WiredNYC “LEED for Broadband” Certification Launches with 150 Buildings

Today marks the launch of WiredNYC, a rating platform that evaluates the broadband connectivity and infrastructure of office buildings. The program is designed to encourage and accelerate deployment of broadband technologies and create transparency about broadband infrastructure in the commercial real estate market by creating a “LEED for broadband” certification, giving businesses information about a building’s connectivity, and allowing landlords to better market a building’s assets.

WiredNYC, which is being operated on behalf of the City by Jared Kushner, CEO of Kushner Companies, has enlisted the participation of ten of the city’s largest real estate owners, including Rudin Management, SL Green Realty, Forest City Ratner, Vornado, Tishman Speyer, The Feil Organization, RXR Realty, Jamestown Properties, and Shorenstein, with over 150 buildings currently signed up for the program representing approximately 100 million square feet of office space. The Mayor Bloomberg made the announcement in Downtown Brooklyn at MetroTech Center, which has a platinum Wired Certification rating from WiredNYC.

“If New York City is going remain competitive in the global economy, we must find ways to support the entrepreneurs who are driving technological advances and creating jobs,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “With these new initiatives, we are making targeted investments to improve our city’s wireless infrastructure and expand Internet access. We’re also measuring how connected our city’s buildings are and sharing that information, so that entrepreneurs are empowered to make the best decisions about where to open a business.”

WiredNYC, part of the City’s suite of broadband initiatives announced last year, is a building certification program that evaluates the broadband connectivity and infrastructure of New York City buildings in order to encourage and accelerate deployment of leading broadband technologies. This program will create transparency about broadband infrastructure in the commercial real estate market, giving businesses information about a building’s connectivity when choosing where to locate, and allowing landlords to market their buildings’ assets and compete for tenants.

The certification rating system, titled “Wired Certification,” will include grades of Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Connected, and broadband information will be shared publicly through a web platform, WiredScore.com. Dozens of real estate companies are currently in the process of finalizing their participation, with a goal of over 500 participating buildings throughout New York City. The program has received the official endorsement from the Real Estate Board of New York, Building Owners and Managers Association of New York, and the Association for a Better New York. It is also supported by a number of technology-focused institutions, including the Telecommunications Industry Association, NY Tech Meetup and General Assembly.

Wired NYC is also designed to serve as a template for other cities across the country, with a goal to expand the program into additional cities by the end of 2014. Other participating buildings are located in emerging technology centers across the City’s five boroughs, including Long Island City, Downtown Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, Chelsea, Midtown Manhattan, and Hudson Square.

“Mayor Bloomberg has done an incredible job transforming New York City into a center of technology and innovation,” said Jared Kushner, CEO of Kushner Companies. “Every day it becomes clearer that tech is the future economy of our city and in that economy, we fundamentally rely on connectivity to operate our businesses. I am excited to work with the Mayor on uniting the real estate and tech worlds through WiredNYC which will bring transparency to broadband connectivity in NYC commercial buildings.”