Attachment_V_-_SOW.docx

Request for Quotation to Establish a Requirement Contract for Commercial Television and Broadband Internet Services

POINT OF CONTACT:

Michele Tubman, Contract Specialist Email: Michele.Tubman@SSA.gov Phone: 410-965-9463 Fax: 410-965-9560

To Whom It May Concern:

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is issuing a Request for Quote (RFQ) to obtain television services and business class internet services for all the buildings in the Social Security Administrations headquarters campus in Woodlawn, Maryland. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code Number 517919, Telecommunications – All Other Telecommunications, Ultimately, the agency intends to award a firm-fixed price contract, spanning over five years.

If you wish to submit a quote in response to this solicitation, you must e-mail your response to Michele,Tubman@ssa.gov.

The DEADLINE for SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES is February 2, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. EST.

If you have any questions regarding this RFQ in writing, and the agency must receive them by January 28, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. EST. All must questions must be sent via e-mail to Michele.Tubman@ssa.gov. Please include the Solicitation Number (SSA-RFQ-15-0147) in the subject line of the email for all correspondences sent via email.

Sincerely,

Table of Contents

Purpose

The purpose of this acquisition is to establish a five-year contract to provide analog cable television services and business-class Internet access to all buildings in the Social Security Administration, hereafter referred to as the “agency,” Headquarters (HQ) Campus in Woodlawn, Maryland. Additionally, this acquisition will support internal broadcast programming for distribution to users throughout the HQ Campus over the cable television infrastructure.

Objectives

This acquisition must support the following objectives:

· Provide analog cable television services;

· Distribute analog CATV throughout the HQ Campus;

· Provide business-class Internet service;

· Provide ongoing and preventative maintenance for all services provided over the contractor’s cable system distribution

· Support the insertion and distribution of SSA program content.

Background

The agency’s HQ Campus consists of ten buildings considered “central campus” and outlying buildings that are in leased spaces. The agency requires an analog cable distribution system to provide real-time local, national commercial television programming, and business-class Internet service access to all buildings within the HQ Campus. The cable distribution system allows agency personnel to monitor real-time news events and critical programming that affects the agency. The network also allows HQ staff access to eight of the twelve agency-provided channels. The HQ Campus is located at 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235. The HQ Campus includes a central complex and four outlying buildings shown in Section 3.2, Table #2 Headquarters Campus Port Inventory Distribution List.

The current local area analog cable network enters the agency’s HQ Campus underground to the Main Switch Room at the Robert M. Ball Building. This location is the fiber conversion point, and contains an existing fiber node. It is the only demarcation point for channel insertion into the cable distribution system.

The agency studios produce live audio and video feeds and prerecorded programming. Studio signals are combined and converted to analog signals before inserting the content on dedicated channels for rebroadcast via the current analog cable distribution network. The agency utilizes eight channels for Headquarters Television (HQTV) and the Interactive Video Teletraining (IVT) network. See Section 3.3, Table #3 Current Channel Insertion Diagram.

The agency provides, installs, and maintains horizontal cabling (from the tap port to the television) for every HQ Campus building. The agency uses a Building Maintenance Request (BMR) process to monitor requests for new connections or changes to existing connections and uses a daily monitoring process to ensure all ports are assigned and inventoried. The agency installs and maintains all cabling following industry standards. Section 3.2, Table #2 Headquarters Campus Port Inventory Distribution List shows the current port distribution. Although the agency currently has 1,275 ports installed, only 630 ports are in use for television viewing or Internet access.

The agency maintains a Change, Asset, and Problem Reporting System (CAPRS) to manage problems and new service requests. The agency will open, update and close trouble tickets to monitor repair times for maintenance, problems, and outages.

Due to changing workloads, it may be in the best interest of the agency to acquire or reduce additional space. The agency may require new intermediary demarcation points to be established and/or existing points be decommissioned.

The Office of Systems maintains testing labs to ensure agency requirements are met for internal and external customers. The testing labs require business-class Internet connections and may require static internet protocol addresses. Internet access inventory is demonstrated in Section 3.2, Table #2 Headquarters Campus Port Inventory Distribution List.

Material Facts and Information

The existing HQ Campus cable television distribution infrastructure is not owned, or the property of the agency, and is not available to other cable providers. Diagrams of the existing cable distribution system are proprietary. The agency owned channel insertion equipment, diagrams and information are included in See Section 3.3, Table #3 Current Channel Insertion Diagram.

Service Requirements

The Contractor shall provide all services on an infrastructure that does not interface with SSA’s network.

The Contractor shall provide all services for 750 tap ports within the HQ Campus.

Cable TV Service

The Contractor shall provide the distribution of analog cable services over its local community access television (CATV) network to all buildings in the HQ Campus twenty-four hours, seven days a week. The Contractor shall provide and distribute analog cable TV services, according to the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Part 76.605, (a),(1i,ii),(2),(3),(5),(6),(7i,ii,iii),(8i,ii),(9i,ii), and (10), to intermediate demarcation points to all buildings within the HQ Campus. (Please reference http://www.ecfr.gov ). The Contractor shall provide at a minimum the following channel lineup: ABC, FOX, CSPAN 1, CSPAN 2, CSPAN 3, NBC, CBS, PBS Washington, CNBC, MSNBC, The Weather Channel, FOX News Network, CNN, and CNN Headline News.

The local Baltimore County Cable Commission shall approve the Contractor as a cable franchisee for services in the Woodlawn area on or before award.

The Contractor shall insert and distribute twelve reserved agency produced programming channels, and high speed Internet access, within the same broadband spectrum, and encapsulated within a single cable. The Contractor shall design the twelve insertion channels to be in consecutive order (i.e. 6,7,8,9,etc.). The Contractor shall design the twelve insertion channels to be viewed as the same channel lineup regardless of viewing location. The Contractor may use the agency’s channel insertion equipment within the cable architecture design. If the Contractor finds the equipment incompatible with its cable system design or the required channels, the Contractor shall provide, install and maintain any channel insertion equipment necessary to integrate the agency’s programming with the Contractor’s cable distribution system.

The Contractor’s cable system design must eliminate the need for analog or digital converter boxes at each television. The agency’s television sets are equipped with internal channel tuners.

Internet Connections

The Contractor shall provide three (3) business-class Internet connections with a minimum bandwidth speed of 3Mbps upload and 16 Mbps download twenty-four hours, seven days a week. The Contractor shall deliver the three Internet connections to three separate locations within the National Computer Center building.

Currently, seventeen (17) Internet connections are not within the scope of this requirement; see Section 3.2, Table #2 Headquarters Campus Port Inventory Distribution List. However, the Contractor shall design the cable infrastructure solution to support these connections during the transition period. These Internet connections are contracted and billed separately to other agency components. Information on these individual service accounts will be provided at time of award.

The Contractor’s Internet services shall include a cable modem for connectivity to the Contractor’s cable network. The Contractor shall provide a static Internet protocol address when instructed.

Infrastructure Design

The Contractor shall engineer, install, monitor, and maintain a continuous cable architecture from the Contractor’s head-end to all tap ports in all HQ Campus buildings. From the tap port connection, the agency installs and is responsible for an RG-6 quad-shield cable directly to an agency’s television device. The Contractor shall provide all hardware to vertically cross-connect cabling, from intermediary demarcation points to all tap ports, throughout the HQ Campus. Please Reference Section 3.2, Table 2 Headquarters Campus Port Inventory Distribution List.

The Contractor’s cable infrastructure shall originate from a local point of presence with dedicated connectivity to service the HQ Campus shown in Section 3.2, Table 2 Headquarters Campus Port Inventory Distribution List. When required, the Contractor shall secure use of public utility easements and right of ways. The Contractor shall design the cable infrastructure to have no above ground cabling. When available, the agency may allow the Contractor exterior access to buildings through agency owned conduits, manholes, and other ingress and egress channels.

The Contractor’s campus distribution design must not include satellite dishes, microwave dishes, antennas, or other wireless devices. The Contractor shall not penetrate any building roof.

The Contractor’s campus distribution design must not interface with SSA’s network.

Electrical Power and Space

The Contractor shall develop power and space requirements for all equipment designated in its cable distribution design. The Contractor shall provide to the COTR all final electrical power and space requirements based on the cable distribution design, within fifteen (15) calendar days after award. The electrical power and space requirements must include the following minimum items:

· Rack ID - selected by the Contractor, may be a cabinet; alphanumeric

· Equipment Type - type, make and model,

· Quantity - number in the particular rack; integer;

· Vertical Dimension - for one unit in a standard 19” rack; RU (1 RU = 1.76”);

· Voltage - power type e.g., 208 volts, three phase;

· Maximum Current - the maximum current draw, usually the in-rush current amperes;

· Steady State Current - the current in normal operation; Amperes

· Power - power requirement for the rack, watts

· Power Plug Type - the receptacle type for the equipment, e.g., L5-20R; text

· Heat Dissipation - the number provided by the manufacturer, not the power requirements; BTU/hour weight; the weight of the equipment; Pounds

Period of Performance

Managed Network Services

Transition

The Contractor shall complete the transition, including the installation and delivery of all services and infrastructure design within one hundred twenty (120) calendar days after award. The Contractor shall submit to the COTR, a final Transition Plan, detailing an installation schedule for the build out of the cable distribution system, within fifteen (15) calendar days after award. The Transition Plan must include tasks, resources, and durations for the cable installation, integration of insertion channels, and cable cutovers from the existing tap ports to the Contractor’s taps. The Transition Plan must demonstrate these tasks, resources, and durations for each building within the HQ Campus.

The Contractor shall designate a full time, on-site project manager responsible for overseeing the construction and installation of the cable distribution system. The project manager shall communicatet to the COTR, on a daily basis, for the progress, and schedule of the project.

The Contractor shall obtain prior written authorization by the COTR, prior to the start of construction, and the following applicable tasks:

· Exterior wall penetrations, underground access to agency manholes and conduits. The Contractor shall follow OSHA regulations and guidelines for confined spaces.

· Interior equipment locations, cable pathways

· Interior wall, ceiling, or floor penetrations

· Electrical plans and space requirements

The Contractor shall mark all underground utilities prior to excavation.

The agency reserves the right to change, via written notice, the installation schedule, at any time, within 24 hours of any scheduled task. The transition period will begin on the day of award and continue throughout the cable construction and implementation period established in the final mutually agreed upon Transition Plan.

Installation Acceptance

The Contractor shall complete a walk through with the COTR to visually inspect a minimum of 10% of the televisions that are operational in each building.

The Contractor shall provide electronic copies via email to the COTR of the “as built” drawings for the cable distribution system, within thirty (30) calendars after installation acceptance.

General Maintenance

The Contractor shall provide maintenance service throughout the period of performance. The Contractor shall be responsible for repair of the cable distribution system including damages due to equipment defects, electrical spikes or fluctuations, faulty installations and/or improper work practices by the Contractor. The COTR will provide the Contractor with an email-acknowledging acceptance of the cable distribution system and services.

The Contractor shall provide all hardware and software required for the support of the cable plant, including all maintenance and ongoing services. If applicable, the Contractor shall be responsible for the replacement of any batteries that support equipment within the solution.

The Contractor shall bear all costs of maintenance, labor, parts, removal of damaged equipment, inspection; testing and such other expenses as necessary to keep the cable plant under this agreement operational provided the required repairs be not at the fault or negligence of the agency.

The Contractor shall be responsible for the testing of cabling, and cable plant equipment to maintain the standards set forth within the levels of the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Part 76.605, (a),(1i,ii),(2),(3),(5),(6),(7i,ii,iii),(8i,ii),(9i,ii), and (10).

The Contractor shall provide a notice, via electronic email, to the COTR, no less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to any re-provisioning of channels or content.

The Contractor shall provide a twenty-four hour notice, via electronic mail, to the COTR prior to the need for equipment modifications, upgrades, operating conditions or other changes in services.

Principle Period of Maintenance

The Contractor shall provide maintenance and ongoing support during the principal period of maintenance (PPM), Monday through Friday, between the hours of 6:00am and 6:00pm, excluding any federal holidays.

Service Repair

The Contractor shall return cable TV service to normal operating condition within forty-eight (48) hours of a reported cable TV service problem, at a minimum of eighty-five percent (85%) of the time each month. The agency defines cable TV service to be in normal operating condition when the signal level is in accordance with the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Part 76.605, (a),(1i,ii),(2),(3),(5),(6),(7i,ii,iii),(8i,ii),(9i,ii), and (10).

The Contractor shall return Internet access service to normal operating condition within forty-eight (48) hours of a reported cable TV service problem, at a minimum of eighty-five percent (85%) of the time each month. The agency defines normal operating condition for Internet access service to be speeds at or above 3 Mbps upload and 16 Mbps download.

If the Contractor cannot return service to normal operating condition within the timeframes above, the Contractor shall provide a written explanation, to the COTR, demonstrating the reasons why and mitigation actions to resolve the problem.

Emergency Service Repair

The Contractor shall return cable TV service to normal operating condition within twenty-four (24) hours of a reported emergency cable TV service problem, at a minimum of ninety percent (90%) of the time each month. The agency defines an emergency cable TV service problem to be cable TV service not in normal operating condition for more than 25% of ports within one or more buildings.

If the Contractor cannot return service to normal operating condition within the timeframes above, the Contractor shall provide a written explanation, to the COTR, demonstrating the reasons why and mitigation actions to resolve the problem.

Preventative Maintenance

The Contractor shall perform preventative maintenance for all CATV components to minimize equipment or system malfunctions, reduce service interruptions, and extend the life of equipment through optimization. The Contractor shall provide preventative maintenance through systematic inspection, diagnosis, detection, and correction of potential failures before they occur in accordance with the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Part 76.609 (a),(b),(c),(d),(1),(2),(e), and (f). (Please reference http://www.ecfr.gov ).

The Contractor shall notify the COTR, in electronic format, no less than five (5) business days in advance of any scheduled maintenance or service upgrades outside of the PPM. The Contractor shall not take any action until the COTR provides written approval.

The Contractor shall submit a final Preventative Maintenance Plan to the COTR within thirty (30) calendar days after award. The Contractor shall update the Preventative Maintenance Plan on an annual basis. The Preventative Maintenance Plan must identify all activities required to perform preventative maintenance, including activities that are required outside of the PPM. The Contractor shall include any periodic OEM firmware updates, software updates and wear factor adjustments, such as calibration settings or tuning corrections in the plan.

Corrective Action Plan

The Contractor shall submit to the COTR a Corrective Action Plan within thirty (30) days after award. The Corrective Action Plan must identify the notification process, points of contact, and escalation procedures for the agency to follow for reporting service problems. The Contractor shall update and submit the Corrective Action Plan, to the COTR, on a monthly basis.

The Contractor shall notify the COTR within twenty-four hours whenever there is a need of any equipment modifications, upgrades, operating conditions or other changes in services. The Contractor shall notify the COTR of any system changes, which could affect the CATV network operations.

Change or Termination of Service

The Contractor shall provide all labor and material necessary to disconnect, change and/or reconnect cable distribution and Internet connections to intermediate demarcation points and/or vertically cross-connect cabling (from intermediary demarcation points to in-building tap ports) throughout HQ.

The Contractor shall terminate service to one or more buildings, within thirty (30) calendar days of a written notice by the agency.

Transition Out Plan

The Contractor shall give its best effort and cooperation in order to effect an orderly and efficient transition to a successor.

The Contractor shall support planning and execution of transitioning out the services provided under this requirement to the party or parties (hereafter referred to as Successor) who will assume responsibility for providing like services after the end of the performance period. In addition, the Contractor shall comply with the requirements specified below.

At the end of the period of performance, the Contractor shall transition activities to the Successor with minimal disruption of services to the agency. The Contractor shall maintain sufficient qualified staff to meet all requirements of this effort. The Contractor shall submit a written Transition-Out Plan, to the COTR, no later than two hundred seventy (270) calendar days prior to the expiration of the contract period. The Transition-Out Plan must detail phase-out activities to assure continuity of operations and the execution of a smooth and timely transition. Transition-out activities shall be coordinated through the COTR. The outgoing Contractor shall submit a weekly status report of transition-out activities to the COTR beginning the seventh calendar day following the award of a successor contract until otherwise notified by the COTR to discontinue.

The Contractor shall conduct an inventory of all GFE used by or is under the Contractor’s management and operational control. The Contractor shall be liable for any damage or loss to GFE. The Contractor shall maintain the full operational status of all GFE as appropriate, and continue all work in progress until the Successor assumes responsibility for GFE. The Contractor shall turn over all GFE in accordance with instructions provided by the agency. The Contractor shall assume all packing and shipping costs related to returning GFE.

The Contractor shall provide timely support and cooperate with the Successor and the agency during the transition out period. The Contractor shall fully and timely support requests for information and data, requested by the Successor and/or the agency that are necessary to ensure a seamless transition of services to the Successor. During the transition out period, the Contractor shall provide information requested within fifteen (15) business days from the agency’s request or from the Successor if authorized by the agency.

The Contractor shall identify all Contractor systems used in delivery of services that store or process the agency’s data and information and shall provide a list of these systems to the agency within fifteen (15) business days from the agency’s request for the information. The Contractor shall deliver to the agency electronic copies of all the agency’s data and information stored in Contractor’s systems in the format requested by the agency within fifteen (15) business days from the agency’s request for the information.

The Contractor shall not destroy or dispose of any agency data and information stored in its systems without prior authorization from the agency.

SSA-RFQ-15-0147

Tables

Table #1, Deliverables

Title

Table #2, Headquarters Campus Port Inventory Distribution List (per Building)

Totals

*Port counts on Annex and Operations Tabs in Attachment #1 represent the number of ports on SSA distribution panels. Cable ports shown on Table #1 connect to distribution panels as cross connection points.

Table #3, Current Channel Insertion Diagram

Attachments

Attachment I, Instructions to Offerors

Attachment II, Headquarters’ Campus Cable Distribution List by Building -with Ports and Identified Telecommunication Closets Worksheet (As Built Drawings)

Attachment III, Pricing Table

Attachment IV, Evaluation Criteria image1.png image2.png image3.emf oleObject1.bin

Blonder Tounge Insertion Equipment

Blonder Tongue Active Headend Combiner Amplifier, model ZHC-16c, in the VCCC, rack # 11

Blonder Tongue 7412 Fiber Optic Transmitter

4 Way Splitter

Building Feeds

Concerto

-30 db input connector

Blonder Tongue 7412 Fiber Optic Receiver

Blonder Tongue Isolation Amplifier, model BIDA-75R-30

Fiber

Main Feed

Studio Feeds

= Signal Flow

CABLE MAIN FEED WITH

Clear Channels 48-59 Filtered

Optical input TP (optimum 2mW)*

Channel Insertion Flow

-20 db test connector of the Blonder Tongue Active Headend Combiner/Amplifier

-30 db output connector

Non-GFE Equipment

GFE Equipment