Eastgate is issuing this Request for Proposals ("RFP") for strategic broadband network engineering and deployment to improve broadband access for education, job creation, healthcare, and more in Trumbull County. It is Eastgate’s intent through this RFP for a third-party provider to expand Broadband Infrastructure, as hereinafter defined, to benefit Trumbull County's residents, businesses, community institutions, government, and overall economic development, and catalyze local innovation. Eastgate further desires to create an environment that serves Trumbull County's citizens' current and future technology needs, and establishes a platform that supports and facilitates existing, as well as new ISP, telecom carrier, and data center services expansion into and throughout Trumbull County.
Following the RFP Issue Date, Respondents may submit questions regarding this RFP at any time before 2:00 pm Eastern on December 10th, via electronic mail to the following address (the "Eastgate Authorized Representative"): Mark Ragozine at mragozine@eastgatecog.org. The deadline for Eastgate’s receipt of a Respondent's proposal, in the PDF version as outlined above, is January 8th by 2:00PM Respondents may submit their proposals at any time before the above-stated deadline.
Read The Full RFP
RFP Questions & Answers
- Q: In reviewing the RFP (specifically Exhibit A), it looks like you have identified numbers of un/underserved locations in each municipality you are asking to be considered. Can you share that address data with us, specifically in the Costquest BSL fabric?
A: Attached is the list of unserved and underserved fabric IDs in the areas covered by the Trumbull County OH broadband RFP. The Location IDs in this file refer to version 3 of the fabric, which should match what BroadbandOhio used to generate its list of ORBEG 2 eligible addresses
Eligible Locations List
- Q: Since the County is utilizing ARPA/SLFRF funding for this project, will it have a completion deadline of 12/2026?
A: All funds must be expended (spent) and projects completed by December 31, 2026.
- Q: Our legal team was under the impression that all contracts regarding SLFRF funds need to be executed by the end of the year. Is there a nuance here that we are missing?
A: Funds must be obligated (committed to a specific project or expense) by December 31, 2024. Since we received the funding from the Board of Trumbull County Commissioners committed to the specific project of Broadband Deployment, we have satisfied these requirements.
- Q: In the Trumbull County RFP there are some discrepancies with the speed requirements. On page one, in the third paragraph, it says “There is no preference for the type of broadband technology utilized. However, it must be capable of reaching at least 100 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speeds while being scalable to higher speeds long-term. Then on page 5 it says, “Any respondent awarded under this RFP is required to design projects to, upon completion, reliably meet or exceed symmetrical 100Mbps download and upload speeds. In cases where it is not practicable […] projects may be designed to reliably meet or exceed 100/20 Mbps and be scalable to a minimum of symmetrical 100 Mbps download and upload speeds”. Can you please clarify which is correct? Is it 100/10 on the first page? Or the 100/100 listed later in the document?
A: The 100/10 from the first page is correct. Apologies for the confusion there. I think the key word here is scalability but 100/10 would be the target.
- Q: The RFP issued 11/15/24 for Strategic Broadband Infrastructure Management and Deployment for Trumbull County refers to, a couple of times, vertical assets that are owned by Trumbull County. Is there a list of these assets, ideally identifying their location, structure type and height, available to share so that they can be incorporated into our project analysis?
A: During the process of completing our Regional Broadband Feasibility Study in 2021, there was a section in the report for Site Analysis. Here is a link to the report: Regional Broadband Feasibility Study. Specifically, pages 72-78 will give you a better idea of where vertical assets such as silos, radio towers, water towers, wind turbines, FCC registered towers, 5G tower deployment, and otherwise are located within Trumbull County. As far as anything more specific, this is something that Eastgate would be happy to assist with and/or facilitate a successful respondent in identifying through our partners at the Trumbull County Planning Commission, and communities along the proposed projects footprint.