Summary of Specifications:
A. Background
Established in 1972, Region 10 is a 501C3 non-profit organization offering public programs in support of eighteen local communities and six counties in western Colorado. With Region 10 acting as fiscal agent, the group received a DOLA grant and an Economic Development Authority grant to develop an implementation plan for the creation of the first phase of a regional broadband network. The two grants will provide funding for the first phase of the regional network that will connect communities primarily located within Delta County and Montrose County. The construction of the project will involve federal and state monies and will require compliance with federal, state and other grant guidelines.
Region 10 has applied for a second round of grant funding to potentially extend the network into Gunnison, Hinsdale, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties. The extension of the middle-mile network to include these counties is considered to be the second phase of the network implementation. As grant funding has not yet been awarded for the second phase of the network implementation, the purpose of the RFP is to provide final design and engineering and construction management services for the first phase of network implementation. Services may or may not be extended for the second phase of network implementation at the discretion of Region 10.
B. Purpose
Region 10 is requesting responses to the Request for Proposals (RFP’s) for services to provide final design and engineering for a region-wide fiber optic “middle mile” network. This network is a combination of leases of existing fiber optic lines and construction of new fiber optic routes to provide a “middle mile” infrastructure that will connect to Carrier Neutral Locations (CNLs) in each of the participating communities.
Within the participating communities, new fiber will be built to community anchor institutions.The network will then be available for private “last mile” providers to deliver high-speed internet service to businesses and homes. Final design and engineering includes engineering for optical regeneration equipment, transport switches and metro switches to be located at regeneration facilities and/or at CNLs.
Final design and engineering also includes meeting with each community to verify the final list and addresses of anchor tenants within each community, construction ride outs, post construction ride out edits, make-ready engineering and pole data collection, preparation of bill of labor and materials, construction ready engineering drawings, fiber splicing diagrams, permit acquisition and creation of as-built drawings and supporting documentation. Additionally, the scope of work will include construction management assistance, inspection support, and assisting with the project until construction is complete.
C. Goals and Communities to be Connected
Region 10 expects the selected Contractor to design and engineer a complete middle-mile network leveraging existing fiber, conduit, and electrical distribution assets. For the first phase of implementation, existing dark fiber will be leased from an existing collocation facility in Grand Junction to the Starr Nelson substation located in Delta County. Additionally, existing dark fiber will be leased to the power substations located within or near the communities of the City of Montrose, the City of Delta, Paonia, Cedaredge, Orchard City, Hotchkiss, Crawford, Olathe and Nucla. New fiber optic facilities will be built from the power substation to a CNL located in each of these communities. New fiber will also be built from the CNL to anchor institutions within the communities.
