Helping airports leaders navigate the digital transformation

Ookla, a global leader in connectivity intelligence, has announced a strategic partnership with Imagine Wireless to help airport leaders navigate the complexities of digital transformation.

This collaboration, combining Ookla’s network insights with Imagine Wireless’s specialised advisory services, is designed to equip aviation stakeholders with the future-proofed strategies and private network expertise necessary to build resilient, next-generation infrastructure.

The alliance leverages Imagine Wireless’s role as a trusted strategic advisor to airports, integrating Ookla’s suite of measurement and analysis tools, including Speedtest Insights, Speedtest Certified, and Ekahau, to validate network performance.

By combining Imagine Wireless’s deep domain expertise with Ookla’s data and services, the partnership enables clients to optimise private 5G, Wi-Fi, and public cellular networks.

“At Ookla, our mission is to provide industry-leading network intelligence that empowers organisations to make data-driven decisions,” said Chip Strange, chief strategy officer at Ookla.

“By partnering with Imagine Wireless, we are extending the impact of our insights into the critical aviation vertical. This collaboration ensures that airports and enterprise clients have the independent validation and performance metrics necessary to support mission-critical operations and their ambitious digital transformation goals.”

REDEFINING CONNECTIVITY STANDARDS FOR AVIATION

A primary focus of the Ookla-Imagine Wireless relationship is the aviation sector, a vertical that consumes wireless services at significant scale compared to many other industries.

As airports increasingly utilise set-aside spectrum for private wireless networks, the need for accurate, independent performance data continues to grow to support core airport operations and long-term infrastructure investment.

The partnership supports the next-generation airport digital modernisation initiative, focused on deploying and validating private 5G and advanced Wi-Fi networks that power safety, security, logistics, and passenger experience systems.

Young mobile traveller with smartphone, backpack and suitcase walking along airport and messaging or looking through online information.

Independent performance data, including Ookla’s Speedtest Certified methodology, allows the aviation industry to define and validate its connectivity requirements with telecommunications providers and support confirmation of agreed-upon service levels, rather than relying solely on standard commercial benchmarks.

“The aviation sector is now the second largest consumer of mobile operator telecom services globally. Airports are utilising spectrum for private wireless networks as a critical piece of infrastructure enabling a new digital transformation programme we call AviationX,” said Norman Fekrat, managing partner of Imagine Wireless.

“While public cellular networks are mostly for consumers/passengers and Wi-Fi is an alternative where public cellular signals don’t reach.

“Airports are utilising set-aside spectrum to increase the security and safety around aviation. Our relationship with Ookla is focused on measuring the wireless service levels and Quality of Service (QoS) metrics necessary to deploy next-gen use cases like autonomous vehicles and provide private secure wireless services to their ecosystem.”