University residence hall communication services
Joyce Holmberg
University of Kentucky
[email protected]
University of Kentucky, 322 Peterson Service Building
Lexington
40506-0005
This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued to solicit proposals from qualified, financially sound, and responsible firms that will serve as the basis to select a contractor to provide
and operate communications services (data ports, WiFi and cable TV services) in the University of Kentucky residence halls and all current buildings serviced with cable television as well as future buildings as they are built. The contractor is solely responsible for installing, maintaining and managing the communications infrastructure to support the residence hall project. The contractor will maintain ownership of the proposed network throughout the life of the contract. The University does not want to own or manage the equipment and the network infrastructure but to contract for services.
The University of Kentucky will provide the necessary network equipment interface to interconnect the residence halls to the main campus. The University encourages offerors to deploy technologies that support emerging technologies for the life of the contract.
The primary goal of this proposal is to contract with an offeror providing a turnkey solution for dedicated data, wireless data and cable television services for students that reside in residence halls to support students academic requirements. Yet, the proposal recognizes the need to work with an offeror that has the ability to deliver distance learning technologies to students living on and off campus. The technologies required today are high-speed data
communications, WiFi 802.11b/g, the ability to deliver UK specific cable TV programming and the ability to deliver courses on-demand. The University would like offerors that utilize technologies capable of supporting multiple technologies that allow for transition from traditional technologies to emerging technologies (data, cable TV and telephone services) for the entire university student population and to incorporate this solution into the proposal
response.
The goal is to install a system that will be able to be upgradeable and capable of offering data and cable television services over the life of the contract. The University of Kentucky would like to increase the data throughput to at least 1 megabit upstream and 2 megabit
downstream asymmetrical service for 2500 concurrent users and add 100% WiFi coverage.
If this is not possible, the University would like to negotiate for the highest possible throughput and the greatest WiFi coverage. The University would also like to ensure the
contract signed will allow it to offer any and all information services to residence hall rooms.
The University recognizes that offerors have the choice of technologies to complete the project. The choice of a technology by an offeror will greatly enhance the university goal of providing cable TV services to students living on campus and to provide all other faculty, staff and students with access to similar distance learning delivery technologies throughout Lexington area.
The use of distance learning has gained momentum, students who once would drive to the campus are now joining a class from locations across the state. The University recognizes
the award of this contract could assist in developing its distance learning efforts. Originally, the University would have requested traditional structured communications wiring be used to ensure very high-speed data speeds. Today, the University recognizes that structured wiring might not be the best alternative, especially if it creates different levels of distance learning support. A technology that allows the University to offer a like technology to the greatest number of students is better than a service that offers optimum service for a subset of students. Therefore, the university can obtain a total distance learning environment.
Distance learning technologies are important to the University and in the next five years all students will require:
High-speed data communications that support access to multimedia enhanced learning resources.
Streaming video (H.323 today and MPEG 1 soon) to support course distribution on demand and conferencing.
TiVo type distribution systems.
Cable TV channels to support the delivery of academic programming originating at the University of Kentucky.
Telecommunication services (phone and fax).
WiFi Services
