Boston Fire Dept. Technology Upgrade

The City of Boston is requesting sealed bids for a mobile data communication systems upgrade on 50 fire apparatus, with bids due September 22, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. and a specified project completion date of September 20, 2026.

The scope comprises 50 Sierra Wireless Semtech XR90 dual 5G Gen2 routers with industrial-grade processors rated for vehicular environments (-40°C to +70°C); 50 perpetual device management software licenses with annual maintenance and support subscriptions; 50 Verizon 5G/4G LTE SIM cards; CAT 6E network cables, modem mounting brackets, and 100 dual sharkfin antennas configured for dual antenna diversity; and installation and configuration services. All equipment must be FCC certified, FirstNet-ready where applicable, and compatible with Verizon and AT&T networks with dual carrier capability for redundancy. Modems must support VPN, stateful packet inspection firewalls, and remote cloud-based SNMP and API integration with Boston Fire's Access Control Manager. Security certifications include FIPS 140-3 and SOC2 Type 2. The device management platform will remain on-premises due to existing VPN and backup requirements. The department prefers WiFi 7 technology contingent upon CAD interface compatibility. Equivalent products meeting specifications are acceptable with clear notation of substitutions; brand names and catalog numbers are provided for identification only.

The contract term is one year. Contract award is subject to Mayor approval and is subject to availability of appropriation. The City reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Pricing shall be firm fixed-price, with all freight and handling costs included to Boston, Massachusetts. Bidders must comply with prevailing wage requirements where applicable, obtain debarment certifications, and comply with human trafficking and forced labor regulations. Questions are due September 8, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. to gerard.bonaceto@boston.gov, with answers posted by September 15. Delivery is to One City Hall Square, Room 808, Boston, MA 02118. No estimated contract value, incumbent, set-asides, or site visits are specified.