REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE FRANKLIN REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS Municipal Community Anchor Institutions Internet Service Provider Companies responding to this Request for Information (“RFI”) (“Respondents”) are invited to respond to any or all of the inquiries in this document. Responses to this RFI shall serve to assist the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) on behalf of the municipalities in the Axia MassBroadband123 service area to inform their own (the municipalities) procurement process and acquire services utilizing this new network. Because all responses will be made public, this RFI will also give Internet Service Providers (ISPs) the opportunity to provide all potential clients and customers with detailed information regarding the various services they can provide, and their qualifications to provide service through the Axia MassBroadband123 network. Responding to this RFI is not a prerequisite for participation in any future solicitation process. I. Background The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), through the WesternMA Connect Broadband Adoption Project, is working to assist municipalities to utilize the AXIA MassBroadband123 optical fiber network to procure and adopt broadband services as quickly and robustly as possible. This Project is supported by AXIA NGNetworks USA, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), and WesternMA Connect. The AXIA MassBroadband123 network is a 1,100 mile fiber optic middle mile network currently being built throughout western and north central Massachusetts and slated for completion in summer 2013. When complete, the network will have direct fiber connections and end-customer equipment installed in over 1,200 community anchor institutions (CAI) and 24 points of interconnection (POI) throughout the network footprint. CAIs are federally defined public service centers, including libraries, municipal centers and public schools. The Axia MassBroadband123 network is an open access network managed and maintained by Axia NGNetworks USA. As an open access network, there will be multiple organizations providing services over the network. II. Purpose for this RFI The FRCOG, on behalf of municipalities participating in the Axia MassBroadband123 service area (see included map of service area), is soliciting information from last mile providers through this Request for Information (RFI) from primary internet service providers (ISPs) to supply high-speed dedicated services via the Axia MassBroadband123 network to municipalities in western and north-central Massachusetts. The purpose of this RFI is to provide municipalities (including municipally-related CAIs, municipal governments, local businesses and residents) with information from service providers who are currently offering or considering offering services through the Axia MassBroadband123 network. Individual CAIs, municipal governments, and local businesses will utilize this information to inform their own procurement process and acquire services utilizing this new network. This RFI will also give ISPs the opportunity to provide potential clients with detailed information regarding the various services they can provide, and their qualifications to provide service through the Axia MassBroadband123 network. Responding to this RFI is not a prerequisite for participation in any future solicitation process. Information provided through the RFI will be made public. III. General Instructions for Responding to this RFI Please note that this RFI is issued solely for the purpose of obtaining information. Nothing in this RFI shall be interpreted as a commitment on the part of the FRCOG or any municipality in the Axia MassBroadban123 Network to conduct procurement as a result of the issuance of this RFI or to enter into a contract with any entity that responds to this RFI. a. This RFI has been posted on Thursday, January 10, 2012. b. Questions: Companies may submit written inquiries to Andrea Woods at [email protected] no later than Thursday, January 17. Responses to all inquiries will be provided in Addenda to all participating companies. c. Informational Sessions: There will be no informational session(s) associated with this RFI. d. Response Submissions: All responses to this RFI are due no later than 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 31, 2013. Responding entities should submit two (2) hard copies and a copy on a CD or flash drive to the contact person listed below. Please consecutively number all pages of the response. e. Response Content: Responding entities should supply the information requested in Section VII (Sub-Sections 1-6) below. Section VII, Sub-Section 1 asks for information regarding the responding company’s business operations. Section VII, Sub-Section 2 asks for information specific to CAIs and the services the responding company can provide to entities with direct fiber connections to the network. Section VII, Sub-Section 3 asks for information about a company’s ability to serve other municipal and/or school-facilities that have not been connected as a Community Anchor. Section VII, Sub-Section 4 asks for information on the responding company’s ability and qualifications to provide internet services to other, non-CAI organizations, businesses and residents within the municipalities. Section VII, Sub-Section 5 asks for representative pricing. 2 Section VII, Sub-Section 6 provides space for other information. f. Response Format: Responses may be mailed or hand delivered with a point-by-point response to each subsection set forth in Section VII below. Hardcopies mailed or hand delivered must be accompanied by an electronic copy in PDF format on a CD-ROM or USB Flash Drive. g. Contact Information: Please direct all communications, questions and responses to the following contact person: Andrea Woods Chief Procurement Officer Franklin Regional Council of Governments 12 Olive Street, Suite 2 Greenfield, MA 01301- 3313 [email protected] h. Additional Information: The FRCOG retains the right to request additional information from the respondents. The FRCOG may request further explanation or clarification from any and/or all responding entities during the review process. IV. Costs By submitting a response to this RFI, responding entities agree that any costs incurred in responding to this RFI or in support of any activities associated with this RFI shall be the sole responsibility of the respondent. The FRCOG shall not be held responsible for any costs incurred by any respondent in preparing the responses to this RFI. V. Review Rights Responses to this RFI may be reviewed and evaluated by any person(s) at the discretion of the FRCOG, including independent consultants retained by the FRCOG now or in the future. VI. Public Record All responses and information submitted in response to this RFI are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.), Chapter 66, Section 10, and Chapter 4, Section 7, subsection 26. VII. Requested Business Information and Service Offerings 1. Business Operations 1.1. Name and headquarters location of RFI respondent company. SIDERA RESPONSE: Sidera Networks 55 Broad Street 2nd floor New York, NY 10004 3 1.2. Brief description of company and each of the services that can be provided including Internet, telephone and video, if applicable. SIDERA RESPONSE: Sidera Networks is a fiber Optic networking company providing communications services to government and businesses. Sidera operates a facilities based network in the Northeast, Mid Atlantic and parts of the Southeast as well as Chicago. We provide Internet services and data communications services. We provide Ethernet, Wave, SONET and IP. We also provide data collocation services in over 35 facilities across our footprint. 1.3. Please identify which of the following is true: 1.3.1.Our company has signed an interconnection agreement to use the Axia MassBroadband123 network. SIDERA RESPONSE: Sidera has signed a interconnection agreement to sell services on the MBI 123 network. 1.3.2.Our company has signed a letter of intent and is interested in offering services. SIDERA RESPONSE: Sidera has signed the MBI LOA. 1.3.3.Our company is interested in becoming an Axia MassBroadband123 Participating Service SIDERA RESPONSE: N/A Provider. 1.4. Provide evidence that the company is in good standing and qualified to conduct business in Massachusetts. Please include any relevant documentation. SIDERA RESPONSE: Sidera Networks is in sound financial condition. Sidera is a privately held company and we can disclose financial statements and statement of financial position with a signed NDA (non disclosure agreement). I have provided a copy of the NDA. 1.5. Does your company presently provide services to customers in western Massachusetts? If not, where does your company currently provide services? SIDERA RESPONSE: Sidera currently operates a facilities based network in Western Massachusetts and provides services in this footprint. We provide services throughout Massachusetts, all of New England and our footprint reaches down to North Carolina and extends to Chicago, Il. 1.6. Is your company currently offering services through the Massachusetts Statewide Contract to governmental bodies? SIDERA RESPONSE: Although Sidera Networks is not on the state contract we do provide services to many government entities and state wide agencies, such as the MBTA, UMASS and many city municipalities. 4 1.7. Describe your company’s experience providing E-Rate services for schools and libraries. Also include whether your company