Request for Information: Provision of Satellite-Based Internet for Schools - Space in Africa

Source: UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) seeks suppliers to supply outer services and solutions to accelerate net connectivity adoption successful schools and different programmatic areas. The Request for Information (RFI) aims to place and shortlist imaginable work providers susceptible of providing each oregon portion of the Satellite-based Internet Access for Schools requirements.

In 2019, UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) joined forces to make Giga: a planetary inaugural to link each schoolhouse to the Internet by 2030. Since then, Giga has straight connected much than 5,500 schools to the net successful 19 countries to payment 2.1 cardinal learners since 2020. However, connecting distant and agrarian schools successful settlements without entree to electricity, further than 20 km distant from fibre infrastructure and retired of the scope of mobile cellular networks, is simply a important situation that needs to beryllium addressed if we privation to link each schools successful the satellite by 2030. 

Giga aims to supply meaningful and sustainable connectivity to each schools. However, for the remotest schools, the deficiency of infrastructure considerably increases the costs to connect. And adjacent if we tin link the astir isolated schools, it is important to guarantee that the terms they would beryllium paying each period for net services is affordable. 

Therefore, Giga spouse UNICEF requests accusation from outer connection companies to recognize the exertion solutions disposable and their capabilities to link the remotest schools, the licensing requirements, and the superior and operational expenditures associated with each technology. Access to businesslike and cost-effective outer connection services is indispensable for UNICEF programmatic objectives successful schools successful implicit 190 countries spanning thousands of locations worldwide. In addition, outer services would beryllium utilized successful galore of these countries to enactment the Giga initiative.  

As a effect of this Request for Information (RFI), UNICEF is considering entering a non-exclusive Long-Term Arrangement (LTA) with 1 oregon aggregate vendors to supply end-to-end connectivity solutions for schools. In addition, UNICEF whitethorn usage this LTA to ‘broker’ contractual relationships with governments to supply outer connectivity for their schools arsenic portion of the Giga initiative.

The connectivity is chiefly intended for usage successful schools but could beryllium extended to different areas of UNICEF programmes oregon operations worldwide. Companies are encouraged to respond to the RFI here by 30 November 2022, 23:59 (GMT-5) Eastern Time (US & Canada).

Important Information

This Request for Information (RFI) does not represent a ceremonial solicitation, arsenic UNICEF does not petition bids oregon proposals astatine this stage. Instead, the RF seeks accusation connected concern components and pricing models for aboriginal tender. Kindly enactment that you are not expected to supply nonstop pricing oregon quotes, conscionable averages oregon estimates of CAPEX and OPEX for connectivity and cleanable vigor solutions.

Responding to this RFI does not automatically guarantee that you volition beryllium selected to enactment successful a tender oregon beryllium selected for procurement. Furthermore, UNICEF volition not beryllium liable for your costs successful preparing and submitting the requested information.

In addition, UNICEF reserves the close to alteration oregon cancel the requirements astatine immoderate clip during the RFI and/or immoderate aboriginal solicitation process and reserves the close to necessitate compliance with further conditions arsenic and erstwhile issuing immoderate aboriginal tender documents.

As a minimum requirement, lone companies that supply wide and close accusation to the questions mentioned supra volition beryllium assessed arsenic suitable to supply the services and whitethorn beryllium invited to enactment successful the aboriginal competitory bidding process.

Please cheque here oregon scope retired to Claire Heraud for much information.