Attachment_1_-_COTS_DF_SOW.docx

273FCC18Q0020

Attachment 1 Statement of Work Commercially Available Deployable Radio Direction Finding Systems Introduction This statement of work is for the purchase of nine (9) commercially available radio frequency direction finding sensors and the associated software and equipment required to form ad-hoc networks of sensors capable of geo-locating, monitoring, and recording radio frequency emissions. The systems will be used by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Enforcement Bureau’s (EB) Field Division to identify, locate, and mitigate interference to legitimate operators as described by the FCC’s rules.

Background The FCC, an independent agency of the United States Government established by the Communications Act of 1934, is charged with regulating non-Government interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC’s jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.

The FCC is led by a Chairman and up to four Commissioners appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. The Commission staff is organized into seven (7) Bureaus (including the Enforcement Bureau (EB)), several offices, and numerous field offices located throughout the United States. Each bureau or office is further subdivided into divisions. The agency’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, processing applications for licenses and other filings, analyzing complaints, conducting investigations, developing and implementing regulatory programs, and taking part in hearings.

The Field Division of the Enforcement Bureau has as one of its responsibilities the identification and mitigation of RF emissions that are causing interference to operators that are abiding by the spectrum usage rules defined by the FCC. The FCC Field Division maintains a number of field offices located throughout the United States. Agents deployed from these field offices use specialized and commercially available equipment to locate the source of the interference, and issue warnings or sanctions to operators of the offending RF device.

The Field Modernization Order (FCC 15-81), adopted July 16, 2015, requires that the FCC improve efficiency, effectively manage Commission resources, and align the Commission’s field enforcement activities with contemporary needs for a field enforcement presence. In order to achieve this, the order states that the Field will embark on a program to update its equipment. This program will include the expanded use of remotely operated monitoring equipment to supplement field staff, as well as the identification and use of portable devices capable of assessing interference issues in bands experiencing heavy spectrum use.

System Requirements In order to achieve the goals laid out in the Field Modernization Order, The FCC Enforcement Bureau’s Field Division seeks to identify a vendor capable of providing a turn-key, commercial off the shelf (COTS) solution containing the salient features necessary to aid FCC field agents in the location and identification of emissions causing interference to other operators. In order to meet the goals of the Order, any such system must:

· detect low levels of radiated RF energy in the VHF, UHF and low-SHF bands

· automatically provide geolocation data on emission sources

· be easily deployed into remote locations by a single field agent

· operate in both stand-alone and networked configurations

· operate in both real time and automated modes

· include the necessary software for mission setup and post-processing of data

· be sufficiently reliable and ruggedized to allow for deployment in adverse weather conditions Example Use Cases The following list demonstrates some of the use cases in which deployable, remote controllable radio geo-location systems would be most valuable to the FCC. It is in these situations, particularly those having safety of life and/or property implications, that the FCC would be most likely to deploy this type of system.

1. A hoaxer is transmitting false distress calls on marine channel 16. Two of the most recent instances of this type of malicious interference have occurred in the Tampa, Florida, and Los Angeles, California areas. Generally, a hoaxer of this type is very difficult to locate. This type of hoaxer is particularly problematic because in cases where the US Coast Guard cannot determine the legitimacy of a distress call, it is forced to expend significant resources in attempting to locate the source. In instances that the Coast Guard requests FCC assistance, it has been unable to locate the hoaxer using its own search and rescue geolocation equipment.

2. The FAA requests assistance from the FCC in resolving interference issues between pilots flying over specific geographic areas and ground controllers in the VHF band.

3. A local public safety entity requests FCC assistance in identifying intermittent interference from apparent data signals received on their repeater input frequency. This type of intermittent interference case is time consuming for FCC field agents because the interfering emission is often caused by faulty equipment (or equipment that is beginning to radiate at frequencies that it was not intended to) that only causes interference under certain conditions.

4. Organizers of a convention request FCC assistance in eliminating interference to GPS in and around the convention center. This type of request is becoming more prevalent as the concern of the use of GPS and other types of signal jammers increases.

5. The FCC often maintains a presence at large political conventions and sporting events to help event frequency coordinators resolve interference issues. In these circumstances, the deployment of remotely operable geo-location sensors, controlled from a central command post, could expedite the resolution of complex interference issues between media outlets in areas of dense spectrum usage.

In the use cases listed above, a persistent theme is the FCC’s need to capture and record intermittent signals of short duration at random times for analysis in either real time or during post processing. The use of this technology will allow the equipment to perform tedious monitoring activities, increase productivity and act as a force multiplier to resolve complex interference cases while increasing productivity in accordance with The Field Modernization Order.

Required Salient Characteristics and Specifications This section lists the minimal requirements a system of radio direction finding nodes must possess in order to best meet the needs of the FCC’s field division. A vendor’s systems must meet these requirements in order to be considered technically acceptable.

Radio Direction Finding and Geolocation

Receiver

Data Recording

Size/Weight/Power

Mechanical

Signal Intelligence

Networking

Scanning

Installation and Setup

Reporting (Real time and Recorded)

Other

Quantity A total of nine (9) complete sensor nodes over a two-year time period. The FCC intends to purchase six (6) sensor nodes initially in 2018, with an option to purchase an additional three (3) nodes in 2019. Proposal pricing should be provided for both the 2018 and 2019 purchase years. The 2018 purchase will include a first article made up of a single sensor node and remote controller as described in section 7 below.

Warranty The equipment shall be supplied with a warranty of no less than three years from the date of delivery. The warranty must cover all hardware not identified as a consumable or a part of the overall system requiring replacement according to a schedule. The warranty shall include all software updates released by the vendor that apply to the system for the period of the warranty.

Vendor Certification In order to be considered for award of this contract, vendors must certify that they have the capability to deliver systems with the specifications outlined in section 3 of this statement of work within the contract period of performance. Along with a certification statement, vendors must ensure that their proposal includes the following:

1. A component schedule, or parts list including all vendor specific and 3rd party components that comprise the proposed system.

2. Cut sheets, specification sheets, data sheets, or product brochures for the proposed system.

3. Pictures of the proposed system hardware.

4. At least one screen capture from each piece of software that will be supplied with the proposed system.

5. A narrative that addresses how the proposed system addresses each of the specifications given in section 3 above, if not addressed in the system’s list of specifications/datasheet.

First Article Testing Within 60 days of contract award, the vendor shall submit a single sensor node along with all necessary software and remote access computer system to the FCC at the delivery address below. The purpose of submittal of this first article is to allow the FCC to ensure that the vendor system meets certain key specifications listed in section 3 above. Upon approval of the first article, the FCC shall have the option to purchase the remaining 5 nodes in 2018, and 3 nodes in 2019.

Training The vendor proposal shall include in depth training for 5 FCC employees. The training duration shall be a minimum for three (3) eight-hour sessions to occur over consecutive days. The FCC shall arrange training with the vendor to occur within 360 days of contract award. Training must include system hardware and software setup, deployment, configuration of sensor nodes for automation tasks such as recording, post processing for recorded data, and any other topics required for full use of the system. Written materials that can be reviewed by FCC staff after the training session must be delivered to FCC staff members during the training. Written materials shall include procedures for system setup and common operations performed with the system.

Delivery First Article: 60 days after contract award Remaining Quantity: 120 days after execution of option to purchase remaining 5 nodes Training: Within 360 days after contract award Delivery Address FCC – Equipment Development Group 3600 Hiram Lithia Springs Rd. SW Powder Springs, GA 30127