WUTC: Broadband Survey Q&A

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Broadband Survey Q&A

The following questions have been submitted on the dates shown with regard to the Commission's Request for Proposals for the broadband study. As stated in the RFP, this is the only way those answers are being distributed.

January 15, 2008
1. Since the stated due date, January 21, is a national holiday, will the Commission accept documents on that day?
The UTC will not be open for business on the holiday - we will accept proposals received on January 22 as if they had been received on the 21st.

2. What is your street address for courier deliveries?
Our street address for deliveries is 1300 South Evergreen Park Drive SW Olympia, WA 98504

3. What do you mean by ‘media representative’?
A “media representative” could be a public information officer responsible for communicating with the media on behalf of the bidder. We will also accept a reporter or producer familiar with the bidder’s past media exposure. We want to see that bidders are not insensitive to the media exposure potentially involved in a project of this nature.

December 7th, 2007:

1. Is there any current broadband data available?

The UTC does not have a specific library of broadband data available to consultants. You may want to consider the following sources of further information as background or starting points:

FCC form 477 reports
FCC license mapping for frequency bands often used for broadband, including WS, ED, BR
Qwest's Rural Broadband Expansion Plan and testimony in the AFOR (docket UT-061625)
Comments submitted in connection with the stakeholder workshop in this docket.
USDA's rural broadband grant program.

2. Will carriers be encourage (or even compelled) by the WUTC to participate in the study, or it strictly a voluntary basis and up to the selected vendor to encourage participation?

A number of carriers have indicated interest in the study, other have not. At present the UTC encourages but does not require wireline carriers to participate in this study, which was authrorized by the legislature in the state budget, and which will be presented to the legislature when complete.

3. What is the WUTC's role in the study? Will WUTC provide personnel to the study team?

The UTC will provide guidance and information to the consultant to the extent feasible, but we can't provide personnel to the study team. If needed and useful the UTC may be able to provide limited temporary workspace upon request.

4. Is the survey of coverage more viewed as a survey of carriers/providers or the consumer?

Bidders may propose various methodologies so long as they answer the questions posed in the RFP with an acceptable level of accuracy and precision.

5. Does the Commission have exchange boundaries that are publicly available?

A map of Washington's

local exchanges

is available on the Commission's website.

6. Are data sources available to identify residential or business locations?

The UTC does not presently track residential and business locations. Bidders might be able to find zoning information from public sources in the study counties.

7. Can Washington State Universities and their students contribute to the study by assisting with, for compensation, survey development and geospatial work (clarification on the exclusion of State Employees and Universities in RCW 42.52.220)?

12/19/2007: Students are not barred from contributing to the study. Employees of state-owned universities are bound by RCW 42.52. If requested, the UTC will assist bidders in obtaining an opinion from the Ethics Board.

8. Can you provide us with the GIS files behind the exchange maps?
12/24/2007: Yes, these files are available by email upon request.

Staff contact: Wilford Saunders
Posted/updated: 01/15/2008


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