OpenSignal

OpenSignal
Name	OpenSignal
Type	Private
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	2010
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Key people	Neil McIntosh; Ian Fogg
Products	Network intelligence, mobile analytics
Services	Coverage mapping, speed testing, network performance reports

OpenSignal is a company that provides mobile network analytics and coverage mapping using crowdsourced measurement data collected from smartphones. The organization produces reports and interactive maps that compare wireless operators and technologies across countries and cities, influencing discourse among regulators, carriers, and consumer advocacy groups. Its work intersects with entities in the telecommunications ecosystem including network operators, research institutions, and standard-setting bodies.

History

OpenSignal was founded in 2010 during a period of rapid smartphone adoption concurrent with developments at Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics, and the proliferation of Android (operating system) devices. Early growth paralleled initiatives by Ofcom, Federal Communications Commission, and other regulators to understand mobile coverage, and the company engaged with academic research from institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Cambridge. OpenSignal published comparative reports that were cited alongside studies by Ookla, RootMetrics, and research from Ericsson and Nokia. Leadership changes and funding rounds involved investors and advisers connected to technology hubs in London, Silicon Valley, and New York City.

Products and services

OpenSignal offers a suite of products including coverage maps, speed-test tools, and analytics dashboards used by stakeholders such as Vodafone Group, AT&T, Verizon Communications, Telefonica, and regional carriers. Its consumer-facing mobile applications provide real-time performance metrics comparable to offerings from Speedtest by Ookla and metrics used by regulators like Australian Communications and Media Authority. Enterprise services supply anonymized datasets and bespoke reports for operators, device manufacturers including Huawei and Xiaomi, and consulting firms like McKinsey & Company and Bain & Company. OpenSignal also publishes periodic global reports that are referenced in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Financial Times.

Technology and methodology

OpenSignal's technology relies on crowdsourced probes collected via apps on devices from manufacturers such as Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics, and Google. Measurement methodologies draw on standards and practices from bodies like the International Telecommunication Union and research from laboratories at Imperial College London and Stanford University. Data collection encompasses radio metrics from LTE, 5G NR, and legacy technologies with geolocation anchored to services like Global Positioning System satellites and cell-id databases maintained by industry partners. Signal processing and map generation use techniques from geospatial analysis and big data platforms similar to solutions by Mapbox and Esri.

Coverage and data metrics

OpenSignal reports include metrics such as download and upload speeds, latency, video streaming experience, and signal availability across geographic regions and urban/rural classifications; comparable metrics are used in studies by GSMA and 3GPP. Coverage maps integrate measurements from millions of device sessions and present aggregated visualizations at city, regional, and national levels, facilitating comparisons across operators like T-Mobile US and Deutsche Telekom. The company also produces time-series analyses that can be juxtaposed with infrastructure deployments by vendors such as Ericsson, Nokia, and Huawei and spectrum allocation decisions influenced by ministries and agencies including UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Ministry of Internal Affairs (Japan).

Business model and partnerships

OpenSignal generates revenue through subscriptions for enterprise analytics, bespoke consulting engagements, and licensing of aggregated datasets to telecommunications companies, device manufacturers, financial analysts, and regulators. Partnerships have been formed with carriers including Vodafone Group and Orange S.A., and with analytics and mapping firms like Carto and HERE Technologies. The company has collaborated with academic groups at University College London and corporate research divisions at Intel and Qualcomm on performance characterization and device measurement techniques. OpenSignal's competitive landscape includes firms such as Ookla, RootMetrics, and network planning tools from NetScout Systems.

Criticism and controversies

Critics have raised methodological questions similar to debates involving Ookla and RootMetrics, focusing on representativeness, potential sampling bias from app user populations linked to manufacturers like Apple Inc. and regional device popularity such as Xiaomi in Asia. Regulators and scholars cited tensions between crowdsourced approaches and drive-test-based methodologies used by agencies like Ofcom and consultants retained by carriers. There have been disputes in industry press over interpretations of comparative reports involving operators such as AT&T and Verizon Communications, and discussions about transparency echo controversies faced by data providers in sectors including digital advertising represented by firms like Comscore. Concerns have also been voiced about privacy and anonymization practices in datasets, prompting dialogue with privacy-focused groups and legal frameworks including the General Data Protection Regulation.

Category:Telecommunications