Wide Area Network (WAN) Communication Services

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) in Cuyahoga County, Ohio is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure comprehensive Wide Area Network (WAN) communication services for 112 school and administrative sites throughout the district. The procurement encompasses carrier-grade fiber optic connectivity with redundant pathways, routing equipment ownership and management, equipment lifecycle management with strict End-of-Life/Last Day of Support compliance, and comprehensive cybersecurity controls aligned with Zero Trust Architecture principles. Vendors must deliver minimum bandwidth of 1 Gbps per site with 10 Gbps burst capacity, support for potential relocation of the Central Communications Termination Area from its current location at 1111 Superior Avenue to alternative locations (H5 Building at 1625 Rockwell Avenue or Sterling Building at 1255 Euclid Avenue), 24/7/365 Network Operations Center and Security Operations Center capabilities, web-based portals for monitoring and incident tracking, and quarterly business reviews with the district. Service Level Agreements must target 99.99% monthly uptime with critical incident response within 30 minutes, on-site response within 2 hours, and service restoration within 4 hours; performance-based service credits are tied to availability, response times, performance metrics, and patch compliance. Evaluation criteria are weighted across six dimensions totaling 100 points: Cost (25 points), Technical Solution (20 points), Service Level Commitments (20 points), Local Presence & Economic Impact (15 points), Implementation Plan (10 points), and Vendor Qualifications (10 points). The RFP was released January 21, 2026; a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for January 27, 2026 at 2:00 pm via Zoom; the deadline for questions is February 3, 2026; and proposals are due February 20, 2026 at 1:00 pm. Service provider selection is anticipated for February 26, 2026, with contract negotiation on February 27, 2026, and contract commencement on July 1, 2026, for an initial three-year term through June 30, 2029, with two one-year renewal options.

The RFP includes mandatory compliance requirements through an E-Rate Rider that obligates all service providers to maintain valid USAC eligibility status, comply with Federal Communications Commission and Universal Service Administrative Company E-Rate Program rules, apply E-Rate discounts upfront, and utilize the Service Provider Invoicing method for billing with clear itemization of eligible and ineligible services. The current service provider is ENA/Zayo with fiber infrastructure owned and operated by Crown Castle Fiber, which provides dark fiber at 1 Gbps burstable to 10 Gbps utilizing Cisco ASR 9002 aggregation routers and Cisco ASR 920 building-level routers that any proposed solution must accommodate or replace. All vendor personnel requiring building access must complete CMSD background checks and security requirements, and vendors must provide evidence of insurance including $1,000,000 Commercial General Liability and $1,000,000 Automobile Liability coverage. The RFP documentation does not specify an explicit award value or budget range; however, pricing proposals must be submitted separately with no Ohio sales tax included by the vendor. Implementation planning is phased across four stages: pre-implementation planning (60-90 days), pilot implementation (30-45 days), full rollout (90-180 days), and project closeout (30 days), with vendors required to demonstrate flexibility and comprehensive project management capabilities throughout the contract term.