RFI_Responses.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 14 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Wireline Telecommunications Services
- Solicitation number
- 70FA3025R00000001
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document related to RFI responses for FEMA's Wireline Telecommunications Services solicitation (70FA3025R00000001). The document addresses 18 questions primarily focused on technical requirements, pricing structure, and timeline concerns for providing local telecommunication services in CONUS and OCONUS locations.
Key points include: The government will maintain TDM services requirements but will allow for a Firm-Fixed-Price contract with Equitable Adjustment; alternative solutions using SIP-based VoIP, LTE/5G, and cloud-based communications can be proposed post-award; the proposal deadline has been extended to March 7th, 2025; taxes and surcharges will be pass-through charges rather than fixed; and all services listed in the pricing spreadsheet are currently active. FEMA acknowledges the industry's transition away from TDM services and rising costs but requires maintaining existing services while being open to modernization proposals after contract award.
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Questions
| Number | Document | Question | Response | |
| 1 | PWS | Most of the required services in the RFP are sunset TDM services. In recent years, the local service providers have raised their costs significantly, especially in the OCONUS and remote locations. FFP requirements do not factor into the economy adjustment and cost increases, and the factor that some locations will have no local carrier to support the sunset TDM services. Will the government please update the PWS to: Remove the FFP requirement; and allow offeror to not propose any services when the location the service is deemed not "commercially available"? | The government cannot remove TDM services from this requirement as they are the current active services, however please note that this award will be issued as a Firm-Fixed-Price contract with Equitable Adjustment. | |
| 2 | PWS | PWS on this page indicated that "Contractor may propose alternatives to any of the traditional wireline services listed above to deliver functionally equivalent capabilities for voice, video, and data communications". Is FEMA open to vendors proposing alternative solutions that incorporate SIP-based VoIP, LTE/5G, and cloud-based communication platforms to provide equivalent or superior capabilities at lower costs? Should the contractor propose a separate pricing proposal with the same CLINs for these sites where the alternate solutions are proposed? | It is recommended that prices be based on attachment 5 of the RFP which identifies the locations and the current active services. However, post award the offerors can propose alternative solutions. | |
| 3 | PWS | The FEMA Wireline Services Program Services PWS dated 01/0/2025 is identical to the 30 March 2018 PWS. Signiant telephony technology changes have occurred over the past seven years. Did FEMA intend to release the same PWS requirements as those of the prior acquisition? If so, has FEMA taken into consideration the following considerations: | ||
| • | Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis comparing the cost of maintaining TDM services over the next five years versus transitioning to VoIP, SIP, and 5G-based Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solutions? | |||
| • | FEMA’s contingency plan for addressing the rising costs of maintaining TDM services as carrier support diminishes and replacement parts continue to become obsolete? | |||
| • | FEMA’s plan to address the cybersecurity risks associated with outdated TDM systems that lack modern encryption, IAM (Identity & Access Management), and real-time threat detection capabilities? | |||
| • | FEMA’s risk of service disruptions from TDM circuit failures, given that providers are deprioritizing maintenance for legacy copper-based infrastructure? | |||
| • | If FEMA’s current TDM-based approach ensures continuity of operations in large-scale disasters where physical infrastructure (e.g., copper lines, ISDN trunks) may be damaged or inaccessible? | |||
| • | A feasibility study on leveraging rapidly deployable 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)or satellite communications for emergency operations in disaster zones where TDM circuits fail? | |||
| • | The risk of vendor lock-in by continuing with TDM-based contracts while the commercial telecom industry moves toward all-IP solutions? | Yes, FEMA is aware of the changing technologies and will be continuing to address alternate solutions over the life of the contract. | ||
| 4 | Pricing | In 2018 pricing proposal, the bundled CLINs allowed for broken down with sub-CLINs (e.g. circuit, usage, CPE etc.), however, in the Attachment 5, all proposed services and CPE are bundled as a fixed monthly pricing. Would the government please revise the pricing file to allow sub-CLINs to be priced and billed accordingly? | Please base your pricing on the current pricing spreadsheet. | |
| 5 | Pricing | When a service requires usage by site, will the government please provide the current usage or projected max usage by month, so contractors are able to calculate the monthly total usage prices by site? We suggest a usage column be added as a separate column. | Please see revised pricing spreadsheets with updated information. | |
| 6 | Pricing | There is no CLIN provided for the one time charge (NRC), please revise the pricing file to add the NRC columns. | The pricing spreadsheet only reflects active services. Non recurring charges should only apply for new locations. | |
| 7 | Pricing | Please clarify if the taxes and surcharges are for information purpose only or need to be FFP. | Taxes/Surcharges are pass thru, they are not fixed currently | |
| 8 | Pricing | There is a column for "Point to Point Data" (Column Y) What are the end-point addresses for this service? Pt A - Pt Z | Please see revised pricing spreadsheets with updated information. | |
| 9 | Pricing | There is a row at the end of the spreadsheet (Line 243), where the address is blank, but it has 20 total services. What are the addresses where you want these services? | Please see revised pricing spreadsheets with updated information. | |
| 10 | Pricing | There is a row at the end of the spreadsheet (Line 243), where the address is blank, but it has 20 total services. What are the addresses where you want these services? | This question is a duplicate from question number 9. | |
| 11 | Pricing | Are all of the services and quantities shown in the spreadsheet currently active? | Yes, as long as they are viewing the most recent version of the inventory. | |
| 12 | Instructions to Offerors | All proposals must be submitted electronically no later than 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on February 21, 2025. Considering the release of the FRP was on 6 Febraury 2025, we respectfully request an extension of the proposal by an additional 45 days (due 7 April 2025) to provide a meaningful, best value offer to FEMA for the Wireline Service Program. | The soliciation for offers has been extended and we cannot go beyond the date suggested. | |
| 13 | PWS | The requested services have been grandfathered and no longer carry an SLA. Even if services are available, carriers are drastically increasing cost on those services. If an outage occurs you may be offline for weeks or months. In some cases, the LECs are not restoring services at all. Given the disruption this will cause your mission, would the Government consider a modern, functional and cost-affective alternate solution? | Yes, the government would consider alternate solutions. Typically, services are back up and running quickly, not weeks or months as indicated in the question. | |
| 14 | PWS | The requested services have been grandfathered industry-wide and the LECs are systematically shutting them down with very little notice. In some cases, service will be shut down within 30 days of notice. 30 days is not enough time to find an alternative solution. Given the disruption this will cause your mission, would the Government consider a modern, functional and cost-affective alternate solution? | Yes, the government would consider alternate solutions. | |
| 15 | Terms and Conditions | The time between the submission of questions and the current due date will not provide offerors sufficent time to respond to any changes to requirements, Instrucitons to Offeror, and Evalaution Criteria. Request the Government extend the due date a minimum three weeks from the date responsed to questions are published to allow offerors sufficient time to prepare complete, compliant and compelling offers. | The soliciation for offers will be extended until March 7th. | |
| 16 | PWS | To drive customers off of the infrastructure that supports the services requested, the LECs are systematically raising rates as much as 1000%. These rate raises are often random and unpredictable, and in many cases, take affect within 30 days of notice. 30 days is not enough time to find an alternative solution. Would FEMA entertain a modernized, like solution, at a similar cost? | Yes post award. | |
| 17 | N/A | Analog and Digital Business Lines: How many of each and are there assigned phone numbers already or will there be new ones to be assigned? | Please see revised pricing spreadsheets with updated information. | |
| 18 | N/A | Satellite TV Broadcast Service: Any specific number of channels and how many drops/rooms will need TV services? | Please see revised pricing spreadsheets with updated information. |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .