Information Technology Department Capital Improvement Project: Proposed 5G and Fiber Design

The City of Brownsville, Texas is requesting sealed bids for a Private 5G infrastructure deployment project funded through Surface Transportation Block Grant Metropolitan Mobility (STBG-MM) federal funds, with bids due July 30, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. CT and a pre-bid meeting scheduled for July 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CT via Microsoft Teams. This is a federally funded transportation project subject to Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements, Buy America provisions, and a 0.0 percent DBE goal.

Bidders must be prequalified through TxDOT prior to bid opening and demonstrate three years of continuous operation in similar work, three references from projects completed within the past five years, financial stability, and all required federal, state, and local licenses.

The scope encompasses planning, RF design validation, installation, configuration, testing, optimization, commissioning, and integration of a Private 5G wireless network across eighty-two proposed locations throughout Brownsville to support Intelligent Transportation Systems. Deliverables include furnishing and installing 147 antennas, 135 Radio Remote Units (RRUs), 58 timber poles, 10 ITS poles, 11 monopoles, Base Band Units (BBUs), fiber connectivity, power coordination, element management systems, and 24-month warranty support from go-live. The resulting network must be 3GPP-compliant and integrate with the City's existing Cisco-based P5G CORE infrastructure, capable of supporting up to 1,000 subscriber SIM/e-SIM units. The vendor is responsible for RF design validation, utility and electrical service coordination with Brownsville Public Utility Board, traffic control, fiber installation, and final network configuration and cybersecurity compliance.

The contract term is 27 months for project completion. Bid prices must remain firm for 120 calendar days from bid opening and throughout the entire contract term, with price revisions permitted only for documented Gulf Coast area increases. A bid bond of 5 percent of the bid amount and full payment and performance bonds are required. Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Questions are due July 16, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., with addenda issued by July 22, 2026. Required insurance includes Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate, and Automobile Liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit.