NEW YORK CITY-In response to the boom in the city’s growing technology sector, city officials unveiled during an economic forum sponsored by the Association for a Better New York that it will roll out a series of initiatives designed to expand broadband connectivity throughout the five boroughs. The city will work in tandem with the commercial real estate industry to get hundreds of buildings wired, permitted and certified over the next two years to handle more digital services.

The initiatives – developed by the New York City Economic Development Corp. and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications – include a competition to build out fiber wiring for commercial and industrial buildings, a grading program for connectivity in New York City buildings, a crowd-sourced digital map highlighting wired buildings citywide, a streamlined process for broadband-related permitting and a competition to develop mobile applications to help residents access critical municipal services, according to a statement from the city.

In working to streamline the permitting process, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said removing impediments to business operation, such as the lack of access to broadband in commercial office buildings, will “ensure business owners can focus the bulk of their attention on running a successful business,” while Mayor Bloomberg said helping the industry get the resources it needs – whether that means more qualified engineers or broadband connections will help more than just the tech sector. “It will make sure more businesses and more New Yorkers can get connected,” he added.