Internet Service Providers

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This RFP is an invitation to submit offers for the provision of Internet Services Project Overview The Department of Communication and Computing Services (CCS) provides core IT services to the greater campus community. These include network connectivity, a campus-wide email and calendaring system, telephony infrastructure, information security, software distribution, single sign-on technology, learning resources, and more. The CCS Network infrastructure team specifically looks after on campus and off campus connectivity. As part of our portfolio, we operate multiple wide area network (WAN) connections that allow access to the internet, other Universities as well as remote campus and other locations affiliated with the University of Guelph. Many of these WAN connections have been put in place many years ago. As the University continues to evolve and grow, bandwidth and internet availability must grow and adapt. Increased bandwidth capabilities will support the University’s continued direction of expanding collaboration among individuals, groups or organizations both on and off campus. Expanded WAN connectivity capabilities will ensure the introduction of new services both to and from our remote locations and campuses. The University’s main challenges today are to increase bandwidth to meet our campus demands, maintain existing reliability of the service and reduce operational costs. To provide the University students, staff and faculty the best possible experience, we are reviewing all our remote connections with the intent to improve bandwidth capacity, maintain existing reliability and redundancy, achieve best service availability, and obtain best value for money. Current Environment CCS currently operates the following WAN connections: Internet Services to Guelph Main Campus The University operates two independent internet connections being delivered to our data centre facilities with geographically separate fibre connections. One connection of 10 Gbps (with additional 10 Gbps for research traffic through NREN/ORION) is considered primary (the Primary Internet), the other connection of 10 Gbps is considered secondary (the Secondary Internet). The University is part of the Ontario’s provincial research and education network. Through the Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION), the University is connected to a grid of research, education, and innovation networks across Canada, such as National R&E Network, and around the world via ORION infrastructure. Currently, the University’s Primary Internet is provided by existing ORION infrastructure. This connection terminates at the University’s main data centre on campus, which is physically secure and has ample HVAC coverage. The Secondary Internet is a separate termination at our secondary data center through our current ISP Packetworks. The University also has a direct fibre connection through our current ISP Rogers to the Tri-University Library Annex. The University’s two internet connections are completely independent of each other. There is no shared last mile connection. This solution of having two main internet connections using independent last mile infrastructure to campus has provided us with good internet availability and redundancy capabilities. Wide Area Connections to Locations Outside of Guelph Main Campus The University currently offers Five WAN connections to the following locations outside of Guelph main campus: • 1Gbps connection from to Ridgetown Campus through Orion • 100Mbps connection to the Tri-University Library Annex through Rogers • 4Gbps connection to 150 Research Park through Packetworks • 2Gbps connection to 785 Gordon Street through Packetworks • 1Gbps connection to Elora Research Farm through Packetworks Our WAN connections have been operating satisfactory and we intend to maintain these connections. More details are available in Section A.5 WAN Planning and Capacity (below) Project Objectives The University intends to establish long term agreements with one or more ISPs to achieve the following objectives: • Provide all required WAN connections to the University community. • Maintain the existing redundancy capabilities and fault tolerant network. • Increase bandwidth to meet increasing demand and obtain capacity for future bandwidth increase. • Achieve maximum service uptime. • Reduce operational cost to achieve best value for money. Key Deliverables The successful Respondents are expected to deliver the following services: • Implement internet and/or WAN, including any infrastructure where necessary. • Implement the connection, including test and quality control, until University acceptance • Monitor and maintain service level over the entire term of the Agreement. • Provide technical support and troubleshooting when required. • Accommodate any change of services when required. • DDoS Protection: The ISP must provide comprehensive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection services, including detection, mitigation, and prevention of attacks to ensure continuous availability and security of internet connections. Technical Requirements Respondents must provide a dedicated internet service between the University’s demarcation point and ISP’s POP to meet the following requirements; • Traffic that is not affected or impeded in any way (no throttling, no filtering, no shaping, no prioritizing, etc.). • Terminated via single mode fibre pair connection. • Ability to advertise full IPv4 and IPv6 Internet routing table, partial IPv4 and IPv6 Internet routing table, and default-route via BGP to the purpose of multihoming. • Support BGP traffic engineering, like BGP AS prepending. • Ability to advertise network blocks within the following classless Inter Domain Routing (CIDR) range from the University to Internet. a) IPv4: 131.104.0.0/16 b) Ipv6: (not yet assigned) • Peering connections with other ISPs can handle the additional sustained load of the subscribed rate at the time of RFP awarding and in the future. • DDoS Protection: The ISP must provide comprehensive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection services, including detection, mitigation, and prevention of attacks to ensure continuous availability and security of internet connections. Experience and Qualification The University is looking for respondents who can distinguish themselves from their competitors by showcasing strengths and advantages they have in their proposals. Respondents should have minimum 5 years' experience in providing the type of services requested in this RFP to organizations that are like University in size and scale. Project Implementation and Time Line The University requires that all services are established by March 31, 2025. Respondents are expected to be able to commence work upon the award of the RFP immediately. It is expected that the RFP will be awarded by the end of February 2025 and the implementation be completed within 30 days following the award. The University is looking for respondents who can provide a clear plan for the implementation of the project within an acceptable timeframe while not compromising the quality of the project and the services provided. Service Standards and Support The University requires that the services meet the following standards: Service Level Agreements (SLA) and that the SLA provides credits for not meeting these service levels, structured as follows: • Uptime Credits: o Less than 99.9% availability: 5% of the monthly fee credited. o Less than 99.5% availability: 10% of the monthly fee credited. o Less than 99% availability: 15% of the monthly fee credited. • Data Throughput Credits: o Throughput rates dropping below 99% of installed bandwidth: 5% of the monthly fee credited per occurrence. For ongoing support and maintenance, the University expects that respondents would: • Provide advance notices for any scheduled maintenance. • Provide technical support, following successful implementation of the dedicated Internet access connection, including monitoring such connection seven (7) days a week, twenty-four (24) hours a day and 365 days a year and notifying the University of any problems. • Respond to the University’s requests for bandwidth increase within 30 days of being notified at no additional infrastructure charges to the University. It is the University’s intention to enter into an agreement with at least two (2) or more legal entities. The term of the agreement is to be for three (3) years, with five (5) optional one (1) year renewal terms. The top-ranked respondent at the conclusion of evaluation will be invited to enter into negotiations for an agreement with the University. All proposals submitted are to be in English only. Interested proponents are to download the complete RFP documents free of charge at the University’s public purchasing portal https://uoguelph.bonfirehub.ca (the Portal). To contact the University or ask questions in relation to this RFP, proponents must register with the Portal and initiate the communication electronically through the Opportunity Q&A of the Portal. Registration is free of charge. The University will not accept any prospective proponent’s communications by any other means. Participating proponents are to submit proposals by uploading documents electronically to the Portal https://uoguelph.bonfirehub.ca. The University will not accept paper, fax or email submission. There will be no public opening of tenders for this RFP. The award of the RFP will be posted at the Portal. This procurement is subject to Chapter Five of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.