Request for Proposals for57BBD0A3-55D7... · 2020. 12. 29. · Begin Project Implementation July 18, 2021 (tentative) 3.2 Proposal Submission Requirements 3.2.1 An electronic copy

Town of China Broadband Project Page 1 of 27

Town of China

Request for Proposals for

Town of China Broadband Project

December 29, 2020

Prepared on behalf of the Town of China, Maine

byMission Broadband, Inc.


Table of ContentsInvitation for Proposals....................................................................................................................3Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................41. Statement of Purpose ............................................................................................................62. Project Correspondence and Questions ................................................................................73. RFP Process Timetable and Proposal Submission Requirements ........................................74. Instructions to Vendors.........................................................................................................85. Authorized Negotiator ........................................................................................................116. Vendors Responsibility for Proposal Costs ........................................................................117. Compliance with Laws, Permits, Rules ..............................................................................118. Insurance.............................................................................................................................119. Town of China Broadband Network – Outside Plant Design and Implementation ...........1210. Town of China Broadband Access Network – Access and Aggregation Electronics Design

and Implementation ............................................................................................................1511. Upstream Internet Connectivity..........................................................................................1612. Service Providers ................................................................................................................1713. Network Operator ...............................................................................................................1914. Evaluation and Selection Criteria .......................................................................................2215. Rejection/Negotiation Rights..............................................................................................24Exhibit A-1: Example Broadband Architecture ............................................................................25Exhibit A-2: Examples of Network Applications..........................................................................26Exhibit B: List and Description of External Documents Referenced in RFP................................27


Invitation for ProposalsRequest for Proposals for Vendor Services

The Town of China wishes to engage the services of a qualified vendor and/or vendors (Vendor or Vendors) to provide services in support of the Town of China Broadband Project.

Requirements of the project are detailed in this Request for Proposals (RFP) document that may be obtained on the Town of China website at the following URL: https://china.govoffice.com/index.asp?SEC=DCD13704-6905-431A-80BD-54E01B99D9B1&Type=B_BASIC

A Vendor must cause an electronic copy of its proposal in pdf format to be received by Mission Broadband (RFP Administrator) by no later than 3:45 PM Eastern time on Friday, January 29, 2021 at the following email address: [email protected]. A Vendor must cause one (1) hard copy of its proposal to be received by the Town of China at its office no later than 3:45 PM Eastern time on Friday, January 29, 2021. The hard copy of the Vendor’s Proposal must be enclosed in an opaque envelope addressed to “Town of China, Attention: Angela Nelson, Town Clerk, 571 Lakeview Drive, China, Maine 04358” and bear the name and address of the Vendor.

Proposals shall be clearly marked:

“Town of China Broadband Project.”

Proposal Opening. Promptly after 3:45 pm on January 29, 2021 the Town Clerk will open each Vendor’s Proposal received before that time and date, acknowledge the Town’s receipt of that Proposal and the name and address of each such Vendor. The Town Clerk expects to provide a Zoom link to those persons who have notified her by email at or before 3:00 pm on January 29, 2021 of their interest in witnessing her opening of such Proposals as the Town may receive. The Town Clerk’s email address is [email protected].

The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or any part thereof, to waive any formality, informality, information, irregularity and/or errors in the proposal, and to accept the proposal(s) considered, in the Town’s sole and absolute discretion, to be in the best interest of the Town.


Executive Summary

The Town of China, located in central Maine with easy access to the state capitol and the mid coast area, is interested in enhancing and expanding broadband facilities and services throughout the entire community. In a substantial area of the Town, there is access to basic broadband service (25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload). In a smaller area of the Town, there is access to higher speeds (such as 940 Mbps download/30 Mbps upload). In China, as elsewhere, with multiple people in a household schooling or working remotely at the same time, there is pressure on the top end of broadband.

The Town’s purpose in circulating this RFP is to address the broadband needs of residents, businesses, schools, seasonal visitors and others within the Town through a collaborative approach utilizing private sector and public resources. The Town does not, however, want to subsidize improvements which the private sector can be expected to undertake within the Town.

The Town’s goal is to provide, and/or to cause to be provided, a broadband network capable of providing robust services with sufficient upstream speeds to support emerging applications that require symmetrical speeds typically not supported on copper facilities. Looking to the future the Town’s goal is to enable every resident to have access to 1Gbs symmetrical services over time but this is not a requirement of this RFP. The Town expects that all solutions proposed will provide minimum upload speeds from the customer premise of 25Mbps. The Town anticipates a steady and perhaps rapid increase in the community’s demand over time for high quality broadband service, and requires the network design to be expandable and responsive to such increased service demands over its useful life.

The Town is soliciting proposals for the enhancement and expansion of broadband facilities and services by existing providers who are already providing services in the Town and/or through new providers interested in design, construction and implementation of new broadband facilities throughout, or in portion(s) of, the Town. This network infrastructure must be affordable, reliable, minimum 20-year life and offer best service levels available. The Town will entertain proposals from individual Vendors or Vendor teams in response to any or all of the components of this RFP.

The Town understands that there are several different types of networks that could be constructed to achieve its goals and is not bound to a particular solution. A desktop engineering exercise was performed to estimate the cost of a “greenfield fiber to the premises” (FTTP) build throughout the Town and information related to that exercise is available to proposing Vendors from the RFP Administrator. Please note, however, that the Town wishes to explore all options and to meet the performance requirements while being as financially prudent as possible.

The Town has defined within this solicitation the performance standards desired. The Town is interested in a collaboration which provides exceptional customer service to its residents, businesses and seasonal population. All technology solutions proposed must be permissible under the zoning, land use and other ordinances of the Town of China.

The Town is committed to exploring various technology and operational models that would achieve the desired outcome. All qualified Vendors are invited to propose innovative solutions to


achieve the Town’s desired outcomes. Each proposal must provide the detail necessary for the Town to readily evaluate such proposal and to determine whether and how each proposal will satisfy the Town’s expected outcomes in whole or in part.

The Town has established the China Broadband Committee (CBC) which has been working for several years researching and exploring options for expanding broadband facilities and service within the Town.

As of the 2010 Census, China had a population of 4,238 people. There are approximately 3,200 parcels within the town boundaries and currently there are approximately 2,300 structures and buildings, such as homes, schools and businesses, among others, the occupants of which may want to connect to broadband services. In addition, of such structures and buildings, (1) approximately 2,010 are single family residences, of which approximately 1,300 are year-round and approximately 710 are seasonal, (2) approximately 260 are multi-dwelling units (apartment house or condominium development) and (3) approximately 30 are commercial buildings.

Within the Town are two large bodies of water: China Lake and Three Mile Pond. The Town of China contains four historic villages: China, South China, Weeks Mills and Branch Mills.


1. Statement of Purpose1.1 The Town of China, ME is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP).1.2 Mission Broadband is an independent telecommunications consulting firm retained

by the Town of China to manage the RFP process for the Town of China Broadband Project. Mission Broadband will be the recipient of Vendor correspondence related to this RFP as described in Sections 3 and 4 and will provide consultative support to the Town of China throughout the process.

1.3 The Town will make all final determinations related to scoring proposals and selecting Successful Vendors.

1.4 The Town is soliciting proposals on the design, buildout and operation of a robust broadband network within the Town proper boundaries with connectivity to an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The network will provide a minimum of 25Mbps upload speeds to approximately 2,300 structures and buildings, such as homes, schools and businesses, among others, the occupants of which may want to connect to broadband services. The Town is seeking a solution that will provide a path to provide 1Gbps symmetrical speeds in the future. The Town is open to exploring alternate or hybrid solutions that meet these criteria. A preliminary desktop engineering exercise was conducted in the summer of 2020 using available pole data to provide an estimate of what it would cost to build a fiber to the premise network through the entire Town. Information related to this effort is available in the documents referenced in Exhibit B and titled “Town of China RFP KML Files Input.kmz” and “Town of China RFP KML Files Network.kmz”.Vendors may propose to build a Central Office or Head End in the Town of China to house the access and core electronics of the broadband network. Vendor’s may also choose to provide service throughout the Town without constructing a Central Office or Head End if they are capable of doing so. The Town also seeks proposals on the deployment and management of access and core electronics as well as ongoing operation, maintenance and support of the entire network. The Town will consider proposals whereby it would own the access and transport network components, including all physical infrastructure and electronics, and the Town will seek the services of a qualified respondent to operate the network. The Town is requesting Service Providers to provide robust Internet access services with minimum upload speeds of 25Mbps. The Town expects over-the-top streaming video services to continue to be the preferred method for consuming video-based services. The components requiring responses are detailed in sections 9 through 13 and are as follows:

1.4.1 Town of China Broadband Access Network: Outside Plant Design and Implementation – RFP Section 9.

1.4.2 Town of China Broadband Access Network: Access and Aggregation Electronics Design and Implementation – RFP Section 10.

1.4.3 Upstream Internet Connectivity – RFP Section 11


1.4.4 Service Providers – RFP Section 12.1.4.5 Network Operator: a qualified operator to manage and operate the

end to end network on behalf of the Town. – RFP Section 13.

2. Project Correspondence and Questions2.1 All project correspondence and questions shall be by email to:

RFP AdministratorMission BroadbandSuite 4145 Exchange StreetBangor, ME 04401Email: [email protected] It is the Vendor’s responsibility to confirm the RFP Administrator’s timely receipt of such correspondence.

3. RFP Process Timetable and Proposal Submission Requirements3.1 RFP Process Timetable

Milestone Target DateIssue RFP December 29, 2020All Written Questions Submitted January 8, 2021, 12:00 pmResponse to All Questions Posted January 13, 2021, 5:00 pmProposals Due by 3:45 PM Eastern January 29, 2021Award Date February 26, 2021Financial Town Meeting (Funding Vote) May 18, 2021 (tentative)Contract Execution June 15, 2021 (tentative)Begin Project Implementation July 18, 2021 (tentative)

3.2 Proposal Submission Requirements3.2.1 An electronic copy shall be emailed to the RFP

Administrator, Mission Broadband at [email protected] and received by 3:45 PM Eastern time on the Proposal Due Date noted in the Timetable above.

3.2.2 One hard copy of the proposal shall be received by the Town of China, Attention: Town Clerk, Angela Nelson, at or before 3:45 PM on the Proposal Due Date noted in the Timetable above. Proposals shall be clearly marked “Town of China Broadband Project” on the outside of the envelope.

3.3 Proposal Addendums and Q&A3.3.1 Vendors should submit any questions, noted errors,

discrepancies, ambiguities, exceptions, or deficiencies they


have concerning this RFP by emailing such requests, with “Town of China RFP Inquiry” in the subject line, to RFP Administrator, Mission Broadband at [email protected].

3.3.2 The Town will post any addendums to this RFP, as well as any question received and any response thereto, on the Town’s website at https://china.govoffice.com/index.asp?SEC=DCD13704-6905-431A-80BD-54E01B99D9B1&Type=B_BASIC For clarity of response, the Town may restate or combine questions received from multiple Vendors.

3.3.3 Vendors shall include all addenda in their responses, and all instructions in Section 4 that apply to the issued RFP also apply to any/all addendums.

4. Instructions to Vendors4.1 Any Vendor planning to respond to this RFP must email the RFP Administrator at

[email protected] announcing their intention to do so as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 pm on January 15, 2021.

4.2 Any and all information provided to Vendors by the Town of China or Mission Broadband, is considered to be proprietary information and must be used solely for the purpose of preparing a proposal in response to this RFP and is not to be released outside the Vendor organization without written permission from the Town.

4.3 It is the responsibility of a Vendor to review and evaluate this RFP and to request any desired clarification prior to the “Questions” due date in the RFP Process Timetable in section 3.1 above.

4.4 A Vendor is responsible for any error or omission in its proposal and shall have no right to withdraw its proposal after the date and time fixed for the receipt of the proposals.

4.5 The Vendor shall detail the cost of each RFP component which the Vendor is proposing to undertake.

4.6 A Vendor can team with another Vendor and/or respond to some or all of the RFP. No automatic advantage will be assessed for a proposal that addresses all RFP components, and conversely no automatic disadvantage will be assessed for a proposal that fails to address all RFP components. If a Vendor teams with another Vendor, then the information requested in the RFP for a Vendor shall be provided for each Vendor member of the team.

4.7 Vendors shall use the numbering convention in this RFP when formatting their response. The Vendor response shall be explained in detail and shall indicate how the Vendor proposes to satisfy each requirement, where necessary. At the very


least, the Vendor must indicate compliance, non-compliance, understood or exception for each line item.

4.8 Vendors shall cite specific terms and conditions to which they take exception. The Vendor shall state the exact requirement to which exception is taken. Any cost impact associated with an exception shall be identified and included in the proposal.

4.9 Vendors shall provide a detailed narrative of the components and processes involved in the implementation of their solution. Vendors shall provide project Implementation Timelines for their proposed solution(s), detailed for each applicable component in Section 1.4.

4.10 All proposals shall provide a straightforward, concise delineation of the Vendor’s understanding of and capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.

4.11 Vendors shall provide professional references from similar projects, including: contact name, mailing address, phone number, email address and description of the projects.

4.12 Vendor shall describe any experience serving municipal broadband networks.4.13 As a separate document, but included in the RFP response submittal, the Town

requests an Executive Summary that summarizes the Vendor’s approach to a prospective enterprise with the Town for this project.

4.14 Each Vendor shall name the Project Manager that Vendor will assign to the project along with a description of the Project Manager’s qualifications and experience.

4.15 All proposals submitted shall be valid for one year, or until a contract between the Town and the Vendor to carry out the Vendor’s proposal is signed, whichever comes first.

4.16 A Proposal may be rejected in whole or in part if it limits or modifies any terms and conditions and/or specifications of this RFP.

4.17 By responding, the Vendor states that the Proposal is not made in connection or cooperation with any competing Vendor submitting a separate response to the RFP and is, in all aspects, fair and without collusion or fraud.

4.18 The Vendor shall comply with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations related to the performance of the contract to the extent that the same may be applicable.

4.19 The Town reserves the right to seek clarification of each Proposal or to make an award without further discussion of the Proposals received. Therefore, it is important that each Proposal be organized and submitted in a clear and complete manner.

4.20 Vendors may use the accompanying file titled Town of China RFP Pricing Matrix.xls that is referenced in Exhibit B.3 for the pricing of their proposed


solutions. Using this matrix is preferred but not mandatory. The tabs on the spreadsheet are named to match the RFP sections requiring proposals.

4.21 The Vendor shall clearly outline warranty information and annual maintenance costs for all components included in the solutions they propose.

4.22 All materials submitted in response to the RFP become the property of the Town. If there is any concern about confidentiality, mark the appropriate pages of your response “Confidential.” The Town and Mission Broadband will attempt to honor all reasonable requests for Vendor confidentiality.

4.23 No contract will be awarded except to responsible Vendors deemed by the Town to be capable of performing the work requested. Vendor's employees shall be trained and qualified to perform the work and operate all required equipment. Before the award of the Contract, any Vendor may be required to show that they have the necessary facilities, experience, personnel, ability and financial resources to perform the work in a satisfactory and timely manner.

4.24 The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or any part thereof, to waive any formality, informality, information, irregularity and/or errors in the proposal, and to accept the proposal considered to be in the best interest of the Town.

4.25 Any award to a Vendor pursuant to this RFP may, as a condition, require such Vendor to post a 100% Performance and Payment Bond.

4.26 If a Vendor intends that any of its obligations pursuant to its proposal will be carried out by a subsidiary or other affiliate, rather than Vendor, then Vendor will describe any such arrangement and shall provide the capability, reference and other information required by the RFP for any such subsidiary or affiliate and shall state in its proposal that the Vendor will guarantee the performance of any such obligation by any such subsidiary or affiliate.

4.27 The terms and structure of any collaboration of Vendors shall be described in their proposal or proposals.

4.28 A Vendor’s proposal in response to this RFP shall be understood by the Town as a representation by the Vendor that it has not collaborated with any entity or other person to limit or eliminate any other response to this RFP and that the Vendor’s proposal is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud.

4.29 From the time this RFP is issued until award notification is made, all contact regarding this RFP must be made through the RFP Administrator. No Town employee or other person is authorized to make any binding statement regarding this RFP. Any violation of this provision may lead to disqualification from the RFP’s selection process.

4.30 A Vendor’s proposal shall contain a statement that the proposal and the pricing therein will be and remain valid and binding on the Vendor for a period beginning on the date the proposal is delivered to the Town and ending on the date which is 182 days after the Award Date set forth in subsection 3.1 hereof.


4.31 Each Vendor submitting a Proposal agrees that its Vendor Negotiator (see section 5.2 below) and any other Vendor representative identified by the Town will, upon reasonable notice, meet with the RFP Administrator and Town officials, including any CBC member, by reasonable means, for a reasonable amount of time, to review the Vendor’s Proposal if the Town, acting through the Town Manager or the CBC, determines that such a meeting could be useful to the Town.

4.32 All references to a time of day are to Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5).

5. Authorized Negotiator5.1 A proposal by a Vendor shall be signed by a person duly authorized to legally

bind the Vendor in writing to carry out its proposal.5.2 The proposal shall designate the Vendor’s authorized negotiator (Vendor

Negotiator) who shall be empowered to make binding commitments.

6. Vendors Responsibility for Proposal Costs6.1 The Vendor shall be fully responsible for all proposal development and submittal

costs. The Town assumes no contractual or financial obligation as a result of issuance of this RFP.

7. Compliance with Laws, Permits, Rules7.1 Each Vendor selected by the Town shall comply with all rules, regulations,

ordinances, codes and laws relating to its work or the conduct thereof and shall secure and pay for any permits and licenses necessary for the execution of its work.

7.2 Each Vendor selected by the Town shall be responsible for implementing precautions for the safety and security of, and shall provide reasonable protection to prevent damage, injury or loss to Vendor’s employees, any subcontractor’s employees, Town personnel and the general public. Each Vendor shall comply with all applicable safety regulations including Dig Safe, traffic safety laws, OSHA and regulations of the Town of China. Each Vendor shall comply with and give notices required by applicable laws, statutes, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations, and lawful orders of public authorities bearing on safety of persons or property or their protection from damage, injury or loss.

8. Insurance8.1 Each Vendor selected by the Town shall agree to maintain General Liability

Insurance and Worker’s Compensation Insurance, where applicable, to cover all its personnel engaged in the performance of the services herein described as well as damages arising as a result of the performance of such services, in amounts acceptable to the Town, with reputable and financially responsible insurance companies acceptable to the Town and authorized for business in the State of Maine. Each Vendor selected by the Town shall furnish to the Town certificates


of such insurance and renewals upon the Town’s request. Such certificates shall name the Town of China as additional insured. Minimum insurance requirements are as follows:

8.1.1 General Liability Insurance (Contractual Liability Included)Minimum Limits:Each Occurrence: $1,000,000Products/Completed Operations: $1,000,000

If the above insurance is written on a claim made form, it shall continue for three years following termination of an agreement between the Town and such Vendor. The insurance shall have a retroactive date of placement prior to or coinciding with the effective date of this agreement.

8.1.2 Workers' Compensation InsuranceAs required under Maine law.

8.2 Each Vendor selected by the Town further agrees to require its subcontractor(s), if any, to maintain General Liability Insurance, Worker's Compensation and Employer's Liability Insurance, where applicable. The amounts of such coverage shall be as reasonably determined by such Vendor selected by the Town.

8.3 Proof of policies shall be provided with a Vendor’s proposal.

9. Town of China Broadband Network – Outside Plant Design and Implementation

9.1 The Town is seeking proposals for the design and construction or expansion of a Town wide broadband network capable of providing robust services with sufficient upload speeds to support emerging applications that require symmetrical speeds typically not supported on copper facilities. Looking to the future the Town’s goal is to enable every resident to have access to 1Gbs symmetrical services over time but this is not a requirement of this RFP. The Town expects that all solutions proposed will provide minimum upload speeds of 25Mbps to approximately 2,300 developed commercial, residential and mixed-use parcels. There are approximately 1300 year-round residences, 710 seasonal residences, 260 Multi Dwelling Units (apartment houses or condo developments) and 30 commercial buildings.

9.2 The Town will consider all types of technology solutions, i.e., wired, wireless, cellular, etc., and any combination thereof, that meet the requirements laid out in this RFP. The design must be scalable and provide minimum upload speeds of 25Mbps with a path to 1Gbps symmetrical speeds in the future.


9.3 There are undeveloped and underdeveloped parcels of land within the Town boundaries and all proposals should include sufficient capacity to expand the network to cover these areas.

9.4 As stated in Section 1.4 a desktop engineering exercise was conducted in the summer of 2020 to provide a price estimate to the town for a Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) network to every premise. The results of this effort are available in KML format to interested Vendors. The following layers are contained in the KML files: aerial span, parcels, service addresses, underground path, fiber cable, fiber equipment, fiber hubs. This data is contained in the documents referenced in Exhibit B and titled “Town of China KML Files Input.kmz” and “Town of China KML Files Network.kmz”.

9.4.1 Vendors will need to break down costs for connecting to structures as outlined in the pricing matrix titled Town of China RFP Pricing Matrix.xls which is referenced in Exhibit B.3.

9.4.2 The data provided from the desktop engineering exercise can be used by the Vendor to assist in creating accurate solutions in their design. All outside plant solutions must be designed according to industry best practices. It is recommended Vendors conduct an onsite evaluation as part of their response process.

9.5 Vendors proposing any fiber optic outside plant, design and implementation must adhere to the requirements below

9.5.1 All fibers will be single mode.9.5.2 Vendor must provide all required Outside Plant (OSP)

materials, Fiber Distribution Panels (FDP) and Racks to accommodate implementation of the physical network and termination of fiber within a Central Office or Head End.

9.5.3 Fiber cable must be installed per manufacturer’s specifications.

9.5.4 Fiber drops will be terminated into Network Interface Devices (NID’s) on customer premises with the ability to extend services inside the home.

9.5.5 Fiber drops will be a combination of aerial and buried.9.5.6 Where aerial drops exist, Vendors may use aerial solutions.

Where existing utilities are underground, drops must be buried.

9.5.7 For buried drops, conduit such as microduct is required.


9.5.8 Vendor will need to engineer drops accordingly to structure, i.e. business, multi-dwelling, condominium, etc.

9.5.9 Vendors proposing fiber will install slack loops in sufficient quantity to ensure all current and future service needs can be met. Explain Vendor’s standard practice and distance for placing slack loops.

9.6 Vendors proposing any wireless technologies or wireless-hybrid technologies for access or aggregation shall adhere to the requirements below:

9.6.1 Vendors should clearly mark the locations and state the mounting method and the necessary provision of power supply and backhaul connection for each Access Point or Fixed-Wireless Access device in the solution provided.

9.6.2 Vendor must provide all required Outside Plant (OSP) materials, Fiber Distribution Panels (FDP) and Racks to accommodate implementation of the physical network and termination of fiber within the Central Office or Head End.

9.6.3 All outdoor equipment will be weatherproof.9.6.4 Wireless devices will be mounted on structures and Network

Termination Equipment placed inside the premise.9.6.5 Each subscriber must have access to services with minimum

upload speeds of 25Mbps. 9.6.6 All field electronics must have sufficient battery to run for at

least 8 hours if commercial power is lost. Additionally, the Town prefers generator backup for critical field components where possible.

9.6.7 Access Points will be capable of providing 360-degree coverage as a baseline or option.

9.7 Any network construction Vendor selected by the Town will be responsible for the preparation of all necessary pole attachment licensing applications.

9.8 Each Vendor selected by the Town must provide to Town the industry standards that they will adhere to for installation of all network components such as Fiber Optic Association Standards (FOAS).

9.9 Each Vendor selected by the Town will be required to deliver engineering maps and as-builts of final network including documents detailing all poles, drops, slack loops, splice and termination points in paper and digital formats as determined by the Town.


9.10 Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) acceptance testing for all fibers shall be completed after fiber installation and industry standard acceptance results will be provided for the Town to review and approve.

9.11 Each Vendor selected by the Town will secure permits and approvals and finalize construction details with the Town’s support as needed.

9.12 Vendor pricing may be provided by filling out the pricing matrix titled Town of China RFP Pricing Matrix.xls referenced in Exhibit B.3 or optionally use their own pricing format.

10. Town of China Broadband Access Network – Access and Aggregation Electronics Design and Implementation

10.1 The Town is requesting design and implementation of the hardware and electronics necessary to provide robust internet services with minimum upload speeds of 25Mbps.

10.2 If construction of a Central Office or Head End is required to provide services please provide components and pricing necessary for construction of such a facility. The desktop engineering exercise included a Central Office or Head End facility on the parcel where the Town Office is currently located. If responding Vendors believe a better location is suitable please state your preference.

10.3 The diagram in Exhibit A-1 illustrates an example of GPON network deployment. The diagram in Exhibit A-2 illustrates the applications that may run over the end to end network. Vendors are encouraged to propose designs they feel optimally meet the requirements and specifications of this RFP.

10.4 Please explain where all core network access equipment, servers, software, controllers, firewalls, electronics and all other components required to operate the network will be installed if any of these components will not be installed in a Central Office or Head End.

10.5 The core network must provide scalability and flexibility to adapt to changing bandwidth and application needs over time. The desired characteristics of the network are as follows:

10.5.1 The network must scale to meet short term and long-term traffic demands. It is expected that the enablement of high-capacity broadband in the Town will result in an increase in bandwidth consumption. Emerging applications and the increased use of real time video applications will continue to drive the need for more bandwidth. IoT applications will be important as well, especially for property owners who spend time away from the Town on a seasonal basis.


10.5.2 Vendor must ensure that high availability, redundancy, and hot swappable common components (i.e. control cards/processors, power supplies, etc.) are built into the core components.

10.5.3 Explain what system upgrades would be required to support 1Gbps symmetrical service rates to subscribers.

10.5.4 Vendors proposing solutions involving wireless technologies must explain the frequencies, channels and licensed or unlicensed spectrum proposed.

10.5.5 Fiber-to-the-premise solutions must be capable of supporting access utilizing a single strand of fiber except where dual strands are required for a specific application or customer – OR – Vendor must explain how utilizing two strands for all deployments is cost effective long term.

10.6 Network Termination Equipment (NTE) on customer premise.10.6.1 NTE shall include model options of 10/100/1000 Base TX

ports facing subscribers.10.6.2 NTE shall include single port and multi-port model options

for different types of uses (I.E. single unit, multi-unit).10.6.3 Vendor will need to engineer NTE accordingly to use, i.e.

single unit, multi-unit, hotel, etc. 10.6.4 It is required that Vendors provide NTE options capable of

supporting Wi-Fi for customer use inside the premise.10.6.5 Vendors should explain compelling advantages and features

of their solution beyond the baseline listed above.


11. Upstream Internet Connectivity

For Vendors proposing new construction of broadband facilities, it is assumed that the core electronics used for direct connectivity to the internet will be housed in the Central Office that will be constructed, however, the Town is open to other solutions. Please explain the following:

11.1 Explain your solution for transporting bandwidth to and from the Town network.

11.1.1 Please explain the physical route of the fiber connection that will provide Internet service to the Town.


11.1.2 The initial solution must support at least two 10Gbps circuits upstream and two 10gbps interfaces facing the core aggregation equipment.

11.1.3 Explain the capabilities the system has to handle speeds and interfaces beyond those required for the initial project launch.

11.1.4 Explain any redundancy or failover capabilities of the system.

11.1.5 Please explain your approach to providing diverse upstream connections to the Town network. Although this is not a requirement it is something the Town may be interested in pursuing in the future.

11.2 For Vendors proposing to expand existing broadband facilities within the Town please explain the architecture that will support the expanded services that will be provided within the Town.

12. Service Providers

12.1 Town is requesting Vendors to provide services to subscribers throughout the Town. The Town seeks Vendors who will provide a superior customer experience to the community.

12.2 Vendor must have a strong track record of providing outstanding customer service and support and shall provide the following items to demonstrate this track record:

12.2.1 Three customer references.12.2.2 Summary of organizational programs or initiatives aimed at

improving the customer experience.

12.3 The Town plans to negotiate final Service Level Agreement (SLA) requirements with each Vendor selected by the Town. Please explain SLA guarantees that can be provided and are appropriate, including those from the following list:

12.3.1 Planned Network Maintenance - Please indicate the standard notification Vendor provides to customers for planned network maintenance. Vendor should describe their standard network maintenance window.

12.3.2 Escalation Procedures - Vendor should provide NOC initial point of contact and trouble reporting and escalation procedures.


12.3.3 Security Incidents: Vendor shall list any programs and procedures in place specifically for monitoring and resolving security incidents.

12.3.4 Credit Allowances - Vendor must provide an explanation of the current credit policy and credit allowances and/or refunds that may be assessed based upon service outages.

12.4 Service Provider Vendors must perform the following functions:12.4.1 Sales and marketing activity to sell services to subscribers in

the Town. 12.4.2 Billing, collection and payment of all monthly reoccurring

charges to include Federal and State taxes, surcharges and assessments.

12.4.3 Customer Service functions to include:12.4.3.1 Entering and maintaining customer service records in a

database.12.4.3.2 Vendor must adhere to all state and federal customer

privacy regulations.12.4.3.3 Receiving inbound calls from customers for service-

related issues.12.4.3.4 Signing up new customers and upgrading a customer’s

services.12.4.3.5 Billing and payments.12.4.3.6 Discussing/issuing credits when necessary.12.4.3.7 Tracking and reporting Customer Service-related

performance data to the Town.12.4.4 Technical Support Level I / II / III: Vendor must have a

Network Operations Center (NOC) or Technical Support call center to take calls from subscribers with service issues and perform the following functions:

12.4.4.1 Resolve subscriber service troubles.12.4.4.2 Provide escalation procedures to subscribers.12.4.4.3 Enter and update trouble tickets.12.4.4.4 Provide updates to end customer.12.4.4.5 Provide a process for trouble escalations.12.4.4.6 Have network management and monitoring platforms that

actively monitor nodes and services on the network.


12.4.4.7 Track and report Trouble Ticket related performance data to the Town.


13. Network Operator

13.1 The Town is seeking proposals from Vendors which are qualified operators for the operation, management and maintenance of the broadband network that will be constructed in the Town. The network is intended to be an open access network allowing Service Providers who wish to provide services over the network to do so provided they meet Town requirements, including performance and customer service standards. The operator must have experience working with and managing relationships with multiple Service Providers. The Town desires subscribers to have an excellent customer service experience regardless of time of day or weather conditions.

13.2 The Town recognizes that Vendors may be unable to respond solely to this section of the RFP due to the unknown architecture of the final network. The Town understands that qualified Vendors who wish to respond solely to this section will be required to collaborate with other Vendors for the network architecture to be defined.

13.3 The primary functions that will need to be performed are listed below. It is assumed that the Vendor selected by the Town will have existing Operational Support Systems/Business Support Systems in place and strong experience turning up, onboarding and managing greenfield networks.

13.3.1 Operator will work with Service Providers to perform the following activities related to service delivery and trouble resolution:

13.3.1.1 Coordination and scheduling of all activities related to a service install with internal and external parties including splicing, trenching, traffic control etc.

13.3.1.2 Provisioning of access and core network components to facilitate turn up of new subscriber services.

13.3.1.3 Coordination and scheduling of test and turnup / service activation.

13.3.1.4 Providing detailed installation information to customer and Service Provider.

13.3.1.5 End user service requests for all adds, moves and changes.


13.3.1.6 End user service requests concerning all trouble resolution.

13.3.1.7 Communication with all affected parties during outage events.

13.3.2 Platform Engineering Support: The operator must have core and access equipment expertise. Please provide resumes of evidence of access to such expertise.

13.3.3 Network Engineering – Physical Layer: Operator must have expertise in outside plant and systems capable of maintaining accurate plant data for all physical components of the network. Please provide an overview of the system that will be used to house the Town inside and outside plant data.

13.3.4 Network Engineering – L2/L3: Operator must have Network Engineering expertise and experience dealing with complex layer 2 and layer 3 issues. Please provide resumes of staff with networking engineering expertise.

13.3.5 Inventory: Operator must maintain sufficient inventory to perform new activations within 5 business days of initial order by customer.

13.3.6 Response Times: Operator must maintain all tools, testing equipment and critical spares in a manner that allows both installation and trouble response time commitments to be adhered to.

13.3.7 Please explain Vendor’s network change control processes.13.3.8 Operator must have a process for performing maintenance

on the network and a maintenance notification process for informing all relevant parties. Please explain.

13.4 Specific Operator Requirements13.4.1 The Town requires ongoing configuration, management, and

maintenance of the physical network as well as the electronics supporting the access platform. Please explain any functions listed above/below that would be outsourced.

13.4.2 Operator must have expertise in Layer 2 and Layer 3 architectures, Outside Plant, BGP peering and network security.

13.4.3 Operator must have a strong track record of providing outstanding customer service and support and winning Vendor shall provide the following items to demonstrate this track record:


13.4.3.1 Summary of organizational programs or initiatives aimed at improving the customer experience.

13.4.3.2 Annual Key Performance Indicator (KPI) goals and achievements for Customer Service and Technical Support for the past three years.

13.4.4 Vendor selected by the Town will provide overall security posture and approach for securing the network being proposed including any hardware, software or processes that would be implemented as part of the overall security architecture.

13.4.5 Physical Plant 13.4.5.1 The Town requires a contractor to provide ongoing

maintenance of any physical plant including backbone segments, laterals, drops, field cabinets, Access Points, Fixed Wireless Devices and all other associated OSP hardware in the network. It is the Town’s desire that the network be repaired quickly. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) will be negotiated with the Vendor selected by the Town.

13.4.6 Electronics13.4.6.1 The Town requires a Vendor to provide ongoing

operation and maintenance of the Broadband Network including all access and aggregation electronics.

13.4.6.2 A Vendor operator must provide expected annual operational costs for years 1-5. The Town also requires a Vendor operator to provide preference and pricing for 3-year, 5-year and 10-year contracts for this service.

13.4.6.3 Operate, manage and monitor the network on a 24x7 basis.

13.4.6.4 Vendor will make all network monitoring data and statistics available to the Town either through reporting or portal access.

13.4.6.5 Planned Network Maintenance – Vendors will describe their standard network maintenance notification window and communication to impacted parties.

13.4.6.6 Vendor must have trouble escalation procedures in place. Please explain.

13.4.6.7 Security Incidents: Vendor shall list any programs and procedures in place specifically for monitoring and resolving security incidents.


13.4.6.8 Credit Allowances - Vendor must provide a listing of the credit allowances and/or refunds that may be assessed based upon service outages. Vendor should state the outage intervals and the refund amounts.


14. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

14.1 The Town seeks a Town wide robust, scalable and future proofed broadband network. There are several components requiring proposals in this RFP and the Town will select the most appropriate Vendor for each component. Each Vendor is encouraged to provide detailed responses to demonstrate its experience and expertise in providing services as requested in this RFP. The selection will be based on all factors listed for each component and may not go to the lowest price proposal if price is outweighed by a combination of other features and factors in the proposal of the Vendor selected by the Town.

14.2 The Town reserves the right to select any proposal that in its sole judgment most nearly conforms to the specifications set forth herein, best serve the needs of the Town of China and provide the most cost-effective means of producing those results.

14.3 The selection decisions made by the Town under this RFP are final.14.3.1 In evaluating Vendor viability, the Town will score Vendors

based on the following criteria: 14.3.1.1 The Vendor’s previous experience with complex projects

of a similar size, scope and characteristics and/or their experience with the element(s) of the project for which they are providing proposal(s).

14.3.1.2 References from customers of the Vendor for similar projects (or element thereof) of the same size and scope.

14.3.1.3 Documentation from the Vendor that demonstrates the Vendor’s experience with similar projects (or element thereof) of the same size and scope.

14.3.1.4 Any other information that bears on the Vendor’s suitability for this project.

14.3.2 Technical Merit of Proposal scores will be assigned based on how well the proposed solution meets the currently understood and projected needs of the Town. This may include, among other things, service performance characteristics (SLA terms), technology description,


continuity of network platform, diversity and redundancy in the Vendor’s network, diversity from existing services, transport technology, reliability, technical support capabilities, scalability, expandability, future network capabilities and the appropriateness of the design proposal to meet the stated priorities of the network.

14.3.3 In evaluating an implementation timeline set forth in a Vendor proposal, the Town will consider, among other things, the projected starting date, the overall time to install, the disruption of existing services, the complexity of the installation and the projected completion date as well as the reasons for these projections. If appropriate, a starting date relative to completion of a prior milestone may be used.

14.3.4 Costs may include, among other things, monthly recurring costs, non-recurring costs, fees, the termination liability associated with existing contractual obligations, and any additional costs that the Town may potentially realize based on any given Vendor selection. All costs that can reasonably be anticipated over the desired 20-year lifecycle should be addressed. Note: The Town of China is tax exempt.

14.4 The Town will use the following Selection Criteria Matrix to evaluate proposals (additional criteria may also be used):

Component Description Vendor Viability

Technical Merit

Implementation Timeline

Cost

Essential ComponentsTown Wide Broadband Network – Outside Plant Design and Implementation (Section 9)Town Wide Broadband Access Network – Access and Aggregation Electronics (Section 10)Upstream Internet Connectivity (Section 11)Service Providers (Section 12) Internet Service Other Telecommunications Services (Optional)Network Operator (Section 13)


15. Rejection/Negotiation Rights

15.1 The Town reserves the right to disqualify any proposals for substantial non-compliance with the terms of this RFP. The Town reserves the right to accept or negotiate the contractual terms of any proposal(s) in response to this RFP.

15.2 The Town reserves the right to select multiple Service Providers.

15.3 The Town reserves the right to select multiple equipment providers.

Town of China, Maine

By: s/Rebecca HapgoodRebecca HapgoodIts Town Manager, duly authorized


Exhibit A-1: Example Broadband Architecture

Upstream Router

Diagram A-1Town of China Access Network

FTTP – Conceptual xPON Scenario

Town of China Central Office / Head End

GPON Access Platform

OLT\PON Ports to SplitterPorts in Field

Street Fiber

10GbUplinks

House

Condos

Single SubscriberNTE

MDU NTEw/ Multiple Ethernet Ports

Business ClassNTE

DemarcationLine

Hotel

Description: A-1 Conceptual Diagram of Town Access Network Created for: Town of ChinaCreated by: Mark Van Loan/Network Engineer Created/Revised on: 11/25/20

CustomerFW

Transport toInternet POP

FieldSplitter


Exhibit A-2: Examples of Network Applications

Cable TV

Upstream Router

Diagram A-2Town of China Network Applications

Town of China Central Office / Head End

FDP or Splitter Rack

OSP/Field Rack(s)(Home Run to ea sub)

GPON Platform

Street Fiber

10GbUplinks

Trunk CableBetween FDP’s

CondosNTE with

Multiple Ethernet Ports

Business ClassNTE

DemarcationLine

Hotel

Description: Conceptual Diagram of Internet Application Usage Created for: Town of ChinaCreated by: Mark Van Loan/Network Engineer Created/Revised on: 11/27/20

House

Single SubscriberNTE

CustomerFW

PhoneService

Cloud Apps &Streaming Content

VoIP ServiceProvider

Social Media Apps

Cloud Based Apps(I.E. Gmail, O365)

VoiceService

PhoneService

Cable TV

StreamingContent

FieldSplitter


Exhibit B: List and Description of External Documents Referenced in RFP

Vendors may request the following files via email to [email protected] with “Town of China RFP Inquiry” in the subject line and the following information in the body: Requestor Name and Company.

B.1A: Town of China RFP KML Files Input.kmzB.1B: Town of China RFP KML Files Network.kmz

These files contain KML files for use with Google Earth that provide a graphical, layered view of the high-level design created during the desktop engineering exercise.

B.2 Town of China RFP BOM.xls

This is an Excel spreadsheet that contains the estimated quantities and lengths of fiber required for construction of a greenfield FTTP network throughout the Town.

B.3: Town of China RFP Pricing Matrix.xls

This file is an Excel spreadsheet to be used by Vendor’s in pricing out their solutions. There is a corresponding tab for each section of the RFP with instructions for pricing out the proposed solution. Use of this Pricing Matrix is preferred but not mandatory.