A17_JA_Redacted_LSJ_Verizon_140D0424F0585_1_Redacted_1.pdf

United States Department of the Interior

INTERIOR BUSINESS CENTER

Washington, DC 20240

LIMITED SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

AUTHORITY: FAR 8.405-6 and 40 U.S.C 501

Solicitation: 140D0425Q0425

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple Award Schedule Program.

1. Contracting activity/agency. This is a Limited Source Justification (LSJ) for the Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of the Secretary (OS), Interior Business Center (IBC), Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD), Division 1, Branch 1 on behalf of the DOI, OS, IBC.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved. This LSJ is for an award to Verizon Wireless to provide cellular wireless services to the DOI, IBC. This is a follow-on Task Order for 140D0420F0374 and will be issued against Verizon’s General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule Contract 47QTCA20D00B5 with a one (1) 12-month Base Period and four (4) 12-month Option Periods thereafter.

3. A description of supplies or services required to meet agency needs.

Reliable wireless cellular services are needed to ensure uninterrupted operations of the day-to-day business needs of the IBC as well as support emergency operations. The IBC currently has mission critical employees who are required and expected to conduct business while commuting 2-way, real-time communications, including at all hours of the day supporting Information Technology (IT) systems and individuals. This Task Order will prevent a break in service that would jeopardize many IBC projects and its direct customer service activities.

The Task Order is of vital importance to carrying out the mission support services IBC provides to fulfill its mission, which affects the DOI customers and , and drives efficiencies using shared services.

The DOI, IBC requires continued support of commercially available, Verizon wireless services, currently provided under Task Order

140D0420F0374, which expires on 06/23/2025. These Verizon wireless services include voice service plans, data plans, and mobile tethering (hotspot) functionality for DOI, IBC employees.

The Independent Government Estimate (IGE) for this requirement, which will include a one (1) 12-month Base Period and four (4) 12-month Option Periods,

4. Authority and supporting rationale and demonstration of the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

The Contracting Officer (CO) has determined, in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)B, only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

Due to the geographically dispersed locations of IBC’s employees, the primary concern in obtaining the wireless cellular services is to ensure the carrier can provide adequate services for each individual employee. As much as practical and to the maximum extent possible, through actual on-site device usage at each employee work location, IBC determines which carriers provide the most effective wireless cellular service in terms of bandwidth, uninterrupted service, and complete coverage area. IBC has identified that no single carrier can provide effective service to every single geographical area in which IBC employees are located.

However, the quality of cellular services is affected by the cellular device’s location, strength, and line of sight, in relation to the carrier’s cell towers.

Because these cell towers are not uniformly located throughout a given geographical area, service quality can vary greatly between carriers, over relatively small distances. Although coverage maps are available from each of the cellular carriers, these coverage maps do not accurately reflect how these services are heavily affected by many factors, including proximity to buildings, power lines, other cell and radio towers, and various natural features. This often leaves one carrier with distinctly better cellular coverage in each area, but much worse cellular service coverage at a nearby area, as cellular services are completely dependent on each individual carrier’s cell towers. IBC works to determine, on a case-by-case basis, which wireless carrier provides the best service to support each of its employees.

Based on this information, IBC determined that no one carrier can support all of IBC’s employees and individualized support needs to be taken to ensure employees are matched to the carrier capable of supporting them.

Cellco Partnership (DBA Verizon Wireless) is currently the only cellular wireless carrier capable of providing reliable cellular wireless service coverage to the approximately 90% of IBC’s employees requiring cellular service identified under this requirement. Verizon services continue to be required by IBC because other cellular service carriers do not provide full reliable and stable coverage in the geographical areas the employees are located.

Verizon Wireless is the incumbent contractor of the current Task Order.

The Task Order has been in place for almost five (5) years and in Verizon Wireless services. Verizon has provided excellent wireless services throughout the period of Performance (POP). If IBC employees were to switch to another service provider, it could cause potential service disruptions. Transferring devices to another carrier at this critical time during the Government’s transformation will be devasting with service interruptions that will hinder IBC’s ability to communicate to its clients. In addition, the cost comparative of another carrier would go against the Administration’s goal of cost savings for the duration of the Order.

Prior to Verizon, IBC used . During the period of 2009-2017, to support the requirement needs. Additionally, only offers government pooled plans where all the minutes of the users are pooled together. The pooled minutes are shared amongst all users. Verizon offers unlimited data, talk and text for The closest plan to Verizon’s unlimited plan under

Data plans only for tablets and MiFi devices on

Verizon offers a rate per device for unlimited data for tablets and MiFi devices. With the mandated return to office, there will be an increased need for employees to have unlimited data as some employees’ buildings will not have access to Wi-Fi. The only means of access would be either through cellular hotspot or MiFi.

, the government will be saving a With this Task Order including options, the government will be throughout the entire Task Order if options are exercised.

A determination by the ordering activity contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

The GSA has already determined that the prices of supplies and services under GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts to be fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 8.404(d). The AQD Contracting Officer (CO) will seek further price discounts and make a separate determination as to the reasonableness of the pricing provided in the quotation, in accordance with FAR 8.404(d). The CO will determine whether the price is reasonable via the use of price analysis with comparison of historical pricing, GSA Pricing, and comparison against the IGE which is based on currently offered commercial prices.

5. Market Research. As stated above, Verizon Wireless is the only company capable of providing reliable wireless cellular services for approximately 90% of IBC employees included under this requirement.

Based on the market research conducted, the Government made the determination these products and services are available within the commercial marketplace in accordance with FAR 2.101. These products and services are of a type customarily used by the public or non-government entities for other than government purposes. These products and services are of a type offered and sold competitively in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace based on established catalog or market prices for specific tasks performed or specific outcomes to be achieved using standard commercial terms and conditions.

Verizon wireless services are available under GSA IT Schedule 70, Special