Submitted By: Christopher Ramos
presenter
Presentation By: Christopher Ramos
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Department: Information Technology
STAFF RECOMMENDATION (Motion Ready):
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Approve the use of the State of Florida Department of Management Services cooperative purchasing agreement with AT&T Wireless for mobile communications services with FirstNet Authority with an estimated aggregate expenditure of $1,401,151
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OCALA'S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Operational Excellence
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND:
The City of Ocala has an ongoing need for a variety of mobile communication devices that utilize wireless services, including phones, smartphones, air cards, and tablets. To maximize best value, the City of Ocala has utilized mobile communication services contracts procured and negotiated by the State of Florida Department of Management Services ("DMS") since 2013. The most recent DMS contract, Contract No. DMS-19/20-006C, was awarded to Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless on August 24, 2021 and will expire on August 23, 2026.
On May 17, 2022, City Council was presented with Informational Agenda Item 2022-0688, which was intended to advise Council of the Police Department and Fire Department's decision to transition its mobile communication devices to AT&T/First Responder Network Authority ("FirstNet") for wireless service. This decision was based on a comprehensive testing period during which the respective download speeds, upload speeds, and network latency of Verizon, T-Mobile, and FirstNet were thoroughly compared.
On July 20, 2023, additional testing was initiated by Ocala Electric Utility to compare coverage and quality of service between Verizon and FirstNet within the utility territory. Upon completion of a 60-day trial, Ocala Electric Utility concluded that its cellphone and data services should also be transferred from Verizon to FirstNet.
The State of Florida's DMS contract with AT&T/FirstNet, Contract No. DMS-19/20-006A, was awarded ...
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