Question 1:

In order to provide the most cost effective bids, often times it’s best to combine sites on the same fiber build.  On RFP#5 there are some sites within close proximity to each other.  Does all site pricing need to be “stand alone” pricing? 

The OHN will maximize use of the funds if build costs are shared by multiple sites.

All vendors are free to provide pricing contingent on winning multiple sites in a given RFP round.  With this being said it is an all or nothing situation.  We cannot accept both a contingency bid and a standalone bid for the site(s).  If you so not win all sites involved in the contingency bid you will still be awarded the site, but if you are unable to provide the listed pricing (contingency or not) the bid will need to re rejected and passed on to the next best proposal.  You can feel free to do stand alone bids on any sites not included in the "bundled" bid.

Question 2:

I have a question about the Samaritan Health North Lincoln Hospital site. This is what is in the RFP states:

1 Gbps network access connection and transport to Albany General Hospital-Data Center, 1046 SW 6th Ave, Albany OR 97321, to OHN at NWAX

The question is about the last part of the above sentence. Is this just for one circuit from Lincoln City to Albany, or does it mean two circuits (another from Albany to NWAX)?  

The connection is a single connection to the Albany General Hospital site.  The Albany General Hospital is already connected to the OHN network from RFP#2.

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Question 3:

Since I have not bid any of your RFP's in the past, I've been under the impression that we would basically be providing ethernet connections from end users back to the NWAX or other exchanges. After reading the RFP I think I have misunderstood how end-users are connecting to OHN and the Internet, and want to clarify specifically the use of "access and transport".

Would you please confirm what you mean on page 13 and also throughout the end-user site listings as follows.

Access and Transport Requirements

1. Transport Internet Protocol (IP) data packets to and from a specified Ethernet interconnection point at each physical address for which service is contracted. Other communications protocols may be used to transport data packets; however, IP over Ethernet is required at the user and network interfaces.

Site listing example:

Are you saying what is required is a 100 Mbps Ethernet connection for transport between end-user site and NWAX with a 100 Mbps Internet port at both ends including the NWAX?

We normally refer to this as 100 Mbps Ethernet transport connection with 100 Mbps Internet port. Therefore, there would be two components of the pricing for each end of the connection; the ethernet transport and the internet port. Is that what you're requiring when you say "network access connection and transport link"?

OHN access and transport links are both point-to-point and Internet.
The user interface at end user premises is Internet Protocol over Ethernet. Vendors will contract for the specified capacity at the user interface and agree to deliver up to that amount of capacity to NWAX with specified Quality of Service guarantees. The vendor will be responsible to connect to the public Internet any data traffic that cannot be handed off locally or at NWAX. The transport links need not be exclusively dedicated to any particular end user site, provided sufficient capacity is available to meet both the capacity requirement and the quality of service requirements at each site.

With regards to the Direct Internet Access (DIA) requests, these are not subject to the quality standards as the OHN transport is, but should provide the site with the requested bandwidth.  Shared connections are ok as long as the requested bandwidth is available. 

Yes,  there will be two parts to the pricing and we ask that you separate the DIA from the OHN transport and list both separately on the proposal.  Please remember to include all estimated taxes and fees.

 Question 4

Would you please clarify service requests on Appendix A  for location listings #8, #9 & #11.

#8 - please clarify - this one only lists "access" to Albany, OR? whereas all other service requirments list network access and transport. So is this suppose to be a 100 Mbps ethernet transport with 100 Mbps Internet port access  from SHSCC to Albany Hospital?

#9 - please clarify- that this is a three point connection, all 1Gbps ethernet transport and 1Gbps Internet port access from SHSLC Hospital, to Albany Hospital data center, to NWAX.

#11 - please clarify - this states a 1 Gbps internet access and ethernet transport link from SMC to NWAX. Then it also notes an additional 100 Mbps commercial internet connectivity. Please explain what this additional 100 Mbps is and how it is suppose to be provisioned since the main ethernet connection is already 1 Gbps with 1 Gbps Internet access.

#8/9:  This should be access and transport and would be a 100 Mbps Ethernet transport.  There are no public internet requests for this site.  Transport will be to the Abany Hospital site as listed.  There is already and OHN connection to NWAX from that location in a previous RFP round.

#11:  They are requesting a 1Gbps access and transport link to the OHN network via NWAX.  Then an additional 100 Mbps of direct internet access.

 IMPORTANT UPDATE TO RFP 5:

Please note that a mistake was found on the RFP#5 Scope Document on Page 19.  Please bid on the following corrected information:

Site#2:  MCMC at Waters Edge  is requesting 100Mbps network Access and transport to Mid Columbia Medical Center (Site#3) at 1700 E. 19th St., The Dalles, OR

Question 5

In regards to the quotes for The Dalles, is it possible to just bid on the transport link from the respective sites to the OHN at NWAX in the Pittock with layer two transport?

For the connection from the Lincoln City sites to Albany, it is possible to just bid on the transport link with a layer two connection?

All OHN bids must include both layer two a layer three portion (internet connectivity/BGP peering at NWAX, etc.) as specified in the transport requirements of the RFP#5.  It would be possible for you two partner up with another service provider and create a consortium bid where you would provide the layer two piece and the other vendor would provide the layer 3 connectivity.  We have had several successful bids that have taken this form.

Question 6

21.  Prohibition on Commissions. 

The OHN will contract directly with organizations capable of performing the requirements of this RFP.  Contractors must be represented directly.  Participation by brokers or commissioned agents will not be allowed during the proposal process.

It sounds like this prohibition is directed at groups which broker a deal but have no involvement with the solution.  Our company designs solutions, assists with implementation and then managing networks in partnership with the contractor.  If awarded the business the hospital would contract directly with the contractor delivering the circuits. We would be paid by the contractor for our work.  We are considered agents or solution providers.  Are we prohibited from working on the proposal process?

You would be considered agents in this case and would be prohibited from participation in the RFP process. 

Question 7

If my company was a member of the team creating the response but all responses came directly from the contractor and the contractor performed the work, would my company be prohibited from participating?

As long as OHN and its participants are dealing solely with the contractor of record for any and all potential awards there should be no problem.   But please understand that all communications through the RFP process, contracts (if an award is given) and payments must be with the contractor of record for the proposed build and not with any other 3rd party.