Oxnard Releases RFP For Fiber Master Plan, Responses Due Oct. 31

Oxnard, California, has already decided that they want fiber. Now community leaders just need a consultant to help them create a Fiber Master Plan. They city recently released a Request for Proposals (RFP); responses are due October 31st.

Broad Goals

Community leaders address their decision to develop a Fiber Master Plan in the RFP. They want infrastructure that is future-proof, can offer gigabit connectivity, and can expand beyond initial purposes. They’ve done their homework and see that future applications demand higher capacity infrastructure. Oxnard intends to stay competitive.

The city has existing fiber as a result of a previous deployment to update transportation with California’s Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) in 2013. Three years later, they added more traffic signals, three municipal buildings, CCTV cameras, and a field gigabit hub.

The Fiber Master Plan will build off existing assets to improve economic development and pursue other “social benefits.” Oxnard wants to install public Wi-Fi, adopt Smart City applications, and explore ways to bridge the digital divide. They know that they can reduce telecommunications costs by eliminating leased lines with their own fiber network.

The Fiber Master Plan Project Goal:

The City’s goal in developing a Fiber Master Plan is to document a detailed, actionable plan to build a carrier-class, highly-available redundant fiber network that provides Oxnard anchor institutions, businesses and eventually key residential areas with high-speed Internet access, data and Smart City services, thereby improving the quality of life of our constituents, boosting economic development and enhancing the infrastructure of our City.

Open Minds In Oxnard

Community leaders aren’t limiting themselves to any particular model and want to hear what consultants suggest for their community. They have created a list of what they consider most appropriate models for their vision:

Public-Owned: Publicly (City) owned “middle mile” infrastructure with potential partnership opportunities for “last mile” connections 


Open Access: Proceed with the intent to lease or otherwise make available, fiber infrastructure (conduit, dark or lit fiber, vertical and other assets) to other municipal entities, telecommunications carriers, other service providers or businesses

Demand-Driven: Deploying the network and associated services where areas of demand (both social an economic) will be strongest 

Incremental Build: Deploy the network in stages based on strategic target areas to serve municipal facilities, economic development zones, or other areas of special interest.


The Community Of Oxnard

Situated along the coast, the city is 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Approximately 204,000 people live in the city, known as the home of many famous musicians and sports figures. As a result, it’s considered one of the wealthiest areas in the U.S.

Defense, international trade, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism create the backbone of Oxnard’s economy. The Port of Hueneme is a busy deep-harbor commercial port that serves the west coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco. There is also and Air Force Base in Oxnard. Some of the city’s largest employers include St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Oxnard High Union, and Waterway Plastics. The city is the largest strawberry producer in California.

More than 53,000 K-12 students attend school on 54 public school campuses in Oxnard. In addition to Oxnard College, there are several other campuses, including California State University Channel Islands and UC Santa Barbara.

Important Dates:

October 2, 2017: Pre-proposal conference call for questions regarding RFP 

October 9, 2017: Written questions or requests for clarification is due 

October 16, 2017: Posting of City responses to requests for clarification and questions

October 31, 2017: Submission of the Proposal is due to the City of Oxnard Purchasing Division by 4:00 p.m.

Read the entire RFP here.