Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to procure a secure, reliable, and scalable Access Point Name (APN) solution that supports up to 100,000 connected devices across South Africa, ensuring nationwide data coverage of at least 3G or better. The solution aims to replace the current contract, enhance connectivity for electoral processes, and support the Electoral Commission’s mandate for free, fair, and transparent elections. It must enable flexible management of connected devices, facilitate roaming and alternative connectivity in low-coverage areas, and ensure high availability during election periods.

Scope

The scope includes:

• Provision of a nationwide APN solution supporting between 2,500 and 100,000 devices, including Voting Management Devices (VMDs), laptops, tablets, and mobile devices.
• Implementation of secure connectivity with seamless failover and redundancy, including dual diverse backhaul links with automatic failover (HSRP or VRRP).
• Management of SIM cards, data usage, and access controls, with reporting capabilities.
• Provision of internet breakout with firewall, monitoring, and security features.
• Support for alternative connectivity mechanisms (radio, satellite, roaming) in areas with poor or no GSM coverage.
• Deployment of infrastructure at the Electoral Commission’s National Office, Disaster Recovery site, and across approximately 28,495 voting stations.
• Provision of a management platform for device onboarding, SIM provisioning, usage monitoring, and reporting over a contract period of 60 months, with options for scalability and adjustments.
• Support during election periods with 99.99% availability, including 24/7 support, SLA management, and regular reporting.

Technical Requirements

The solution must meet the following technical specifications:

• Support for up to 100,000 devices with flexible management of SIM cards (provisioning, de-provisioning, usage limits).
• Nationwide data coverage of at least 95% of voting stations with 3G or higher; alternative mechanisms for areas below 3G.
• Provision of a secure, scalable APN environment with security audits, vulnerability assessments, and threat protection against GSM intercept devices.
• High availability with dual diverse backhaul links, automatic failover, and capacity upgradeability (initial 300 Mbps, expandable to 2 Gbps).
• Implementation of SD-WAN architecture with support for QoS, firewall management, and seamless failover.
• Provision of a Radius server, DNS hosting, and secure internet breakout with controlled access.
• Management tools for monitoring, reporting, and controlling device and data usage, with alerting for faults and security breaches.
• Provision of an interactive network coverage map and mechanisms for coverage gaps, including temporary connectivity solutions.
• Compliance with licensing requirements, including ICASA licenses, and adherence to security standards.

Skills Requirements

The successful bidder must demonstrate:

• Extensive experience (minimum 5 years preferred) in providing nationwide APN and mobile connectivity solutions, especially in government or election environments.
• Technical expertise in GSM, 3G/4G/5G networks, SD-WAN architecture, VPN, firewall management, and network security.
• Capability to manage large-scale deployments, including device onboarding, SIM provisioning, and usage monitoring.
• Proficiency in security assessments, vulnerability testing, and threat mitigation against interception devices such as IMSI-catchers.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to deliver within a 6-month implementation timeframe, including planning, deployment, and testing.
• Ability to provide 24/7 support, SLA management, fault escalation, and regular reporting during election periods.
• Experience in managing complex connectivity in diverse geographic areas, including rural and remote locations, with alternative solutions for low-coverage zones.
• Capability to develop and maintain interactive coverage maps and reporting dashboards for ongoing network assessment and planning.