The Government Parties recognize the increasing dependence on integrated internet and telecommunication technologies within modern society, and the importance of these technologies for various purposes (such as telehealth, remote learning, remote work, among others). Given that the Government Parties aim to maximize their utilization, while ensuring reliable and consistent services, it is crucial to measure and monitor the quality of services supplied by internet service providers (“ISP’s”; i.e., fixed broadband) and mobile providers (“MP’s”; i.e., mobile connectivity). By assessing the performance of these services, the Government Parties aim to measure if such services meet the required needs, enhance transparency, promote fair competition, ensure that ISP’s and MP’s deliver reliable and consistent services, and empower consumers to make informed choices.
Telecommunications quality of services (“QoS)” can be defined as meeting the established requirements of end-users or contracted services. The level of QoS can serve as a differentiator in the ISP market, indicating the performance and reliability of a service or product. Notably, in a market where prices are similar, quality becomes a distinguishing factor for end-users when selecting a vendor. Standardized QoS metrics should drive ISP’s to coordinate improvements if results fall short of expectations.
Q: How can I upload my files if they are larger than 10MB?
A: There are two options for uploading documentation, the organization can upload a compressed zip file or upload the documentation on a file sharing platform (such as Wetransfer, Dropbox, etc.) and in "project description" jot down the link to download the documentation.
Q: What happens if a proposal is received after the deadline?
A: As stated in the RFP, “Any proposal that is delivered after the Proposal Due Date shall be considered late, rejected, and could be returned to the respondent, subject to the Government Parties disclaimers and reservation of rights levied in Section 6 of this RFP.”
Q: Is it possible that a proposal can be approved but for a lower amount than requested amount?
A: As stated in the RFP, the OMB has the discretion, “To work with respondents to remediate their proposals during the review and evaluation process, which may affect the proposed scope of work and associated costs.”
Q: What happens if the final project costs are different than estimated project costs?
A: Respondents must make their best effort to accurately estimate project costs prior to submitting their applications.
Q: Could the PR-OMB deliver the main commercial offers from ISP that should be monitored?
A: The PR-OMB cannot provide the contact information of the main commercial officers from ISPs that should be monitored.
Q: Could the PROMB deliver the list of the MP technologies that should be measured?
A: Applicants are advised to review Section 2.2.4 MMP’s Requirements & Fixed Measurements. Below is a non-exhaustive list that the measuring equipment should be able to support.
Q: Is there a possibility to increase the time of the Implementation and Delivery Phase by at least 8 weeks?
A: The timeline listed in the proposal Is our recommended timeline. Each project’s timeline will be assessed individually, scored on the time needed and substantive information provided to support your project schedule. Please see Technical Evaluation Criteria –Implementation Timeline (Exhibit 3) for additional information.
Q: Regarding the deployment of both mobile and fixed probes, does PRPB or OMB have the locations in which the installation would be carried out? Has the PROMB some guidelines in terms of the probe location i.e health offices, educational institutions, government, or public building in which the probes must be installed? Or is the probe final installation point should be a proposal from the proponent?
A: Applicants should use their best judgement when proposing the exact locations and quantities of probes.
Q: Is it the proposer's responsibility to include communications costs for data plans for both mobile networks (SIM) and fixed networks (FO, xDSL, etc.)?
A: If communications costs are necessary for the successful execution of the monitoring project, they can be included in an applicants proposal.
Q: According the PRBP of the OMB, would be the distribution between Fixed and Mobile Measurement Equipment taking the quantity of five hundred (500) as a reference.
A: Applicants should use their best judgment determining the quantity and ratio of monitoring requirements for their proposals.
Q: In this numeral it talks about up to 500 devices, how many devices (fixed and mobile) should be supplied? As there are no defined quantities, we can propose packages with quantities of probes?
A: Applicants should use their best judgement in proposing quantities and locations of probes.
Q: What do you mean when you say it must be compatible with different vendors in a multi-vendor environment, ensuring support for vendors such as Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung?
A: The monitoring must be vendor agnostic and able to monitor service and traffic from all applicable vendors.
Q: How should the subcontracting be communicated to the government in order to carry out some activities of the project via email, letter, or through any platform?
A: Subcontracting may be allowed, subject to prior written approval from the Government Parties. Please refer to RFP Sections3.3.4 and 3.3.7 for further information.
Q: When filing as a branch (a company legally incorporated in Puerto Rico) of our parent company, should we file the parent company's financial statements?
A: Yes, file the parent company’s financial statements.
Q: Should the certifications, oaths, and documents in this item be included in the contents of the proposal?
Or will they only be requested at the time of signing the contract?
A: Please refer to RFP Section 3 – Proposal Submission Requirements.