Transmission-Network Deployment 9.1 Equipment and Services Ordering Process 9.1.1 Planning and Design

In most countries, telecommunications is now accepted as a basic part of the infrastructure, along with power and transportation, important for the growth of a national economy. Telecommunications is also recognized as the means of accelerating the distribution of the results of economic growth, including to remote and inaccessible areas of a country. Modern telecommunications is expected to usher in a global economy and a single world marketplace, making information in the form of voice, data, or video accessible to persons anywhere in the world. Studies conducted on an international basis show a definite correlation between growth of the economy and availability of telecommunications facilities. Telecommunications is also an eco-friendly means of meeting the communication needs of people, since it cuts down on travel costs and saves natural resources such as fuel and forests. It is in this context that by the beginning of the twenty-first century, telecommunications had been recognized by the governments of almost all countries as a thrust area in their development plans. As mentioned in the introductory parts of this book, copper facilities were the main media for transmission of information over long distance. The next phase, beginning in the 1980s, was the development of fiber-optic facilities, with wireless access being developed over the last few years. Many countries today are actually skipping the copper phase in the development of their 413

telecommunications infrastructure and jumping straight into the wireless phase, sometimes forgetting that fiber-optic transmission systems are also required in order to build wireless networks. In other words, it is difficult and sometimes even impossible to build a wireless network in a country that has no fiber-optic or copper infrastructure. The transmission network must be designed to meet service demands but always with the most economical routing in mind. Two scenarios are most common in wireless-network deployment.leased facilities and microwave networks. For larger networks, usually it is some combination of both, and even the completely leased-lines (facilities) network requires careful transmission-network planning. Survivability and reliability of the network are achieved by means of transmission loops.the ring configuration or a combination of star and ring configurations. Wireless-network transmission planning and design typically consist of the following steps: 1. Define the customer.s requirements and task delineation (who is doing what); 2. Start with the RF plan and define the switch location, hub sites, POPs, and other important sites; 3. Calculate the access (backhaul) and core network transmission capacity; 4. Define and include future additions, upgrades, and expansions; 5. Based on capacity, define the most suitable transmission-network topology; 6. Based on the required capacity and the network topology, define the equipment required and identify suppliers; 7. Determine the cost of equipment and services.

9.1.2 RFQs, RFIs, and RFPs 9.1.2.1 Definition and Purpose

The request for information (RFI) and request for pricing (RFP) are somewhat less detailed requests that are usually sent to the equipment supplier or service provider in order to acquire information on their products and services. Response to an RFI could be simply a collection of data sheets, brochures, user manuals, and so on. Response to an RFP could consist of a few pages of standard list pricing, usually without discounts or additional considerations. 414 Transmission Systems Design Handbook for Wireless Networks

The RFQ (or tender document) response describes in detail the equipment or services to be supplied. The RFQ is prepared by the customer for the purpose of soliciting hardware, software, or services information for the evaluation and possible procurement by the customer with a specific project in mind. Answers to questions asked in the RFQ will provide the customer with a better understanding, both in terms of finances and system integration and capacity, of the equipment and services that the supplier (vendor) can offer and provide [1]. Topics discussed in the RFQ are usually, but not limited to, commercial conditions of contract, technical conditions, project management, quality assurance and reliability issues, procurement and delivery issues, training and documentation, in-service date, and RFQ response due date. For turnkey contracts, a specific and very detailed scope of work document is also included to define the installation and test services being added to the contract. In some cases, different contractors may provide other manufacturers . equipment (OEM) and installation services. Equipment evaluation is usually based not only on the technical specs and price but on other criteria, such as experience of other customers in North America and internationally with the same or similar equipment, warranty, and customer support. Directions in which technology will go in the next decade and compatibility of the equipment with those future trends are also important. Adherence of the equipment with all the existing North American and international telecommunications and quality standards and interoperability with the equipment of other suppliers is usually mandatory. In many transmission networks, speed of deployment will be a critical factor in the process of equipment or supplier evaluation and has to be addressed and discussed in detail. All suppliers are usually provided with the opportunity to discuss RFQ proposals individually; after that, final discussions will be held with up to three top candidates, after which the financial and legal terms are determined. Since the document is confidential in nature, it must be treated accordingly. The suppliers are not permitted to disclose specifications to any person or entity except employees of the supplier and its affiliates who have a need to know and who have been informed of the supplier.s obligations. The supplier should use the same degree of care to avoid disclosure of such information as it does with respect to its own confidential information. The supplier should always provide the information on the manufacturer of the equipment offered but not manufactured by the supplier and disclose any OEM agreements with other equipment manufacturers. The pricing model is usually

defined by the customer; it must be as close to the planned network as Transmission-Network Deployment 415

possible and the supplier should try to adhere to the requirements and definitions provided in the RFQ as closely as possible. The RFQ should be structured to simplify the process for the customer and supplier alike. Responses must specifically address each point set forth in the RFQ and should be clearly answered in the response tables. The amount of information submitted is left to the discretion of the respondent, but it is imperative that pertinent information be submitted and that those individual topics of interest be dealt with completely and concisely. Those suppliers failing to provide complete and accurate responses can be discredited for the quality of the response and appropriately penalized in the response evaluation process. Should the supplier choose not to bid in response to the RFQ, they are usually requested to specify in a cover letter the reasons for the decision. The following issues are usually covered in the RFQ document and must be discussed in detail by all bidders:

Vendor.s market presence; Performance; Future product evolution; Standards compliance; Strategic relationship; Turnkey capabilities (EF&I-Engineering, Furnishing, and Installation); Alternative solutions and unique offerings; Technical support; Warranty, repair, and return policies.

It is very important to use the proper terminology when preparing the RFQ. For example, will and will not identify requirements to be followed strictly and from which no deviation is permitted. Should and should not indicate that one of several possibilities is recommended as particularly suitable, without mentioning or excluding others; that a certain course of action is preferred but not necessarily required; or that (in the negative form) a certain possibility or course of action is discouraged but not prohibited. May and need not indicate a course of action permissible within the limits of the document. Can and cannot are used for statements of possibility and capability, whether material, physical, or causal. 416 Transmission Systems Design Handbook for Wireless Networks

9.1.2.2 RFQ Process

The main activities in the process of preparing a response to the RFQ are as follows:

The wireless operator prepares the RFQ for equipment or services and sends it to the equipment or service providers with the expectation of receiving a response within a few weeks. time.

The RFQ is received and analyzed. A decision is taken as to whether or not to prepare the tender (RFQ response). The type of tender is considered and the necessary resources for preparation of the tender are secured.

Customer solution and tender preparation and the proposed solution can, for example, include the commercial tender part, the implementation part, the technical part, and the service part.

A risk analysis and a profitability analysis are performed, and tender review meetings are held with all involved in its preparation. At this

point, the supplier may decide not to respond to an RFQ. Tender finalization: The tender is compiled, reviewed, and approved. Presentation and follow-up: The tender is submitted as a system

proposal to the customer and followed up on. Tender evaluation: After submitting the tender to the wireless operator,

a tender quality evaluation is made. The customer (wireless operator) makes a short list of equipment or

service providers and continues negotiations with them. For bigger projects, usually two or more vendors are picked to share the market and provide backup in case the other has problems delivering on time or at the quality previously agreed upon. The proposal for the transmission network normally includes the following information:

Optimum transmission media and network topology to satisfy all the requirements given by the customer;

Dimensioning of the transmission networks; Bill of quantity (BOQ) and third-party-vendor connection plan; Pricing;

Transmission-Network Deployment 417

Transmission services description [engineering, furnishing, and installation (EF&I)];

As-built documentation (optional); Network management system (optional); Responsibility matrix, also called task delineation list (optional).

The three optional topics are usually not part of the tender; however, they are important for the contract negotiations and should be included in the contract in order to support the handover of the implementation system to the customer. Transmission-network topology is created based on the RFQ content. In some cases, the RFQ clearly states all the relevant details needed to produce a plan for the transmission network, but sometimes it does not. When this happens, assumptions are made by the network planner. All assumptions need to be agreed upon or otherwise corrected when contracting the system. The transmission-network topology includes both the access (traffic in each city or region) and the transport network (backbone network), as applicable. If connection to third-party vendors is required, a document describing the interface requirements is normally produced. A description of how to install and connect vendors. products together with other equipment should be included. The topology of the NMS should be considered at this stage, as it is highly dependent on the network topology. The NMS outlines how the management systems and their respective network elements are to be interconnected. The BOQ is based on the transmission-network topology, which in this phase is still a theoretical model. The level of details in the BOQ can be different depending on whether it is reflecting a budget quotation or a more detailed quotation. Nevertheless, it is a list of all quoted items for the proposed network to be priced in the tender. The BOQ is created using standard configurations. The purpose of creating standard configurations is to minimize the number of options, increase flexibility, and minimize the number of spare parts. Spare parts can be included in the BOQ or listed as stand-alone items. Equipment and installation material spare parts must be considered. Most suppliers have a guideline for spare-parts dimensioning. Pricing can include equipment, spares, services, training, tools, NMS, and so on. The

tender can vary from case to case and can be made on a per-item, sales-object, hop-configuration basis or other. Transmission service prices are often divided into two categories. One is related to network design and implementation and the other to support and maintenance after acceptance. 418 Transmission Systems Design Handbook for Wireless Networks

The following is a partial list of technical requirements, regardless of what kind of transmission equipment or telecommunications equipment in general, the RFQ is about:

Services (engineering, installation, testing); Hardware (interfaces and redundancy); Performance monitoring, alarm information, and NMS; Access security; Operational support system; Physical and environmental specifications; Power requirements; Grounding and bonding; Equipment reliability calculations; Antennas and cables; Enclosures; Installation; Acceptance testing; Spares and upgrades; Shipping, delivery, and labeling; Technical support; User documentation and training materials.

9.1.2.3 As-Built Documentation

An as-built document is normally not completed until each site is integrated; however, it should be stressed that an agreement of its content must be included in the contract. It is advisable to prepare a standard installation drawing or show the customer a real site, in order to minimize potential misunderstandings in the future. The customer should approve the standard installation. It is important to note that the as-built document.s content as listed below refers only to transmission considerations:

Site situation plan: shows the site location on a map; Floor plan drawing: indicates the location of the installed transmission

equipment; Microwave path calculations;

Transmission-Network Deployment 419

Cable way drawing: gives indoor copper and fiber-optic cable installation information, may also include coax cables and waveguides in case of microwave installation;

Antenna placement information: showsMWantenna arrangement; Alarm allocation table: indicates alarm cabling; Power distribution: indicates power distribution for the indoor unit; Transmission configuration data: gives hop information used for software

setup; Transmission rack layout: shows layout of the indoor equipment in

the transmission rack; Transmission traffic layout: gives traffic distribution on the T1/E1

level;

Transmission trunking diagram: shows the transmission network; Transmission plant specification: lists equipment to be used on site,

including installation material (e.g., cables); Transmission product list: lists main units including equipment serial

number information; Transmission acceptance test document: confirms the customer.s site

acceptance; Factory test: gives transmission equipment test results provided by

the factory. From this overview of the contents of the as-built document, it is clear that all installation aspects are considered at this stage. The as-built document shows how the equipment should be installed on a site. In many cases, the customer is not familiar with the equipment. Therefore, in order to shorten the approval process, it is advisable to prepare an installation demonstration. 9.1.2.4 Responsibility Matrix

The purpose of the responsibility matrix (sometimes also called the task delineation list) is to clearly state the responsibility related to all areas of the project. It is of great importance that all aspects are considered, especially when the customer must fulfill a certain task. During contract negotiations, all aspects of implementation, such as the as-built document proposal, are considered and agreed upon by the vendor and the customer. The transmission network responsibility matrix can contain in excess of 200 activities. 420 Transmission Systems Design Handbook for Wireless Networks

9.1.2.5 Contract Negotiations

A partial list of the items to be discussed between parties during the negotiation period is shown here:

Agree on responsibility (task and responsibility matrix); Meet the customer.s expectations on the network design by matching

business and technologies to the correct cost model; Agree upon handover content and medium (deliverables); Agree upon acceptance test procedure and timescale; Agree upon how to report site progress and implement change

orders; Ensure that there is a legal professional present when preparing the

contract and throughout the project. There will be discussions about prices, timescales, and so on. It is therefore useful to have an experienced lawyer who is aware of contract details;

Create a standard site with the customer in order to avoid misunderstandings; Discuss site acquisition and civil works process; Discuss acceptance testing and commissioning.

It is important to note that in large transmission projects, as in any other project, there is compromise between the speed of deployment, reliability of the system, and the price the wireless operator must pay for the network. Spending more money and time in the beginning will guarantee a reliable network that will continue to work even under unfavorable conditions. Implementing sound transmission-engineering techniques, such as ring topology, hardware redundancy when necessary, and so on, will in the future prove to be a good investment. 9.1.3 Negotiating the Statement of Work

Once the great barrier of making the initial sale is crossed, the negotiation starts. One of the great ideals of modern business practice is based around

partnership between suppliers and customers. To form a long-term partnership, both parties must reach a mutually beneficial business agreement through negotiations. In telecommunications today, wireless operators are a small group of people that attempt to subcontract as many activities as Transmission-Network Deployment 421

possible without permanently hiring too many skilled people. These people are required only during the brief period of build-out time (3.12 months) and become redundant after that, so it is wise to use experienced contractors and consultants to do the initial engineering and installation work. Some wireless operators go so far in outsourcing that they even subcontract the network operations center (NOC) and operations and maintenance staff and facilities. The customer, in this case the wireless operator, should provide a description of services required; the provider of equipment or services will then supply the following information, describing in detail:

Scope of work (SOW); Prices, fees, and expenses; Terms and conditions (T&C).

The wireless operator typically needs to negotiate with engineering and consulting companies outsourcing engineering, supervision, project management, and so on. They also negotiate terms and conditions of the equipment procurement, installation, and testing with equipment suppliers (transmission equipment, such as microwave systems, fiber-optic equipment, DACSs, power supply, and battery backup). Long-term maintenance, optimization of the network, and even network operations could also be part of the contract. 9.1.4 Negotiating with Telecommunications Providers

In the case of leased lines, negotiations are required between the wireless operator and telecommunications providers for the leased T1/E1 lines or any other bandwidth, as required. Leased-lines providers are also service providers (long term) and should be treated as such. They usually offer better terms and conditions to big customers and those contracts are longer, at least three to five years. Quality of service must be specified in the contract, along with the remedy in case the wireless operator has interruption in service, repair time is too long, or the quality of the service, when available, is unacceptable. In such cases, the customer should request penalty charges. Information typically provided by the wireless operator and given to the telecommunications provider(s) is as follows: 422 Transmission Systems Design Handbook for Wireless Networks

Planned RF coverage areas; General area map of each market location and, if possible, a

preferred-network diagram; Unchannelized T1/E1 from cell sites to BSC/MSC; Potential location(s) of BSC/MSC/NOC.

The telecommunications provider should supply the following information to the wireless operator before negotiations take place:

Description of how serving areas are divided, and existence of local exchanges within a local access transmission area (LATA);

Existing transmission network; Copper, fiber, microwave, and satellite in which cities and for how

much;

Availability of the existing network based on the statistics and measurements over an extended period of time;

Diversity and protection in the network (e.g., SONET/SDH selfhealing ring);

General information about the transmission network and its capacity, POPs, features (e.g., MUXing), and equipment at switching offices, fiber hubs, remote terminals, and so on;

Colocations and interconnections with other phone companies and other T1/E1 lines providers;

Offered products and services; Possible network design and routing for intracity and intercity sites

and required capacity. Initially, the wireless operator will only provide information on the search rings (radius of up to 1.0 km, or 0.6 mi) defined by RF engineers. Later, when the primary site candidate is determined, it is possible to check the feasibility of the location from the RF and transmission perspectives. The telecommunications company site walk (site visits) should be attended by the wireless operator.s RF and transmission engineers and the telecommunications company.s outside plant (OSP) engineers and construction engineer; the site walk should be conducted as soon as the primary site candidate has been determined. It is very important to keep the telecommunications Transmission-Network Deployment 423

company informed on all changes, and the site locations should be provided as soon as they are finalized in order to shorten the turnaround time for ordering T1/E1 lines. A common problem results from the fact that RF engineers provide cell-site and search-ring locations in degrees latitude and longitude. However, telecommunications company operators must have at least an approximate (and existing) address to provide quotes on the running T1/E1 circuits from that location to the wireless operator.s switch (BSC) location. The telecommunications provider should supply the following information on T1/E1 pricing structure:

Tariffs (pricing) for private-line T1/E1s; Interconnection tariffs (i.e., per circuit or per minute); Offered plans and volume discounts; Billing methods in general;

The following