Design, Supply, Installation, Commissioning and Support of a Private 5g Mobile Communications Network at Matla Power Station to Replace the Existing Dect Mobile Communications System

The contractor is required to design, procure, supply, deliver, install, test, commission, and hand over a fully functional Private 5G mobile voice communication system at Matla Power Station. This new system will replace the existing end-of-life NEC/Philips iS3000 DECT system, providing equivalent operational capability and covering all operational areas of the station including control rooms, turbine hall, boiler area, coal handling, water treatment, workshops, administration, and various other plant areas. The scope includes conducting a full site audit for RF propagation, supplying and configuring 5G Core Network Equipment (SA/NSA, redundancy, SMF, AMF), and Radio Access Network (RAN) with all base stations, antennas, and supporting infrastructure, as well as supplying, provisioning, and configuring a minimum of 400+ handsets and SIM cards.
Bidders must ensure all work complies with OHS Act 85 of 1993, Matla plant procedures, Plant Safety Regulations, and environmental authorization requirements (National Environmental Act 107 of 1998, EIA Regulations). Contractors must adhere to specific quality management procedures (QM58, OMOP4497), SHEQ induction, and ensure employees have required competencies. The Private 5G network must be designed as a dedicated, isolated communication platform with no direct IP routing to Eskom OT networks (DCS, SCADA, historian, protection systems) and adhere to cybersecurity standards (240-129014618 Generation Cyber Security Compliance Standard), including submitting a cybersecurity architecture document for approval. The existing DECT system must remain fully operational during the entire installation and commissioning phase of the new Private 5G system, and the contractor shall not disconnect, modify, or interfere with it without prior written authorization.