Bluebird Network seeks vendor bids for middle mile fiber build
Bluebird Network is asking for vendor bids to complete the Engineering Design and/or Environmental Assessments associated with a new 500-mile middle mile fiber build. The new network will connect St. Louis to Tulsa and deliver connectivity to underserved communities across Missouri and Oklahoma.
Interested vendors can visit the Bluebird RFP submission website to submit a proposal associated with the fiber build, supported by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Middle Mile Grant award. RFP responses are due by April 4, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.
Vendors can download the RFP Template, KMZ layer of the proposed fiber route, Master Construction Agreement and Professional Services Agreement, and a collection of live Frequently Asked Questions at BluebirdNetwork.com/open-request-for-proposals/.
Bluebird Network said a contract will be awarded based on RFP evaluation criteria, including the ability to meet slated requirements, customer references, solution approach, price, and additional factors detailed in the RFP and other supporting documents.
A contract will be awarded based on RFP evaluation criteria including the ability to meet slated requirements, customer references, solution approach, price and additional factors detailed in the RFP and other supporting documents.
The fiber build will have uniformly placed Point of Presence (PoP) locations along route corridors and will span 330 miles through Missouri and 164 miles through Oklahoma.
Bluebird Network’s Chief Development Officer John Nolan said the new fiber routes aim to enhance broadband availability in markets with limited or non-existent options.
An additional benefit of the new fiber routes is that they can grow and strengthen fixed wireless and cellular connectivity, including advancements in new wireless technologies supported by fiber.
“These projects will extend middle-mile infrastructure to unserved and underserved areas and promote broadband resiliency by creating new and alternative connections across the Midwest,” he said. “These projects will also increase competition, reduce costs and spur the rapid deployment of last-mile services in rural areas.”
Network expansion has been a critical focus for Bluebird Netowork. Over the past year, Bluebird has built over 360 new route miles of fiber and expanded into several additional markets throughout Missouri, Illinois and Iowa.
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About the Author
Sean BuckleySean Buckley
Sean is the Editor-in-Chief of Lightwave. He establishes and executes Lightwave's editorial strategy across its website, email newsletters, events, and other information products. Before coming to Lightwave in July 2023, he served as editor of Broadband Communities. Earlier, he served as senior editor of FierceTelecom and the editor of the former Telecommunications Magazine. He got his start in the optical industry in 1998 when he became the editor of enterprise and optical networks at Information Gatekeepers. He has a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and lives in Dracut, Mass, with his wife, two sons, and his cat, Dove.
