The NSW Government has commenced an expressions of interest process for its planned $1,000 per student roll-out of 200,000 notebooks, and the wireless networks to support them.
The program, with a total value of $200 million, is part of the Labor Government's proposed digital education revolution. The notebooks will be provided to students in years 9 to 12, with the tender documents specifying that the devices must cost no more that AU$500 each, excluding GST. Respondents may offer more than one device for consideration.
Along with the supply of notebooks, the tender also specifies that vendors must "install wireless connectivity to ... support the students' use of the learning devices".
In order to create these wireless networks, the Department of Education and Training (DET) "envisions that site surveys would commence on March 1 2009 and the installation would commence on April 1 2009 and be completed by February 1 2010." The wireless networks would be rolled out to 571 schools.
Vendors are free to tender for either the notebooks or the wireless networks and notebooks separately, but the tender documents note, "vendors should read both tender documents in parallel, even when they intend to offer a solution for only one part."
In order to meet this large tender, "the department encourages vendors of learning devices, connectivity and service deliver to form consortia to offer combined, cost effective solutions."
The tender also expects vendors to provide the appropriate services to complement the notebooks with wireless networks. In particular, the documents note: "vendors are expected to provide innovative solutions [for] delivery, deployment, and asset tracking for the machines when they are in operation."
The closing date for the expression of interest is 14 January 2009. The DET expects the roll out to occur over the subsequent four years.
Funds for the program will be coming from both the state and federal governments, with the federal government recently handing out an extra $807 million for the laptops in schools program nationally, bringing the total value of the program to $2 billion.
Gee, $500 for laptop computer that has 6 hours battery run time, plus wireless and webcam? Give me a break...