SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- B- Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) Broadband Project
- Notice Date
- 9/3/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- United States Trade and Development Agency, TDA, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, C/O US TDA 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA, 22209-3901
- ZIP Code
- 22209-3901
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-0470013B
- Response Due
- 10/11/2004
- Archive Date
- 10/26/2004
- Point of Contact
- Evangela Kunene, Procument Data Manager, Phone 703-875-4357, Fax 703-875-4009,
- E-Mail Address
-
ekunene@tda.gov
- Description
- POC: Evangela Kunene, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA 22209-3901, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009. DO NOT CONTACT THE CONTRACTS OFFICE PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PLACE: Mr. Hamdo Katica, General Manager, BH Telecom, Obala Kulina bana 8, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Phone: +387 33 232 651, Fax: +387 33 221 111 The Grantee invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms which are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to develop a feasibility study to evaluate the deployment of a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) network in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This project would require the mobilization of funding for the deployment of a national WiFi network throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The implementation of this network would provide the majority of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a low-cost option to telecommunications and Internet Protocol applications. In addition, the WiFi network would expand coverage to remote and disconnected rural regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while offering the added benefit of broadband. Three state-owned telecom operators currently dominate the telecom sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina: BH Telecom, Telecom Srpske, and HPT Mostar. All three companies provide fixed and mobile telecom services to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. BH Telecom is the largest of the three operators. BH Telecom was created from the former company PTT at the beginning of the Bosnian conflict. BH Telecom maintains telecommunications nodes in seven cities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, all of which are connected via optical cables and mobile systems. A major challenge that BH Telecom faces is building out mobile and fixed wireless infrastructure in rural and/or mountainous parts of the country, as well as in non-contiguous regions and republics. These republics pertain to the two multi-ethnic constituent entities that exist within the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Federation) and the Republika Srpska (RS). Given the low population density, distance, and low market share, it is difficult for BH Telecom to justify investment in Groupe Speciale Mobile (GSM) infrastructure in these regions. At the same time, there is an increasing demand for broadband services from fixed-line, Internet Service Provider, and GSM customers, which BH Telecom is currently unable to fulfill. WiFi technology, which is relatively cheap to deploy and allows for transmission speeds faster than that of GSM, is an economical solution to both problems. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a $230,850 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal, the Terms of Reference, and a background definitional mission report are available from USTDA, at 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA 22209-3901. Requests for the RFP should be faxed to the IRC, USTDA at 703-875-4009. In the fax, please include your firm?s name, contact person, address, and telephone number. Some firms have found that RFP materials sent by U.S. mail do not reach them in time for preparation of an adequate response. Firms that want USTDA to use an overnight delivery service should include the name of the delivery service and your firm's account number in the request for the RFP. Firms that want to send a courier to USTDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to USTDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the RFP will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt. Because of the large number of RFP requests, USTDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for RFPs received before 4:00 PM will be mailed the same day. Requests received after 4:00 PM will be mailed the following day. Please check with your courier and/or mail room before calling USTDA. Only U.S. firms and individuals may bid on this USTDA financed activity. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under USTDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the USTDA-financed activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the USTDA-financed activity. All goods and services to be provided by the selected firm shall have their nationality, source and origin in the U.S. or host country. The U.S. firm may use subcontractors from the host country for up to 20 percent of the USTDA grant amount. Details of USTDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP. Interested U.S. firms should submit their Proposal in English directly to the Grantee by 4:00 PM, OCTOBER 11, 2004 at the above address. Evaluation criteria for the Proposal are included in the RFP. Price will not be a factor in contractor selection, and therefore, cost proposals should NOT be submitted. The Grantee reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The Grantee also reserves the right to contract with the selected firm for subsequent work related to the project. The Grantee is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals.
- Record
- SN00665686-W 20040905/040903212833 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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