MFR-Only One Responsible Source AFSVC Fiber Internet_Redacted.pdf

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

FOR

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

JBSA LAK AFSVC FIBER INTERNET

PURCHASE REQUEST NO:

Agency: Department of the Air Force, Air Education and Training Command (AETC)

Contracting Activity: 502d Contracting Squadron (502 CONS), JBSA-Lackland, TX

Requiring Activity:

Project/Program Name: Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) Lackland (LAK) AFSVC Fiber Internet

Purchase Request #:

Estimated Contract Cost (including Options):

Description of Action Being Approved. This justification approves the award of a new, firm-fixed-price contract to Charter Communications Operating, LLC (Cage Code: 4WWK4), on a sole-source basis for the purchase of Type II Dedicated Commercial Internet. This will be for a base year plus three option years with a period of performance from 15 September 2026 to 14 September 2030.

Statute Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition. Pursuant to Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul (RFO) 12.102(a), if the acquisition is under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), the Contracting Officer (CO) shall document the decision that only one source is available and the basis for that decision. This requirement is valued at The CO considered the acquisition history, government risk, and most logical solution in the best interest of the government.

1. Description of the Supplies/Services Required. requires a Type II dedicated fiber internet service at AFB to establish a mission-critical backup (secondary) circuit for its Business Activity Network (BAN). To eliminate redundant infrastructure costs and expedite deployment, this service must leverage the existing fiber infrastructure previously installed by Charter Communications Operating LLC (Spectrum) under Contract # FA301624P0175, Internet Transport. This Internet service is critical for daily operations and mission support. Charter is the exclusive owner of the existing infrastructure that delivers the Internet service to the required location.

Charter has proprietary and copyrights to the actual network lines that deliver the Internet service to the BAN location over the current circuit.

2. A Demonstration that the Proposed Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or the Nature of the Acquisition Requires use of the Authority Cited. Charter Communications Operating LLC (Spectrum) holds exclusive ownership of the existing "last-mile" fiber infrastructure, making them the only vendor capable of delivering service over this circuit without requiring a costly and highly disruptive physical installation from a competitor. Transitioning to a new provider would force the government to fund redundant infrastructure, undergo lengthy equipment replacements, and face significant service delays.

Awarding this contract to Charter leverages their pre-existing network footprint, proven compliance with JBSA security protocols, and established base relationships, ensuring immediate operational readiness at a fair and accurate price point.

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

FOR

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

JBSA LAK AFSVC FIBER INTERNET

PURCHASE REQUEST NO: F2MPSU6148AC01

3. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable. To satisfy this requirement and explore potential sources, the requiring activity, in coordination with the 502d Contracting Squadron (502 CONS), conducted targeted market research by obtaining a direct price quote from Charter Communications Operating, LLC (Spectrum). While Spectrum is a major broadband provider servicing over 32 million customers with customized, government-tailored fiber solutions, they are uniquely positioned for this specific effort because they own the physical infrastructure already installed at the facility. Charter currently provides reliable internet services across Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) and maintains an active, clean status with no exclusions on SAM.gov. 502d CONS and the requiring activity will continue to explore innovative acquisition strategies, monitor the local market, and seek ways to increase competition on future communication requirements as technology and base infrastructure evolve.

4. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable. The Contracting Officer will determine price reasonableness prior to award IAW RFO 12.204(a). This will be achieved by comparing the proposed price to the Government estimate, historical pricing for similar events, and an analysis of the proposed price against the detailed requirements in the Statement of Work.

5. A description of the market research conducted and the results. Compliance with the requirements of RFO Parts 10 and 12 as they relate to market research was accomplished from 10 to 20 August 2026. The requiring activity directly engaged the incumbent carrier, Charter Communications Operating, LLC (CAGE: 4WWK4), and reviewed historical and active telecommunications requirements across Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA). Although the market research indicates that alternative commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operate within the region, Charter’s exclusive ownership of the active, pre-existing fiber infrastructure at the place of performance represents an insurmountable technical and economic barrier to competition. Utilizing an alternative provider would necessitate constructing entirely redundant physical infrastructure and routing new cabling to the government demarcation (DEMARC) point, resulting in prohibitive, duplicative costs and unacceptable operational delays for this mission-critical backup circuit.

6. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition. Market research and site engineering surveys conducted by the IT Infrastructure Branch revealed severe limitations regarding physical path redundancy at the installation. While other vendors theoretically offer circuit services, investigations concluded that alternative Internet Service Providers (ISPs) utilize the same physical pathways, conduits, and utility poles to access Building 1(Demarc location) as the current primary circuit. Procuring a redundant circuit from an alternative vendor would result in an illusion of redundancy; a single physical event (e.g., a fiber cut, conduit damage) would sever both the primary and the "redundant" secondary connection simultaneously, resulting in a Single Point of Failure (SPOF) at the physical layer.

7. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition. No other sources have expressed written interest in this acquisition.