Questions and Answers - F41999-20-R-0006 (01 Sep 2020).pdf

Number Section Para Reference Question Answer

1 Section J NRB Plan Spreadsheet N/A

Will all bases and buildings listed in the NRB Plan spreadsheet be included in the solicitation? Is there a possibility that only a subset of the services, cable TV, HSIA or phone system support would be needed for a building or base? This meaning that a base might only want phone system support and not HSIA service.

In the current triple play contract, phone and HSIA are bundled for all CONUS bases. In the OCONUS, phone is provided but HSIA is handled locally at each lodging property. We're open to what the contractor thinks is the best way to put forward their offer taking into account transition from the current contract, and sustainment of the new contract.

2 N/A N/A N/A

If there is a need for an immediate replacement of failed government-owned equipment to remain consistent with the Service Level Agreement (SLA), what is the process in getting that replaced?

All equipment is currently operating. The SOW outlines requirements to transitioning to a more meshed/managed WiFi service offering. The cost of the WiFi equipment is included in the cost of providing the service under the current contract.

3 N/A N/A N/A Is the USAF interested in JITC certified voice solutions other than Cisco?

With very few exceptions, almost all phone switches are Cisco today. We're always interested in "what's next"…but it would be a large transition of equipment across the portfolio. This would have to be weighed in addition to the potential benefit of utilizing another hardware/software vendor for voice service.

4 N/A N/A N/A

Is this an upgrade to currently installed on premise CISCO Call Managers for voice and new HSIA and Television provided via hosted solution?

Primarily, this is a transition of current service to a new contract. As stated above, CONUS voice and HSIA are bundled under the current contract; OCONUS handles WiFi under a mix of contracts executed locally.

Television service is provided CONUS at a number of locations (see Section J) and is handled locally in the OCONUS. All Call Managers are on premise at each property, all television service is on premise.

5 N/A N/A N/A Is the USAF primarily interested in an on premise or off-premise solutions for voice services?

We currently have an on premise solution; not opposed to reviewing any technical solution a respondent would like to present.

6 N/A N/A N/A Is the voice solution to be hosted? Is the intent to have integrator manage on premise solution?

Voice solution is currently on premise; not opposed to reviewing any technical solution a respondent would like to present, to include how to structure sustain the service.

7 N/A N/A N/A Is the intent to provide IP or analog end points to individual rooms?

IP is our preference for in-room devices. We do have a analog in some of our buildings; see Section J for the inventory of devices.

8 N/A N/A N/A

What is the DLS systems base software interface? Are there open API’s or current integrated solutions? Who is the provider of the

DLS?

DLS is provided by Infor; there are current integrated solutions many of them are open API through Infor's Liaison software. There is a Liaison system on each property which can handle IP and serial communications; there are also instances where direct connection to the datacenter in San Antonio is also used through the central Liaison system located in our datacenter.

9 N/A N/A N/A

Are there current overall contracts that are on multi year phases that have to be taken into consideration of this bid? Is the expectation we will manage those contractors and designs? No.

10 N/A N/A N/A

Are international bases considered as US soil for the purposes of contracting and deployment of technology? Do international sites need to be deployed and contracted under local laws of the country residing? (We have entities in many International countries but would need to consider this for installation and works periods.)

Each OCONUS country has different host nation requirements that are implemented on each Air Base.

11 N/A N/A N/A Do all subcontractors/contracts staff have to be US Citizens and pass a back ground and security level check?

The contractor will get a background check performed by the base visitor center/security forces. Section C has been updated.

TRIPLE PLAY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

12 N/A N/A N/A

If we are awarded the contract and need to dispatch 3rd party vendors or sub-contractors onsite, will they need to have a certain level of security clearance to perform work onsite? If so, what specific security clearance will they need?

It is typical to need to pass a local background check before being granted a pass for access to the installation.

This is done locally at each installation through Security Forces.

13 L L-04

Contract Documentation- Offers in response to this solicitation shall be submitted to reach the issuing office indicated at page 1 of the solicitation, AF IMT 2641. In addition, submissions of offers must follow the guidance:- Only electronic copies of proposals will be accepted via email. Submit Pricing, Technical Performance, and Past Performance as follows:

Can you please provide clarification on this - Section L-04 provides instructions for electronic copies only, but Table L-2 notes printed/bound copies also required?

Table L-2 is incorrect. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Section L has been updated.

14 A N/A N/A

Is page 1 at the beginning of the document, which starts off with "Nonappropriated Fund Solicitation, Offer, and Award" in the top box, considered Section A? Yes. This is Section A

15 I N/A N/A

Is the "General Provisions" Section on page 33 the same as the "Contract Clauses" Section mentioned in the table of contents in what we're assuming is Section A? Yes

16 N/A N/A N/A If awarded the contract, will we be able to perform a Site Survey for each technology before any work is performed onsite?

No Site Surveys, however there will be transition plan with incumbent to newly awarded contractor.

17 N/A N/A N/A Are we responsible of a new Ventilation Units in the MDF?

This is typically government-purchased equipment.

With the current contract, the contractor typically will notify AFSVC and the local Lodging Manager when there are issued noted with any HVAC/Ventilation units.

18 N/A N/A N/A

Are we responsible for the install of a new 20 amp Dedicated Circuit in the MDF in the Equipment rooms, or is electrical work performed by others?

This will be handled at the local level in coordination with AFSVC.

19 N/A N/A N/A Will onsite lodging be provided for free, for any onsite personnel involved with installing, upgrading or repairing various technologies.

No, however, reimbursement will be made during invoicing. It is normally preferable from AFSVC's perspective for the contractor to stay onsite, however, local mission requirements dictate if there is space available for the contractor.

20 N/A N/A N/A Will you be sharing questions and answers for all contractor question submissions? Yes

21 N/A N/A N/A

If awarded the contract, are we required to maintain any onsite personnel at each lodging facility, or is the reference to onsite personnel only regarding their presence being needed onsite, only to remedy various technology issues that may arise? The latter. Only to remedy issues that arise.

22 N/A N/A N/A

Have any manufacturers of WIFI equipment being selected as approved standards for this RFP? If so, can you share those vendors and standards ?

In the CONUS, Cisco is used currently. In the OCONUS, this is property-specific…and information is not available at AFSVC's level. For example, in the UK, British Telecom, or one of their subsidiaries are typically used. In Japan, and in Korea, there are local providers on each installation which provide the service today.

23 N/A N/A N/A Will WIFI equipment require any FIPS certification?

The WiFi network is for recreational use only; not for official purposes. The respondent should provide the technical solution best suited for WiFi service that would be provided to a commercial hotelier.

24 N/A N/A N/A Can any details be shared on any APIs that exist for connection to the PMS servers? This can be provided upon award of the contract.

25 N/A N/A N/A Will you be able to provide your PMS Solutions Documentation upon awarding of the contract? Yes

26 N/A N/A N/A

What specifically is the goal of deploying a MESH capable WiFi system? Is this for Outdoor coverage only? Or Indoor as well? Is the goal just to have full, overlapping, redundant coverage, or is it due to the fact that electrical/ethernet/fiber is difficult to install in the places where WiFi is needed?

MESH capable WiFi could be used for all of the use cases described in this question, although our primary application is indoors. The intent is to take advantage of the capabilities that this architecture brings to providing robust WiFi service to our guests.

27 N/A N/A N/A Do you see MESH as a Cat6 cable replacement technology?

Not necessarily. It is normally preferable to have Cat6 at each AP to ensure the network is robust enough to handle demand. That being said, any options that the contractor think will be best can be presented in the technical solution for evaluation.

28 N/A N/A N/A How many properties currently use a VDSL technology for connectivity? This is building specific; see the inventory in Section J

29 N/A N/A N/A How many properties have 802.11 N or lower deployments? This is building specific; see the inventory in Section J 30 N/A N/A N/A How many properties have 802.11 AC or higher deployments? This is building specific; see the inventory in Section J

31 N/A N/A N/A Is your strategy to replace VDSL to go Cat6 or MESH?

Ideally, yes; Cat6 or MESH are more modern solutions which provide better throughput.

32 N/A N/A N/A is your existing VDSL access point wired only or does your cable modem have an existing WiFi Modem connected to it?

Typically delivered to the building via a DSLAM;

typically a wired solution to the room with a WiFi "endpoint" for the guest to connect to

33 N/A N/A N/A Who are the approved 3rd Party PCI Compliance Vendors?

See the PCI Security Standards Council's website;

https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/

34 N/A N/A N/A Will the contractor need to provide a Facility Security Officer (FSO) and/or Security Manager to work with the COR for the project? Contractor will make decision and propose their solution.

35 N/A N/A N/A

Because of the Defense Switched Network (DSN), will the Call Manager require Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) and/or any other special requirement outside of the Payment Card Industry (PCI) standard?

JITC is the only certification we have for these today.

The system connects to the DSN via trunking, not IP technology.

36 N/A N/A N/A

Will back offices and or conference rooms require “Always On VPN” or similar services to the Non-classified Internet Protocol (IP) Router Network (NIPRNet) from the Government or Uniformed personnel manning those offices?

Providing NIPR is outside the scope of the contract.

That being said, guests and staff typically use NIPR VPN service over the WiFi network; the system must be configured to allow this type of connection.

37 N/A N/A N/A Is it possible to obtain access to a local Air Force Lodging location to perform a Site walk-thru as research for our RFP response?

No. Due to COVID site visit are not permitted. Enough information has been provided in this RFP to submit a viable proposal.

38 N/A N/A N/A Will you be able to provide your Cybersecurity Solutions Documentation upon awarding of the contract? JITC is the only certification we have today.

39 N/A N/A N/A Are there specific certifications required for Qualified Cisco Phone System Vendors? If so, what certifications are required?

No specific certifications required. However, the current contractor does utilize Cisco certified personnel (CCIE, etc.)

40 N/A N/A N/A

With current role out of phone technology are you looking for a single provider to handle existing contracts in place, or will all contracts underway or in place need to be merged to this single vendor contract?

This is up to the contractor to propose in their technical solution. We are open to reviewing the best way a respondent thinks they can provide the service.

41 N/A N/A N/A

Is there currently an overlay provider for Cisco Call Manager in use or selected for the advanced features of Guest Check Out? Are these services currently running over the top of Cisco Call Manager?

There isn't a guest checkout feature today; one will need to be developed during the transition phase of the contract per the information provided in the SOW.

42 N/A N/A N/A Are the current deployments of Cisco Call Manager using the Advance E-911 licensing options from Cisco?

Yes; information on which bases have E911 is provided in Section J.

43 N/A N/A N/A Will we be taking over the phone system support for one Air Force Lodging property, or all Air Force Lodging properties worldwide? All

44 N/A N/A N/A Is the Distributed Antenna System (DAS) part of the Scope of Work (SOW)? Today, the incumbent provider manages these systems.

45 N/A N/A N/A Is DAS the preferred future technology, or will you be phasing this technology out in light of more efficient and affordable solutions?

Always looking for efficient and affordable solutions; the respondent should present these in their technical solution for evaluation.

46 N/A N/A N/A Is DAS design and Installation a requirement for each location and property?

Property (and often building) specific. Not all locations require DAS.

47 N/A N/A N/A

Is DAS deployment required at International sites and if so does this follow USA telecom requirements for ATT, Verizon, Sprint, or can we use, if required, local cell providers?

DAS is not currently provided under the current contract in any OCONUS property. Local rules/laws would dictate how to provide this service should it be required.

48 N/A N/A N/A

Are the JITC Compliance Standards mentioned, applicable to the lodging requirements for this contract? If yes, can you provide the applicable sections?

JITC is required for the voice systems; refer to DISA's JITC page for specifics;

http://jitc.fhu.disa.mil/index.aspx

49 N/A N/A N/A Who is the Local CO Line provider of the Existing Circuits? This is different at each property

50 N/A N/A N/A How much Down Time is allowed during replacement of the old and install of the new Telephone system?

Minimal disruption to guest services is required for any system replacement. Often times it is necessary to maintain both old and new systems and cut over individual buildings in stages. Should replacement be required, the local Lodging Manager, in coordination with AFSVC, will be able to help the contractor define the schedule based on local mission requirements.

51 N/A N/A N/A Is there any existing overhead paging devices connecting to the old or new Telephone system?

No overhead paging is accomplished through the phone system today.

52 N/A N/A N/A

Do you consider that existing Battery Backup and/or existing Generators in the MDF are currently in compliance or will they need replaced?

All are in compliance today. As the battery backups reach their end of life, the current contractor notifies the local Lodging Manager and AFSVC and suggests the correct replacement part/equipment.

53 N/A N/A N/A

Does the contract have a provision for Purchasing Additional Spare Telephones for Admin, or Lodging Rooms?

Yes. Section C, Para. 4.4.1 has been updated to state "Each property is authorized to keep a small number of spare telephones on hand to reduced delay to return a room to service, should a phone become inoperable."

54 N/A N/A N/A Are you currently using DirecTV, DISH or Free to Air Channels at any of your Air Force lodging bases worldwide?

If television service is provided under the contract, it is a DirecTV solution. There are a number of locally provided solutions with incumbent providers at each base as well. See Section J for which bases utilize the central DirecTV solution.

55 N/A N/A N/A What is the percentage of Cable vs Satellite solutions currently on property at all AF Lodging locations? As with the above answer; see Section J

56 N/A N/A N/A

What does this statement mean: "Existing on premise cable TV systems will be upgraded as necessary, to meet this requirement without additional costs?

Should upgrades be required to the centrally provided on premise equipment, it will be provided under the contract without additional cost to the AFSVC.

57 N/A N/A N/A

Is is acceptable for free to air channeling for international locations with a IP headend or all sites require the same TV provider service with standard USA programming, and are considered US soil locations? What flexibility is allowed?

Each OCONUS country will need to be addressed individually, however, we should standardize the service offering as much as possible. In the CONUS, the service offering should be standardized across the portfolio.

58 N/A N/A N/A Do all locations have COAX cabling? Should this cabling be considered as not passing standard?

The vast majority of locations have RG6 cabling; see Section J for details on which bases have underwent wiring infrastructure upgrades.

59 N/A N/A N/A Is there a preference to have ALL TV services running over CAT6? Not a preference either way; the respondent should provide the best technical solution for evaluation.

60 N/A N/A N/A Can a list of TV sets per property be provided per site? Can you provide the model number and age?

We do not have this list today. As television service is rolled out under the current contract, the contractor inventories the TVs with the assistance of the local Lodging Manager. Any older TVs are replaced as part of the transition to the new service. We can continue this process under the new contract.

61 N/A N/A N/A

For whoever is awarded the project, will there be a contract for Head-end and Content provisioning, or are contracts already in place for those items?

The current provider handles all head-end and content provisioning; it is not envisioned that this will change under the new contract

62 N/A N/A N/A How are the current CATV coax cables currently provisioned?

Homerun or connected by splitters?

Home run RG6 cables are utilized today where the infrastructure upgrades have been completed. See Section J for the locations which have complete wiring infrastructure upgrades. For locations which have the infrastructure upgraded, there is also a single Cat 5e or Cat6 drop (depending on when the upgrade was completed) behind each television.

63 N/A N/A N/A What is the preferred timing for billing? After each location is completed or after the entire project is completed?

Billing is currently accomplished monthly for the entire portfolio covered by the contract.

64 N/A N/A N/A

Are current cables for the phone and HSIA system split pairs or homerun to each room?

Where wiring infrastructure upgrades are complete; all homerun cables. See Section J for details on which properties have been completed.

65 N/A N/A N/A

I wanted to ask if this is a new requirement? Or is there an incumbent contract/contractor currently performing the same or similar work? If so, are you able to provide a contract number and the vendor’s name?

Not a new requirement and current Incumbent is MidAtlantic BroadBand/F41999-07-D-6082

66 Section B B-1 N/A Please confirm all days within the month will apply to the CLIN, regardless if room is occupied? Yes; applies irrespective of occupancy

67 Section B B-1 N/A

Can we quote as "per TV" instead of "per room" for TV services?

This helps account for “public area” TVs such as lobbies, restaurants, etc.

No. Quote needs to be Per Room, Public areas such as lobbies, etc. will be considered a room.

68 Section B B-1 N/A Do public areas such as lobbies or porches count as a “room” for the CLIN purposes?

Quote needs to be Per Room, Public areas such as lobbies, etc. will be considered a room.

69 Section B B-1 N/A May contractors provide unique CLINs for the OCONUS locations?

Or must all “per room” pricing be consistent? All per room pricing must be consistent.

70 Section B B-1 N/A Can we bundle subscription fee into the other CLINs? No.

71 Section C pg 12 C-11 N/A Is it up to the contractor to define an "activity" An activity is a business at each installation.

72 Section F.1 F-1 N/A

Are these 180-day Transition CLINs included in the initial 2-year term? Or would the 2-year term start once the 180 transition period ends? 180 day transition is included in the initial 2 year term.

73 Section H.12.a N/A N/A

Liquidated damages - the language references a 4-hour downtime in section C 7.4, however we can find no reference in that section to any downtime parameters. Please clarify.

Liquidated Damages have been provided in updated Section H, para. 15

74 Section J, II N/A N/A Section J, II states fiber connectivity "required" for every building, or is a stated guideline "if" the contractor chooses to install new fiber?

Fiber is the standard that SVOL looks for. In a campus environment where buildings are spread out, there are always alternate methods to connect. Respondent should discuss these situations with the CO and the COR

75 Section J N/A N/A Will existing fiber be available to the contractor? If so, can a list of available fiber be made available?

Yes. Locations where fiber is available can be found in column G of the Telecom Status Spreadsheet Attachment of this RFP.

76 Section J N/A N/A Section J states each room must have dual Cat6 drops - what is contractor solution does not utilize Cat6 (i.e. cable)?

Rooms with infrastructure upgrades (see the answer to the above question should locations be required) have a minimum of Cat5e. Cat6 is the current standard. In a campus environment where buildings are spread out, there might be alternate methods to connect.

Respondent should discuss these situations with the CO and the COR

77 Section J N/A N/A Are there diagrams of where Cat6 cabling exists within each lodge? Government does not keep this information.

78 Section J.VI N/A N/A Is the contractor responsible for bringing electrical in each closet? Or will power be supplied by lodge?

Contractor identifies electrical requirements, and may propose a solution. The most cost effective solution will be chosen by the CO and COR.

79 Section L, 1 (a) N/A N/A Please clarify whether the Gov’t requires Sections A,B,C,F,K returned or Sections A-K in their entirety? Sections A, B, C, F, and K must be returned.

80 Section F F-1 N/A

Do we have 180 days to complete all sites listed? In other words do we have to complete 72 COUNUS and 16 OCONUS sites simultaneously in 180 days? Or do they each have a different start date based on their current services contracts expiring? Contractor has 180 days to complete all sites listed.

81 Section C 4.5 C-6 N/A

Can the Gov’t provide details regarding which info product is being utilized by DLS, Infor offers product “HMS” which allow for call accounting and property management interface via a unified cloud API interface and “Epitome” which allows for call accounting and property management interface via IPU at each property using legacy serial interface.

DLS currently uses Epitome and Liaison. The Liaison software (called IPU in this question) has local and a central components to pass information from the property to the government's datacenter. Liaison does accept IP interfaces in addition to serial interfaces.

82 Section J, 1.2 (9) Attachment 2b N/A N/A

“System must meet all Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) certifications and security standards”Are there any specific components within phone system that need to be JITC compliant: for example, T1/PRI or SIP interface between DSN switch and lodging facility phone system rather than entire phone system?

Link to JITC standards can be found in Question 48 above. Current connections use T1/PRI

83 Section C 4.4.1 C-5 N/A

Will contractor need to integrate with DSN switch at each base or can they integrate with DSN switch at a single base (centralized) which can allow for DSN call routing from all lodging facilities across multiple bases?

Currently this is setup at each base using the existing phone switch.

84 Section C 4.4.1 C-5 N/A Are DSN switch integration capabilities: VoIP/SIP or PRI/T1 ? Answered in Question 82 above; T1/PRI.

85 Section J Page 185 N/A

We note what appears to be inadvertent inclusion of a DAS network design on page 185 of the RFP (page 40 of SITE SURVEY PHASE II

COMPREHENSIVE SITE ASSESSMENT INFRASTRUCTURE

TESTING REPORT”), which is not reflected in the requirements of the RFP, or in section 1.2 or in any of the pricing forms. Can you confirm that a DAS solution is not required?

There are DAS solutions which have been deployed as needed with the current contract. There may be requirements for similar or better solutions in the future; this is why the information was included. See section 4.8.1 in Section C.

86 Section C C-3 N/A Please clarify what is meant by “a migration path toward a meshed architecture for Wifi access points is required” in paragraph 4.2.

The desire is to move toward this technology to deliver WiFi which provides excellent service to our guests in the most efficient and managed manner possible.

87 Section C C-4 N/A What details are required to be presented in the Traffic analysis report of traffic shaping and bandwidth allocation?

The contractor, COR and CO will agree on the content in these reports during the transition period after contract award.

The contractor will propose a solution for the government to evaluate.

88 Section C C-3 N/A What bandwidth is required per user/device for free-to-guest HSIA?

Bandwidth for industry standard streaming services, video calls, etc. is required. The contractor will propose how to meet this requirement in their technical solution.

89 Section C C-4 N/A Is there a minimum signal strength required for 2.4/5GHz signals in the guestrooms?

WiFi signal on any frequency band should be strong signal throughout guestrooms. Weak areas of signal are not acceptable.

90 Section C C-3 N/A Are there existing cabling and network diagrams available for any/each building to be installed? If not, will survey costs be covered?

This information is not available, however, locations where infrastructure upgrades have been done can be found in Column G of the Telecom Status attachment of this RFP.

91 Section F F-1 N/A

Will the implementation deadline accommodate any surveys that have to be completed for locations that do not have sufficient network diagrams and documentation?

180 day transition period accounts for all tasks associated with transition completion to include surveys.

92 Section J N/A N/A Are any new inns being considered for decommissioning or new inns being planned or built? If so, will those fall under the contract when awarded? Yes; and yes. Our building inventory is constantly evolving.

93 Section J N/A N/A Can the Gov’t provide us with a list of the equipment (Manufacturer, Model #, Quantity) that the Air Force would like us to reuse?

See Section J, page 1 note for URL to Government Equipment. Government Equipment can be re-used.

94 Section J N/A N/A

In order to provide complete pricing can the Gov’t provide floor plans for each Inn, room and bed counts, and type of cabling infrastructure (i.e. cat3, cat5e/6, coax, etc.).

This information is not available, however, locations where infrastructure upgrades have been done can be found in Column G of the Telecom Status attachment of this RFP.

95 Section J Page 213 N/A

In order to provide complete pricing can the Gov’t provide additional information regarding the Status of Telecommunications Upgrades for AF Inn locations. Specifically, can the Gov’t provide current ISP provider, current bandwidth being provided and what media is being used to deliver the service (cable modem, dsl, fiber, ethernet)?

The government doesn't maintain this information, the incumbent service provider is the government's sole point of contact for the service delivered at each installation. The Current Bandwidth Utilization attachment of this RFP provides a snapshot of bandwidth utilization for the contractor to determine how they will respond to the requirements in the SOW, to include bandwidth management.

96 Section J Page 213 N/A

Will the base have an MPOE and allow us to distribute network throughout the base with base owned infrastructure, or allow us to build out infrastructure to the buildings, or will we need to get ISP directly into the buildings from existing ISPs with franchise agreements for the base?

Currently, the Lodging network has the bandwidth delivered to a central location which is then distributed across the network to each building.

97 Section J age 211 N/A

Regarding the Summary of Equipment Ownership and Circuits, when it says SNP (Service not provided by central contract), is that the current contract and they want service? Yes