Site_Visit_Questions-_30_Aug.pdf

Site Visit Questions

Document Change History:

30 Aug 2016, 10:31 -Questions: 5, 28, 41, 42 & 51 -Removed highlighted color coding

1. Can you describe the upgrades made to the Sprint system in 2014 and the technologies currently supported?

Answer: Wright Patterson Medical Center (WPMC) migrated from IDEN capability to CDMA exclusively in 2013 (see Medical Center iDEN Migration Strategy – 8.29.12.docx) and the BTS was upgraded to support LTE (see construction drawings and structural analysis document dated 2012-2013). In Jun of 2015 the 800MHz radio heads were wilted or removed and replaced to bring all radio heads to 1900MHz.

2. Can you provide specifications and as built drawings for the existing cabling, including antenna specifications, frequency ranges and locations?

Answer: See provided documentation.

3. Can you verify that the existing system uses only coax cabling and does not include fiber back bones supporting fiber optic remote units?

Answer: See provided documentation.

4. Can you provide specifications for the Sprint amplifier/remote above the ceilings at the antenna locations(may answer fiber optic question above)

Answer: See provided documentation.

5. Can you provide drawings showing available single mode fiber in the building?

6. Can you provide as built diagrams for the 7th level head end room

7. If existing Sprint cabling and antennas are utilized, this could result in significant down-time for the existing Sprint DAS as the cabling network is rerouted, augmented, and upgraded. Is extended days of Sprint DAS downtime acceptable or must downtime be limited to the Sprint signal source cut-over only?

Answer: Minimum downtimes are preferred as are solution sets addressing minimum outage impact.

WPMC staff will assist in addressing signal strength challenges in key areas w/ MiFi boosters, existing macro external signal penetrations for AT&T, and contingency LMR use cases during proposed downtime targets to assure patient safety as needed. Projected downtime forecasts in proposals are preferred.

8. Does the building have backup generator power that could be available for the DAS head-end and any IDFs used for the DAS?

Answer: Yes, external-building-generator power is sourcing the area now.

9. Are there any prevailing wage requirements on this project?

Answer: This acquisition is being coded as a supply with possible incidental services for the installation and onsite support of the system. Therefore the prevailing wage Davis Bacon Act would not apply.

10. Reference: GSA e-Buy synopsis, item number 6 "Total price including shipping (Net 30), No Progress Payments"

Question: This vendor understands that the Government is requiring a single invoice, to be submitted after system acceptance. Is this correct?

Answer: An amendment to the Solicitation will be forthcoming and will specify the Contract Line Item (CLIN) structure.

11. Reference: Infrastructure requirements paragraph 1(b) “Integrate for initial start-up with existing Sprint base station and AT&T repeater(s)”

Question: Will the Government provide as-built documentation or other information about the existing Sprint and AT&T equipment? If as-built drawings are not available, will the Government provide types and quantities of the installed equipment (manufacturer, head end, # of remotes, # of antennas, etc.)?

Answer: Yes, please see provided construction drawings. Also, as AT&T integrates their repeater in Sept 2016 WPMC will provide the AT&T signal source As-Builts after contract award.

12. Reference: Infrastructure requirements paragraph 1(d) “100% in-building coverage for required LMR band(s)”

Reference: Infrastructure requirements paragraph 1(d) “d. 100% in-building coverage for required LMR band(s)

i. Multiple 406.1625 thru 419.7625 MHz, TX & RX”

Question: Is LMR coverage a required part of the system to be quoted?

Answer: Yes

Question: If so, should LMR coverage be included in the basic system or priced as an option?

Answer: Yes, according to the requirements document in-building coverage for required LMR band(s) for Multiple 406.1625 thru 419.7625 MHz, TX & RX is required, therefore, should be included in the base price

Question: Is LMR coverage desired for the entire facility, or only in the same floors and areas as the cellular reinforcement?

Answer: Same areas as the cellular reinforcement

13. Reference: Infrastructure requirements paragraph 2

"The contractor shall provide price points for lower floor coverage only (basement through 3rd floors – roughly 590k sq. ft.) versus additional costs for adding 110k sq. ft. of additional coverage in key areas above the 3rd floor totaling 700k sq. ft. of coverage"

Question: This vendor understands that full coverage of the basement and floors 1-3 is a requirement. Should we quote one price for the basic requirement and a second price for the optional coverage on the upper floors?

Answer: This question is unnecessary now since the amendment.

14. Reference: Infrastructure requirements paragraph 3

“Removal and disposal of the old DAS equipment”

Question: This vendor believes that the Government desires a complete replacement of the existing DAS equipment. Is this correct?

Answer: Yes

Question: May the contractor transfer the old DAS equipment to the Government for disposal?

Answer: The vendor shall assist in removal and cannot dispose without WPMC assistance. The equipment must be taken to the on-base disposal office.

15. Reference: Infrastructure requirements paragraph 3(a)

"existing Universal Power Supply (UPS) re-use and integration potential" Question: Is the UPS described in this paragraph provided by the wireless carriers?

Answer: WPMC is researching and will post answer as soon as possible

Question: This vendor believes that the existing UPS is Government-provided equipment, and that it is available for use in this project. Is this correct?

16. Reference: Infrastructure requirements paragraph 5

"accommodating patient care operational settings."

Question: This vendor believes it must maintain HEPA standard isolation (HEPA tenting) of areas being worked. Is this correct?

Answer: Yes. Must meet Joint Commission and Air Force infection control standards and must coordinate with WPMC infection control officer on construction efforts in all patient care areas.

17. Reference: Site walkthrough

This vendor believes the Government representatives at the walkthrough stated:

1) The design specification is -95 dBm for 95% of the coverage area;

2) the Government can be flexible on the 95% coverage but if it is possible then it should be done and all major areas must be covered; and

3) the Government requires a neutral host DAS, capable of expansion to support all four carriers.

Question: Are these statements correct?

Answer: These statements are correct

18. Reference: Site walkthrough and infrastructure requirements paragraph 1(a)(4)

This vendor believes that support for the Sprint Bands is no longer required.

Question: Is this correct?

Answer: This is incorrect. The Sprint source feed (BTS) will remain and must be supported at start up along with AT&T’s repeater.

19. What is the signal source for AT&T?

Answer: The AT&T repeater is scheduled to install in September 2016. An AT&T base station upgrade is planned for integration sometime after the new DAS install, TBD.

20. Can you give us the name and contact for your AT&T Contact?

Answer: AT&T and Sprint contacts will be provided after contract award.

21. Is there a preferred DAS equipment you want us to design and bid on?

Answer: No

22. Would you please provide the following documents as discussed during Prebid:

a. Drawings showing Fire wall Diagrams

Answer: Refer to documents starting with LSP prefix.

b. Drawings showing required Infection Control Barriers Areas

Answer: Refer to documents starting with LSP prefix. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd floor and Cancer Care located in the Basement Section J and P are considered Health Care and require proper infection control measures in place when working in these areas.

23. If additional power is needed on 7th Floor:

a. Where is the Main Electrical Room located and is there 480V 400-600amps space available in that switchboard?

Answer: Additional power will need to be supplied from the basement central sub-station room BCC2.

b. Do you have an estimated distance from Main Electrical Room to 7th Floor?

Answer: A rough distance estimate is 250’ through 7 stories.

24. Does this project fall under Prevailing wage / Davis Bacon wage scales?

a. If so please provide Wage Scales.

Answer: This acquisition is being coded as a supply with possible incidental services for the installation and onsite support of the system. Therefore the prevailing wage Davis Bacon Act would not apply.

25. Is there Asbestos anywhere in the facility; if so, is there a separate abatement plan in place and if so, what is there schedule?

Answer: None that this project will potentially be exposed to.

26. Is the existing AT&T repeater on or off-Air?

Answer: Refer to question 19.

27. Is it an off-air system; if not what is the RF source for AT&T?

Answer: Refer to question 19.

28. Is there an existing Land Mobile Radio (LMR) if so, what network is feeding now?

Answer: External, base sources. No internal solution exists. This effort is, in part, a discovery effort to determine if LMR signal enhancement is achievable ideally through a unified cellular DAS. If LMR over DAS proves feasible WPMC prefers recommendations on backhaul requirements to room 3K6 on the 3rd floor.

29. Does the design need to include power provisions for all four wireless carrier?

Answer: No. Power provisions for source feeds will be negotiated with the carrier and coordinated with this contract award’s project manager and WPMC. Power for existing Sprint BTS is in place. Power for AT&T’s repeater (coming in Sept) is in work.

30. Regarding paragraph 2. Have the carriers verified signal strength on the 3rd floor and above?

Answer: For the duration of this contract including the year of maintenance AT&T is 1st priority, Sprint is 2nd. The system must support Verizon and T-Mobile in the future, TBD. Most signals have been tested.

This requirement calls for full signal on the 3rd floor and below and additional pricing for the area above the 3rd (4th – 5th). AT&T’s external, off-base, macro penetrates decently on 4th and 5th w/ much smaller footprint weak areas. No carrier’s independent signal results will be made available for this effort.

During the project’s delivery walk-through and out-brief, AT&T and Sprint in-building signal strength will be verified against the requirements for project sign-off. Sprint has macro antennas on the facility’s roof presently. Upper floor Sprint penetration is strong.

31. Will the DAS Head End equipment be required to be AC or DC powered equipment?

a. If AC, Will UPS Back Up be required?

b. If DC, What is the required back up time?

Answer: Vendor discretion. Prefer UPS max-backup-power-interruption durations fall in-line with medical industry in-building standards. For reference, the battery backup supply for the current DAS is expected to operate for 10-12 consecutive hours.

32. Will the DAS Remote End equipment be required to be AC or DC powered equipment?

a. If AC, Will UPS Back Up be required?

Answer: Vendor discretion. Refer to As Builds. Prefer max uptime through power interruptions. UPS max-backup-power-interruption durations shall fall in-line with medical industry in-building standards.

b. If DC, What is the required back up time?

Answer: Vendor discretion. Refer to As Builds. Prefer max uptime through power interruptions. UPS max-backup-power-interruption durations shall fall in-line with medical industry in-building standards.

33. Is there a preference on either Active or Passive Antennas?

Answer: No.

34. Is there A&E / Construction drawings for the existing equipment in the head end room?

Answer: See additional documents.

35. Is there existing wall test data showing the existing coverage and penetration of the current system?

Answer: No.

36. It was mentioned there was existing capacity in the dark fiber run between Telco / Com closets, can you verify the number of pairs that could be used if necessary? Per the Sprint design, there was a 24 strand fiber ran from the HE to the various locations, are they still available?

Answer: The 24 strand segments are available as and where depicted in As-Builts.

37. With construction likely to take place towards the end of the year, can you tell us if there are any time periods and / or days’ work will be restricted?

Answer: Yes. Prefer most work done on 2nd-3rd shift and weekends due to patient care setting.

38. How much rack / floor space will be required as reserve space for each carrier (i.e. AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile)?

Answer: Prefer designs make proposals on best use of available space with priority given to the existing Sprint BTS, a future AT&T BTS and repeaters for both Verizon and T-Mobile as possible. Well supported limiting factors will be taken into account and addressed as necessary as will efforts to sequester additional space as needed.

39. With the existing rooftop Sprint Macro site staying in place, will we be able to relocate Sprint’s existing equipment to accommodate the new floor plan layout / design?

a. If so, will it be the contractor’s responsibility or Sprints financial responsibility to have it relocated as necessary?

Answer: Sprint and AT&T’s equipment moves and associated financial costs are not in this contract’s scope; however, recommendations and coordination on space allocations, layouts and moves, with these signal sources, and those technical teams, is required as necessary.

40. Would a COTS (commercial off-the-shelf available) and Wireless Carrier-approved equipment solution in lieu of TAA-compliant system be accepted?

Answer: The Government desires a commercial item or commercial item with modification that meets the requirements as specified in the solicitation. This is dependent on whether a particular vendor has a straight COTS solution or would have to modify their specific system in order to meet the requirements.

41. Regarding electrical power, can the service panels in the room, already supplying power to the DAS, located next to the DAS equipment, be used to supply power?

Answer: Yes. But the panels inside the room may be insufficient for the additional load of the new equipment, since the new load requirements are unknown at this point.

42. It was mentioned there will be a 550 amp maximum draw on these panels, is that correct?

Answer: Yes, there is an 800 amp panel located on the 7th floor that supplies power to the elevators and to the existing Sprint equipment. If this panel is not large enough for the load demand the contractor will need to provide power from the basement Center sub-station in the Hospital.

43. Do we need to supply a hoist or is there a hoist to move equipment to the 7th floor?

Answer: Vendor needs to supply a hoist.

44. What is the type of fiber that is part of the building infrastructure single mode or multi mode?

45. What is the type of fiber connection used on the in-building fiber: APC, SC, LC, ST or other?

46. The RFP specifically requires all major wireless services providers. Is the intent to have a solution deployed that has immediate readiness for all four major wireless services provider from day one; or is WR AFB Hospital accepting proposals that allow equipment for AT&T services initially with the capability to add electronics for the other wireless service providers in the future?

Answer: The latter.

47. In regards to the LMR service, is this solution required to support for an internal two way radio solution for hospital staff or a nurse call type system?

Answer: Internal Radios

48. Where is the DAS head-end room located to support future Sprint, AT&T, Verizon and T- Mobile's signal source equipment?

Answer: On the 7th floor

49. Does this DAS require UPS? If so, what's the UPS uptime duration required?

Answer: Industry and medical standard recommendation(s)

50. Is there any site survey data available or will time be provided for the performance of a site survey?

Answer: Pre-bid site survey was offered 24 Sept 2016. Post-bid site survey(s) will be accommodated after award.

51. Due to the lack of telco room space, can electrical rooms be used as telecom/data rooms?

Answer: Electric room(s) space cannot be used due to heat load of equipment and lack of HVAC in rooms; however, there may be potential to place a few components in comm closets/rooms if space allows. There is also additional space in the data center on the 1st floor as a potential option.

52. Please provide detailed LMR frequencies by channel and by UL (uplink) and DL (downlink)?

Below is a format example:

53. There was talk of getting copies of the existing heat maps showing coverage. Is that happening?

Answer: No; however, for reference the following is provided for AT&T: 5th Floor: ~ 3 bars (Good signal strength), 4th Floor: ~ 2 bars (Good signal strength in most areas). Refer to the provided design documentation for inferences to potential penetration issues.

54. Is there some way to get a model number off one of the indoor antennas to determine if these are to be reused or if they all must be replaced? It's likely they are not wide band and will not carry the full radio spectrum. Without confirming, we must assume and replace all indoor antennas.

Answer: CELL-MAX part number: CELLMAX-0-CPUSE