In today’s rapidly evolving commercial real estate landscape, digital connectivity has become a top priority for businesses and building owners alike.
Understanding WiredScore Certification
Established in 2013, WiredScore is an internationally recognised certification system that assesses the quality of a building’s digital infrastructure. The WiredScore rating evaluates the building’s internet connectivity, reliability, and performance, ultimately providing a certification level ranging from Wired Certified to Wired Certified Platinum. A higher certification level signifies better digital infrastructure, thereby making the property more attractive to potential tenants who require reliable and fast internet connectivity.
The Growing Importance of Mobile Signal
In today’s fast-paced world, mobile connectivity has become a key component of the way we work and live. People rely on their smartphones to stay connected with colleagues, clients, and loved ones, making mobile signal strength and reliability a critical aspect of daily life. As businesses continue to adopt flexible and remote working arrangements, the need for seamless mobile connectivity within commercial buildings has never been more important. Recognising this growing demand, WiredScore has incorporated mobile signal into their evaluation process, ensuring that certified buildings meet the highest standards of mobile connectivity.
The Impact of Mobile Signal on WiredScore Certification
Previously, the WiredScore certification process focused primarily on fixed internet connectivity, evaluating factors such as the number of internet service providers, the presence of backup infrastructure, and the building’s overall connectivity potential. With the recent inclusion of mobile signal in the scoring criteria, the evaluation now extends to encompass the quality and coverage of mobile networks within a building.
This change has significant implications for building owners and managers. By ensuring strong mobile signal coverage throughout their properties, they can not only improve the building’s overall connectivity but also gain valuable extra points during the WiredScore certification or recertification process. This, in turn, can lead to a higher certification level, which makes the property more appealing to tenants who demand top-notch digital infrastructure.
Taking Advantage of the Opportunity
For building owners seeking to maximise their WiredScore certification, there are several steps that can be taken to improve mobile signal within their properties:
Collaborate with mobile signal enhancement specialists
Engage with a specialist provider such as Signal Solutions to explore ways of enhancing signal strength and coverage within the building. This will likely include the installation of a hybrid DAS system that uses signal boosters and a network of internal antennas to distribute the signal around the building. Take a look at Amplifi-Qx from Signal Solutions for further information.
Optimise building infrastructure
Evaluate the building’s design and materials to identify any potential barriers to mobile signal penetration. Solutions such as installing low-emissivity glass, using signal-friendly construction materials, and strategically placing antennas can help overcome these challenges. You can read more about the impact of modern building materials in this blog post.
Regularly monitor and maintain mobile signal
Consistently track mobile signal strength and quality throughout the building to identify any emerging issues or changes in network performance. Regular maintenance of signal-enhancing equipment is essential to ensure optimal connectivity.
Communicate with tenants
Keep tenants informed about the steps being taken to improve mobile signal within the building. This transparency helps build trust and can make tenants more receptive to any necessary upgrades or disruptions during the improvement process.
The inclusion of mobile signal in the WiredScore certification process highlights the growing importance of mobile connectivity in the commercial real estate market. As more businesses rely on mobile devices for daily operations, building owners must prioritise mobile signal strength and coverage to remain competitive.
By taking advantage of this new opportunity in the certification process, building owners can not only improve their properties’ overall connectivity but also potentially achieve a higher WiredScore certification level, making their buildings more attractive to prospective tenants.
