Ottawa Community Dark Fiber RFI

[Gene Hastings <hastings@info-ren.org>]

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Request For Information
>From Canadian Dominant and Non-Dominant Carriers
To Be a Partner in the OCRInet Dark Fibre Consortium



1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this Request For Information is to solicit proposals from
Canadian national facilities based dominant or non-dominant carriers who
wish to become a partner in the OCRInet Dark Fibre Consortium.

2.0 Background

The concept of a metropolitan dark fibre consortium managed optical
infrastructure is an exciting new networking development that may result in
significant business opportunities for both the providers and consumers of
fibre telecommunications infrastructure.  The development of low cost
optical technologies such as 10Gigabit Ethernet and Coarse Wave Division
Multiplexing (CWDM) and the extension of well known LAN architectures from
the desktop to the wide area will allow the deployment of very low cost
broadband optical networks for the carriage of high speed data traffic to
the home, school and business. This new approach of consortium management of
dark fibre facilities can present significant new business and research
opportunities for Canadian manufacturers, telecommunication suppliers and
carriers.

Consortium managed dark fibre facilities extend the Internet model of
autonomous peering networks to the optical domain.  Besides the direct cost
savings in telecommunications costs it is expected to result in many other
direct benefits to the participating organisations such as:

(a)	Enabling fibre rings as a customer option, rather than a fixed feature
of the network.  Customers can choose whether or not to build their own
rings for restoral or protection at either the physical or virtual layer
using such techniques as dual homing, MPLS or connecting to entirely
separate dark fibre network;
(b)	Extending the campus LAN into the wide area, which will allow for the
consolidation of network servers and the elimination of border routers;
(c)	The ability to join a number of ÏcommunityÓ network facilities for the
sharing of community services, interchange of traffic and consolidation of
legacy services such as PSTN Ò IP telephony gateways, connections to
multiple ISPs at a GigaPOP or IX, etc

This model of consortium managed dark fibre facilities will become a reality
once dark fibres become a communications commodity that is priced according
to the cost of provisioning rather than priced according to potential
derived values.

There are presently two business models used in deploying fibre.  The first
is associated with the telephone and cable providers who are valuing fibres
based upon their derived service potential.  Their primary business is not
selling fibre and thus the fibre infrastructure is reasonably well utilised.
The second business model is represented by the new fibre entrepreneurs who
justify the fibre installations based upon the perceived high fibre price
structure of the traditional carriers.  Their fibre infrastructures are not
well utilised but the few that are sold are carrying the cost of the idle
facilities.  Neither business model takes into account the potential of
customer empowered networking.  It is proposed that by pricing fibre on the
basis of cost, there will be an upsurge in demand with the potential result
of:

a)	no net revenue loss and possible revenue gain
b)	increased consumers benefit
c)	stimulating the advancement and demand for broadband services
d)	position Canada ahead in the global economy.

These outcomes are not conjectures but are already being demonstrated in
such places as Stockholm where the city is treating fibre as a municipal
utility.  The same fibre-pricing model applies to both the carriers and the
individual. Already Stockholm has the lowest ISP rate and is the centre for
broadband services innovations in Europe.

3.0 Particulars

In order to assist the realisation of cost-based dark fibre services,
OCRInet, in partnership with over 20 leading education and research
organisations in the Ottawa area, is facilitating the deployment of a
condominium dark fibre network in the Ottawa metropolitan area. It is hoped
that this pilot will serve as a model for other communities across Canada
and permit Canadian enterprises to take the lead in developing services and
applications in an environment where the cost of bandwidth is significantly
reduced.

A preliminary engineering survey for the deployment of a condominium dark
fibre network in the Ottawa area has already been completed.  Based upon the
result of this study, the partners in the OCRInet Dark Fibre Consortium are
encouraged to enter into the next phase of the project where the actual
needs of the partnership in terms of the dark fibre requirements will be
costed and acquired.  Issued concurrently with this RFI is an RFP to obtain
the services of a fibre consultant who will help the partnership with the
realisation of its objectives.

It is anticipated that the fibres can be provided by interested carriers at
a one-time cost of less than $500k.

The consortium would like the delivery of the fibre no later than September
2000.

The Consortium is ready to deploy its own fibre, but wishes to explore the
possibility of finding a carrier partner that is willing to supply the
required fibre. Through this RFI process we hope to find a suitable partner.

The fibre requirement is contained in Appendix A.  All fibre requirements
are expressed in terms of individual single-mode, 1550 nm low dispersion
fibre.  The required fibres are to be delivered to the telecom room at each
of the addresses listed in Appendix A and terminated at a patch panel.  The
carrier is to provide 20-year irrevocable right of use (IRU) for all
supplied fibre.  The carrier will also be paid an annual fibre maintenance
fee.

The members of the consortium are willing to pay for their portion of the
cost.  As the consortium will be using its fibre consultant to assist the
selected carrier with the design and deployment of the fibre infrastructure,
the members of the consortium will agree to only pay for their portion of
the direct costs associated with the fibre deployment.  The consortium is
willing to entertain any fibre cable routing on the condition that the
consortium will not be invoiced for any costs above those developed by its
consultant in the detailed engineering design.

It is to be noted that the requirement to access the Bell Canada Central
Office at 78 OÌConnor Street is for the explicit purpose of connecting to
the CANARIE CA*net3 research and development network.  CANARIE has obtained
agreement from Bell Canada for access to the Central Office for this single
purpose.

The selected carrier will have access to the design information of the
consortium fibre consultant and is free to question the design parameters.
Any disputes are to be resolved by an independent third party.

All of the members will be individually responsible for lighting up their
own fibre strands generally using, for the most part, a combination of  Fast
Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet and 10Gigabit Ethernet switches and transceivers.
The participants will also be responsible to determine the appropriate
drivers and lasers as well as installing repeaters and or regenerators if
necessary.

A key requirement is that no conditions of use be imposed on the condominium
participants usage of their fibre strands.

The successful bidder gets a guaranteed up front payment equalling to half
of the total cost of the installation.  This cost is based upon the detailed
engineering design of the consortium fibre consultant.  The successful
bidder is required to post a bond equal to the up front payment plus 25% to
ensure the completion of the construction.


4.0 Evaluation Criteria

The members of the consortium will evaluate the proposals based on the
criteria identified below and may elect to reject all submissions or select
one (or more) partners with which to proceed on the construction of the
condominium dark fibre build.

The proposals will be evaluated on the following major criteria:

(a)	the willingness to work with the consortium fibre consultant to jointly
develop the fibre infrastructure;
(b)	the willingness to commit to 20 year IRU;
(c)	the applicants ability to deploy municipal dark fibre networks within
the stipulated time frame, but most importantly, familiarity in negotiating
support structure agreements with the local utility and incumbent carriers;
(d)	the applicants interest to develop a cost-based fibre pricing
structure;
and
(e)	the ability to provide a detailed costing formula that is equivalent to
or less than that provided by the consortium consultant.

There is a some degree of uncertainty and risk associated with building
consortium managed dark fibre facilities.  As such considerable emphasis has
been placed in the engineering and design of such a network.  The makeup of
the consortium is free to change over several iterations of preliminary
designs.  Once the members of the consortium agree to enter the detailed
engineering design phase of the project, the makeup of the consortium and
the fibre requirement will be fixed.


5.0 Requirements

All respondents to this RFI must specify precisely how they intend to
deliver the minimal requirements as specified in this document. The
applicant is encouraged to suggest other features and options in their
submissions.

4.1	To provide a cost estimate of what the respondent expects to
be the cost
of providing the required fibres.  The cost estimate is in terms of fibre
segments so that each member can develop its cost of the total.  The final
project cost cannot exceed the cost estimate provided;

4.2	To make available a planned future costing model that can be used to:
(a)	order additional fibres,
(b)	add new sites,
(c) 	or add new members

4.3 	Upon completion of installation
a)	To OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) all links and to show
evidence of all splices at less than .05 dB insertion loss.
b)	To provide overall fibre signal loss data for each fibre pair.

4.4	The fibres are to terminated at the customerÌs premises as indicated in
the attached document.  A patch panel is to be provided at the customer
premises.  Standard patch terminations are required for the patch panels.

4.5	The fibres are to be provisioned at a one-time up front cost for a
minimum of 20 years.  If there is a cost difference to provide the required
route diversity, ensure that both costs are provided (ie with and without
the diversity provisioning).

4.6	 The cost formula for annual maintenance are to be provided.

4.7	To allow the fibres to be used for any purpose whatsoever.

4.8	To provide a detailed fibre maintenance management agreement for each
participating organisation, specifying mean time to repair a fibre break and
procedures for notification of a fibre break, etc.

4.9	Respondents to this RFI are encouraged to suggest innovative cost
recovery plans that may be attractive to the OCRInet dark fibre consortium
members.

6.0 Timetable

Due to the constraints of a winter construction the RFI response and
evaluation must be completed by the end of 15 February 2000.

As such interested parties who wish to respond to this RFI are invited to
submit detailed proposals to OCRInet, on or before 31 January 2000 12:00
Noon EST.

The applicant is requested to supply a time table for the deployment of the
network. However, a substantial portion of the network should be in place
and operating by 2nd quarter 2000 with the entire network deployed by the
3rd quarter 2000.

7.0 Proposal Submission Information

7.1 Recommended Format of Submission:

Company Introduction and Description

Responses to RFI sections 4.1 through 4.9

List of all key technical and managerial personnel including descriptions of
their qualifications and the tasks, activities and responsibilities that
each will be assigned in relation to your proposal.  Attach resumes of key
personnel.

Organisational chart with the names and titles of all personnel associated
with the delivery of the proposed services.

List of at least three references of clients provided with similar services
including name, address and phone number of each reference.

Summary of services to be provided.

7.2 Form of Submitted Responses

Proposals must be submitted in the following form:
Ö	Two (2) written copies of your proposal including one with original
signatures;
Ö	A diskette(s) containing your response to this RFP in MSWord
for Windows
format.

Responses should be mailed to:

OCRI
Attn: Jim Yuan
36 Steacie Drive
Kanata, ON   K2K2A9


8.0 Further Information

The Ottawa Fibre Consortium will be solely responsible for the review of
responses to this RFI, and will decide whether or not to issue a Request for
Proposal (RFP).  If workable solutions are received from proponents
responding to this RFI, the consortium group reserves the right to proceed
directly to contract.

Respondents should note that their response to this RFI (or possible RFP)
will not obligate the consortium to award all or part of the project to the
respondent, or to incur any costs associated with responding to the RFI.

Proponents interested in responding to the RFI are required to send their
intent by registering with Joanna Yuan jkyuan@ocri.ca.  If there is
sufficient interest, a vendor meeting will be arranged.  A notice will be
sent out to all registered potential bidders informing them of the time and
location

Questions concerning the RFI will be disseminated to all potential
respondents.  Please address all such questions to Joanna Yuan.

For further information please contact:

Jim Yuan
Director of Technology
OCRI, SmartCapital
jyuan@ocri.ca