COMMUNICATIONS CABLE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES

The purpose of this solicitation is to contract with a pool of vendors to provide communications cabling, installation, testing, maintenance, administration and repairs to new and previously installed Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN) and other voice, data, or video systems. Low voltage communications cabling includes fiber optic cable, coaxial cable, and copper twisted pair cable. Inside work will include riser, distribution, and station cabling installations in new buildings, major renovated buildings, and additions to existing cabling networks. Outside work will include installation and maintenance of aerial and underground cabling for inter-building connectivity.

Additionally, the City seeks optional bids for cabling design from qualified vendors.

The communications networks include approximately 350 sites within Seattle city limits to support approximately 14,000 employees.  Examples of the sites are fire stations, community centers, and downtown office buildings.  IT also plans, manages, and operates a secure, region-wide communications network.  This network recently grew to over 750+ miles of fiber optic cable and will continue to grow.

The City employs staff to plan and manage the networks, and to install parts of the networks. Seattle places a high value on its relationships with private cabling companies in the installation, maintenance, and growth of the City’s inside-plant and outside-plant communications network.

The City has held a pool of successful contracts for this work since 2010. However, the current contracts are set to expire and all renewal options have been exhausted. Therefore, the City is returning to the marketplace to establish a pool of new contracts. The current contracts for this work will be closed.

During 2025, the City paid vendors approximately $2 million collectively for communications cabling services.