Wide Area Network Services

Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) in Kentucky is soliciting Request for Proposal (RFP 40-25) for a comprehensive Wide Area Network (WAN) infrastructure upgrade to connect 70 district locations, including 63 elementary, middle, special program, administrative sites, and seven high school/vocational campuses. The procurement seeks a robust network solution with a 10 Gbps collective connection and individual 10 Gbps dedicated connections, supporting advanced technologies like Voice over IP and streaming video. Vendors must provide a resilient infrastructure with 99.99% network availability, path diversity, and network redundancy, with potential future expansion capabilities to 40 Gbps for collective sites and 100 Gbps for dedicated connections. The proposal requires comprehensive service level agreements, including rapid outage response times, and vendors must carry a minimum of $2 million in insurance coverage. A mandatory pre-bid conference is scheduled for June 26, 2025, at 1126 Russell Cave Road, with proposal responses due on August 1, 2025. The initial contract term will run from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with optional annual renewals for up to five total years.

While no specific set-aside designations are explicitly mentioned in the documentation, the RFP includes an E-Rate Pricing Attachment that provides detailed pricing requirements for various network services, including shared internet, dedicated internet, point-to-point transport, dark and lit fiber services, and Wi-Fi services. The procurement allows vendors flexibility to propose alternative solutions functionally equivalent to specified equipment models, with requirements for documenting E-Rate eligibility percentages. Pricing must cover installation, maintenance, equipment, and ongoing services on an all-inclusive basis, with no additional upfront or site-specific charges. Vendors will be required to complete comprehensive pricing sheets for monthly recurring charges, installation fees, router/modem fees, static IP fees, and special construction costs. Although a specific budget range is not disclosed, the extensive infrastructure requirements and multi-year contract suggest a significant investment in network technology. The procurement appears open to multiple vendors, with an emphasis on technical capability, service reliability, and comprehensive network solution design.