TCCP FAQ
Q – What about our current ISP contracts? Will the project assist with contract termination discussions?
We will need an indication of the contract end dates to determine the college’s position in the roll out schedule. Should contracts already have expired, we recommended short term renewals only (Month-to-Month or max 6 months). Each college remains responsible for their own negotiations with their current vendors.
Q – Do colleges have a say in the chosen ISP?
No, the evaluation process progressed vendors based on them meeting all the support and technical criteria that was set out in the Request for Proposal. The final selection is based on the best technology option available per site, that also meets the project budget constraints. The selected ISPs will be held liable to meet the criteria they agreed to and will have service levels to adhere with. Contract exit clauses will be in place should they continue not delivering against the SLA’s
Q – Can sites not on the list be included in the project? What happens with new sites in the future?
The list of sites that were received from DHET was included in the RFP. Any additional sites have not been included in the Request for Proposal, so no costing has been submitted by vendors. Any future sites that TVET’s wish to connect can be done through a SABEN self-connect process. TVET’s will be responsible for the costs of the connection.
Q – Did vendors or SABEN do site surveys?
Vendors were provided with GPS coordinates in order to submit their proposals for each site. Majority of vendors did desk top feasibility studies. Pricing and technology were proposed based on their current infrastructure and the feasibility of connections per area. As the project we are unable to confirm whether actual site visits were done by the vendors, as engagement is not allowed with them until PO’s have been issued. SABEN did not do site surveys as part of the RFP process of the access connection project. Site surveys will be done to determine and confirm requirements for the Wi-Fi component of TCCP.
Q – Can our existing connectivity infrastructure be reused?
Where a campus already has a microwave mast erected and microwave technology is the proposed technology, then the vendor might not need to erect a new one. This will be confirmed by the vendors prior to installation.
Q – Why can’t the college access the grant funding directly?
The grant was awarded to connect all 50 TVETs to the SANReN. The instruction was provided to go out on RFP in order to benefit from bulk pricing and economy of scale. Location and existing vendor infrastructure determines the cost to establish connectivity at a site and set-up cost is thus different per college.
Q – The college self-connected onto the SANREN. Will we get money back from the TCCP?
Unfortunately this is not within the project mandate.
Q – Is VPN connectivity between sites included in the project?
College requirements will be gathered to configure site-to-site VPN connectivity across the new TCCP links according to network services required. The new TCCP links will be provisioned with additional VLAN’s specifically for this connectivity. Existing physical links self-provided or obtained from another provider not related to the TCCP project can be retained as backup between sites if required. For this setup, the college should ensure that sufficient analysis of the design is conducted from a traffic routing perspective to ensure that the backup link can be used as envisaged.
Q – Which edge device will be put down at sites?
A Request for Quotes must still be issued. Firewall model to be confirmed.
Q – Will the TCCP provide upgraded LAN equipment?
No. Besides the firewall that will be placed at each site by the project, the colleges remain responsible for their own LAN design and equipment.
Q – What specification of LAN equipment will we require to accept your connections?
Colleges should make sure to have 1GB switches in order to fully benefit from the new links being provided through the project.
Q – Will we need to change our servers?
No. Servers are not impacted by the access connection changes.