Skip To Main Content

2021 RFP USAC Category 1 and Category 2

Greetings Vendors and others,

This is where the RFP for the form 470 will appear as well as questions/answers from Vendors.

If you have any questions, please contact Kela Halfmann by February 22, 2021 no later than 4pm(AKST). Responses will be posted on February 25, 2021.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PDF

Category 1 Service Requests:

Question: What ranges of asymmetrical speeds is the District interested in reviewing?

Response:  The District’s preference is for symmetrical bandwidth but will also consider asymmetrical. Example: 25M/5, 25/10 with incremental steps up to the maximum bandwidth requested.

Question: What external or cloud-based applications does the District regularly use?


Response: Jamf, Powerschool, Gsuite, Clever, Renaissance, Zoom, Various educational apps.

 

Category 2 Service Requests:

Question: Are the equipment upgrades discussed in the RFP and Form 470 narrative section part of, or separate from, this Form 470 procurement?

Response: Yes - please see Form 470 App # 210024610


 

Question: Regarding the UPS:

  1. Please clarify installation requirements of the UPS and confirm that sufficient power receptacles are in place. 

Response: All UPS’s are 5000W units and are plugged into 220 dedicated outlets


 

  1. What operating system (OS) is the local computer that runs the Smart-UPS monitoring tools?

Response: Unknown at this time. All district OS’s are MacOS.

  1. Please provide the serial numbers and battery status of all APCS Smart-UPS SRT 5000VA RMs that will need to be managed.

Response: Model: SURTD5000RMXLP3U, Serial: AS1819371760. Battery status is good.


 

Question: With regard to caching, what kind of data/content is required for caching?

Response: Network Configuration files, software updates, etc...

Question: Regarding Cabling:

Please confirm that the cabling referenced in the RFP is currently installed, or if it is on-site but not installed.

Please verify if this cabling is Cat5, Cat5e, or Cat6.

Please confirm whether the patch panels are Cat5, Cat5e, or Cat6.


Response: All cabling is Cat 6e and is currently installed. All patch panels are Cat 6e

Question: How is DHCP administered and managed at each location? 

Response: Through the Gateway and web portals.

Question: Please provide the number of printers and servers at each site. 

Response:

1 server per site. 

Printers:
GMS - 3

JESS - 3

JJSS - 3

CVSS - 3

AMNES - 3 

AJSHS - 5

JOGES - 2

GMSHS - 5

ZLES - 2

Question: Regarding switches, please provide the count per location and specific model numbers for the Ubiquiti Unifi and Ubiquiti Edge switches and firewalls.

Response: 1/SITE EACH. firewall - unifi USG Pro 4, switches - unifi ES 48-500W (AMNES - unifi ES lite 48). Please note: the District has posted a Form 470 for equipment upgrades. See Form 470 App # 210024610

 

Other RFP Requirements:

Question: What is the intended purpose of the VLAN? 

Response: To allow our district to act as one “location”, providing secure access to networked devices from anywhere in the district 
 

Question: What are the District’s expected space and power requirements for colocation?

Response: Kuspuk is interested in examining a colocation to provide the capacity to accommodate at least 1 server, 1 firewall and router, and corresponding power.


Question: Please clarify the evaluation criteria for bundling C1 and C2 when USAC rule is clear that a provider may bundle eligible and ineligible services when they meet the requirements for Ancillary Use. 

Response: The district declines to share its evaluation criteria and highly encourages all eligible providers to separate eligible from non-eligible C1 broadband services. Where C1 bundled service includes any eligible C2 services (Example: advanced firewall services and components separate from basic firewall protection) the provider must provide a written statement that those otherwise non-eligible C1 services have been and will be otherwise free to all customers of the provider.


Question: Your RFP and 470 list management of existing equipment, including management of a firewall. Will you also entertain a bid for an advanced firewall service that is category 2 eligible?

Response: The District is entertaining all eligible Category 2 options. Please see posted Form 470 App #210024610

Question: Are you allowing for video presentations?

Response: Yes. Proposals must be submitted 24 hours in advance of the presentation, and presentation scheduled at the District’s convenience. Please note that the final submission date is March 25, 2021.

The district reserves the right to record all video presentations for our records.

 

Follow up Question: Please clarify the final submission date as March 12, 2021 as stated in our RFP.

Response: March 25, 2021 was a clerical error and that the last day to submit a proposal is March 12, 2021.

Question: Will the District permit follow up questions that result from the answers which are to be posted on Thursday, February 25th? If so, what is the deadline for any follow up questions to be submitted?

Response: Follow up questions to the responses given on February 25, 2021, must be emailed to Elric (eheckathorn@kuspuk.org) and cc Kela (kelah@serrc.org) by 4:00 pm (AKST) March 2, 2021 with ‘Q&A follow-up’ in the subject line. Responses to follow up questions will be posted by close of business, March 3, 2021.

Question: Will the District provide the scoring matrix and/or evaluation criteria being used for this procurement?

Response: No. The District declines to share evaluation criteria and encourages all providers to submit their best option for a robust and cost effective solution.