QandA.pdf

Questions & Answers - RFQ AA-NTI-SE-O-26-00020

# Question Answer Change to RFQ

If the SDK is only available/connecting from Android devices, will FirstNet accept a bid that does not provide iOS records?

Phase I submissions that are compliant with the RFQ instructions will be accepted. Phase I submissions will be evaluated and then Quoters will receive an advisory recommendation to proceed or not to proceed to Phase II. N

What if there is a limited number of iOS samples compared to Android?

This information will be considered as part of the Government's evaluation of the responses. N

What if the bidder is able to collect iOS samples but do not have vast iOS historical data?

This information will be considered as part of the Government's evaluation of the responses. N

Should the bidder include the questions (factor 1 and factor 2 descriptions) in their response document?

No, only a reference to the Factor and question number is necessary. N

At several points in the document there are references to 'passive' data collection without any user intervention. Whilst the vast majority of our data collection is conducted in this way, our datasets may contain some user initiated tests. Could you please confirm that this is acceptable?

Please consider only passively collected data in your response. Quoters may propose additional features or functionalities included in their solution not specifically required by the SOW. N

In the table in 3.1 Phase II there is a request for sample data volumes through 2025. The label specifies the start as mm/01/25 and the end as mm/30/25 or mm/31/25 depending on the number of days in each calendar month. Could you please confirm the start and end date of the period you would like us to state monthly values for? E.g. November 1st 2024 to November 30th 2025

The RFQ is amended to reflect 10/1/25 through 10/31/25 for the "unique users" table and 10/31/25 for the "Qualifying Geohash" table. Y

In your "sources sought notice" the government included a specific AI section. Our solution has enhanced AI capabilities.

How can we highlight our capabilities?

Quoters may propose additional features or functionalities included in their solution not specifically required by the SOW. N

Several U.S. states, such as Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, and California, have recently adopted or are considering legislation that significantly restricts or conditions the collection, sharing, or licensing of precise geolocation data (for example, within ~1,750 ft / ~0.533 km / Geohash length 6) by third parties. Given the RFQ’s requirement for data collection, anonymization, and compliance with ‘any future’ privacy laws, how does The FirstNet Authority plan to address:

1. The implications if such state level laws limiting vendors’ ability to collect or share required geolocation or sub geolocation data; and

2. What contract mechanisms or remedies (e.g., data share adjustments, performance metric recalibrations, alternate data standards) might be considered to manage vendor obligations if state laws materially restrict data sharing or licensing during the period of performance?

The FirstNet Authority recognizes that several U.S. states have enacted or are considering legislation that imposes restrictions on the collection, sharing, or licensing of precise geolocation data. Quoters are expected to comply with all applicable federal and state laws throughout the period of performance. The FirstNet Authority does not require quoters to collect or provide data in a manner that would be inconsistent with applicable law. A contract modification will be the mechanism by which to make adjustments if necessitated. N

Shall we report the number of users broken down per state or only by country/ Territories (in addition to iOS vs. Android)? Will the Government clarify whether daily unique device expectations are based on absolute volumes or proportional national coverage density?

Quoters should report daily unique users for both iOS and Android platforms in aggregate across all 56 U.S. states and territories for the month of October. This aggregate reporting will enable the FirstNet Authority to evaluate overall volume.

To assess coverage breadth, vendors should use the “Qualifying Geohash 7 Cells” table, which provides spatial distribution detail across the national landscape. N

Regarding iOS unique device count and considering the known limitation highlighted in section 6 (III - b), is the expectation to report on the number of unique iOS devices performing DL/UL throughput and latency tests?

The RFQ has been amended for clarity. To be counted as a unique device, an iOS device must have recorded at least one successful passive downlink (DL), uplink (UL), or latency test. An Android device must have recorded at least one successful, non-null passive measurement. Y

Ongoing changes by mobile operating system providers may affect the availability of certain measurement APIs and background collection capabilities. To ensure alignment over the life of the contract, will the Government provide guidance on how potential future OS-level restrictions should be addressed in terms of data volume expectations or performance obligations?

The FirstNet Authority understands that mobile operating system providers may introduce changes that affect the availability of measurement APIs or background data collection capabilities over time. We recognize that such changes are outside the quoter’s control. In the event that OS-level restrictions materially impact data volume or performance, the FirstNet Authority will work collaboratively with the contractor to assess the implications and determine appropriate contractual adjustments. Quoters will not be held liable for performance shortfalls directly resulting from these platform-level changes, and if necessitated, adjustments may be made to ensure continued alignment with contract objectives. N

When analyzing areas near borders, does the Government expect visibility into foreign carrier networks (e.g., Canadian or Mexican operators) when devices connect to them, or should the Contractor limit reporting strictly to U.S. operators?

Yes, foreign carrier visibility is required within the 75 mile international boundary. N

"Contractor shall describe the number of devices presently providing data. The Contractor shall describe the geographic scope of volume of data collected across the 56 states and territories." Is this the same requirements described in section

3.1 Phase II for device count and geohash7 count ?

The RFQ is amended to remove this requirement from the SOW. Quoters must complete the tables in Section 3.1 as part of a Phase 2 response. Y

While the SOW focuses on large scale, device based crowdsourced data collection, the FirstNet Authority also notes the importance of validating and contextualizing coverage and performance insights across multiple geographies to better support the Authority's mission, would supplemental measurement capabilities, such as targeted drive testing to complement crowdsourced performance data, be considered acceptable as an optional value-add component, provided they are distinct from and not used as a substitute for required data collection?

Quoters may propose additional features or functionalities included in their solution not specifically required by the SOW. N

RFQ requires measurements “from all commercial wireless operators within the United States and its territories, without limitation to a subset of carriers” and states omitting a carrier is non-responsive. Please confirm the specific list of carriers and MVNOs that are considered “all commercial wireless operators” for evaluation purposes.

For the purposes of this RFQ, quoters must collect data from all broadcast Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) IDs within the United States and its territories, without limitation to a subset of carriers. This includes all commercial Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) that broadcast a unique PLMN ID. MVNOs that do not broadcast their own PLMN ID are not required to be separately measured, though the ability to process MVNO traffic within the host MNO’s PLMN is encouraged. A helpful, though not exhaustive, reference is https://www.mcc-mnc.com; however, it does not include all active PLMN IDs—for example, FirstNet (310-100) is not currently listed there but must be included in data collection. N

SOW references implementation of a cybersecurity framework aligned with NIST. Does the Government additionally require or prefer that the contractor’s cloud platform be FedRAMP Authorized (or equivalent), and if so at what impact level (e.g., FedRAMP Moderate), or is alignment to the NIST CSF sufficient? No, alignment to the NIST framework is what is required. N

SOW references “enterprise access” to the analytics platform and visualization tools. Is there an anticipated or recommended range for the number of concurrent/named users, and do any specific role types (e.g., analyst, executive, read-only) need to be priced or provisioned separately?

The requirement for “enterprise access” refers to providing access to all employees and contractors with a @firstnet.gov email address. Currently, this includes fewer than 250 individuals. While the number of users requiring regular or concurrent access is expected to be lower, we are not providing a specific estimate. There are no defined or required role types that must be priced or provisioned separately. N

SOW requires ingestion of “then-current FCC Form 477 and BDC maps” Should quoters assume updates must occur automatically as new FCC releases are published, or will the Government specify update frequency?

Updates to the FCC broadband maps shall be ingested within 60 days of publication. A clarification is added referencing the FCC broadband mapping website. Tier 1 carriers are defined as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Y

SOW requires a direct SQL interface to FirstNet’s Databricks platform. Can the Government provide technical specifications (VPC, firewall rules, authentication protocols) for the Databricks environment to ensure compatibility?

The Contractor shall provide electronic access to at least 24 months of raw data that the FirstNet Authority can query as needed, through the Contractor’s specified firewall and authentication protocols, using an online SQL interface connected to the FirstNet Authority’s internal Databricks platform. Y

The SOW emphasizes proprietary SDKs and contractor-owned data collection . Will the Government consider additional device-level telemetry sources, e.g., enterprise-managed mobility platforms or device management No. N

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