| RootMetrics | |
| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Industry: | Wireless, Technology, Mobile, Telecom |
| Founders: | Ron Dicklin Paul Griff Jason Browne Andy Hollenbeck |
| Location City: | Bellevue, Washington |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Area Served: | United States, United Kingdom |
| Products: | RootScore Reports CoverageMap and CoverageMap Mobile App |
| Parent: | IHS Markit |
| Homepage: | www.rootmetrics.com |
RootMetrics (formerly Root Wireless) offers scientifically collected and crowdsourced mobile network performance information to consumers and the industry.[1] The firm captures user information by testing network performance when consumers are using their mobile phone for voice or data communications.[2]
RootMetrics was acquired by analytics firm IHS Inc. in 2015.
On December 14, 2021, RootMetrics was acquired by the Seattle-based internet performance analyzer Ookla.
RootScore Reports provide mobile network comparison information based on the company’s testing. In the United States, the firm publishes reports for the U.S. as a whole, the 50 U.S. states, the 125 most populous U.S. cities, and the 50 busiest U.S. airports. In the UK, RootMetrics publishes RootScore Reports for the four UK nations, 16 most populous metropolitan areas, and three London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, and City). The reports show network reliability and speed using two indexes: Network Reliability and Network Speed.[3] The Network Reliability Index is made up of results from data/mobile internet, call, and text testing; the Network Speed Index is compiled from data/mobile internet and text results.
The RootMetrics CoverageMap combines the company's scientifically-collected results with results crowdsourced from consumers. It is available both online and within the company’s mobile app for Android and iOS. It displays call performance, average call signal strength, download data speeds, and types of network technology available.[9]
Tests are conducted with unmodified Android-based smartphones purchased off the shelf at regular mobile phone stores. The company tests mobile networks at various locations and hours, both indoors and outdoors, and while driving, using a random sampling methodology to prevent bias.[10] [11]
Test locations are randomly selected in each state and each nation, and divided into groups by population size, with each population-based group given equal weighting.[12]
Complementing its professional testing, the firm also gathers crowdsourced network performance data from mobile users,[13] combining them to produce the CoverageMap comparison tool, available both online and within the mobile application.
RootScore Awards are assigned to the networks with the top score in data/mobile internet performance, call performance, text performance, and overall performance incorporating the three categories.[14] [15] For airports the awards are based on the data/mobile internet performance.[16]