Page County Broadband Authority

Request for Proposal for Fiber Optic Network Construction and

Operation Services and Related Grant Matching Funding

for the Page County Broadband Authority

Document 2010-02

Issued by:

Page County Broadband Authority

16 South Court Street
Luray, VA 22835
Attention: Sara Levinson
Chief Administrative Officer
Phone: (540) 843–4261
E-mail: corecon@embarqmail.com

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Section 1: General Overview and Scope of Work

The residents and businesses of Page County, VA, are committed to affordable Broadband
services generally throughout the County. A plan was developed under grants received from
the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to provide these services.
The plan was submitted to the Federal government under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 for which the Page County Broadband Authority (PCBA) has received
a grant for a significant portion of the capital expense required for the project (search for Page
County Broadband Authority under https://www2.ntia.doc.gov/infrastructure for details of the
award). Generally the project will consist of 39 miles of fiber optic cable and electronics to
connect twenty-nine anchor institutions interconnecting with various private partners to provide
primarily Internet services.

Details of the initial studies on which the plan was based may be found on the Page County web
site at
http://www.pagecounty.virginia.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=122&Itemid=
130 .

The PCBA seeks a firm(s) to provide (1) matching funds or in-kind services for the Project in the
amount of the lesser of either $412,0000 or 20% of the Grant Funds expended; (2) turnkey
planning, (in conjunction with PCBA’s professional engineers), and the construction of the net
work; and (3) the operation of the network. The network needs to be completed and available to
transmit data within 24 months from award of contract. The operation of the network shall be for
an initial minimum period of five years to a maximum of ten years following project initiation.
Services to be provided include but are not limited to:

• Funding to meet the Grant’s matching funds requirement of 20% of the Grant. These
funds may be in the form of either in cash or in “in kind services” that meet the match
qualification requirements of the ARRA Grant, or a combination thereof. (Note the
maximum amount of this grant match is $412,000.00, however, the actual amount is
expected to be less than this figure, based on existing matches and other grants that
may be obtained.)
• Final engineering of the fiber optic network and proposed tower, if needed as well as the
needed optical electronics. (Interaction with selected engineering/environmental firms
required).
• Assistance in negotiations with sub-vendors, including those for interconnection rights,
peering, pole utilization and connectivity for core institutions.
• Creation and recommendation of bills of materials (BoMs), including fiber specs, count,
etc.
• Design and specification of fiber optic architecture (Active Optical, Passive Optical,
SONET, etc.).
• Design and specification of fiber optic electronics.
• Tower and/or wireless microwave design and construction.
• Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) permitting and right-of-way management.
Railroad permitting and right-of-way management.
• Management of open bidding process for network construction.
• Oversight, in coordination with the PCBA, of construction of the network in accordance
with the NTIA-approved final engineering plan.

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 • Development and management of a Network Operations Center (NOC) suitable for
effective management of the network, interconnections and peering. This includes the
availability of redundant power, data and system backup, and network security systems.
• NOC staffing.
• Design and implementation of ongoing fiber maintenance and repair.
• Network provisioning.
• Interconnection to Internet access and data center points-of-presence (POPs).
• Monitoring and reporting (network statistics).
• Provision of dedicated Internet access (DIA) from 1.5 MB (DS1) to 10 GB (or larger) to
multiple peering points including those external to Virginia.
• Assistance in the siting, permitting and construction or oversight thereof, of a single
tower in Rileyville, VA, capable of serving that Low-to-Middle Income (LMI) population
with broadband Internet and other services.
• Assistance in submission of documents required in association with the ARRA grant
process, including but not limited to financial information, progress reports and
environmental assessments.

Section 2. Proposal and Selection Process

The PCBA intends to identify and select the appropriate offeror to provide the requested
services using competitive negotiation procedures pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-4301
consistent with Virginia Law and Federal grant requirements. All inquires and questions related
to this RFP must be directed in writing via hand delivery, U.S. Mail, Fax or E-mail to:

Sara Levinson
Chief Administrative Officer
Page County Broadband Authority

For mailed delivery, hand delivery or private express service or courier delivery:

16 South Court Street

Luray, VA 22835

For Fax delivery:

540 743-4806

For E-mail delivery:

Corecon@embarqmail.com

The last time and date for questions will be by 4:00 PM ET on October 1, 2010. All questions
and responses will be distributed to all parties that submit a timely Acknowledgement of Receipt
(see A.1. below).

Once proposals are submitted, PCBA will evaluate the proposals and select two or more firms
deemed to be fully qualified and best suited among those submitting proposals, on the basis of
the factors involved in the RFP including price. Negotiations will then be conducted with each of
the offerors so selected. After negotiations have been conducted with each offeror so selected,
the PCBA will select the offeror which in its opinion has made the best proposal and shall award

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a contract to that offeror. The PCBA reserves the right, after conducting these negotiations, not
to make an award if it feels that this course of action is in the best interests of the PCBA.

Response:

1. Acknowledgement of Receipt: Each entity that intends to respond to this Request for
Proposals may submit an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AofR) by 4:00 PM ET on
September 29, 2010. The AofR may be submitted in the form of a faxed letter, hand
delivered letter or email to the Authority’s Chief Administrative Officer at the address
listed in Section 2 hereof. The AofR should designate only one primary contact person
and email address for the receipt of correspondence from the PCBA. This person will
receive answers to all questions submitted plus any Addendums if issued. If an entity
does not submit an AofR by the time and date indicated, the entity is not assured to
receive notifications of amendments to the RFP or clarifications regarding it in a timely
basis.

2. RFP Response Format and Dates: Respondents shall provide one (1) hardcopy, signed
original of their response, and one electronic copy in .pdf or .doc format on a disc or
flash drive. All proposals shall be delivered to the Authority’s Chief Administrative
Officer at an address listed in Section 2 hereof. The proposal shall contain a cover page
clearly indicating “Response to RFQ for Request for Qualifications for a Fiber Optic
Network Engineering, Construction and Operation Services and Partial Funding thereof
for the Page County Broadband Authority Document 2010-02”. All proposals must be
received by 4:00 PM ET, on October 15, 2010.

3. Persons responding to this RFP will undergo a process of due diligence that may include
but is not limited to financial performance and financial stability analysis with a historical
horizon of five years; related business experience; and analysis of the proposed project
management team, including resumes and history.

The following table represents the schedule for the RFP and Contract Process.

Event Anticipated Date

RFP Advertised
Acknowledgement of Receipt Due
Deadline for Submittal of Questions
RFP Due
Selection & Negotiations with
qualified 2 or more Respondents
Contract Finalized
Contract work begins
September 24, 2010
By 4:00 PM ET on September 29, 2010
By 4:00 PM ET on October 1, 2010
By 4:00 PM ET on October 15, 2010
most October 19, 2010
October 21, 2010
Thereafter

The Response shall be organized as follows and will contain at a minimum the following items:

• Letter of Transmittal
• Team Overview
• Engineering, Construction and Operation Capabilities
• Project Understanding (w/required MS Project schedule)
• Litigation, Legal & Insurance
• Current Projects

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 • Understanding of Page County Project Issues
• Proposal for Funding of Match Grant

A. Letter of Transmittal

• Identify the submitting entity.

• Identify the name and title of the person authorized to contractually obligate the
submitter.
• Identify the names, telephone numbers and emails for persons authorized to be
contacted for clarification.
• Identify the name, title and telephone number of the person(s) authorized to
negotiate the contract.
• Be signed by the person authorized to contractually obligate the entity.
• Acknowledge the receipt of any addendums and other correspondence.

B. Team Overview

• Company History.
• Location from which project will be managed.
• Identify major subcontractors included in project team (if any).
• Include resumes of key project personnel including their role in the project.

C. Engineering, Construction and Operation Capabilities

Discuss project team’s experience with engineering, construction and operation of a

middle-mile fiber optic network and towers, as well as the needed optical electronics,
strand and conduit management, peering relationships, bills of materials, splicing details
and network termination capabilities for core institutions. List professionals that would
provide engineering, construction and operation services on this project that are
authorized to provide the required professional services in Virginia (include professional
credential and licensing numbers for each) and list their employment history.

• Discuss the project team’s experience in providing required quality control inspection
of construction.
• Discuss project team’s experience in negotiating agreements with private provider
partners that may wish to operate or provide services over the network.
• Discuss project team’s experience in assisting in the development of governance
plans and policies for the network.
• Discuss project team’s experience in siting tower to maximize wireless coverage.
• Discuss project team’s experience in evaluating responses from vendors to provide
electronics and hardware (construction bid documents) associated with providing
services.
• Discuss team’s experience with road and railroad permitting and right-of-ways.
• Provide at least four business references for which respondent has provided the
elements necessary for this project (delineate the extent and nature of the work in
each case). Provide the firm name, mailing address, and a contact name for the
reference.
• Discuss the Offeror’s experience with regard to the proposed services requested in
this RFP.

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 D. Project Understanding

• Demonstrate a general understanding of the Page County project and the issues
with completion of the project in a timely and cost efficient manner.
• Demonstrate a specific understanding of federally funded grant projects particularly
the ARRA grant requirements and how those will impact the work flow, progress and
other aspects of the project. Address ARRA reporting, procurement, administration,
management and other project requirements.
• Provide a sample MS Project schedule indicating the likely workflows based on
information provided in the study documents and available grant information.
• Provide a price estimate for the construction of the proposed fiber optic line and any
associated towers, if any.

E. Litigation, Legal and Insurance

• Provide a discussion of litigation resulting from similar engagements. Failure to

disclose any litigation may result in disqualification of the respondent’s response.
• List current general liability and professional malpractice/errors and omissions
liability insurance coverage and amounts.
• Provide the firm's Virginia Corporate ID number and explicitly state that it has legal
standing to accomplish the required services in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Respondent should indicate their status of a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier
(CLEC) or Incumbent Location Exchange Carrier (ILEC) capable of providing
enhanced network services to core institutions identified in this project.

F. Current Projects

• Indicate the firm's existing client list for services similar to those requested in this
RFP, including a brief description of the services provided.
• Indicate the firm's existing client work load and what projects you are currently
committed to, including project time frames.
• Describe any potential conflicts and how your team manages multiple client priorities.

G. Proposal for Funding of Match Grant

• Provide a proposal for funding of the 20% grant match required by the ARRA grant
for this Project.

Bond Requirement – In addition, pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-4336, the Respondent
shall submit a bond with its proposal from a surety company selected by the Respondent that is
authorized to do business in Virginia, as a guarantee that if the contract is awarded to the
Respondent, it will enter into the contract for the construction work mentioned in the RFP. The
amount of the bond shall be 5% of the price estimate for the construction of the proposed fiber
optic line and any associated towers, or other necessary facilities, if any.

Noncollusion Affidavit - The Respondent shall execute and deliver the attached noncollusion
affidavit with its Response to the RFP.

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Evaluation Criteria

The PCBA evaluation team will assess each submitted proposal and rank the proposal
according to the following points:

Team Overview 5 Points

Qualifications and Experience 10 Points
Engineering Capabilities 5 Points
Construction Capabilities 10 Points
Operation Capabilities 15 Points
General Understanding of the Page County Broadband Project 5 Points
General Understanding of the requirements of the ARRA grant process 5 Points
Responsiveness to the RFP requirements 5 Points
Ability to Meet Project Requirements 15 points
References and Success on Similar Projects 10 Points
Proposal for Funding Match Grant 10 Points
Price Estimate for Construction of Fiber Optic Line & Towers 5 Points

All of the requested information should be included in your response to the RFP. The PCBA
reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. PCBA also reserves the right, at its sole
discretion, to request additional information from any and all respondents. While PCBA intends
to execute a contract for the services listed herein, it is not bound to do so and this document
will not be interpreted as binding PCBA to enter into an agreement with any Respondent. PCBA
reserves the right to enter into competitive negotiations with the firm determined to be in the
best interest of PCBA and such negotiations may include price, delivery and other terms and
conditions.

Miscellaneous

A. Costs of Responding

All costs directly or indirectly related to preparation of a response to the RFP or to interviews
and presentations that may be required by PCBA to supplement or clarify a response shall be
the sole responsibility of and borne by the respondent.

B. Changes and Agenda

The PCBA will issue replies and changes (Addendums) by email to all parties who have
returned an “Acknowledgement of Receipt”. All such addendums issued by PCBA prior to the
time the RFP’s are received shall be considered a part of the request and respondents shall be
required to consider and acknowledge receipt of such by email or fax. Only replies by email
shall be binding.

C. Inclusion of Response

The contract shall be prepared under the direction of PCBA and shall incorporate the response
to this RFP. Failure of the respondent to accept this term may result in termination of the
negotiations with respondent.

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D. All final contracts entered into pursuant to this RFP shall conform to and contain such
provisions as are required by the Virginia Public Procurement Act, the Grant, and all applicable
state and federal procurement statutes and regulations, which are incorporated herein by
reference.

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 This Noncollusion Affidavit shall be submitted with the Response to the RFP.
NONCOLLUSION AFFIDAVIT

No Response to the RFP will be considered responsive that does not have this form completely
executed.
By submission of a response to the RFP, each Respondent and each person signing on behalf of
Respondent certifies, and in the case of a joint bid each party thereto certifies as to its own
organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of knowledge and belief:
(a) This RFP Response and all prices there in contained have been arrived at independently
without collusion, consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting
competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other Respondent or any
competitor;
(b) Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this Response have
not been knowingly disclosed by the Respondent and will not knowingly be disclosed by
the Respondent prior to date for submittal of the RFP, directly or indirectly, to any other
Respondent or to any competitor;
(c) No attempt has been made or will be made by the Respondent to ensure any other person,
partnership, or corporation to submit or not to submit a Response for the purpose of
restricting competition;
(d) The person signing this Response or proposal certifies that he has fully informed himself
regarding the accuracy of the statements contained in this certification, and under the
penalties of perjury, affirms the truth thereof, such penalties being applicable to the
Respondent as well as to the person signing in its behalf.

Name of Respondent: __________________________

Date: _________________ By _________________________________

STATE OF __________________________________
COUNTY/CITY OF _________________________________, TO-WIT:

The foregoing instrument was sworn and subscribed to before me this day of
__________________, 2010, by ___________________________________, as
___________________(Title) of _________________________________________, on behalf
of said entity.
My commission expires: .
My commission # is: ______________________.

Notary Public