Project Title:
Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
Funding Program:
Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
Project Purpose/Type:
The proposed preconstruction project’s goals include:
- Develop a shovel-ready project for the deployment of an FTTH network.
- Network capabilities.
- Provision of services focused on residential, business, and institutional users.
- Meet the definition of qualifying broadband service in the NOFO, with minimum speeds of 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream with a latency below 100 ms.
- Enablement of interactive applications such as voice, video, and interactive gaming.
- Conduct a Reservation-wide infrastructure survey and GIS mapping, environmental studies, and outside plant and network engineering.
- Develop a broadband strategic plan and obtain technical assistance to manage RFPs to select contractors for network deployment.
State(s):
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$500,000.00Funding Amount
- Broadband Strategy & Data Collection:
- GIS mapping and data collection. To perform proper planning, it will be necessary to perform thorough data collection of homes, buildings, roads, archeological sites, and utility infrastructure, and digitize this information to enable network design and solution analysis.
- Broadband Strategic Plan. Establishment of a comprehensive and cohesive plan to transition into the construction phase, integrating outcomes from other activities and defining the strategy to obtain funding and ensure sustainability of the broadband network in the long-term.
- FTTH High Level Network Design: Diverse factors impact on the design of FTTH networks, such as: terrain characteristics, RoW availability, existing telecommunication buildings, and customer distribution. The objective is to develop a high-level design for an FTTH network, including outside plant, central office, and the distribution & access fiber network. In addition, a cost estimate will be developed based on the design by requesting budgetary quotations from potential vendors and contractors.
- Site Surveys: Accurate information about sites that will provide the network engineer with solid information that can be used to design the broadband network for Chumash. The site surveys are important to assess the needs for internal cabling and services for key Chumash assets, such as the Clinic, Museum, Tribal offices, Learning Center, and Fire Department.
- Route Surveys: The route surveys are conducted to provide the existing location of roadways, property lines, and topographic information of public/private areas to inform outside plant engineering and low-level network designs.
- Outside Plant Engineering & Planning: Chumash requires the development of detailed engineering and plans for the outside plant fiber infrastructure based on the high-level network design. This includes technical specifications, detailed routes indicating construction methods, handhole placement, and any other technical requirements for the deployment of the fiber infrastructure. Additionally, the generation of construction drawings for the fiber route will be necessary, describing the geographic layout, detailed fiber routes, construction methods, and the location and installation of all the passive elements of the network.
- Environmental Studies:
- NEPA Phase I Environmental Assessment: With broadband network development, Chumash requires a comprehensive study that identifies environmental impacts and analyzes some other parameters, including biodiversity, environmental justice, wetlands, air and water pollution, traffic, and public safety issues.
- Archeological Survey & Cultural Review: For the reservation, a special field survey is required to evaluate the impact of the broadband network deployment into potential areas with archeological and cultural significance. The survey provides some recommendations as to whether the archaeological remains and cultural restricted areas can be avoided, or if an excavation is necessary before broadband network construction work can commence.
- Low-level Network & Systems Design: For FTTH, the Project must include the low-level network design and the design of the network management systems to operate the network. The LLD elaborates the HLD and defines a detailed solution, providing details about every component and system of the network including IP planning, topology, connections, etc. This level of detail allows implementers and operational engineers to perform the deployment of the network.
- Fiber Construction RFP issuance and management: Chumash will manage an RFP to qualify potential vendors and contractors for fiber construction that offer an adequate trade-off between optimal solution and cost. As the final outcome of the RFP process, the Tribe will have accurate cost estimates, deployment timelines, and qualified contractors to start fiber construction as soon as the budget is available. Technical assistance will be required for this task.
- Network Equipment & Services RFP: Chumash will manage an RFP to qualify potential vendors and contractors for fiber construction that offers an adequate trade-off between optimal solution and cost. As the final outcome of the RFP process the Tribe will have accurate cost estimates, deployment timelines, and qualified contractors to provide, deploy, and configure network equipment, as soon as budget is available. Technical assistance will be required for this task.
Objectives of this Project concern the pre-construction phase and not the ultimate network deployment. Primary objectives include:
- Develop detailed outside plant and network designs and associated budgets to meet the Tribal broadband needs, including a precise estimation of costs for construction of the required broadband infrastructure to serve Tribal lands.
- Perform the necessary pre-construction studies such as environmental and cultural reviews that will position the Tribe to apply for other funding sources.
- Establish a well-defined plan for the construction phase of the Broadband Infrastructure project.
Existing Santa Ynez/Chumash households on the Reservation: 49. Planned Tribal households for newly acquired lands (Camp 4): 143. Total unserved Native households to be served by the project: 192. Native American businesses: 19. Native American community anchor institutions (including Clinic, Museum, Tribal offices, and Learning Center): 12.
- Broadband Strategy & Data Collection: