Building a Public Wireless Local Area Network Business in the Great Lakes Outdoor Recreation and Travel
Request for Information Issued: May 3, 2004 INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS 1 Introduction C&C Network, Ltd. (CCN) is inviting several premier providers of Operations Support Systems (OSS)/Back-end Network & Operations Infrastructure services in the public wireless local area network (PWLAN; aka Hotspot) market to respond to our Request for Information (RFI) Explained in the sections below are the details, terms, and conditions required of interested respondents. Our objective is to partner with a leading service provider who will assist CCN in implementing and managing a Public Wireless LAN (PWLAN) infrastructure to support the technical and functional requirements necessary to support our business model. 2 Background Information CCN is a greenfield, start-up provider of high-speed wireless Internet access (a. ... Our mission is to be the premier business-class provider of PWLAN services to the outdoor recreation and travel market (ORT), which includes marinas, RV parks, campsites, and stadiums. As a WISP/Hotspot Operator, CCN plans to connect WLAN users to the Internet or a virtual private network (VPN) through either a subscription, pay-as-you-go, or value-added model. ... CCN is located in Chicago, Illinois and targets the Great Lakes region as its primary geography. ... 4 RFI Questions Questions regarding this RFI are encouraged and should be submitted in writing to the following: William Shipley President & CEO C & C Network, Ltd. ... 2 Corporate Profile Responses to Section 2 of RFI 3 Network Management Responses to Section 3 of RFI 4 Product/Service Offering and Management Responses to Section 4 of RFI 5 Roaming Capabilities Responses to Section 5 of RFI 6 Required/Recommended Hardware Responses to Section 6 of RFI 7 Billing Responses to Section 7 of RFI 8 Security Responses to Section 8 of RFI 9 Pricing Information Responses to Section 9 of RFI 10 Customer Management and Support Responses to Section 10 of RFI 11 Other Responses to Section 11 of RFI 6 Evaluation criteria Several factors will be used to evaluate responses including the following: Overall Network Coverage in CCN Geography Pricing (invoicing flexibility, cost per venue/deployment, experience and capabilities of account support organizations, etc.) Comprehensiveness of Solution for Network Management and Venue/End-User Cost-effectiveness of Solutions Ongoing Network Optimization/Innovation of Technology Technical Flexibility Number of Deployments Training and Implementation Support Speed to Market Company Profile (strategic direction, financial stability, breadth of services provided, length of time in business, etc. ... Please describe your Midwest/Great Lakes region footprint. ... 5 Reference Accounts List three PWLAN reference accounts, ideally within the ORT market which include the following: • Company name • Primary contact, title, phone, email and address • PWLAN products or services and length of service We may contact these references to confirm the service and network installed or supported by your company, and will contact you before doing so. ... Network Management 3. ... 3 Management Platform Describe how your platform for network management is performed for PWLAN services including: • Resource Planning • Network Planning • Performance Management • Configuration Management • Maintenance Management • Remote Management • Security & Authentication Management • Upgrades 3.4 Operations Center Please provide a description of your Network Operations Center. ... 5 Statistics What network statistics are available to manage the network? ... 6 Network Software Is the Network software developed internally, OEMed, or acquired by the end user from a third party? ... 7 Tools What network planning processes and tools do you offer and how do they determine the various APs RF channel assignment, power levels, and association rates? ... 8 Network Design Advantages Describe the advantages of your existing network vis-a-vis other service providers. ... 9 Installation Please describe the process and resources required for network installation/deployment.