Telecommunications services

Tender description

This tender requirement relates to Cluster 3 of the AfricaConnect2 project (https://www.africaconnect2.net/Project/Pages/Home.aspx) only and the budget therefore is only a proportion of that indicated on the AC2 website. Its objectives are to re-establish and upgrade international connectivity in the region through the deployment of network services. It aims to help sustainability further develop the National research and education Networks in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, as well as ASREN as the regional partner. Cluster 3 builds on the EUMEDCONNECT programme which has provided dedicated research and education connectivity and support for North Africa since 2004 with EC co-funding and managed by GÉANT (formerly DANTE). This tender seeks to procure international point to point connectivity to connect the NRENs in the Cluster 3 countries directly or via intermediate European location(s) to establish the ASREN regional network and support connectivity to the GÉANT network. ASREN has a long term objective to provide connectivity that interconnects researchers and academics across all Arab States. It is a regional project partner in AfricaConnect2 and the NRENs in the North African countries are ASREN members. It has a 1st PoP in London's Telecity and has plans for further facilities within the region in the future. It is a long term aim that Cluster 3 will be interconnected via the ASREN, WACREN and UbuntuNet regional networks at 1 or more points of presence within Africa. However, the priority for the project budget at this stage is to establish international links for the North African NRENs as soon as they are ready. More information about ASREN and its long term goals can be found at: www.asrenorg.net The project aims to increase intra-regional and international communication and collaboration between research centres and universities, including the increased use of online applications for research cooperation. To this end, the capacity being sought through this tender will support the use of the regional network for non-commercial e-applications by the user communities in each country connected to the NRENs (students, researchers, doctors), including video conferencing, federated services and cloud computing services. To ensure sustainability the action will be accompanied by capacity building activities with the aim of transferring the necessary managerial, technical and operational skills required to run and operate NRENs and associated research and education applications. Effort will also be put on increasing the awareness, importance and financial support for highly available uncontended connectivity in respect of research and education communities, among funding organisations and national governments. GEANT Ltd has been the implementing partner in AfricaConnect and AfricaConnect2 (originally coordinated by DANTE Ltd ) since 2011 and in EUMEDCONNECT since 2004. GEANT Ltd (as the coordinator of Clusters 2 and 3) will closely collaborate and coordinate with ASREN, in the implementation of the project through procurement and contractual effort, joint meetings, conference attendance, joint training and knowledge sharing. It will establish contracts with suppliers, service providers and with the North African Partners (which may be novated to ASREN) during the term of the project. It may also provide support with the contracts directly tendered and concluded between providers, and ASREN or North African NRENs, in compliance with EU procurement rules. This call for outline proposals invites potential bidders to submit commercial and technical solutions in response to the Volume 2 ITSOP document to be found at the URL provided. We are inviting tenders that can provide connectivity between the A end and B ends as listed in the lot details in this note. In summary we are seeking connectivity between Algiers, Cairo, Rabat, Tunis, Amman, Amsterdam, London or Madrid at a range of bandwidths from 155 Mbps to 10Gbps.