Provision of a network solution for Broadband Connection Points including installation and support along with associated services

Tender description

The Department of Rural and Community Development supports 300 Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) that were delivered under the National Broadband Plan at publicly accessible sites that serve areas without reliable high-speed broadband, including isolated communities in rural areas and on many of our offshore islands. Broadband Connection Points (BCPs), have been identified as premises in communities that have been prioritised for connection in 2020 by National Broadband Ireland (NBI). These locations are of community importance such as community centres, parish halls, schools and sports clubs. They were selected by the local authorities due to their location in rural areas currently with little or no connectivity at that time. The BCP sites are provided with a high-speed broadband connection which is available for public WiFi access free of charge. BCP sites may also be used for onsite community use including social events, digital skills training courses, arts and culture activities and access to national cultural resources as well as, in some cases, hot desks and meeting rooms for remote workers and students. The current system makes use of the government’s centralised Guest registration portal and a mobile number is entered on which to receive a pin to connect to the system. The winning tender will be required to provide a solution to meet the technical requirements at the BCP points and to include the centrally managed routers. This includes the replacement of current equipment, maintenance and support for the duration of the contract. The solution must include a single multifunction device with switching and firewall functionality (minimum 8 port) at each BCP location and support of the devices for the lifetime of the contact (up to a maximum of 5 years). The solution needs to allow for the connection of Access Points, IoT devices and other devices such as screens, projectors and credit card machines. The Contracting Authority requires the that 280 sites that will upgraded over a period of 6 months once the Contract is signed, with an expected total of 470 internal APs and 305 external APs required. Other sites up to a maximum of 70 additional sites may be added over tender period.