Industry City becomes first Brooklyn property with super-fast internet certification

From professional sports teams to technology firms, companies located in Sunset Park’s Industry City complex have reason to celebrate today: They have access to one of the best internet connections in New York City.
Industry City announced Tuesday that it’s the first property in Brooklyn and the outer boroughs to receive a Platinum Wired Certification from WiredScore. Buildings 1, 2 and 10 obtained a platinum rating and Buildings 3-9 received a Silver Wired Certification.
“Superior connectivity used to be a nice amenity, but now it’s an essential element, especially for the tech firms and tech-minded makers driving the city’s economy,” said Industry City CEO Andrew Kimball. “What differentiates a good location from the best location is the internet speed, and we have it.”
WiredScore, founded in 2013, evaluates and certifies commercial buildings with the fastest internet connections. It’s like LEED certification but for broadband infrastructure (instead of green-building cred).
The honorific is another step in Industry City’s bid to become a major anchor of the New York tech scene. In March, the former shipping terminal announced a billion-dollar plan to become “a hub for the innovation economy,” Kimball said at the time.
Current tenants of the 6-million-square-foot warehouse complex include MakerBot, the Brooklyn Nets, BaubleBar, Crate and Barrel, Doob 3D, Shyp and other fashion, manufacturing and technology companies.
Making sure they have access to top-notch broadband is part of the plan for attracting other innovative companies.
“I think your best marketers are always your existing tenants,” said Kimball.
WiredScore’s Platinum certification denotes access to multiple internet service providers and fiber connectivity throughout a building, according to Industry City officials. AT&T, Verizon and Brooklyn Fiber (whose efforts to expand fiberoptic cable into Sunset Park we covered earlier this year) are among the eight ISPs Industry City tenants can choose from.