RFI: Fiber Maintenance and Internet Services

Background
The City of El Paso de Robles, known as 'The Pass of the Oaks', is located in San Luis Obispo County, California. The city is a thriving community with a population of 31,061 residents, surrounded by scenic hills and wine regions. The city aims to enhance economic development through improved broadband connectivity, which supports job creation and retention for existing businesses while attracting new industries.

The City is developing the Paso Robles Space Innovation and Technology Park to transform the municipal airport into an FAA-licensed horizontal-launch spaceport, positioning it as a hub for aerospace innovation. In 2023, the City Council approved the North County Broadband Strategic Plan (NCBSP) to increase access to high-speed internet, which includes establishing a public-private partnership for deploying broadband infrastructure.

Work Details
The City is seeking qualified Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to enter into a multi-year public-private partnership (5 to 15 years) to:
1) Provide operations and maintenance on existing fiber and conduit infrastructure;
2) Deliver internet services to businesses and residents.

The ISP will have access to up to half of the capacity of the fiber path (144 strands) under favorable terms for serving the community. Required services include:
- Residential broadband options of 500Mbps, 1Gbps, and Multi Gbps;
- Business broadband options of 500Mbps, 1Gbps, and 5Gbps;
- Commercial Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) options of 1Gbps, 5Gbps, and 10Gbps.

A low-cost service offering must be available for low-income households with minimum bandwidths of 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload. ISPs must demonstrate resilience in their service offerings and provide timely responses for maintenance and emergency situations.

Period of Performance
The contract period will commence with a Notice to Proceed on January 1, 2026, following contract award on October 21, 2025.

Place of Performance
The services will be performed within the geographic boundaries of the City of Paso Robles.

Bidder Requirements
Bidders must demonstrate qualifications in providing broadband services and may need to provide proof of commercial general liability insurance as required by the City's contract. Specific certifications or registrations are not detailed in the solicitation.