Palm Desert is considering the development and deployment of a fiber network in partnership with potential private sector partners. The partnership envisions the city leveraging funding to construct a municipal fiber ring network and identifying a partner willing to assist in creating ubiquitous fiber to the premises (residents and businesses) connectivity throughout Palm Desert.  In this model, the partner would be responsible for completing the drop construction to each demand location, which includes homes and businesses, as part of providing the services, and ongoing operations.

Please refer to Appendix A in the attachment for a map of the proposed fiber ring network.

This Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) has been initiated by the City of Palm Desert to enable it to identify one or more partners that would be interested in providing improved network services within the City limits using City-built fiber infrastructure. The City seeks input from interested potential partners regarding the terms and conditions under which partners would operate and manage Internet and other network services to homes and businesses over City-owned fiber.

Palm Desert is particularly interested in providers who will use the fiber to provide ultra-high-speed network access defined as being in the multiple-hundred mega-bit-per-second (Mbps) to giga-bit-per-second (Gbps) range.

One of Palm Desert’s primary goals of this network is economic development. With the Internet as a driving vehicle many businesses can locate anywhere if there is enough bandwidth at affordable prices. Companies that rely on high-speed connections will go where they can flourish. Responses to this EOI should state how the respondent’s approach will further the City’s goals of attracting businesses and residents and encouraging economic retention in the City.

Palm Desert seeks to make the City a more desirable place for firms and residents, who see the quality-of-life benefits of broadband both directly through home connections and through enhanced services provided to the business community.

Because this network is an important part of the City, Palm Desert seeks a wired service provider or multiple providers who are interested in providing services to the residents and businesses in the community. 

Wired services include the provision of one or more of the following services to end customers in the community: voice, video, and data/broadband content, but services proposed must include at a minimum a fiber to the premise broadband connection.  Wired services may include other ancillary services typically provided by broadband or cable providers.

Interested vendors may respond by submitting answers found in Section 5, "Vendor Questionnaire."  Vendors are encouraged to attach relevant supporting information at the end of the Vendor Questionnaire. 

All questions, requests for interpretations or clarifications, either administrative or technical must be requested in writing VIA the "Q&A" tab through the City's online bid management provider (“OpenGov-Procurement”).

All written questions, if answered, will be answered in writing, conveyed to all interested firms, and posted through OpenGov-Procurement. Oral statements regarding this RFP by any persons should be considered unverified information unless confirmed in writing. To ensure a response, questions must be received in writing by 5:00 pm (local time) on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

Upon the closing of this EOI the City shall review responses and determine next steps.

Interested parties shall respond to the EOI according to the schedule and shall provide responses to the Vendor Questionnaire to follow.

There are several central goals to the City’s municipal fiber ring network undertaking. Respondents to this EOI and any possible subsequent RFP should indicate whether and how their proposal serves these goals:

The City seeks an uninhibited network, where Service Providers may offer a range of services, and network operators are neutral with respect to Service Providers, applications, websites, type of use, and type of connection device.

The City seeks Service Providers who would be interested in offering lit broadband services and partners who would be interested in handling maintenance and operations of the network. The City also seeks partners who will be interested in extending the City fiber, if expansion is needed.

For the network to have the intended economic and quality of life impacts, Palm Desert considers both cost and availability of service to be important. The City encourages responses from interested partners that address both to maximize adoption of service.