no longer just a lifeline for the telecoms industry; it now creates significant value across all sectors. As AI scales, the insights captured at the network, device, and application layers are essential to enhance fraud prevention in banking, smart home analytics in utilities, and traffic optimization in retail. Ookla’s platform, which captures more than 1,000 attributes per test, provides the foundation for these insights,” the official release said.
Strategic Impact Across Industries
Accenture said integrating Ookla’s data products will enhance its ability to support Communications Service Providers (CSPs), hyperscalers and enterprises in optimizing Wi-Fi and 5G networks that underpin critical digital infrastructure. As artificial intelligence adoption accelerates, network-layer insights are increasingly seen as foundational to improving operational resilience, customer experience and security across industries ranging from banking and utilities to retail and cloud services.
“Modern networks have evolved from simple infrastructure into business-critical platforms,” said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. “Without the ability to measure performance, organizations cannot optimize experience, revenue, or security. By acquiring Ookla, we will help our clients across business and government scale AI safely and build the trusted data foundations they need to deliver the reliable, seamless connectivity that creates value.”
For CSPs, the combined capabilities are expected to support autonomous network operations, real-time benchmarking and predictive capital planning. Hyperscalers and cloud providers stand to benefit from enhanced resilience of AI infrastructure and edge data centers that handle inference workloads. Enterprises, meanwhile, will gain advanced tools for designing and troubleshooting mission-critical private 5G and Wi-Fi networks, particularly through Ekahau’s specialized hardware and software.
“With the Ookla portfolio, we will offer end-to-end network intelligence services essential for AI-based transformation,” said Manish Sharma, chief strategy and services officer, Accenture. “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.”
“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,” said Stephen Bye, CEO, Ookla. “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.”
Regulatory Approval Pending
Founded in 2006, Ookla employs approximately 430 specialists in software engineering, radio frequency engineering and data science. The company operates as a division of Ziff Davis. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
Announcement from Ziff Davis
In a separate announcement on March 3, 2026, Ziff Davis announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Connectivity division (Connectivity) to Accenture for USD 1.2 billion in cash.
Ziff Davis plans to utilize the proceeds of the transaction for general corporate purposes and to fund its robust capital allocation activities in accordance with the terms of the Company’s outstanding debt securities.
Ziff Davis will continue to own and operate the Connectivity division until the transaction is completed, the official release said.
A small group of TelecomTalk readers helps keep this platform running. Support us if you find our work valuable.
Support Telecomtalk
