SEFS IRU Scott Hall Dark Fiber - i3 Broadband - No Cost

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) is procuring an Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) for Scott Hall Dark Fiber through a sole source contract award to i3 Broadband, LLC. This procurement involves network backbone services to support fiber route connectivity between Champaign/Kankakee/Chicago area Points of Presence (POP) sites and Illinois Link Access (ILA) sites, enabling critical POP-to-POP and POP-to-ILA communications that support all network services across the Chicago and Champaign Illinois regions. The contract term begins April 30, 2026, and extends through July 14, 2034, with zero renewal options and no extensions. The primary objective is to establish backbone connectivity infrastructure with no cost to the State, as i3 Broadband is proposing a reciprocal arrangement. The sole source justification is based on i3 Broadband possessing the only available fiber infrastructure on the specified path between I-57 & Olympian and 350 E Cermak in Chicago; constructing alternative routes would require 50.95 miles of new fiber at an estimated cost of $6,114,000. The public hearing was scheduled for April 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST via WebEx, with the deadline for written comments or hearing requests being April 17, 2026, at 4:00 PM; no hearing was ultimately held as no interested parties submitted comments or requests by the deadline.

This sole source procurement is restricted to i3 Broadband, LLC, as the State determined no other vendors possess the same geographic footprint or available fiber infrastructure on the required route. The contract represents a reciprocal arrangement where the initial contract value of $461,319.81 is offset by a cost differential of $32,170.70, resulting in no net cost to the State and generating a projected savings of $181,646.94 compared to alternative arrangements. The procurement includes maintenance costs within the pricing structure and is funded through state appropriated funds. The State Purchasing Officer approved the sole source determination on April 8, 2026, allowing DoIT to proceed with the contract award. No set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises, small businesses, or other restricted vendor classifications were noted in this procurement. The contract was posted on April 8, 2026, with a due date of April 22, 2026, for any formal responses or objections.