NP RFP- Alabama Supercomputer Member Hub Transport, Member Hub Failover Transport, WAN Transport Services

The Alabama Supercomputer Authority is requesting proposals for Member Hub Transport, Member Hub Failover Transport, and WAN Transport Services to support the Alabama Research and Education Network (AREN) consortium, with proposals due August 27, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. CT and an optional pre-proposal conference on July 14, 2026. The Authority intends to award multiple contracts to different vendors.

The scope encompasses end-to-end network connectivity services connecting Member Hubs and Member WAN Sites across Alabama's K-12 schools and public libraries to five AREN Service Platform Nodes located in Huntsville, Atlanta, and Birmingham, Alabama. Services include three primary categories: Member Hub Transport-A for local access (committed information rate speeds from 250 Mbps to 3,000 Mbps), Member Hub Failover Transport-A for redundancy, and Member Hub Transport-Z for core infrastructure (1 Gbps to 100 Gbps). Service providers must obtain and maintain valid Service Provider Identification Numbers (SPIN) and Federal Communications Commission Registration Numbers (FCCRN) with green light status within 30 days of contract award. Performance requirements mandate round-trip latency of less than 30 milliseconds (absolute pass/fail criterion) and 99.95% monthly service availability, with defined response and resolution times based on severity levels.

The contract term runs July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2029, with potential extensions for up to two additional one-year periods or one two-year period upon 90 days' written notice prior to expiration. Pricing must be submitted on an a la carte basis in U.S. dollars for each service location and bandwidth level as fixed charges throughout the contract term, with monthly recurring charges and non-recurring charges separated from Universal Service Fund charges and the 6% state utility tax. All services must be fully installed and provisioned at least 60 days before contract commencement. The RFP is E-Rate eligible and funded through State and Federal funds via the E-Rate Universal Service Fund program.

Evaluation criteria include price, route diversity, multiple AREN Service Platform Node connectivity, hub-and-spoke architectures, and single-provider operational simplicity. Questions are due July 21, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CT to rfp.questions@procurement.alabama.gov.