Technology Services recommends the purchase of internet connectivity services for each of its data centers to Crown Castle Fiber, LLC and Zayo Group, LLC.

The City of Plano’s current contracts for internet connectivity are expiring in August of 2022.  The City has two (2) 1Gbps Dedicated Internet Circuits, one (1) at each data center. With the increased usage of hosted solutions these circuits are close to hitting maximum capacity which has the potential to impact critical day-to-day operations. The new dedicated internet access circuits will be 10Gbps each and configured for redundancy and automatic failover in the event of an outage by either provider is realized. By obtaining two (2) connections through two (2) different providers installed at (2) different physical locations, the City will continue providing the level of redundancy and service survivability that is a recognized industry standard for reliable and resilient internet access and accessing hosting services.

This purchase will improve the City’s internet capacity and reliability by increasing the City’s internet bandwidth from 1 Gigabyte per Second (Gbps) to 10 Gbps.  This change will result in a cost reduction of 53% over the lifespan of the contract, and will result in a 1000% increase of bandwidth capacity.

The following providers were selected and are recommended for award:

1. Crown Castle Fiber, LLC to provide a 10Gbps Dedicated Internet Access circuit to the Primary Data Center at a cost of $19,440 per year.
2. Zayo Group, LLC to provide a 10Gbps circuit to the Secondary Data Center at a cost of $21,000 per year.

The initial contract to each vendor will be for a thirty-six (36) month term with one (1) additional thirty-six (36) month City optional renewal. The total combined amount of the 36-month term for both vendors is $121,320.

If the City of Plano does not award these contracts it will pay a substantial increased premium on top of its current rates as it moves to a month to month invoice for each current contract.  Additionally, the City will be at risk of impacting day to day operations as the reliance on updated hosted products and services increases.

Funding for this item is available in the 2021-22 Technology Services Fund.  This request is to approve a thirty-six (36) month term with one (1) additional thirty-six (36) month City optional renewal from Castle Fiber, LLC, in the annual amount of $19,440 and Zayo Group, LLC, in the annual amount of $21,000 for Bandwidth and Internet Connectivity.

Costs associated with these contracts and other internet related expenditures are reflected in the Technology Services Infrastructure division budget. The initial month will be paid in the current fiscal year, leaving a remaining balance of $481,233 in the 2021-22 budget. Future year expenditures combined from Castle Fiber, LLC and Zayo Group LLC, in the annual amount of $40,440, will be funded in the subsequent fiscal years and will occur within council approved appropriations.

Approval of this agenda item supports the City's Strategic Plan Critical Success Factors of Excellent, Innovative, and Accountable City Government.