SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Authorize a purchase order to Frontier, Inc. for internet service provision in an amount not to exceed $412,638.00 for the period March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2027, pursuant to Clearwater Code of Ordinances Section 2.563(1)(d), Non-Competitive Purchase, and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. (consent)
Body
SUMMARY:
Frontier is the sole RBOC (Regional Bell Operating Company) in Pinellas County and is a Certified Ethernet and Managed Solutions provider. Frontier Communications will be providing internet and communication services for the City’s data network. Frontier will be the fourth internet services provider (ISP) to the City’s wide-area network (other providers: Spectrum, Crown Castle, CenturyLink/Lumen). Using all providers is necessary to provide diversification and redundancy for these services. Additional competition cannot be obtained. For these reasons, this purchase with Frontier is non-competitive.
On October 6, 2022, Council authorized a contract with Frontier for managed wireless LAN services under agreement S0000317856. Since this award, demand has changed therefore it no longer fits the needs of the city.
A new service schedule S0000365362, replacing our existing service schedule, has been provided by Frontier which increases the capacity and will also provide diversification and redundancy of internet service for support of operations. Services will be connected to the City’s network at three diverse locations to increase resiliency of service in the event that service is interrupted at any single location.
Services will be billed monthly for the term of service and governed by Service Level Agreement (SLA) at 99.99% availability and a 4-hour Mean-Time-To-Repair (MTTR) in the event of service interruption.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
Funds are available in the Information Technology operating budget, in cost code 5559862-530300.
USE OF RESERVE FUNDS: N/A
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
These purchases help accomplish strategic objectives 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4. The Information Technology Department maintains critical public infrastructure to deliver sustain a high level of service to support a safe and healthy community.
