Amend 1 - RFQ Number 273FCC23Q0008 - QA.pdf

# RFQ Document Section / Page # /

Title Existing Text Question FCC Response

1 Attachment+1_FCC+Dri ve+Testing+Performanc e+Work+Statement+(1)

Section 4.1.1 / Page 8

Program/Project

Management &

Administration

Response Plan

The Contractor shall provide a range of

Program and Project Management support activities, including, but not limited to, staffing and workload planning and management, project management, contract financial management, status and progress reporting, quality control, risk management, and support for a range of potential stakeholder communications and briefings.

The rate sheet provided as part of the RFQ

(Attachment+2_FCC+Drive+Testing+IDIQ+Pric ing+Schedule) does not have any labor categories for PM. Should this task be provided as part of the pricing plan within the labor categories provided?

Yes - all work performed under the contract should be planned and priced using the labor categories provided.

2 Attachment+1_FCC+Dri ve+Testing+Performanc e+Work+Statement+(1)

Section 4.3.2 / Page 17

Data Collection Process

- Hardware

Requirements

As a part of its drive test solution, the

Contractor shall provide all software (except for the FCC Speed Test App) and hardware required to collect the data described in this

PWS and specified in the drive test plan.

During the planning phase, the Contractor shall describe its approach to providing all required equipment and software.

Can we get the maximum number of Service

Providers to be tested during data collection process?

Can you provide us with the list of Service

Providers to be tested, e.g ATT, Verizon etc.

Specific drive tests will be defined throughout the contract period of performance and issued to the selected Contractor as separate task orders. The providers to be tested and the total number of providers to be tested within each drive test task order will be defined in the performance work statement (PWS) for each task order issued. For planning purposes, Offerors should assume that any provider of wireless broadband services operating within the 50 U.S. States and all U.S.

Territories could be included in a future drive test task order.

3 Attachment+1_FCC+Dri ve+Testing+Performanc e+Work+Statement+(1)

Section 4.3.2 / Page 17

Data Collection Process

- Hardware

Requirements

As a part of its drive test solution, the

Contractor shall provide all software (except for the FCC Speed Test App) and hardware required to collect the data described in this

PWS and specified in the drive test plan.

During the planning phase, the Contractor shall describe its approach to providing all required equipment and software.

Will FCC provide the necessary Customer

Information Questionnaire (CIQ) in order to conduct the data collection on the correct bands for a particular Service Provider

Information on the bands to be collected for each Service Provider will be specified in each drive test task order as part of the task order requirements. If additional data is required to enable the Contractor to effectively plan a given drive test, this will be discussed on a case by case basis as each drive test task order is issued.

4 Attachment+1_FCC+Dri ve+Testing+Performanc e+Work+Statement+(1)

Section 4.3.2 / Page 17

Data Collection Process

- Hardware

Requirements

The Contractor shall provide at least one dedicated device for each operator and technology combination being tested (e.g., separate device for 4G vs 5G for a given carrier if both technologies are to be tested).

Please confirm if the planning assumptions can have the need for spare devices and SIMs

Each offeror should base planning assumptions on commercial best practices and their standard operating procedures for conducting an effective drive test that will satisfy FCC requirements while minimizing risk and ensuring cost effective execution.

5 Attachment+1_FCC+Dri ve+Testing+Performanc e+Work+Statement+(1)

Section 4.3.2 / Page 18

Data Collection Process

- Service Plan

Requirements

The Contractor is responsible for acquiring all provider data plans required to ensure proper testing per the parameters agreed upon in each

Drive Test Plan.

Can the FCC help with getting Service Provider

Point of Contact to procure Engineering SIM card that do not have a cap in data usage.

The Contractor is responsible for obtaining the appropriate rate plan(s) from each provider to be tested based on each provider's commercially available offerings.

Title Existing Text Question FCC Response

6 Attachment+1_FCC+Dri ve+Testing+Performanc e+Work+Statement+(1)

Section 4.3.2 / Page 19

Data Collection Process

- Software

Requirements

The FCC requires that the Contractor use the

FCC Speed Test App to ensure the collection of all required data in a format compatible with the FCC’s BDC System. The FCC app may also require use of a macro to automate the frequency of collecting speed test data

(e.g., running a speed test once per minute).

a) Is FCC Speed Test App a stand alone app?

b) Does this App require a separate Laptop or should this be installed on the test Devices?

c) Is there a way to create an automated script to have the App run every 1 -2 min in case of mobility testing?

d) Is the FCC Speed Test App based on FTP server? e) Do we know what sort of data payload will be used by this App so we can estimate the usage for the App

f) Do we have a timeline to execute speed tests using the FCC Speed Test App?

a) Yes, the FCC Speed Test App is Standalone

b) The FCC App should be installed on the test devices and does not require a separate laptop.

c) Yes the speed test app can be automated to run a test at a specified interval. FCC will work with the selected contractor post award to determine the automation approach to be used.

d) No, the app is not based on FTP server. TCP connection is used for download and upload speed tests. UDP is used for RTT and packet loss tests.

e) Testing should run continuously and the data consumption rate will be dependent on the speed of the network being tested. Typical speed test app payload is 20 megabytes.

f) As outlined in the PWS, for each Drive Test task order issued, the contractor will develop a drive test plan which will be reviewed and approved by the FCC. In each drive test plan, the contractor will specify the total time required to execute the speed tests (e.g., X days) based on the requirements provided by the FCC. If there is a specific interval at which tests should be taken with the speed test app (e.g., once per minute) this will also be specified in the task order requirements.

7 Attachment+1_FCC+Dri ve+Testing+Performanc e+Work+Statement+(1)

Section 9.2 / Page 23 The Contractor shall provide prompt and accurate documentation as part of this contract’s security requirements. Specifically:

• Contractor shall be aware that it takes approximately 10 days for U.S. Citizens to be fully onboarded and cleared through FCC

Security Office

Will FCC provide documentation requirements to be cleared by the FCC security office?

Which of the personnels needs to be cleared by

FCC Security Office? Does this include all Drive

Testing Personnel including Driver?

Ref Clause LOCAL-1 under Terms and Conditions. Yes, the FCC will work with the selected contractor to complete all security requirements. All personnel on each executed task order must be cleared by the FCC Security Office.

8 Attachment+3_Sample+

Drive+Test+PWS

Sample Drive Test Plan In the Sample Drive Test Plan, there is no requirements for Project / Program Management.

Should we assume this is not needed as part of the proposed plan?

See question 1. To the extent the offeror's proposed solution to the sample drive test requires project management activities, this effort should be planned and priced using the labor categories provided.

9 Attachment+3_Sample+

Drive+Test+PWS

Sample Drive Test Plan Should we assume CIQ will be provided when providing the technical and pricing evaluation for the Sample Drive Test Plan

See answer to question 3

10 Attachment+1b_FCC+D rive+Testing+PWS_Exh ibit+2_RF+Scanner+Tec hnical+Compliance+Mat rix+(1)

RF Scanner Technical

Compliance

Certification

Must Support FR1 and FR2 frequency range as defined by 3GPP for the US.

Based on past experience, verifying coverage on mmWave frequencies has been difficult because of the limitations in coverage. Will there be any special provisions in testing for mmWave testing

No, there are no special provisions for mmWave testing.

11 General question Does the Government have any future growth plans for the BDC Drive Testing Support

Services that can be shared? If so, could the

Government please provide any known details?

The Drive Testing Support program is a new initiative. Currently there are no forward looking growth projections for these services. The need for drive testing services may be impacted by a number of factors including requests from government oversight entities, changes in federal policy, and funding. FCC will work with the selected contractor throughout the period of performance to plan and forecast drive testing requirements to the extent possible.

12 1 Combined Synopsis –

Solicitation, page 3, Volume I – Technical, Relevant Corporate

Experience

Page 3 Please clarify if the government is requiring three examples or up to three examples?

Up to three (3) projects. "A maximum of three (3) projects will be evaluated. If an offeror disregards these instructions and submits more than three (3) projects, only the first three (3) projects will be evaluated."

13 1 Combined Synopsis –

Solicitation, page 2, Cover Letter

Page 2 Page 2 notes Cover Letter or First Page. Please confirm where vendors should include the Cover

Letter (e.g., first page in Volume 1), or is this a separate one-page file?

The Cover Letter shall be submitted as a separate one-page file.

Title Existing Text Question FCC Response

14 1 Combined Synopsis –

Solicitation, page 2, Representations and

Certifications

Page 2 Please confirm that vendors may add Reps and

Certs to Volume II?

Please provide as an attachment to Cover letter or First Page.

15 1 Combined Synopsis –

Solicitation, page 2, Quote Submissions

Page 2 Due to the complexity of the overall ask and the

Fourth of July holiday, would the Government consider extending the FCC BDC Drive Test opportunity due date to July 14, 2023?

Proposal due date is extended from July 5, 2023 to July 12, 2023.

16 1 Combined Synopsis –

Solicitation, page 2, Quote Submissions

Page 2 Is there a file size limit for submission files or overall submission size?

50 MB overall

17 Attachment 3, page 1, Sample Drive Test

Instructions &

Performance Work

Statement (PWS)

Page 1 Should carrier aggregation be part of the testing? Yes. Testing should include both downlink and uplink carrier aggregation. As noted in the PWS, the Contractor is expected to use premium Android devices with the most current technology available.

18 Attachment 3, page 1, Sample Drive Test

Instructions &

Performance Work

Statement (PWS)

Page 1 Do we need to test millimeter wave bands? That may require different equipment.

Yes. Devices need to be mmW capable.

19 Attachment 1(b), pages

1&2, Technical

Compliance Matrix

Pages 1&2 Example compliant hardware (Cerno 3.5) is by our estimation not compliant with Required

Salient Characteristics bullet number 4 “Must

Support FR1 and FR2 frequency range as defined by 3GPP for the US.” The listed scanner only supports FR1. Can the Government clarify if FR2 is required or not?

The government has revised PWS Exhibit 2 (Attachment 1b) RF Scanner Technical

Compliance Matrix to only require FR1 capability for the scanner specification.

Speed test devices shall still support FR2.

20 Attachment 1(b), pages

1&2, Technical

Compliance Matrix

Pages 1&2 There is concern that the hardware listed (Cerno

3.5) is not technically a scanner. Can the

Government clarify or modify its approach to account for this perceived gap? While the 3.5 can be used to conduct field measurements, another hardware is required to use as a scanner.

While the Cerno is not a scanner in the traditional sense, it is capable of scanning and collecting the required measurements outlined in the PWS.