Telecommunications network

Tender description

South Gloucestershire Council is aiming to extend the availability of Next Generation Access (NGA) broadband across the South Gloucestershire area. South Gloucestershire Council has previously invested significant public funds through two separate contracts to extend the availability of NGA infrastructure in areas where no commercial plans were available from the telecommunications market. Phase 3 aims to extend NGA coverage further by securing a telecommunications provider to deliver to the remaining unserved ‘white’ premises using the public funding that is available in a ‘gap funded’ model. The unserved ‘white’ premises areas have been qualified formally through an Open Market Review and Public Consultation with the supplier market that concluded on 28.9.2016. Our intervention area includes 5,302 NGA white premises. The proposed solution must comply with the Broadband Delivery UK 2016 National Broadband Scheme. It must deliver the following: a wholesale broadband service that will be open to all service and communications providers on a non-discriminatory basis for at least 7 years as defined by para 78(g) of the EU 2016 Guidelines for the application of State aid rules in relation to the rapid deployment of broadband networks. The Contractor will be expected to provide substantial investment in the network, and to own and manage the risks associated with developing and operating a wholesale broadband network, including but not limited to take-up risk. The contract is expected to be awarded in May 2017. It is expected that a contract would be awarded covering a 10 year term. Deployment is expected to last for 30 months. Contract term will be deployment + 7 year contract term in compliance with State Aid regulations.