Attachment 7_ Q and A.pdf

Internet Connection via Satellite Solicitation No. 19GE5024R0113

U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa Amendment 0001 dated 08/23/2024

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (Q&A)

1.

(Q) Download speed: 90 Mbps. Is Dedicated access (1:1) ?

(A) Yes, dedicated internet access.

2.

(Q) What is the service level agreement (SLA) that you expect from the satellite link?

(A) 99.5% service availability, <=0.5% Packet loss.

3.

(Q) Is the ISP provider must be a U.S. based? Do you have ISP provider preferences?

(A) That is not a requirement.

4.

(Q) Can you please provide any additional RFP requirements and evaluation criteria?

(A) Offerors shall refer to section 3 (instructions for proposal submission) and section 4

(evaluation criteria) of the solicitation.

5.

(Q) Do you require the backup link to be continuously operational or simply on-demand?

(A) Shall run continuously.

6.

(Q) What specific SLA or VSAT band you are looking for?

(A) Please refer to the solicitation document and the specifications.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (Q&A)

7.

(Q) Do you all have a preference on the modem used?

(A) Please refer to FAR 52.204-25 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING FOR CERTAIN

TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR

EQUIPMENT (NOV 2021) as indicated in the solicitation.

8.

(Q) Is the ISP provider must be a US based company? Do you have ISP provider preferences?

(A) No.

9.

(Q) Who is going to take care of importing the equipment into the country? Will the American

Embassy in Ethiopia provide the import permit of the equipment?

(A) Offers shall refer to answers provided for question 26.

10.

(Q) Are you expecting the offeror to work through the existing system or are you asking to build a completely new system?

(A) Contractors can use the existing satellite dish but if installing new equipment is required to provide 90 x90 Mbps, the contract shall install equipment equivalent or less than the current existing dish size (see attachment 8).

11.

(Q) Can we know the current backup VSAT provider?

(A) BusinessCom

12.

(Q) If there is an existing VSAT service to the Embassy, will the Government specify which satellite and frequency band the service is using now to help with transition planning?

(A) The satellite in use is ABS 2, the frequency band is C.

13.

(Q) If there is an existing VSAT station (satellite dish, LNB, BUC, Modem) in place, will the

Government specify the model number or will the Government specify the size of the antenna and if the antenna uses circular polarization or linear polarization?

14.

(Q) Is there any spare equipment available for the contractor to use? If so please specify, model numbers of each of the set of spares (i.e. Modem, BUC, LNB, Router, Switch)

15.

(Q) What is the maximum antenna sizing U.S. Embassy is willing to accommodate at its premises? Are there any space or structural constraints that may limit the antenna size to 2.4m or can 3.8m or 4.6m antenna size also be considered?

(A) The maximum antenna sizing shall not exceed 2.4m.

16.

(Q) Will the Embassy send pictures of the possible locations of the antenna outside (to help assess possible line-of-sight limitations to satellites) and indoor where the modem/router/switch will be installed?

(A) Pictures cannot be provided. No line of site problem is to be expected and the distance from the server room to satellite location is approximately 90 meters.

17.

(Q) Will we be able to conduct a site visit prior to submitting commercial proposal to identify the necessary prerequisites work (concrete base construction, ballast creation, electrical infrastructure conformity, grounding, etc.)?

(A) A site visit cannot be accommodated prior to award.

18.

(Q) Are there any limitations on what satellites can be used for this requirement?

19.

(Q) In case we need to install a Satellite Dish, will the specific antenna location be on a rooftop or ground level?

(A) The Satellite Dish shall be placed on the roof.

20.

(Q) In case it is a rooftop, will the embassy authorize penetrating or Non-penetrating Antenna mounts?

(A) None Penetrating Antenna.

21.

(Q) In case the antenna is to be installed on a roof top, do you have grounding spots already installed there?

(A) Yes.

22.

(Q) In case the antenna is located on the roof, is there an option for having a crane?

23.

(Q) Is there a selected architect in case the VSAT installation would require specific civil works?

24.

(Q) What is the distance between the server room and the site where the antenna will be installed?

(A) Approximately 90 Meters.

25.

(Q) Are the SLA parameters (availability and packet loss) based on a monthly or annual rate?

(A) 99.5% service availability, <= 0.5% Packet loss.

26.

(Q) In the case where we need to provide equipment to the Addis Ababa U.S. Embassy, is the U.S.

embassy exempt of Ethiopia Customs taxes on equipment imported into the country? If yes, could you detail the process and the required inputs from the seller?

(A) The Embassy Ethiopia is exempt from customs duties. The seller should scan and send us the following documents to start the duty-free process.

• Airway Bill (AWB)

• Commercial invoice

• Packing list

• Technical specification of the cargo

• Approximate weight

• Number of crates

The U.S. Embassy Ethiopia will obtain this exemption as soon as we receive copies of the commercial invoice, packing list and rated ocean bill of lading (OBL) from the shipper.

The contractor shall contact and coordinate with the COR, U.S. Embassy Ethiopia before shipping any goods. The contractor shall contact provide 30 to 40 days Advance Notice to the U.S.

Embassy shipping office before shipping the goods.

Finally, the offeror/ contractor is responsible for any importation permits/ license, shipping costs and any other custom clearance associated costs to this project.

27.

(Q) Is the U.S. Embassy exempt from paying VSAT license fees in Ethiopia?

28.

(Q) If the equipment has to be shipped directly to Addis Ababa, will air freight to Addis Ababa

International Airport be sufficient? Will the U.S. Embassy take care of the customs clearance process using its exemption status?

29.

(Q) Is there a dedicated person or import specialist which would help in shipping the goods to the

Embassy?

30.

(Q) In Section 1 – Item V – B. Deliverables – are the requested utilization reports to be delivered twice a week, or every two weeks?

(A) Twice a week.

31.

(Q) The prime contractor will not have employees working in Addis Ababa to provide satellite services. Will the RSPO remove the DBA insurance requirement ?

(A) The prime contractor is responsible to provide and submit proof to the contracting office that all employees are covered by a DBA insurance regardless if the person is employed by the main contractor or the subcontractor.

The prime contractor is responsible to ensure all subcontracted employees are properly insured as per contract requirements.

32.

(Q) Are offerors able to reuse equipment that is currently on site such as the satellite antenna?

33.

(Q) If offerors are able to reuse the existing equipment, will the Government please provide the following information, if known:

- Antenna manufacturer and model

- Antenna diameter

- Block Upconverter (BUC) model and/or wattage

- Modem manufacturer and model

34.

(Q) If new equipment must be provided to support the desired data rates, can the Government facilitate shipment of this equipment via diplomatic pouch, or other means?

35.

(Q) The solicitation states third quarter 2024 as the estimated in-service date, but we are already in the third quarter. And it will likely be nearly the end of the quarter by the time an award is made. Especially if new equipment is required on site, this may be an unreasonable target. Can the Government please confirm anticipated service start date?

(A) The contract is expected to start on the third quarter of 2024 while the internet service is expected to start on November 1, 2024.

36.

(Q) If a new antenna is required, what is the maximum antenna size (diameter) that can be used?

(A) 2.4m.

37.

(Q) Will the Government accept a solution that lands traffic at a commercial teleport/TSEF in

Ethiopia, or is it the Government's intent to avoid use of in-country telecommunications infrastructure?

(A) The contractor shall ensure that this backup service is available at all times.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (Q&A)

38.

(Q) Can the Government please define "hot spare" as used in the RFP? Is the intent to have spare equipment pre-configured and installed in the rack, so it can be manually swapped in the event of a failure, or does the Government require a solution that provides for automatic failover to spare equipment?

(A) Government require equipment pre-configured and swapable.

39.

(Q) Is a Ethiopian Telecommunications license required for this service? If required, will the

Government procure and maintain that license?

(A) The Government shall procure and maintain the license.

40.

(Q) 99.9% availability is typically associated with C-band satellite solutions. It is achievable in other bands, but at a greater cost. Will the Government consider lowering the availability requirement to 99.5% to allow for more cost-effective alternatives?

(A) Yes, this requirement is changed from 99.9% to 99.5%.

41.

(Q) Because answers to the questions will impact the cost and feasibility of available solutions, would the Government consider an extension of 2 weeks from the date questions are answered?

(A) The proposals submission date is extended until no later than September 03, 2024 13:00 Central

European Summer Time (CEST).

42.

(Q) USG has requested high quality performance with the following service level agreement

(SLA) inclusive of Latency RTT of packets <700 milliseconds for internet service. Will the

Post (USG) be imposing a VPN?

(A) Post will not enforce VPN as long as the SOW requirements are met.

43.

(Q) USG has requested high quality performance with the following service level agreement

(SLA) inclusive of Latency RTT of packets <700 milliseconds for internet service. In addition to the above question regarding the VPN, is the <700ms before security?

(A) Yes.

44.

(Q) USG has indicated the offeror must present a yearly maintenance plan with expectations during those planned visits, inclusive of ad-hoc x2 requests per year in Section B. Is their an exception to the SLA during a planned maintenance window and/or planned service provider outage?

45.

(Q) USG has requested high quality performance with the following service level agreement

(SLA) inclusive of availability of 99.9%. Will the Post (USG) be imposing this SLA when an unplanned local area/site power outage occurs?

(A) No, the Government shall not impose the SLA while waiting for backup power generators to turn on the devices.

46.

(Q) The USG states the Telecommunication's Internet Service Provider (ISP) contracting firm shall provide 90/90 Mbps symmetrical always up and unlimited internet connection via satellite for connecting American Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Will the USG indicate if

90/90 and subsequent full duplex upgrade speeds are a preference to have or needed configuration (such as for emergency purposes)?

(A) It is needed for emergencies.

47.

(Q) Is the USG aware of any additional regulations or restrictions inclusive of country to country requirements not included in the RFP the offeror should be aware of?

48.

(Q) Does the USG have current space available near or at the US Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to securely store spare equipment?

(A) Yes. The contractor shall be responsible for any equipment/ material that has not been accepted by the USG.

49.

(Q) Is the current environment at US Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia equipped with UPS back-up power?

(A) Yes

50.

(Q) Will the USG provide information on who the incumbent was?

(A) BusinessCom.

51.

(Q) Will the USG provide information regarding the current equipment in use inclusive of the current antenna in place?

(A) The following devices are currently being used to support the VSAT service at the U.S.

Embassy in Addis Ababa. Please note this equipment cannot support the requested bandwidth upgrade.

• Newtec MDM 6000 Model/Label No. is SES 946 – current software version

3.3.0.87525 (TID: 2)

• Terrasat 40W BUC

52.

(Q) Will the USG provide information regarding the current space available with location inclusive of any line of sight risks?

(A) No line of site problem is to be expected.

53.

(Q) Will the USG provide an escort services for TCN's, etc. during installation, maintenance, and service calls?

(A) Contractor’s personnel, regardless of their nationality, shall be escorted only within the embassy compound.

54.

(Q) Will the USG Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia assist with securing the transmit frequency through the Ethiopian Communications Authority (host nation)?

55.

(Q) Does the USG Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia have a system preference between a full duplex or Asymmetrical solution?

(A) Asymmetrical solution is preferred.

56.

(Q) Will the USG provide information regarding the IFL distance?

(A) The question is not clear. If this is the distance from the server room to satellite location, the answer is approximately 90 meters.

57.

(Q) Will the USG provide information regarding the outside power types and/or if this is necessary as part of a new build for consideration?

(A) The input is 220 volts, 50 Hz

58.

(Q) How will the Government evaluate compliance with the 99.5% availability requirement?

(A) Through continuous network monitoring.

59.

(Q) How does the Government plan to validate the performance SLAs below are met?

a. Packet Loss <= 0.5%

b. Availability of 99.5%.

c. Latency RTT of packets < 700 milliseconds for internet service

(A) Through continuous network monitoring.

60.

(Q) The SOW states “A dedicated (not shared or bundled) Internet Bandwidth, 24/7, “always-on” with unlimited usage is required.” Is this service for Committed Information Rates (CIR) (i.e., guaranteed, dedicated satellite capacity) and not Maximum Information Rate (MIR) services that are typically contended, shared, oversubscribed, and “up to, but not guaranteed”?

(A) A dedicated (not shared or bundled) Internet Bandwidth, 24/7 (CIR)

61.

(Q) The SOW states “The ISP shall have a local technical support representative for on-site equipment and system installation and maintenance.” Please clarify the meaning of local.

Does the support need to be a “local” resident or simply a representative that will be onsite.

(A) The technical support representative shall be locally based and available to work on site in order to respond to the customer within 6 hours after a system outage and shall restore the satellite service within 12 hours.

62.

(Q) A local technical representative shall be dispatched to the Embassy within 6 hours after a system outage and shall restore the satellite service within 12 hours. Please clarify the meaning of local. Does the support need to be a “local” resident or simply a representative that will be onsite.

(A) The citizenship of the technical support representative is irrelevant. The technical support representative shall be locally based and available to work on site in order to respond the customer within 6 hours after a system outage and shall restore the satellite service within 12 hours.

63.

(Q) To reduce costs, would the customer consider a solution with integrated redundant parts (hot spares with auto-failover), cold spare parts, detailed troubleshooting guides, and remote engineering support whereby the vendor would provide real-time step-by-step procedures to an onsite end customer POC to execute? This would be augmented with 24-hour vendor onsite support if needed. This would be in lieu of the 6-hour local onsite support requirement.

64.

(Q) Could you please advise if the offerors can reuse in their proposal the existing VSAT equipment installed at the US Embassy, such as the antenna, LNB, BUC and the modem?

65.

(Q) Will the US Embassy assist with import, customs clearance and collection of the VSAT equipment in Ethiopia leveraging its exempt status?

66.

(Q) Could you please advise if the offerors are required to submit the Preventing Trafficking in

Persons Compliance Plan if they do not plan on recruiting third country nationals for the execution of the contract?

(A) As per FAR52.222-56 Certification Regarding Trafficking in Persons Compliance Plan, the offeror shall provide a Compliance plan in accordance with 52.222-50 and 52.222-56 as part of the proposal.

67.

(Q) Our understanding is that in order for the foreign company to obtain the authorization to operate in Ethiopia, it has to apply for a telecommunications license from the local government and its designated regulatory authority. At the present moment, the telecommunications sector in Ethiopia is reserved only for joined ventures with the government, and the regulatory authority has so far granted only two ISP licenses to Ethio

Telecom and Safaricom. Is it the intention of the RPSO and the US Consulate General to limit this procurement to two local companies only, that hold the permit to provide telecommunication services in Ethiopia? Or is it sufficient for the offeror to illustrate that it is duly authorized to perform the on-site maintenance services as required in the Statement of

Work, paragraph B?

(A) In accordance with DOSAR 652.242-73 AUTHORIZATION AND PERFORMANCE

(AUG 1999), the offerors shall provide written certification that authorization to operate and do business in the country which is the place of performance has been obtained.