Request for Information

for Internet Service via satellite in French Polynesia

Date RFI issued : / 12th April 2006
RFI deadline / 25th April 2006 – 17:00 PM
Tahiti local time (GMT – 10h00)
E mail addresses for RFI submissions / , , , , , ,

1.  Introduction

This Request For Information (RFI) is issued by Office des postes et télécommunications (OPT) dealing with Internet trunking via satellite and IP backbone access (Tier 1) to allow Internet connectivity between French Polynesia and the World Wide Web.

Key elements :

- A 33 months contract will be agreed between the two parties, OPT and the provider starting on 1st November 2006 to 30th June 2009;

- Informations to be sent via e mail

- All informations provided in responses will be considered confidential by OPT and limited to its use.

- Upon first selection based on information collected through the present RFI, a Request for proposal will be sent by June 2006

2.  GENERAL INFORMATION

Telecommunications services in French Polynesia are provided by “Office des Postes et Telecommunications” (O.P.T), a public owned corporation and a few OPT wholly owned subsidiaries for Mobile and Internet. OPT has to fulfilled some public services obligations particularly to make telecommunications available in most of the populated islands on a 4 millions Km2 area as large as Europe.

OPT relying on 850 staff and postal services more than 100 contacts points also provides in addition to Telecommunications services, broadcast direct to home digital TV services, both and throughout French Polynesia.

French Polynesia, like many others Pacific Islands countries islands, is facing in a world where telecommunications global networks are offering new opportunities for prosperity that presently are a real challenge due to our geographical and economical constraints. OPT’s role is to :

·  Adapt the Infrastructure ;

·  Encourage the use ;

·  Develop content creation and launch new applications….

Currently OPT has 53 000 telephone lines on the public switched telecommunication network. In addition approximately 110 000 subscribers are connected to the “Vini” GSM mobile network.

Mana - French Polynesia’s Internet service provider created in 1998 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the French Polynesia Postal and Telecommunications Department (OPT).

Internet Key figures:

Broadband users: 13000 (DSL)

Dialup users: 7000

For more information please logon to the following websites :

www.opt.pf

www.mana.pf

3.  Specifications

All these specifications have to be considered by the provider and where applicable answers / confirmations must be given.

3.1  Technical configuration

Providers may offer a bundled package including Internet trunking via satellite + IP backbone access (Tier 1) or separately.

Some providers may limit their offer to satellite capacity and / or Teleport and/ or IP backbone access (Tier 1)

1.1 - Space segment : C band or Ku Band

1.2 - Polarisation : Circular or linear

1.3 – antenna size (in Tahiti) : 7.3 m – 11 m – 16 m

Providers needs to indicate all technical informations on both teleports (power requirement, equipment specifications, size …)

3.2 Bandwidth needs

The following figures are expressed in Mbp/ seconds

Downlink is inbound to French Polynesia, uplink is outbound from French Polynesia

Start date / Option 1 / Option 2
Downlink / Uplink / Downlink / Uplink
1st November 2006 / 48 / 24 / 32 / 16
1st September 2007 / 66 / 32 / 52 / 26
1st September 2008 / 84 / 42 / 72 / 36

3.3  Pricing

Pricing will be provided:

- in US dollars for each step as mentioned in the above table ;

- either for a bundled package including Internet trunking via satellite + IP backbone access (Tier 1)

- or separately for satellite capacity and / or Teleport and/ or IP backbone access (Tier 1)

- in three options depending on antenna size as mentioned above in 1.3

3.4  Quality issues

The service availability should be more than 99.5 %

A Service level agreement is to be considered

4.  ConTRACT ISSUES

·  As mentioned previously, OPT is looking at a contract term starting on 1st November 2006
to 30th June 2009.

·  The contract will be in English.

·  Any disputes will ruled by arbitration. OPT to settle the contract terms

5. DOCUMENTS

In order for OPT to get the appropriate informations, please provide with the following documents (Pdf, Powerpoint, word…) :

-  A detailed description of the company : mission, structure, staff, markets … ;

-  Description of the network infrastructure

-  Major Customers references and indication of activities in the Pacific Islands region

-  A proposal of contract

-  A sample of Service Level Agreement

Any other useful sources of information will be welcome.

OPT French polynesia – Internet RFI 12th APRIL 2006

PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL