Maine State Government
Dept. of Administrative & Financial
Services
Office of Information Technology
POLICY ON THE PROVISION OF PRIVATE
SECTOR WIRELESS INTERNET SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC FROM STATE FACILITIES
I. Statement
Executive Branch agencies may allow a third party to provide
public access the Internet at a State owned or leased facility. Selection must be via a competitive
process. An agreement must be signed
stating the conditions of use.
II. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to govern the private sector
provision of free, or low cost, wireless internet access services to the public
from State of Maine owned or
leased facilities.
The policy requires the development of a pre-qualified list
of companies capable of providing and maintaining quality internet access
wireless services via a competitive bid process. An accompanying standards document governs
internet access wireless site specifications to
ensure quality service that is separate from State operated networks. Sample Request for Quotes, and a Service
Provision Agreement to be used by agencies to select and formalize their
relationship with a private wireless internet access vendor will be eventually included
as attachments to the standard.
III. Applicability
This policy applies to all agencies of the Executive Branch
of Maine State Government.
IV. Responsibilities
A.
Agency Responsibilities - Agencies, or collaborations
of agencies, who have jurisdiction over a site where public wireless access is
desired will sign a Service Provision Agreement SPA (SPA) with one or more of
the approved vendors from the pre-qualifed wireless internet access list using
a RFQ process. Agencies will not charge
vendors rent, or require them to reimburse the State for electricity used by
their equipment.
B.
Office of Information Technology - The Office will
establish via a competitive bid process, and regularly update a pre-qualified
list of companies capable of providing and maintaining quality internet access
wireless services. The Office will also
inspect all sites to ensure they meet the requirements of this policy and all
applicable standards.
V. Guidelines &
Procedures
A.
Agency Responsibilities - The Service Provision
Agreement (SPA) will include the minimum requirements outlined in Section C,
and additional specifics governing the site usage, appropriate equipment, its
installation and maintenance, and other technical requirements which are
documented in the standard associated with this policy.
1.
To select a vendor, or vendors, agencies will release a
Request for Quotation (RFQ), and select a vendor or vendor(s) based upon the
best value offered to the State and citizens of Maine.
2.
Agencies will inform the CIO of their intention to negotiate
and sign a SPA with a vendor(s) in compliance with this policy.
3.
For the term of the SPA, successful vendors will be allowed private
sector exclusive rights to provide free or low cost wireless services from
sites owned or leased by the signing agency, or collaboration of agencies. The individual site, regional area or site
type designation will be made at the agency’s, or collaborating group of
agencies’, discretion.
4.
At their discretion, agencies may add content to the unique
first page presented to wireless users.
a.
Best Practice Suggestion: additions should reflect the logo
and agency name, and local to the site information considered useful to the
consumer. For example 511 information
may be added to the first screen viewed at highway rest areas wireless sites.
B.
Using a fair and competitive process, OIT will
initially create, and periodically update, a list of qualified wireless
internet access vendors.
1.
OIT will periodically review and update the technical
standards associated with this policy.
Following approval (as outlined in the Policy on the Adoption of
Policies, Standards, and Procedures), the updated standards will be
incorporated into agency SPAs.
Preexisting SPAs will be in force, until their term expires.
2.
OIT will work with agencies to ensure State employees conduct
state business in a secure manner, whenever using the free wireless services.
3.
OIT will establish minimum standards regarding
vendor-developed first page that will be presented to all wireless service
users at all sites. At a minimum, this
first page will include
a.
an explanation clarifying the wireless internet access service
is provided by a vendor, not Maine State
government, and service may cease without public notice
b.
applicable privacy policy
c.
applicable security policy
d.
general use
instructions
4.
OIT will maintain a copy of all signed SPAs.
C.
Service Provision Agreements - In order to promote the
provision of wireless services at no cost or low cost to the public, agencies
will not charge vendors rent, or require them to reimburse the State for
electricity used by their equipment. However,
the SPAs will include the following minimum requirements of vendors.
1.
Vendor will provide public wireless access to the Internet on
a free or low fee basis.
2.
Free access to Maine.gov and any other domain as specified by
the agency in the SPA.
3.
The vendor will develop the first page, as required in Section
5 B (4) and will add additional features, graphics or links as required by the
agency through its SPA.
4.
Vendor will provide signage, written and reproduced to State
specifications, to explain the wireless site, fees, etc. to be displayed in
public areas of State facilities.
5.
Vendor must not store customer credit card or other personal
information beyond what is necessary to conduct a transaction.
6.
SPAs will be written for two year terms. Thereafter, at its
discretion, the agency or collaboration of agencies may extend the SPA for two,
one year terms.
7.
The SPA will ensure the vendor(s) meet all State of Maine
Web Accessibility requirements for pages under their
control.
D.
Nothing in this policy shall prevent the State of Maine,
or other governmental entities, from providing wireless internet access
services to the public at any State site.
However, the State must also honor its commitment to the selected vendor
to provide service at any given site, or group of sites, for the term of the
SPA.
VI. Definitions
1. Chief
Information Officer (CIO) - The term Chief Information Officer refers to the
CIO, the chief administrative officer of the Office of Information Technology
within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services.
2.
Hotspot - A person with a wireless
compatible device, such as a computer, telephone, or personal digital assistant (PDA) can
connect to the Internet when in proximity of a wireless access
point. The region covered by one or several wireless access points is
called a hotspot. Hotspots can range from a single room with
a single person connecting to the internet, to large metropolitan areas.
3.
Internet Service Provicer (ISP) -
A wireless ISP is a
business or organization that offers users access to the Internet and
related services via wireless technology. Many but not all ISPs are telephone
companies.
4.
Policy - A policy is a statement
of direction with respect to the planning and management of information
technology approved by the Chief Information Officer of the State of Maine.
5. Site - The term “site” refers to the state-owned or
leased, public-frequented facility for which a Service Provision Agreement
(SPA) is made between an approved wireless vendor and State agency or agencies
of jurisdiction. As defined in the SPA “site” may refer to an
individual location (e.g. Rockland ferry terminal), or an explicitly bordered regional
area (e.g. York County), or a type of facility (e.g. all Route 95 highway
rest areas).
6.
Standard - A standard is a
specific approach, solution, methodology, product, or protocol that must be
adhered to for establishing uniformity.
7. WiFi (also Wi-fi, Wifi, or
wifi) - WiFi is a brand originally licensed by the WiFi Ethernet Compatibility
Alliance to describe the underlying technology of wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE
802.1X specifications.
VII. References
None
VIII. Document
Information
1. Document
Reference Number: 2
2. Category: Internet, Network and Transport
3. Adoption
Date: July 18, 2006
4. Effective
Date: July 18, 2006
5. Review
Date: July 17, 2009
6. Point
of Contact: Wayne Gallant, Director
OIT/Network Services Division
7. Approved
By: Richard B. Thompson, Chief
Information Officer
8. Position
Title(s) or Agency Responsible for Enforcement: Kathy Record, Associate Chief Information
Officer, Office of Information Technology
9. Legal
Citation:
10. Waiver
Process:
