By Luke Deryckx, CTO, Ookla
Ookla is thrilled to be back at GITEX this year to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of the region's network operators and look forward to the future of connectivity across the GCC and beyond. 
Alongside our operator and regulator partners, we are proud to help develop industry standards for measuring network performance and guide the next phase in the evolution of connectivity.
Today, advanced connectivity is raising expectations and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with connected experiences for consumers everywhere. Quality and dependable connectivity is also driving the digital transformation of multiple industries and forms a critical part of many of the region's development goals linked to the long-term strategic visions of many GCC States.
We're hosting representatives from regional regulators at our booth (Z3-B40, Za’abeel Hall 3) and as part of the GITEX conference agenda. These discussions strengthen the future development of networks in the region and explore how network test and measurement protocol needs to evolve to better measure, understand and help improve connected experiences for all.
The Trusted Bridge Between Consumers and Industry
We believe Ookla is uniquely positioned to help global network operators deliver better connectivity for all, due in large part to the unique space we inhabit at the intersection of networks and those who rely on them.
One indication of how important access to connectivity information has become for consumers is the over 45 billion consumer-initiated tests that have been completed on Ookla’s Speedtest apps to date. Each of these measurements helps consumers better understand the quality and performance of their connectivity. Data from those tests is analyzed using our rigorous, industry-leading methodology to create insights and reports. Ookla's Speedtest Awards program is built upon this foundation, providing a trusted and reliable view for consumers, enterprises and regulators about which networks deliver the best performance globally.
Similarly, Ookla’s Downdetector leverages millions of individual problem reports from consumers daily to publicly identify when problems occur with internet-connected services. This information also empowers content providers, network operators and other industries with valuable insights into the state of connected services. We continue to expand the reach of Downdetector, having recently launched localized service monitoring in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
At Ookla, we have a clear vision: better connectivity for all. We're constantly thinking about how expanded, improved connectivity helps improve the lives of those who rely on it. We create tools that help consumers measure and understand network performance, quality, consistency and the ever-evolving user experience. Over the past year, we have added specific user experience testing of video streaming performance and a network responsiveness measurement focusing on the latency of a saturated network segment. Both of these are crucial measures of a user's connected experience. By measuring and demystifying technical details like these, we help build a bridge of understanding and trust between the consumer, the networks and the connected services on which they increasingly rely.
Regulators Play a Central Role in the Development of Connectivity
Consumers across GCC States are among the heaviest users of data globally. This voracious demand for digital content and services has been supported by the rapid development of telecom networks. Operators in the region have been at the forefront of 5G development to date, helping push markets such as the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia into the top 10 fastest mobile markets globally, according to Ookla's Speedtest Global Index. Advanced network connectivity is also a central part of the vision for many large-scale infrastructure developments across the region, including EXPO 2020 in the UAE, the upcoming football tournament in Qatar and Saudi Arabia's NEOM project, to name only a few high-profile examples.
Underpinning this development are telecom regulators and governments, which face the formidable task of managing and allocating access to scarce spectrum resources – striking the right balance between competition and investment – and monitoring and ensuring that consumers across their markets have access to defined quality of service levels. Their role is made even more challenging by the rapidly evolving nature of today's networks and the growing complexity of the myriad of services delivered over them.
I'm proud of Ookla's extensive work with regulators across the region in support of their mission to improve connectivity. The rapid march of technology, particularly 5G networks, means that regulators increasingly need access to an independent view of real-world network performance and service quality anywhere networks are used by the public.
The Trusted Source of Network Intelligence
Speedtest and Downdetector are the cornerstones of Ookla’s crowdsourced data insights, representing the perspective of connected consumers everywhere. But Ookla provides more than crowdsourced data alone. To truly achieve our mission to measure, understand and help improve connected experiences, we have added new controlled test and measurement technologies, including the Ookla Wind product suite and the acquisition of RootMetrics. Our unique crowd-plus-controlled approach means we can simultaneously provide a broad view, validating network performance or identifying trouble spots via our crowdsourced data, and leverage our controlled testing toolset to precisely measure and validate specific network elements or undertake root cause analysis.
For regulators and operators across GCC States, Ookla's data and insights are an invaluable source of network information, providing timely, accurate and actionable information on network performance and reach. We continue to look ahead, adding new ways of testing that take advantage of both crowd and controlled methodologies and expanding our relationships with regulators to help better measure, understand and improve connected experiences for everyone.
