KCNA - Wholesale Services

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA), is seeking a vendor to provide wholesale telecommunications infrastructure services to lease dark fiber and lit fiber services to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) across the state's 3,400-mile fiber network. The Request for Proposal (RFP 758 2600000154) solicits proposals for commercializing excess fiber capacity on the KentuckyWired middle-mile fiber optic network, serving all 120 Kentucky counties. Proposals will be evaluated across three components: technical proposal (maximum 1,700 points), cost proposal (1,000 points), and oral demonstrations (up to 500 points), with a total possible score of 3,200 points. Technical proposals scoring below 50 percent will be disqualified from further consideration. Key objectives include establishing non-discriminatory, open-access fiber leasing with non-recurring fees, monthly maintenance charges, and applicable transport fees. The solicitation requires vendors to submit comprehensive proposals by January 21, 2026, at 3:30 PM ET, with two rounds of written vendor questions accepted on December 8 and December 22, 2025. The initial contract term is four years, with three optional two-year renewal periods available upon mutual agreement.

The procurement does not explicitly list specific set-aside designations, but does include affidavit requirements for resident and qualified bidder status, which may provide advantages to Kentucky-based or nonprofit entities. Vendors must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate, along with Automobile Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 combined single limit. The existing KentuckyWired network infrastructure will serve as the foundational platform for service delivery, with the successful vendor utilizing the current 3,400-mile fiber network. Pricing components include a total minimum lump sum payment per year to KCNA, a revenue share percentage for Dark Fiber Services, and a revenue share percentage for Lit Fiber Services. While specific contract value is not definitively stated, the ten-year contract structure with annual pricing and revenue sharing suggests a potentially significant financial opportunity. Vendors must comply with strict security requirements under Kentucky's Personal Information Security and Breach Investigation Procedures, including immediate breach notifications and adherence to Commonwealth of Technology standards.