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USA Wired Certification Guidelines
USA Wired Certification Guidelines
CERTIFICATION
GUIDELINES
FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS AND REDEVELOPMENTS
Version 1.0 — United States
INTRODUCTION
WiredScore’s Development and Redevelopment (D&R) Certification is designed to ensure that buildings in development
or undergoing redevelopment are constructed to the highest possible standards to meet the technology needs and expectations of all
future tenants.
This document, the Wired Certification Guidelines for Commercial Developments and Redevelopments is a handbook that
provides a guideline to ensure that any new commercial development or redevelopment is designed to meet the WiredScore D&R
Certification Standards. The guidelines are designed to be utilized by architects, engineers and developers during the design and
construction phases of any commercial development or redevelopment. For a quick summary of the D&R Certification parameters see
Appendix A.
These guidelines outline Wired Certification criteria and best practices that should be incorporated into building design in order
to meet the technology needs and expectations of future tenants.
WiredScore has developed these criteria based on our evaluation of over 900 commercial office buildings across the United States and
United Kingdom, while also referencing best practices developed by industry experts. These guidelines are not intended to compete
with or replace the existing standards bodies or local building codes that are referenced throughout. They are intended to complement
those existing standards while honing in on the connectivity features that are most important to today’s tenants.
Google Fiber
WIREDSCORE CONNECTIVITY
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The WiredScore Connectivity Advisory Committee is an advisory body to WiredScore who provides ongoing expertise:
Bill DelGrego, Executive Director, Neil Pennell, Head of Engineering and Design,
Business Development, Extenet Land Securities Group PLC
John J. Gilbert III, Chief Operating Officer and Chris Smith, Senior Program Manager,
Executive Vice President, Rudin Management Company Innovation, Google Fiber
• Each criterion will have a brief description along with points assigned to it
• Some criteria may include multiple options with varying point levels
• Points are summed to achieve a specific Wired Certification level
• Some certification levels have minimum criteria that must be met
Best Practices
• In addition to the section overviews and criteria, WiredScore has listed additional information about specific aspects of a building’s
telecom infrastructure
• These best practices are not required for the criteria they relate to but are accepted industry practices that WiredScore recommends
following, including both BICSI and TIA standards
Downed trees knocking out fiber lines mounted to telephone poles Downed Electrical Lines crossing communications lines caused a fire
Photo credit: Scott Harmsen / Kalamazoo Gazette Photo credit: Michael Heller
1 Albeck, William H. and Steven Estomin. 2003. Maryland Department Of Transportation, State Highway Administration Research Report, Cost Benefits
For Overhead Vs. Underground Utilities. Maryland State Highway Administration Office of Policy & Research.
Option B: Conduits to the Property Line • Conduits’ end locations should be • Duct plugs should be used to resist
[3 Points] marked with a locator ball or flag liquid and gas infiltration at all conduits,
• Conduits will be run to the property line to allow the service provider to know maintenance holes and building
of the building and stubbed for future where to meet the building owner entrance point locations.
connections to carrier conduits. with their conduit.
When selecting the number and size of conduits entering the building, consider the building square footage and the number of carriers
the building would like to be able to accommodate. The conduits into the building will be used for not only wireline providers,
but also for fiber back-haul for mobile solutions and as maintenance spares in emergency scenarios. The following chart should be used
as a guideline:
2 IEEE National Electrical Safety Code (NESC). Section 35 Rule 353: Underground Conduit Systems Separation from Other Underground Structures
3 TIA Standard for Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Infrastructure. TIA-758-B 5.1.1.2.6:2012
Building Square Footage 50k 100k 150k 300k 500k 1000k 1500k 1500k+
Maximum Points 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
* Other trade sized conduits can be used, but the total capacity should be equivalent to the above chart
Clogged Conduits at an undersized Point of Entry Properly sized POE’s allow providers to use separate conduits
• Penetrations: 6 inch bore holes should be used for 4 inch conduits and have the exterior sealed with an epoxy grout
or a modular uni-seal.
• Plugs: All conduits entering buildings shall be plugged with expandable or inflatable type duct plugs to prevent rodents,
water or gases from entering the building.
• Conduits Through Floor or Ceiling: Conduits entering through a floor or ceiling should be stubbed 4 inches above the floor
or 4 inches below the ceiling.
4 TIA Standard for Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Infrastructure. TIA-758-B 5.1.1.2.6:2012
Option B: I f Point of Entry is not directly connected to the Telecommunications Room, the below requirements must be met5:
• The number of conduits should match the capacity of conduits entering the building
• Conduits should not have more than two 90 degree or equivalent bends in each run without a pull box
• Pull boxes should not be used in lieu of conduit radius bends
• No bends in excess of 90 degrees should be used
• At least 2x2’ access panels shall be provided where pull boxes are installed in inaccessible ceilings (access panels shall be sized
for the pull box cover where larger than 2x2’)
• Pull boxes shall be provided in each conduit run of over 100 feet.
Installation Requirements:
-- Pull boxes should always be placed in accessible but secure locations
-- Pull boxes should be placed at straight sections of conduit runs and not at conduit bends
-- Pull boxes are to be designed and installed according to the Pull-box Sizing Chart on page 12 chart based
on ANSI TIA‑569‑C.
5 TIA Standard for Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Infrastructure. TIA-569, 4.4.2.1:2012
6 TIA Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces. ANSI TIA-569-C
.75 4 12 3 2
1 4 16 3 2
1.25 6 20 3 3
1.5 8 27 4 4
2 8 36 4 5
2.5 10 42 5 6
3 12 48 5 6
3.5 12 54 6 6
4 15 60 8 8
Option A: Telecommunications Room • Other utilities are defined as: any Option C: Telecommunications
is Dedicated and Secure8 [3 points] equipment that is not directly equipment is kept in a Common Area
• Telecommunications Room should associated with the telecommunications [0 points]
not be shared with building utilities system, building managed IT, and • Telecommunications equipment
that are not related to supporting its environmental (HVAC), fire, life mounted or placed in an open space
telecom mu n icat ions equipment and safety support systems. Utilities or exposed hallways that are not
and building IT functions. include but are not limited to; water protected or secure from unauthorized
Option B: Telecommunications Room supply systems, high voltage distribution access.
is Secure but Shared with Other systems, waste storage, hot water, gas,
Utilities [1 point] fuel storage, and water storage.
7 TIA Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces. ANSI/TIA/ EIA-569-A (CSA T530)
8 BICSI Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual, 13th Edition, 3-12
Option A: If building is located within • Only passive components should Option B: If building is not within
a floodplain [2 points] be installed below grade. a floodplain [2 points]
• Telecommunication rooms are located • All water pipes traversing the room must • Telecommunication rooms should be
above the FEMA BFE floodplain levels have a drip-pan with leak detection elevated from the lowest floor when
A/E, A/O, and V/VE. • Any telecommunications room sharing possible.
Example: If the build ing is in a high a wall with a bathroom, janitor sink, • All water pipes traversing the room must
risk (A/E) flood zone with a 12 foot or other building facilities with running have a drip-pan with leak detection.
BFE, the telecommunications room water needs to be built with a 6-inch • Any telecommunications room sharing
needs to be located on the 2nd floor curb blocking water ingress. a wall with a bathroom, janitor sink,
to mitigate the risk of floor damage or other building facilities with
to equipment. running water needs to be built with
a 6-inch curb blocking water ingress.
Building Square Footage 30k 50k 100k 150k 300k 500k 1000k 1500k 1500k+
Min. Total Room Square Footage* 50 70 90 136 172 230 420 540 600
Note: F
or buildings in between these size thresholds, the square footage we need to meet the requirement of the closest size tier.
Example: 76k sq. ft. building will need a 90 sq. ft. telecommunications room to obtain points.
Building Square Footage 50k 100k 150k 300k 500k 1000k 1500k 1500k+
9 TIA Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces. ANSI/TIA/ EIA-569-A (CSA T530)
• For buildings less than 500,000 sq. ft., the telecommunications room should be climate controlled to preclude overheating
and/or condensation. This can be accomplished with either active air conditioning, air circulation, or by utilizing an automatic
exhaust fan.
• For buildings over 500,000 sq. ft., the telecommunications room will likely have a larger amount of active electronics, as such,
the temperature should be designed to remain between 64‑81 degrees Fahrenheit using active air conditioning. The minimum relative
humidity should be 10-60%.
Option A: T
he telecommunications room should contain a Vapor Emitting Smoke Detection System (VESDA) to reduce the risk
of common smoke detectors detecting rising temperatures after a fire has started. This will result in the sprinkler system
destroying all electronics within the telecommunications room.
Option B: T
he telecommunications room should contain a FM-200 or dry sprinkler system to mitigate the risk of water damage
to the room.
2.7 Grounding
[Wired Certification – 1 point]
The telecommunications room should contain at least a 12” L x 4” W x 1/4” T Telecommunications Grounding Bus bar connected
to building steel via a #6 AWG Grounding Conductor. It should be separated from its support by a 2 inch insulation.
• The pathway from telecommunications room to the riser should be contained within protected conduits or trays. The number
of conduits and capacity should match the capacity of the riser conduits/sleeves. If the telecommunications room is directly below
or above the riser pathway, full credit is given.
• If multiple riser pathways exist, each lateral from the telecommunications room would need to be protected and match the capacity
of the risers.
Please see Section 1.6 for conduit routing practices to ensure the pathway meets qualifications.
A jumbled
riser can make
vertical cable
runs time
consuming
and difficult
Stacked Riser Offset Riser Jumbled Riser
Option A: Stacked Riser [2 points] an off-set riser, which is a shift in the riser Option C: Jumbled Riser [0 points]
• A stacked, vertical telecom riser should pathway of over 10 feet. When necessary, • A fully staggered riser with more than
be implemented to simplify the backbone the building riser should have no more than two off-sets of 10 feet or greater can
cabling runs within the building. two off-sets of greater than 10 feet, through make running cabling much more
Option B: Offset Riser [1 point] the height of the building as they can create difficult within the building.
• Building design often dictates the need for choke points for cable pulls.
• Riser capacity needs to account for square footage and usable floor space served. The number of sleeves or conduits used will increase
with the usable floor space served and can taper as the riser traverses the building.
• The base of the riser should be two 4-inch conduits or sleeves for any building under 100,000 sq. ft. and a base of four 4-inch
conduits or sleeves for any building over 100,000 sq. ft.
• An additional 4 inch sleeve should be added for every 100,000 sq. ft. of floor space served
• Sleeves on each floor should accommodate the remaining building square footage
• For example: In a 20 story, 1,000,000 sq. ft. building, with 50,000 sq. ft. floor plates, the basement to the 1st floor would need a total
of 13 sleeves as there would be a total of 1,000,000 sq. ft. of floor space served above the basement.
• A slot system can also be used instead of sleeves or conduits. The width of the slot perpendicular to the wall should be 4 inches.
The total slot area should be at least 60 sq. inches and should increase 12 sq. inches for every 100,000 feet of floor space served.
• If a telecommunications room is located on an upper floor, the requirements for the base will shift to the 1st floor where cabling
is traversing from the telecommunications room to tenants.
• If each floor is assigned an individual, dedicated 4 inches conduit, full credit will be awarded without the base capacity being met
100k sq. ft. 100k + sq. ft. + 100k sq. ft. + 100k sq. ft. + 100k sq. ft. + 100k sq. ft. + 100k sq. ft.
Required Capacity
• The riser should contain protected access closets on each floor for carriers to easily access tenant floors. Exposed risers on
the exterior of the building or in stairwells will not receive credit.
• Risers should be serviced by diverse routes, meaning they can be serviceable from providers through at least two separate pathways
in case one is disrupted. Separation between pathways needs to be at least 10 feet for credit.
• At least two risers should be present to ensure redundancy and protect against potential disruption. This improves the resiliency
of connectivity for tenants to keep their systems up and running. Risers must be at least 15 feet apart to qualify as diverse pathways.
• Option A: Diverse electrical feeds • Option B: Diverse electrical feeds • Option C: Single electrical feed
from diverse substations [2 points] from a single substation [1 points] [0 points]
• Tenants and telecom providers should have access to designated space near the base building electrical utility facilities or the roof
for the placement of a private generator/back-up power.
• Designated space is defined as at least 20x20’ designated for future use.
• Points given with or without dedicated building owned Standby Generator.
Future tenant
generator location
at loading dock
Mobile coverage within commercial buildings has become a major pain point for tenants and landlords alike due to a variety of different
factors. LEED certified buildings use thermal shielded Low-E glass, which essentially blocks Radio Frequency (RF) coverage.
Buildings over 500,000 sq. ft. tend to have poor coverage as deep floors plates and upper levels are out of reach of the existing Macro
mobile grid. In addition, metal wall panels and poured concrete construction can severely impact a tenant’s ability to use their cell
phone successfully. Regardless of the size of a building, landlords are getting more and more complaints from tenants and guests when
a building has poor mobile coverage.
The success or failure of mobile coverage within the building will be determined by the planning that takes place within
the development process. Understanding the coverage requirements is the first step in the process, this can be done using predictive
analysis tools based on building materials, location and size. In a redevelopment project or a new development further along in
the construction process, it would be prudent to perform a full Radio Frequency (RF) test to determine the current strength of
the outdoor or “Macro Mobile” carrier signals that are penetrating the building. The Benchmark test report, which breaks down
the results by major Mobile Service Providers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile), will tell a landlord whether the existing mobile
coverage and capacity is adequate for his or her tenants and guests.
If coverage is inadequate, the next step is to understand the infrastruct ure requirements needed to support in‑building mobile solutions.
Ensur ing that there are dedicated rooms, conduits, and wall space for a DAS or Small Cell solution can significantly reduce the amount
that a neutral host operator or mobile provider needs to invest in the building. This makes the building a much more economically viable
option for the mobile prov iders and increases the likelihood of a successful In‑Building Mobile implementation.
To receive full points, buildings must meet the floor space requirement for the Mobile Infrastructure Room as follows:
Building Square Footage 50k 100k 150k 300k 500k 1000k 1500k 1500k+
Min. Total Room Square Footage* 30 50 100 300 500 500 500 600
Note: T
elecommunications Room capacity that is above and beyond the requirement under question 2.3 will be counted towards this parameter if additional
mobile equipment space is required. Floor space must be continuous. If an off-site location is being used to house equipment, documentation will be
required.
• At least two 4-inch conduits should extend to the roof of preferably near the corners of the building.
the building into a weather proofed junction box or plugged • L ine of sight from rooftop antenna spaces should not be
with weather proofed sealant. blocked by rooftop structures such as HVAC or electrical
• T here should be at least a 6x6’ space for rooftop equipment equipment
Option A: RF Survey
• An RF survey is the first step to understanding what the mobile coverage and capacity will look like in the building.
New Developments or Redevelopments of any size should conduct an RF survey either on‑site (if a redevelopment) or using
software (if a new development) to verify that mobile coverage from at least two providers meets those carrier’s minimum
performance requirements.
For more information on when DAS is needed and best practices for installing, please refer to page 35.
• A boilerplate agreement for telecommunications should be provided describing the landlord’s rules for installing, maintaining,
and removing telecommunications equipment.
• A Utility Site Assessment should be conducted to determine the presence and location of carrier cabling/conduit in the adjacent
streets surrounding the building. This can be completed by the MEP firm, by calling a locator via 8-1-1, or by using
a telecommunications consultant to conduct the assessment.
• The result of this assessment should confirm the availability of nearby communications ducts. If there is no infrastructure available, credit
cannot be awarded.
• The goal will be to hone in and target the carriers in the immediate area to obtain serviceability confirmation.
6.3 Serviceability Confirmation from Carriers
[Wired Certification – 9 points]
*G OLD WIRED CERTIFICATION PREREQUISITE – One (1) Confirmed Fiber or Fixed Wireless Provider who
can service the building
* PLATINUM WIRED CERTIFICATION PREREQUISITE – Two (2) Confirmed Fiber or Fixed Wireless Providers
who can service the building
Tenants moving into the building should understand which carriers can provide service to the location instead of having to conduct
their own due diligence.
Serviceability confirmation can be achieved via site surveys, letters of intent, or price quotations for multiple high-quality carriers
including coax, fiber and fixed wireless. (3 Points for each coax, fiber optic, and fixed wireless service provider who can service
the building – Max 9 Points)
• If possible, obtain information on the amount of time that it will take to service the building and the associated minimum
contract required.
• If a single provider is providing multiple means of transmission into the building, credit will only be awarded once.
Total: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Bonus Total: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Grand Total: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Platinum 90 - 100+
Gold 80 - 89
Silver 70 - 79
Certified 50 - 69
Material
• The type of conduit used must meet local building and electrical codes
• Metal flex conduit is not recommended, due to possible cable abrasion problems
• Ceilings:
-- Ceiling height – Min 8 feet clear space (10 feet between finished floor and lowest point of ceiling)
-- Recommendation for maximum flexibility: do not use a suspended ceiling
• Floors:
-- Raised floors should be used if in a flood prone area or if planning hot and cold aisles
• Lighting
-- Should be powered separately from telecommunications equipment
-- Should be powered from an emergency power source if possible or contain battery back-up within emergency lighting
-- Lighting should be mounted to the structural ceiling since suspended ceilings are not recommended in telecommunications rooms.
• Grounding
-- Each telecommunications room should be equipped with a telecommunications main grounding bus bar to ensure
there is a dissipation pathway for stray electricity
Riser Preparation
• Implement a documented method for managing cable allocation and assignment to building conduits/sleeves to avoid the creation
of tangled, unorganized risers over time.
• The top floor of the vertical stack should contain a pulling iron to ensure backbone cabling can easily be run within the riser.
• Conduit rows should not be greater than two deep.
• Conduits can be prepared with a mesh inner-duct to maximize conduit capacity and organize the cabling within
-- A vertical tray system should be used whenever implementing a slot system to provide a means of securing and organizing
cabling
• riser penetrations should be fire proofed upon construction
All
Wireless Planning
• Plan for 10-15 tons of cooling capacity for the DAS equipment within the Head-End
• The room have access to a dedicated electrical panel with at least 60 amps of spare capacity
• The room should be easily accessible by freight elevators