Description
The State of Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology is awarding a sole‑source contract to ISI Communications, Inc. for a five‑year subscription to the Metropolitan Research and Education Network (MREN) Internet 2 service, which includes a 100 Gbps connection fee and the SEGP (Sponsored Education Group Participant) membership fee. The contract runs from 1 January 2027 through 31 December 2031 and is funded through both state and federal appropriations. This is a blanket procurement (no competitive bidding) intended to maintain continuous high‑speed research and education connectivity for Illinois schools, colleges, libraries, and related institutions.
• Provides annual connectivity fees for a 100 Gbps Internet 2 link at the MREN StarLight facility.
• Includes mandatory SEGP membership fees required for any entity to access the Internet 2 backbone.
• Fixed five‑year term with no renewal options; total contract value approximately $549,000.
• Sole‑source justification based on the uniqueness of the service and the vendor’s role as the business agent for MREN/StarLight.
• No hardware or software deliverables – the work is purely a service subscription and associated administrative billing.