The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) is again recognizing the City of Westerville as a Top 7 Intelligent Community.

The City of Westerville was named a Top 7 Intelligent Community by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF). The City is the first community in the United States to achieve this recognition on its first attempt. Westerville was one of only three cities from the United States to be named to the prestigious list.

What Makes Westerville a Top 7 Intelligent Community

• WeConnect Fiber Network and Data Center: Westerville is home to the first and only municipally owned data center. It's a full-service, 16,000 sq. ft. facility supporting a network of more than 40 miles of flexible, scalable fiber offering 100 Gb-plus connectivity to businesses, schools and municipal service providers. WeConnect is purpose-built, carrier-neutral and compatible with any and all cloud providers. Learn more about this high-speed fiber powerhouse. 

• A Smart Grid:  Westerville is also home to the only municipally owned and operated suburban electric provider in the Columbus Region, providing excellent service to residents and businesses since 1898. The Westerville Electric Division has never settled for the status quo and is a driving force for innovation in the City. With programs like businessWISE, which provides incentives to help Westerville businesses fund green-energy programs and Rush Hour Rewards, offering rebates to customers who adopt smart Nest thermostats and help reduce peak usage and more, the City is known for bringing smart technology directly to businesses and residents.

• The Point at Otterbein University: Westerville's leadership embraces innovation at all levels. That's why the City made a substantial financial commitment to the establishment of The Point at Otterbein University, an innovation center partnership with Westerville’s local university. The Point, through this partnership, offers a unique collaborative environment where academics and innovation come together to support entrepreneurs and existing businesses. It is home to an impressive list of tenants like JP Morgan Chase, Nestle and Honda, as well as startups Nikola Labs and edgeThingZ, all conducting world-class research in food science, financial technology and advanced manufacturing.

And that's not all. Read more from the Intelligent Communities Forum.