OpenSignal

OpenSignal, founded in 2010 by Brendan Gill, Sina Khanifar, James Robinson, and Sam Westwood, operates as an independent global analytics company specializing in quantifying mobile network experiences. The founders identified a critical need for independent and reliable data on mobile network performance, which drove the creation of the company to provide transparent insights. Brendan Gill, the CEO, studied physics at Oxford University and previously founded an e-commerce company.

The firm's core business revolves around crowdsourcing data from users who have installed its mobile applications. These apps, running in the background, collect billions of data points on network signal strength, data speed, reliability, and Wi-Fi access points. This methodology allows OpenSignal to build a comprehensive, real-world picture of network performance as experienced by actual users, a contrast to traditional drive-testing models. This vast dataset is then analyzed to produce detailed reports, coverage maps, and industry benchmarks. The company's primary clients are mobile and broadband network operators, telecom regulators, and financial analysts who use these insights to improve networks, validate marketing claims, and understand market dynamics. Revenue is generated through data licensing to third parties, offering proprietary analytics solutions and consulting services to industry players.

OpenSignal provides a suite of products and services. The main OpenSignal app allows consumers to check their signal strength, find better connections, locate free Wi-Fi, and run speed tests. The data collected powers solutions for businesses, such as the Opensignal Network Experience Suite (ONX) for technical teams and Subscriber Analytics for commercial teams. The company regularly publishes free, in-depth reports on the state of mobile networks in over 80 countries, covering metrics like 4G/5G availability, video experience, gaming experience, and download speeds, which have become a global standard. The company was acquired by Comlinkdata in September 2021.

Keywords: mobile analytics, network performance, crowdsourced data, telecommunications, connectivity insights, data licensing, subscriber analytics, mobile experience, network monitoring, market intelligence