Thanks for the link, Steve. I was just reviewing the RFP + addenda and it looks like today is the deadline for submitting questions, as mentioned here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/procurement/docs/addendum3.pdf ---copy/paste--- Any questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing to the CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS’ sole contact person: Mr. William E. Beck Director, BIS Business Development CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS 350 South Fifth Street, Room 127 Minneapolis, MN 55415 Email: broadband at ci.minneapolis.mn.us Fax: 612-673-2719 All questions are due no later than Monday, May 16, 2005, at 4:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Questions will be answered in writing and published on the CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS’ web site by Tuesday, May 31, 2005. The contact person above is the only individual that can be contacted about the project by Respondents before proposals are submitted. That contact MUST be in writing. The department contact cannot vary the terms of the RFP. ---end of copy/paste--- Pages 28-31 of the RFP are the most interesting in that they start to cover residential, mobile, and visitor access. Nothing in great detail...its more of questioning how various proposing contractors will address these issues and provide service. I didn't see anything in the RFP about low-speed, non-subscriber access, nor user-participation options. Pages 32-35 are technical questions including the requirement of no dead spots. One concern I have is the existance of dead spots can vary based on foliage cover and client card capabilities. Winter coverage should be better, summer worse. A 100 mw Cisco 350 PCMCIA card will work in many more locations than a $10 after rebate SMC wireless card. I hope they look at run-of-the-mill/middle-of-the-pack wireless devices when they determine coverage needs. "No special client software required for service, other than provided by the above standard operating systems." SOWN's system could handle that. -Haudy Kazemi At 12:46 PM 5/16/2005 -0500, steve ulrich wrote: >all - > >in an attempt to provide some feedback to councilmember schiff that has >some specific relevance, might i suggest that interested parties read >the RFP (though from what i've read thus far it reads more like an RFI) >which is available from the city of minneapolis web site. > >i've started a collection of links relative to the minneapolis wireless >which is available here [1]. the first link there is to the city's web >site which has a copy of the RFP and the associated appendices. which >makes for educational reading in and of itself. (were you aware that >there are approx. 6350 parking meters in minneapolis?) > >while the discussion that's taken place thus far is interesting. if >there is a desire to effect a meaningful impact on the direction that >the city takes with the network and the technologies selected it might >be best to work with the structure that has been selected and provide >meaningful input into the RFP as it stands as well as assisting as it >makes sense in the review process. > >i.e.: RTFRFP. ;-) > > >references >---------- > >[1] - http://del.icio.us/stevilbot/msp-wifi > > >On May 15, 2005, at 10:47 AM, Becky_Pihl wrote: > >> To: >> Steve Ulrich, TCWUG, >> TCWUG info &/or TCWUG Webmaster and >> Minneapolis City Councilmember Gary Schiff (Ward 9), >> >> cc: the "tcwug-list at tcwug.org" list server: >> >> >> Gents: >> I went to the Mpls DFL convention this past Saturday May 14th. >> (No Endorsement for Mayor; WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!!!) >> While there, I had a brief conversation with my councilman, Mr. Gary >> Schiff, of Ward 9 >> (http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/ward9/). >> >> I mentioned to him: >> the TCWUG.org web site (http://www.tcwug.org/), >> how you have meetings (http://www.tcwug.org/meetings/index.html), >> typically every second Tuesday of the month, how your organization is >> better informed as to Wi-Fi (and Wi-Max) issues than most other >> people, and my concern that the proposed City of Minneapolis' Wi-Fi >> network be "done right", including (but not limited to) compatibility >> with Wi-Fi versus Wi-Max. >> >> >> * I hope that this memo, sent to all of you, will start a conversation >> between the TCWUG and Mr. Schiff, such that Councilmember Schiff, one >> of the decision makers regarding the proposed Wi-Fi network in >> Minneapolis, will be better informed with his own questions, concerns >> &/or requirements when the city's staff comes to him with the >> proposed system. >> >> * Please invite him, or his aide, to one of your meetings such that >> you can exchange information, and hopefully result in a better Wi-Fi >> system down the road. >> >> * At the very least, please send him some sort of a summary of your >> concerns so that he can pass them along to the relevant staff members. >> > >{ snipped - misc. previous correspondence } > >-- >steve ulrich sulrich at botwerks.org >PGP: 8D0B 0EE9 E700 A6CF ABA7 AE5F 4FD4 07C9 133B FAFC > >_______________________________________________ >Twin Cities Wireless Users Group Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota >tcwug-list at tcwug.org >http://mailman.tcwug.org/mailman/listinfo/tcwug-list > >