PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      6a 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting      May 26, 2015 
DATE:    May 19, 2015 
TO:      Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Michael Ehl, Director, Airport Operations 
Wayne Grotheer, Director, Aviation Project Management Group 
SUBJECT:  Concourse A and B Airport Fiber to Backstands project at Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport (CIP #C800464) 
Amount of This Request:        $2,406,000   Source of Funds:   Airport Development
Fund 
Est. Total Project Cost:          $3,195,000 
Est. State and Local Taxes:        $166,000 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to advertise, award, and
execute a major works construction contract for the Concourse A and B Airport Fiber to
Backstands Project (CIP #C800464) to improve data and communications infrastructure to gates
at Concourses A and B of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. T he amount of this request
is $2,406,000 of a total estimated project cost of $3,195,000. 
SYNOPSIS 
Travelers rank fast access to the Internet as one of their most important "must haves" at the
Airport. Sea-Tac International Airport has been ranked within the Top Ten Technological
Airports in the U.S. by Fodor's Travel. This project will improve wireless data, or "Wi-Fi"
coverage at all gate hold rooms in Concourses A and B for air travelers through the addition of
Wi-Fi access points. Further, this project will provide data infrastructure (fiber to the backstands
and communication room fiber optic network connections) and install gate information displays
to all gates in Concourses A and B. 
Airport-provided data infrastructure allows several airlines to utilize the same fiber optic and
copper wire data infrastructure for gate operations. Installation of this infrastructure creates
flexible gating opportunities for the future. This will reduce future capital improvement costs for
airline relocations as the time to change gates from use by one airline to another will be less than
24 hours and require no new construction. Also, when airlines move gate use from time to time,
this project would provide them the ability to quickly connect gate check-in equipment to their 
data networks, reducing their costs. 

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
May 19, 2015 
Page 2 of 7 
Finally, the budget to complete the project is increasing by $866,000 due to errors in and updates
to the prior cost estimate. The budget increase is due to the following causes: 
(1) The previous estimate mistakenly excluded the cabling cost for fiber optic network
redundancy between and among the existing communications rooms on Concourse A.
This accounts for an increase of $560,000. 
(2) There is gate shutdown support, construction phasing, and night work required that was
not fully accounted for in the previous estimate. This accounts for an increase of $38,000. 
(3) There are costs for design changes resulting from the need to re-route conduit pathway to
avoid site conditions uncovered during a site walk completed during the design review.
This also caused an additional design review to be required. The additional design 
changes and design review along with a specialized Wi-Fi designer and added
construction support accounts for an increase of $213,000. Project management increased
cost for use of consultant project management services accounting for an increase of 
$50,000; and additional construction management cost of $5,000. 
BACKGROUND 
The Airport has recently installed Airport-provided data infrastructure at several locations that
can be used interchangeably by the Port for common-use equipment, and by airlines for
proprietary equipment, as a flexible cost-savings initiative. This flexibility affords the Airport the
ability to provide an agile, quickly configurable system that is adaptable to changing airline
needs. This multi-user infrastructure system may be shared, preventing each airline, or the Port,
from having to provide separate and costly data infrastructure systems. 
Installation of a multi-user infrastructure system has been completed for all gates on Concourse
D and the South Satellite and all but four gates on Concourse A by previous projects. American
Airlines, Alaska Air Group, JetBlue, Virgin America and United Airlines are all successfully
using the infrastructure today in various locations across the Airport. The North Satellite will be
covered under the NorthSTAR program. The installation of Wi-Fi access points in this project
will complete the Wi-Fi enhancement for all hold rooms in Concourses A and B. The Wi-Fi
Enhancement project will follow this project and install Wi-Fi to the ramp level at all gates in
Concourses A, B, C, D and South Satellite, as well as the interior Wi-Fi for the rest of the airport. 
One of the stated goals of the Airport is to provide an extraordinary customer experience.
Current strategic goals include operating a world-class airport by anticipating the needs of our
customers. The use of laptops, tablets and smartphones by passengers waiting in hold-rooms
continues to increase and our customers have made it clear that having a fast Internet connection
in these areas is very important to them. The current Wi-Fi antenna system cannot keep up with 
growing passenger demand for Internet access. Adding multiple, faster Wi-Fi antennas in each
hold-room will improve wireless coverage and access speed for travelers. Installation of Airport
provided infrastructure to the gates makes adding more Wi-Fi access points in the hold-rooms
more cost effective than ever before and allows the Port to respond to this growing need.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
May 19, 2015 
Page 3 of 7 
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND DETAILS 
The purpose of this project is to provide an expansion of Airport provided infrastructure usable
by the Port or the airlines at the gates of Concourses A and B at the Airport and support customer
service goals to improve the effectiveness and availability of the terminal-wide Wi-Fi antenna
system at these same locations. 
Project Objectives 
Provide adaptable and agile data infrastructure to meet the changing needs of the Airport
community without investing in new facilities at Concourses A and B. 
Minimize air carriers' and Airport costs as airlines relocate within the existing terminal
facilities. 
Improve coverage and speed of the Airport's Wi-Fi antenna system at Concourses A
and B. 
Provide flight information to passengers in the hold rooms. 
Provide fiber redundancy in Concourse A. 
Scope of Work 
This request is to install the extension of Port standard fiber and copper infrastructure from
existing Port communications rooms to a communications rack in each retrofitted gate check-in
backstand. This project will provide fiber to the backstands at four Concourse A gates and nine
Concourse B gates. Construction will include new communication racks and backstands
casework modification. Equipment will include network switches and patch panels for the gates
receiving fiber to backstand and gate information displays for all Concourse A and B gates, but
no other equipment.  Electrical capacity will be added to the modified backstands. The
construction and installation of a second or redundant network connection among the Concourse
A communications rooms and main distribution room will also be included. 
Project scope will include the addition of wireless access points in close proximity to each gate
backstand (hold rooms) and continuously throughout Concourses A and B. Access points will
connect to the new Port standard network infrastructure at all Concourse A & B gates. The
placement and number of access points have been determined and are included in the design.
Access point equipment will conform to existing standards. 
Schedule 
Commission Authorization for Design                        2nd Quarter 2013 
Request Commission Authorization to Advertise, Execute and Construct   2nd Quarter 2015 
Construction Start                                       3rd Quarter 2015 
Project Complete                                      3rd Quarter 2016

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
May 19, 2015 
Page 4 of 7 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Budget/Authorization Summary              Capital     Expense   Total Project 
Original Budget                      $3,284,000          $0    $3,284,000 
Previous budget transfer                  -$955,000                -$955,000 
Current budget increase                   $866,000                 $866,000 
Current CIP budget                    $3,195,000          $0    $3,195,000 
Previous Authorizations                   $789,000          $0     $789,000 
Current request for authorization            $2,406,000          $0    $2,406,000 
Total Authorizations, including this request     $3,195,000          $0    $3,195,000 
Remaining budget to be authorized                $0          $0          $0 
Total Estimated Project Cost              $3,195,000          $0    $3,195,000 
Project Cost Breakdown                     This Request       Total Project 
Design                                  $171,000          $764,000 
Construction                              $2,087,000         $2,280,000 
State & Local Taxes (estimated)                   $148,000          $151,000 
Total                                      $2,406,000         $3,195,000 
Budget Status and Source of Funds 
This project (CIP #C800464) was included in the 2015-2019 capital and budget and plan of
finance with a budget of $2,329,000. The budget increase is described in detail in the synopsis
above. The increased budget was transferred from the Aeronautical Allowance CIP (C800404)
resulting in no net change to the capital budget. The funding source for this project is the Airport
Development Fund.
Financial Analysis and Summary 
CIP Category             New/ Enhancement 
Project Type              Renewal/ Replacement 
Risk adjusted discount rate     N/A 
Key risk factors             N/A 
Project cost for analysis        $3,195,000 
Business Unit (BU)          Terminal 
Effect on business performance  NOI after depreciation will increase 
IRR/NPV             N/A 
CPE Impact             $.02 in 2017 
Lifecycle Cost and Savings 
The Port Information and Communication Technology and Aviation Maintenance departments
estimate that operations and maintenance cost increases associated with the necessary support
plan/contract for the switches and access points included in this project is approximately $550

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
May 19, 2015 
Page 5 of 7 
per gate, per year. For the 13 gates included in the project scope, ICT annual operations and
maintenance expenses are estimated to increase by approximately $7,150 per year. 
STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES 
This project supports the Port's Century Agenda objective of meeting the region's air
transportation needs at the Airport for the next 25 years by providing the Airport and airlines
with greater facility agility and flexibility. Creating a flexible multi-user data network
environment allows carriers in the Airport to spend fewer capital dollars when airlines move or
expand. More carriers are able to utilize the same facilities without redesign and construction to
customize the operating environment to their specific proprietary needs.
This project is not impacted by the airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1)  Airlines install proprietary infrastructure for data connectivity following legacy
method, resulting in a less flexible gate use environment.  The Port would only construct and
install the redundant network connection among the Concourse A communications rooms and
the main distribution room. 
Capital Cost: $1,500,000 
Pros: 
The Port could delay expenditure of funds for common use infrastructure, using the funds
for other purposes. This option would prevent the risk of communication loss during an
accidental fiber cut as there is no current fiber redundancy between communication
rooms and the main distribution room in Concourse A. 
Cons: 
This will not allow the Port or other carriers to benefit from the rapid-convertibility and
flexibility of the airport-provided data infrastructure for growth and operational
requirements. 
This alternative eliminates the Airport's ability to  improve Wi-Fi coverage, our
passengers' most popular request. 
Increased potential for future construction costs (to Port or airline). 
Alternative 2) The Port proceeds with providing multiple user infrastructure, gate information
displays and Wi-Fi access points but delays constructing and installing the redundant network
connection among the Concourse A communications rooms and the main distribution room. 
Capital Cost: $2,635,000

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
May 19, 2015 
Page 6 of 7 
Pros: 
The Port could delay expenditure of the redundant fiber infrastructure, using the funds for
other purposes. 
This option would optimize flexibility and accommodate growth and operational
requirements by all carriers during airline gate changes, completing the airport-wide fiber
infrastructure to gate backstands. 
Should an airline depart a gate, the infrastructure remains in place and can be used by the
next airline or POS for Common Use System Emulation, CUSE with no construction
needed and a turnover period of less than 24-hours. 
This would also utilize the latest technology to respond to our passengers' most popular
request by enhancing the aging Wi-Fi system in Concourses A and B. 
Cons: 
This option maintains the risk of communication loss during an accidental fiber cut as
there is no current fiber redundancy between communication rooms and the main
distribution room in Concourse A. Concourse A is currently the only concourse without
this redundancy.
Alternative 3)    The Port installs airport-provided, multi-user  data infrastructure, data
redundancy, gate information displays and new Wi-Fi access points at Concourses A and B and
constructs and installs the redundant network connection among the Concourse A
communications rooms and the main distribution room. 
Capital Cost: $3,195,000 
Pros: 
This option would optimize flexibility and accommodate growth and operational
requirements by all carriers during airline gate changes, completing the airport-wide fiber
infrastructure to gate backstands. 
Should an airline depart a gate, the infrastructure remains in place and can be used by the
next airline or POS for CUSE with no construction needed and a turnover period of less
than 24-hours. 
This option will utilize the latest technology to respond to our passengers' most popular
request by enhancing the technologically outdated Wi-Fi system in Concourses A and B. 
This option will also prevent communication loss in Concourse A during an accidental
fiber cut and provide greater capacity for communications traffic.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
May 19, 2015 
Page 7 of 7 
Cons: 
This option costs the most of the three alternatives being considered. 
This option will not replace the aging Wi-Fi system in Concourses other than Concourses
A and B (that would be completed by another project). 
This is the recommended alternative. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
None. 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
July 9, 2013  The Commission authorized $789,000 for design and the purchase of
supporting technology and equipment.