Accenture to acquire Ookla, boosting AI network intelligence

DUBLIN, IRELAND, and WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — Accenture, a global professional services firm, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ookla, a Seattle-based global leader in network intelligence. This strategic move is designed to enhance the consulting giant’s ability to optimize connectivity for the artificial intelligence (AI) era. 

The acquisition will integrate Ookla’s portfolio of consumer-facing testing platforms and enterprise analytics tools to help communications service providers (CSPs), hyperscalers, and enterprises build and manage the high-performance networks required for modern digital operations.

The shift toward business-critical network infrastructure

The acquisition highlights a radical shift in the perception of connectivity in the global market. Network data is no longer viewed merely as a lifeline for the telecommunications industry; it is now recognized as key infrastructure for business value and security across all sectors.

With AI sweeping through industries, the volumes of data being produced at the network, device, and application levels have become a critical concern for anything beyond traditional telecommunications. 

Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Accenture, notes, “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.”

Ookla’s technology provides the fine-grained visibility needed to meet these modern demands. Capturing more than 1,000 attributes per test, Ookla’s platform provides the foundation for stopping fraud in banking and utilities through smart home analytics, as well as for streamlining traffic optimization in the retail sector. 

How Accenture and Ookla boost AI connectivity

The combination of Accenture’s global reach and consulting expertise with Ookla’s specialized data products will create a comprehensive suite of end-to-end network intelligence services.

Ookla’s portfolio includes globally recognized brands such as Speedtest, which defines user experience; Downdetector, which accelerates incident identification; RootMetrics, which provides independent benchmarking; and Ekahau, which drives digital workplace transformation through superior Wi-Fi design. 

Manish Sharma, Chief Strategy and Services Officer at Accenture, explains, “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.”

With a team of approximately 430 experts in software engineering, radio frequency engineering, and data science, Ookla’s insights are anchored by more than 250 million consumer-initiated tests per month, complemented by controlled drive, walk, and embedded testing options.

This technical capability will enable Accenture to provide the three important client groups with greater precision for their emerging needs:

• Communications Service Providers (CSPs): CSPs can build more autonomous networks that leverage real-time data, predictive simulations, and AI-driven insights to maximize infrastructure investments and significantly lower operational costs.
• Hyperscalers and Cloud Providers: The tools will help ensure the resilience of AI infrastructure and edge data centers, which are key to handling most inference workloads.
• Enterprises: Organizations can design and troubleshoot mission-critical private 5G and Wi-Fi networks more effectively.

Ookla CEO Stephen Bye noted that joining Accenture will allow the company to scale its premier network data business across the world’s largest enterprises, accelerating its 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,” he said.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, with terms of the transaction not being disclosed.

Accenture ranked #2 in OA500 2025, an objective index of the world’s 500 top outsourcing companies. The 2026 edition of the OA500 is expected to be released soon. (Read the OA500 2026 methodology paper here.)