Category Archives: Google Analytics

Google Analytics Mobile Carrier tracking inconsistency

Small FYI for anyone using Google Analytics. GA recently launched a new exciting mobile tracking feature. Now, the carrier is apparently detected based on the IP number of the device when the tracking hit was made. Unfortunately, this means devices using WiFi are detected to be operated by whomever owns the hot spot you’re using at the moment. Noticed this when checking a tracker that’s only been accessed by myself, and I can see my iPhone being listed under a couple carriers, but none of those is Sonera, who has exclusive rights to iPhone in Finland.

I can’t see how else Google could detect the carriers though, so I guess the same data quality issue will be present in all carrier trackers, unless they specifically discard data from sessions happening over WiFi.