Fiber for Breakfast 2023 Week 13: Crowdsourced Network Performance Data Insights into Customer Experience and Broadband Funding Opportunities

In this Fiber for Breakfast, join Ookla’s Vice President of Smart Communities, Bryan Darr. Now that the infrastructure bill is law, the hard work really begins. Determining how and where billions of dollars will be spent is a challenge in and of itself. Past mapping efforts have fallen well short of expectations and patience is running thin with lawmakers to get their underserved citizens connected with fast, reliable service. The long-term goal is to map connectivity to every building in the nation, but that will take time. Crowdsourced network performance data provides immediate insights into existing online experiences and will assist in targeting communities where the need for broadband infrastructure projects can be quickly justified. The ongoing inflow of this data will also provide immediate evidence of improved service without the wait of current federal reporting requirements.

Guest Bio:

Bryan Darr is the VP of Smart Communities at Ookla. His focus is on bringing Ookla’s vast network performance and coverage intelligence to the public sector and to the telecom infrastructure industry. State and local governments are hard at work protecting the public interest and ensuring digital inclusion, while simultaneously working with network providers on 5G and IoT deployments necessary to stay competitive, increase efficiencies and create smarter communities that provide a higher quality of life for all. Bryan has spent most of his professional life in the wireless industry, beginning his career in cellular as a sales representative for Cellular One of Memphis in 1985. After discovering his customers were having difficulty traveling with their phones, he founded Mosaik in 1988 (originally branded as American Roamer) and began developing consumer roaming guides. Soon, Mosaik was researching and designing mobile operator coverage maps enabling them to market the reach of their mobile networks. In June 2018, Mosaik was acquired by Ookla. Bryan currently serves on CTIA’s Smart Cities Steering Committee.