822469634 Sources Sought Notice - Final.pdf

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SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

Tracking Number 822469634

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is seeking sources for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Emergency Communications Division (ECD) for cloud based nationwide telecommunication networks.

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS:

Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization/PS8231 2300 East Drive, Building 3600 Scott Air Force Base, IL 62225

INTRODUCTION:

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability and technical capability of small and large businesses (including the following subsets: Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Certified 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, HUBZone Small Businesses and Woman-Owned Small Businesses) to provide the required products and/or services.

The CISA/ECD is seeking information from potential sources for: An American owned nationwide cloud-based telecommunications network. ECD provides National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) users priority communication services during periods of network congestion when adequate radio signals are present. The Development Program within the Priority Communications Services (PCS) subdivision oversees the implementation, testing, development, and integration of new commercial technologies that benefit the NSEP users during time of crisis to enhance mission response and recovery. Specifically, PCS is looking for commercial nationwide telecommunication service providers with only a cloud-based network built on 5th Generation (5G) technology for voice and data, video, and information services (DV&IS) in accordance with the following program requirements.

Mission Operations Capability Description Based on the Next Generation Networks Priority Services (NGN PS) Mission Need Statement (MNS), there are four needed mission operational capabilities to improve probability of completing communications:

1. Priority Voice: Capability to obtain priority voice communications. This capability enables an authorized NS/EP user to obtain/be provided priority access and transport of secure voice communications.

2. Priority Data: Capability to obtain priority data communications. This capability enables an authorized NS/EP user to obtain/be provided priority access and transport of secure data communications.

3. Priority Video: Capability to obtain priority video communications. This capability enables an authorized NS/EP user to obtain/be provided priority access and transport of secure video communications.

4. NS/EP Mission Operations: Capability to establish, authenticate, and authorize NS/EP Priority Services users. This capability provides the mechanism to establish an NS/EP organizational Point of Contact (POC), for the POC to initiate and approve the addition of individuals within the POC organization as NS/EP users, and to provide a mechanism

Page 2 of 6 Pages for each priority service to authenticate and authorize service requests in the respective service provider’s service environment.

Mission Support Capability Description Based on the NGN PS MNS, there are six needed mission support capabilities:

1. Performance Management: Capability to monitor and manage priority service performance. Service providers, as part of the service provided, must collect, correlate, and report service performance to ECD.

2. Service Management: Capability to detect service defects and manage resolution.

Service providers, as part of the service provided to ECD, will monitor, test (automated and manual), and manage service defects. ECD, through NS/EP customer service management and trouble ticket management, must coordinate the tracking and resolution of user reported service issues.

3. Fraud Management: Capability to detect, monitor, and report fraudulent use of priority service(s) using Identity and Access Management techniques. Service providers, as part of the service provided to ECD, must have the ability to monitor, detect, report, and neutralize fraudulent use of priority service(s) using policy and technical implementation.

4. User Assistance: Capability to provide assistance to NS/EP users. Service providers and ECD will provide end user support including, but not limited to, Priority Services assistance, troubleshooting user issues or service/infrastructure issues that affect users, trouble reporting, education, and POC support.

5. Usage Reporting: Capability to record and report priority service usage. The service providers, as part of the service provided to ECD, will collect, correlate, and report all priority service usage, including origination, transfer/transport, and termination.

6. User Management: Capability to manage authentication resources. The service providers, as part of the service provided to ECD, will securely maintain NS/EP user and POC authentication and authorization information and provide service access control for Priority Services.

Requirements Priority Treatment - Provide end-to-end priority treatment of NS/EP traffic to priority services users over other traffic.

Enhanced Priority Treatment - Provide a differentiated end-to-end priority treatment of NS/EP traffic for select priority services users based on profile; such that National leadership shall have priority treatment over other NS/EP users.

Security - Be resilient and maintain mission performance against attempts to deny, degrade, manipulate, exfiltrate, pivot, or otherwise negatively impact the service such that service provider networks protect 24x7x365 against corruption of, or unauthorized access to, traffic and control, support user authentication, and include encryption techniques with expanded capabilities for select users (e.g., expanded encryption and platform flexibility).

Anonymity - Provide select users priority communications without risk of being traced, such that the select user is without risk of identity or location exposure.

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Restorability - Provide restorability of priority services for users; such that the service’s restoration measures are operationally effective to support the mission accomplishment, aligned with PTS, including Government program support for restorability of NS/EP communications (e.g., ECD Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) Program).

International connectivity - Provide users access to and egress from international locations.

Interoperability - Provide users seamless interoperability such that priority communications interconnect and interoperate seamlessly with other selected Government or private services, systems, and networks, as directed by ECD management process.

Mobility - Provide users mobility of communications such that service providers’ infrastructure shall support transportable, re-deployable, and mobile NS/EP priority communications.

Ubiquitous coverage - Provide readily accessible service to users such that priority service supports mission accomplishment for NS/EP national leadership and inter- and intra- agency emergency operations.

Hazard Resilience - Provide resilient service to users supporting NS/EP missions and public safety personnel during emergency response and recovery operations such that priority communications function when standard communications are stressed or congested, under a broad range of adverse circumstances, such as weather events, cyber-attacks, civil unrest, and human error.

Voice-band service - Provide voice-band service to users such that priority communications support NS/EP missions with Voice (wireless with Secure Voice and wireline).

Broadband service - Provide broadband service to users such that priority communications support NS/EP missions with voice, data, video imaging, web access, and multimedia.

Scalable bandwidth - Provide NS/EP mission support communications to users via variable bandwidth requirements such that integrated Voice and scalable Data, and a full-range of Video services are included.

Affordability - Provide priority services to users that are assessed to support NS/EP missions with relative affordability such that required capabilities and costs are assessed against existing, or potential development of, alternative solutions, and selection receives continuous Government oversight for lifecycle cost management.

Reliability - Provide priority services to users that are assessed to perform consistently as required in support of NS/EP missions such that the service is usable with high confidence in accordance with key performance parameters during adverse events.

Availability - Provide continuous service to all authorized users of priority services, without requiring activation by a service provider in times of emergency, such that all service-specific systems are able to provide user access with the required functionality.

Performance monitoring - Provide priority voice, data, and video service with a means to monitor service performance, measure, collect, and periodically report assessment.

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System testing - Validation to meet requirements through an integrated Test and Evaluation (T&E) approach for evolving and implemented capabilities; such that the T&E strategy integrates the testing complexities, the expanse of service strategy design, the increased focus on security, and the structured process model of independent acceptance (validation) testing.

Trouble detection and resolution - Have effective trouble case management capabilities;

such that the Service Center shall be able to log user input of NGN PS trouble notifications, determine involved network (segment), and contact that network’s trouble reporting center for follow-up.

Fraud and abuse monitoring and reporting - Have the ability to randomly test and provide protection from fraud and abuse; such that identified fraudulent activity is reported to the Service Center by each service provider’s assessment of unusual service usage— including, too many NS/EP call attempts with unauthorized personal identification number within a certain time interval—with ability to interrupt, end service, and report to the Government.

User assistance - Provide user assistance, including, but not limited to training, service familiarization, issue/question response, dialing assistance, trouble notification, and resolution 24x7x365.

Billing invoices and usage reports - Have capabilities to provide the Government with regular and on demand usage reporting for all NGN PS call and session originations such that service providers have the capability to capture and maintain detailed, location specific usage, specified time intervals, and to provide incident specific usage reporting.

Quality of Service - Provide verifiable service quality to meet NS/EP missions, such that priority communications traffic is identifiable with its own class of service for monitoring and assessment against established key performance parameters.

Service registration - Provide service registration capabilities with availability to receive input 24x7x365 such that organizations can input request to verify NS/EP role and establish a point of contact to submit registration of vetted individuals.

User training - Provide instructions to users for operation of the service.

Trouble reporting - Support trouble reporting with availability to receive input 24x7x365 such that user assistance information is available to a user or POC who experiences trouble with a priority service, and an organized follow-up process is in place for unresolved issues (e.g., categorized by when received, type, and contact information).

The anticipated Period of Performance is November 30, 2024 – November 29, 2034. The Period of Performance is structured as one base year, plus nine option years.

The anticipated Place of Performance is within the commercial carrier network.

DISCLAIMER:

THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS

IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION

AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT.

RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER

NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS NOTICE. NO

FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS

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NOTICE. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS IS STRICTLY

VOLUNTARY.

CONTRACT/PROGRAM BACKGROUND: N/A

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES:

1) ECD PCS is seeking a secure and resilient nationwide 5G telecommunications network that is cloud-based only. The network must be able to provide differentiated services based on user profiles and the type of service, provide ubiquitous and resilient services, secure communication traffic from unauthorized access and content, user or location discovery, and facilitate transport of data, video, and information services that are interoperable with other communication service providers. Describe and provide an example of your company’s experience providing communication services in a cloud-based 5G telecommunications network. Include experience with interoperability and the scalability of services during times of network congestion or overload.

2) The tools and services used to protect communication traffic across many modalities must continuously evolve to address advanced and persistent adversarial penetration through threat hunting and vulnerability scanning during times of high user traffic. PCS is seeking information about communication traffic protection from network threats and vulnerabilities during periods of congestion or overload. Describe and provide an example of your company’s experience that demonstrates the networks best cybersecurity and cyber awareness practices and strategies that ensure the security of communication traffic signals across the cloud-based network and how these interact with other telecommunication providers.

3) ECD is seeking opportunities to maintain resilient communications in any environment where congestion, overload, or damage occurs. The ability to communicate with voice, data, video, or information services in situations experiencing extremely high usage and under stress is vital to NS/EP users. Secure reliable communications must be scalable to support varying numbers of users in the range of 300,000 users to 10 million users.

Describe and provide an example of your company’s experience with providing voice and DV&IS services to users of a cloud-based network when the commercial communication networks are congested or overloaded.

4) ECD/PCS is seeking information on the impact of pairing 5G with Internet of Things networks across different voice and data services and communication modalities and how evolving technology can, or will impact the way communication traffic is managed, secured, and developed. Describe and provide an example of your company’s experience with the evaluation, collaboration and insertion of new technologies in a cloud-based telecommunication network and how it is best conducted. Use case scenarios are welcome.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Must be an American owned business and some personnel will require a Final Secret Clearance.

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SOURCES SOUGHT: The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) for this requirement is 517112, Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite), with the corresponding size standard of 1,500 employees. This Sources Sought Notice is requesting responses from large and small businesses that can provide the required services under the NAICS Code.

In order to make a determination for a small business set-aside, two or more qualified and capable small businesses must submit responses that demonstrate their qualifications.

Responses must demonstrate the company’s ability to perform in accordance with FAR clause 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting.

To assist DISA in determining the level of participation by small business in any subsequent procurement that may result from this Sources Sought Notice, provide information regarding any plans to use joint ventures (JVs) or partnering. Please outline the company's areas of expertise and those of any proposed JV/partner who combined can meet the specific requirements contained in this notice.

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

Responses should include:

1) Business name and address;

2) Name of company representative and their business title;

3) Small Business Socio-economic status (if small);

4) CAGE Code;

5) Prime contract vehicles; to include ENCORE III, SETI, NIH CIO-SP4, NASA SEWP V, General Service Administration (GSA): OASIS, ALLIANT II, VETS II, STARS III, MAS (including applicable SIN(s), groups or pools), or any other Government Agency contract vehicle that allows for decentralized ordering. (This information is for market research only and businesses with a valid cage that lack prime contract vehicles are still encouraged to respond to this notice.)

Businesses who wish to respond must send a response via email NLT 4:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 30, 2024 to Contracting Officer, Brittany Haas, brittany.n.haas2.civ@mail.mil and Contract Specialist, Devon Guyette, devon.r.guyette.civ@mail.mil. Interested businesses should submit a brief capabilities statement package addressing the specific questions above (no more than five pages) demonstrating the ability to perform the services listed under Required Capabilities.

Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All Government and contractor personnel reviewing submitted responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as pursuant to 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.