Retail service offerings.

The Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) is seeking to put in place a contract with a suitable broadband service provider to provide at least 3 retail broadband service offerings – a consumer service, a small business service and a small & medium business service. These offerings are to be made available in all remote areas of Northern Ireland, where there are difficulties in obtaining access to broadband services of 512 Kbps or more via wireline technology. The service offerings must comply with certain minimum specifications and be available with effect from 6.1.2012.

The Department intends to pay the contracted service provider certain fees for connecting retail customers to a broadband service up to a maximum of 250 000 GBP.

Wholesale service offerings.

The service provider shall also be required to make available wholesale service offerings to other service providers provided that these service offerings allow those other service providers to provide services equivalent to the specified service offerings to their own customers.

Further details of the Contracting Authorities requirements are set out in the invitation to tender and the draft services contract.