Section_C_-_SOW.A03.docx

Solicitation No. GS-10F-13-LP-R-0001 Section C State of Alaska Local Service Agreement (SALSA)

SECTION C

DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATION / WORK STATEMENT

for State of Alaska Local Service Agreement

C.1 INTRODUCTION

The objective of this Contract is to provide integrated telecommunications services, and any associated management, for the General Service Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Office of Network Services, Northwest Arctic Region (here forward referred to as “GSA” and/or “the Government”) at various locations throughout the state of Alaska (*See Note below). These services include but are not limited to analog and digital Centrex-like technology, individual business lines, data services, support systems to easily add new services, and consolidated management and integrated order processing systems with the highest level of reliability and support. Services must be commercially available, meet industry standards for performance and transmission, be capable of interfacing with GSA’s existing and future long distance services, and have capabilities and capacities to meet current and potential Government needs.

NOTE: The Government contemplates award of one or more firm fixed price (FFP) indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) Contracts to fulfill this objective. Upon Award, this paragraph shall be amended to reflect which geographic location(s) are applicable to each IDIQ Contract established. This Contract shall cover the following geographic locations (i.e. boroughs):

· Kenai Peninsula

· Anchorage

· Juneau

· Fairbanks North Star

· Kodiak Island/Sitka/

· Ketchikan Gateway/

· Wrangell-Petersburg

C.1.1 CONTRACT SCOPE

The Contractor shall perform all the tasks described in this Contract to successfully meet all the requirements as set forth in more detail below. The Contractor must furnish all necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the Statement of Work. The Contractor is responsible for design, plan, implementation, and delivery, and for managing and coordinating all aspects of services, quality, interconnect ability and maintenance of the services described in the Contract.

The Contractor must be authorized to provide analog and digital local telecommunication services in the identified boroughs of Alaska and must comply with industry-standard specifications. All locations and NPA/NXXs within the identified boroughs are within scope of this Contract. As information only, Section J lists service locations, NPA/NXXs, and inventory currently supported under incumbent contracts.

Service delivery requirements, as dictated by the dynamics of the Government, may be expanded over the period of contract performance for new, improved or additional services, technological refreshment substitutes, or engineering changes. The Contractor shall propose the new services/technology to the Government for consideration to be incorporated into this Contract. See paragraph C.19 below.

C.2 SERVICE PLATFORM

The Contractor shall perform adds, moves, and changes for services in accordance with industry standards as referenced in Section C.12 Conformity to Standards. The services must be modular and easily expandable, with hardware and software maintained to meet the minimum capabilities cited below.

a Individual Business Lines with the minimum features listed in C.2.1.2.

b Analog and digital services, or a functional equivalent which is equal to or better, shall be available subject to the Contractor’s technical capability to provide Centrex-like services at that location, with the minimum features listed in C.2.1.1 .

c Interface with the Networx long distance services and/or subsequent replacement contracts; and provide equal access to the long distance carrier selected as the primary inter-exchange carrier (PIC) by dialing 1 before the long distance number.

d The Contractor shall provide an optional solution for bundled local and unlimited long distance at a flat monthly rate.

C.2.1 TRANSMISSION SERVICE

Voice, Data and Video Transmission Service offerings shall be provided where available. Service requirements may include, but are not limited to the following: DOD/DID trunks, business lines, Centrex-like service and related features, DSL/internet services, IQ(MPLS), DS-0, T-1, and T-3, and ISDN BRI/PRI.

Service performance parameters are listed in C.12.

C.2.1.1 DIGITAL AND ANALOG CENTREX-LIKE SERVICES

Analog and digital Centrex-like service, or a functional equivalent which is equal to or better, shall be available at addresses where Government lines will be in service.

a Minimum Bundled Features for Analog and Digital Centrex:

1 Call Forwarding - Busy, Ring No Answer (Internal and External), and Variable (Internal and External) 2 Call Hold 3 Consultation Hold 4 Call Pickup Group 5 Directed Call Pickup 6 Call Transfer 7 Three-way Calling 8 Audible/Visual Message Waiting Indicator (if line provisioned with voice mail) 9 Call Hunting 10 Distinctive Ringing 11 Call Waiting 12 Caller ID 13 4 digit dialing 14 Anonymous Call Rejection 15 Selective Call Acceptance (Call Screening) 16 Continuous Redial 17 Last Call Return 18 Speed Dials b Optional Features for Centrex-like Service (Digital and Analog):

1 Directory Listings 2 Additional Directory Listings 3 Extra Line of Directory Listing 4 Foreign Directory Listing 5 Call Forward Remote 6 Call Hunting 7 Call Restriction 8 Call Return 9 Call Waiting w/ Caller ID Display 10 Flexible Route Selection 11 FX Service – Basic 12 FX Service – Mileage 13 Off-Premise Extension (OPX) 14 Multiple Appearance Directory Number 15 Vanity Number 16 Blocked caller to pay-per-call numbers (976, etc.)

17 Blocking dialed carrier identification code 18 Malicious Call Trace 19 Calling Number Suppression ( does not pass CLID) 20 Operator Assistance Busy Line Verification 21 Operator Assistance Busy Line Verification w/ Interrupt 22 Authorization Codes 23 Six-way conference calling 24 Last Call Return 25 Directory Number Hunt 26 Dial Intercom & Page 27 Customized Intercept and Recorded Announcement 28 No Double Connect 29 No Line Insulation Test 30 Directory Assistance 31 Message Waiting Indicator – Visual 32 Message Waiting Indicator – Audible 33 Voicemail 34 Voicemail w/ Extended Storage (specify capacity in Section B of proposal) 35 Voicemail Enhanced ( auto attendant and voice mail trees) 36 Voicemail Information/Announcement Box 37 Voicemail Tree 1st Layer 38 Voicemail Tree – Subsequent Layers 39 Web Access to VM 40 Bundled long distance service

C.2.1.2 BUSINESS LINES WITH FEATURES (ALSO COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS 1FB OR FLAT RATE ANALOG BUSINESS LINES) a Minimum required Bundled Features:

1 Call Forward Busy, Ring No Answer, and Variable 2 Call Waiting 3 Caller ID 4 Three-way calling 5 Transfer 6 Audible/Visual Message Waiting Indicator (if line provisioned w/ voice mail) 7 Blocked caller to pay-per-call numbers (976, etc.)

b Optional Features for Analog Business Lines:

c Directory Listings d Additional Directory Listings e Extra Line of Directory Listing f Foreign Directory Listing g Call Forward Remote h Call Hunting i Call Restriction j Call Return k Call Waiting w/ Caller ID Display l FX Service – Basic m FX Service – Mileage n Multiple Appearance Directory Number o Vanity Number p Blocked caller to pay-per-call numbers (976, etc.)

q Blocking dialed carrier identification code r Malicious Call Trace s Calling Number Suppression ( does not pass CLID) t Operator Assistance Busy Line Verification u Operator Assistance Busy Line Verification w/ Interrupt v Six-way conference calling w Last Call Return x Directory Number Hunt y Customized Intercept and Recorded Announcement z No Double Connect aa No Line Insulation Test ab Directory Assistance ac Message Waiting Indicator – Visual ad Message Waiting Indicator – Audible ae Voicemail af Voicemail w/ Extended Storage (specify capacity in Section B of proposal) ag Voicemail Enhanced ( auto attendant and voice mail trees) ah Voicemail Information/Announcement Box ai Voicemail Tree 1st Layer aj Voicemail Tree – Subsequent Layers ak Web Access to VM (any) al Bundled long distance service

C.2.1.3 BUSINESS LINES NO FEATURES

The Contractor shall provide flat rate (unmeasured) business lines with Extended Area Access within the local dialing area.

C.2.2 ACCESS RESTRICTION

The service shall screen a minimum of 12 out-dialed digits and divert calls to intercept message(s), as required, for day-to-day operations at all locations. “Access Restriction” provides the end users with Centrex -like service (or a functional equivalent which is equal to or better), the capability to limit automatic call routing, and provide intercept messages.

C.2.3 OUTGOING AND INCOMING CALLING NUMBER IDENTIFICATION (ID)

Where commercially available outgoing calling number ID of all lines shall be furnished connecting switching facilities. That information shall be used for commercial toll calls, NETWORX inter-city network(s) usage, and public network accessed “Emergency 911” correlation applications. Where available incoming calling number ID (Caller ID) shall be furnished, on a per line basis, as required for telephone/terminal display. The line number shall be identical to the listed public telephone number. CLID shall be furnished on a line per line basis, or in the case of a non-DID or vanity number, outpulse a predetermined valid telephone number for 911 calls only. Where available, the Contractor shall provide Enhanced 911 service that delivers specific address, building, and floor to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) when 911 is called from that telephone number. Where available, provide automated call blocking of originating number/calling number suppression. Service providers shall provision services with a pseudo telephone number when identified to meet client security requirements.

C.2.4 VOICE MAIL

Where commercially available, Voice Mail shall be available on request. Voice mail services shall be capable to receive, edit, forward and store messages, provide private and shared mailboxes, automated or personalized recording and capability of remote retrieval through a toll free number and web access.

Where available, voice mail boxes of different storage capacities approximating the capabilities listed in Section B shall be provided. Where available, small auto attendant capabilities of up to 15 branches shall be provided.

When providing Centrex switch-based voice service, the Contractor shall support the capabilities necessary to fully integrate a Government-owned voice mail system into its system (e.g., Station Message Desk Interface [SMDI], Simplified Message Service Interface [SMSI]) to user notification of messages (such as visual indicator or audio equivalent) based on the type of station equipment installed.

C.2.5 INTEGRATED SERVICES DIGITAL NETWORK (ISDN)

Where commercially available, Basic Rate Interface (BRI) and Primary Rate Interface (PRI) Services, and multiples thereof, shall be provided.

C.2.6 MULTIPLE PROTOCOL LABEL SWITCHING (MPLS)

The Contractor shall provide a MPLS/IP-based VPN service delivering a secure, private IP VPN combining secure voice and data over a dedicated MPLS network.

C.2.7 NUMBERING PLAN

All service offerings, regardless of technology used, shall conform to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). Blocks of consecutive numbers must be available for reservation and use with services described in Section B such as CLINS 001H, 001I, and 001J or their functional equivalents. The blocks of numbers assigned will be utilized for Centrex, PBX, server or functionally equivalent services. These reserved numbers shall be priced in Schedule B – Pricing Scheduled.

The GSA Ordering official shall be able to request the telephone number for a specific request thirty (30) days in advance of any request. The GSA Ordering Official shall provide to the service provider the address of the location and the NPA/NXX for the specific location.

C.2.8 GRADE OF SERVICE

Access to and from local lines, other local exchanges, and Inter-exchange Carriers’ point of presence shall have a GOS of P.01 or better. (See C.12.1)

C.2.9 RECORDING OF TOLL CALLS:

Toll calls (any billable call) shall be recorded and forwarded monthly to the Government via magnetic or optical media or transmitted machine to machine utilizing File Transmission Protocol (FTP). The call record data format shall be in accordance with the magnetic tape call record format described in Section H of this solicitation regardless of the media.

C.2.10 TELECONFERENCING (IF PROVIDED TO COMMERCIAL USERS)

C.2.10.1 USER CONTROLLED

The system(s) shall be capable of providing simultaneous six (6) party user controllable teleconferences originated from the user station.

C.2.10.2 MEET ME

Where commercially available, a minimum thirty (30) party meet me conferencing bridge capability shall be provided. Additional bridge lines shall be provided when requested by the Government for future expansion.

C.2.11 Compatibility with Existing Customer Premise Equipment (CPE):

Current dial tone telephone service is provided via NT-DMS-100 and/or NT-DMS-10 switches. The majority of existing telephone sets deployed/utilized by the end user base are Nortel Meridian proprietary sets; i.e M5316, M5312, M5208, etc. Service platform proprietary voice CPE may be offered to Government voice system clients in lieu of their existing station equipment. It shall be the awarded Contractor's sole responsibility to cover all costs associated with the replacement of existing CPE to new contractor provided proprietary CPE, as applicable, following Award if the Contractor requires another CPE suite. The Contractor agrees any and all costs associated with new CPE shall be born solely by the Contractor without separate reimbursement from the established line charges in the Schedules.

C.2.12 HEARING AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED (HI/VI) TELEPHONE SERVICES (Section 508):

Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 794d), as amended, the contractor shall provide, upon request, HI and VI phones that meet the specifications listed in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Part 68.316 and the 1988 Telecom Act (PL 100542-Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act and PL 100394-Hearing Aid Compatibility Act). Telephones shall contain standard features and amplifier controls. Interchangeable handsets, equipped with amplifiers and volume controls, for the hearing impaired, shall be available, when required, to replace the handsets of HI telephone instruments. VI special or modified phones i.e., Braille button labels, faceplates, and vibrator/sensory ringer substitutes shall be offered.

C.2.13 CUSTOMER ADMINISTRATION TERMINAL SERVICE (CATS)

The Contractor will provide CATS, where available, for interfacing with Government provided terminals, to permit specific Government personnel to administer system(s) changes at no charge to the Government. These changes may include, but not be limited to, internal software configurations and software changes, reassignment of features, moves, changes, and other actions inherent to the agency without the need for hardware wiring. This service requirement is anticipated at larger user Centrex-like locations.

C.2.14 BROADBAND AND DATA SERVICE

Where commercially available, the Contractor shall provide high speed internet and ethernet access service. The required minimum data rates for broadband service are included in Section B. If additional high speed or broadband services are currently provided to commercial customers, the Contractor shall include the name of the service and offered price in Section B, Pricing Tables.

The Government recognizes that there may be locations unable to receive optimal internet / ethernet service due to contractor physical plant inadequacy. Therefore, the following procedures will apply:

1. The Contractor shall receive a Government solicitation to furnish the desired service location(s) for review.

2. The Contractor will conduct a site survey, if needed or requested.

3. Within five (5) working days after site survey, the Contractor shall make a determination of feasibility and furnish the Government transmission speed parameters for optimum and marginal service plus implementation interval(s).

C.2.15 ACCESS TO ENHANCED EMERGENCY SERVICES

Where commercially available, the Contractor’s solution shall specify the capability for interfacing Government-owned PBX networks with the local Public Safety Answer Point (PSAP) to provide ANI, Automatic Location Identification (ALI), and Selective Routing features necessary for all E911 calls. Offereors shall identify options, develop plans, implement service(s), and set-up and maintain E911 databases. E911 services shall conform to NENA and NENA II standards.

C.2.16 DIRECTORY LISTINGS

If requested, the GSA Regional Telecommunications Manager shall submit the Government's listings to the Contractor for publication in the telephone directory for the area, at the price stated in the Pricing Schedules. If the Contractor does not publish a telephone directory for the area, the Contractor shall submit the Government's listings to the local carrier for publication in the local telephone directory at the price stated in the Pricing schedules. Only one charge may be applied for each number in a local listing, whether published in either the contractor’s or other local carrier's directory, or both.

C.2.17 FOREIGN DIRECTORY LISTINGS

The Contractor may charge for each telephone number published in another directory for a different geographic area (e.g., a number listed for Anchorage office in the Juneau directory) using the CLIN in the Pricing Schedules.

C.3 NUMBER INVENTORY AND ADMINISTRATION

Inventory: The Contractor shall maintain an inventory of the NPA/NXXs and telephone numbers assigned through this Contract. The Contractor shall provide status information on the numbers, including those assigned, deleted, or modified on a semi-annual basis. The Contractor shall ensure that the numbers are available for use when requested.

Management system: The Contractor shall provide an inventory management system to keep track, on a location and customer organization-basis, the inventory of the lines, equipment, services, and features of the services provided under this contract. The Contractor shall provide inventory status information to GSA as part of the monthly invoice for recurring charges.

C.4. NUMBER PORTABILITY

Number Portability shall be provided in accordance with the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), state, and local rules and regulations. Number Portability shall permit the Government to change vendor(s) of local exchange service without changing phone numbers associated with a prior vendor exchange.

C.5 GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

C.5.1 AVAILABILITY OF SPACE

The GSA will provide space, in Government owned/leased buildings, to house circuit terminating equipment, such as CSU/DSU or terminating blocks. The Contractor shall clearly describe proposed terminating equipment, grounding requirements, power requirements and space requirements. All equipment installations shall be coordinated and approved, through the GSA/Government representative, prior to installation.

C.5.2 HISTORIC BUILDINGS

The Contractor shall coordinate with the COTR to obtain all necessary approvals prior to the installation of equipment or wiring in any building. Additional coordination with the GSA Region 10 Historic Preservation Officer shall also be required prior to installation of equipment or wiring in a historical building. This requirement applies to all buildings that are either on, or nominated for placement on, the National Historic Register.

In addition, all work performed in historical buildings shall conform to the requirements identified at: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104441.

C.6 CABLE & WIRE

The Contractor shall provide labor and materials to install sufficient cable, vertical and horizontal, to the Service Delivery Point (SDP) on each building floor containing government station line distribution based on the prices in Schedule B.

The Contractor will be responsible for all cable installations and shall ensure that all cable/wire systems installed under this contract continue to perform according to appropriate EIA/TIA standards. If requested, the Contractor will test new or existing cable and provide the resulting documentation to the Government.

C.6.1 HOUSE CABLE / WIRE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE

The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all cable/wire, terminals, blocks, installation hardware, and miscellaneous materials required to provision service to the points of demarcation as described in Section B. The Contractor is responsible for all cross connections required to accomplish the complete installation.

C.6.2 EXISTING GOVERNMENT HOUSE CABLE / WIRE

The Contractor shall reuse existing cable/wire wherever possible. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring the services supported by such reused cable/wire meets the standards described in C.12 for appropriate service.

The Government reserves the right to direct the use of existing cable and/or cable termination facilities (cable frames) or the installation of new cable. Any cross connects are included as part of the service installation charge (SIC) for any service.

C.6.2.1 MOVE/ADD/CHANGE

The Contractor shall de-install, relocate, and reinstall telephone jacks as well as perform miscellaneous wiring, when required by the Government. Prices shall be negotiated on a per task basis and include awarded labor rates and material charges applicable to the action.

C.6.3 DEMARCATION POINTS FOR SERVICE(S) DELIVERY VIA HOUSE CABLE / WIRING

The demarcation point for services (with the exception of proprietary CPE or orders specifying a different demarcation point) is the Network Interface Device (NID). Any other demarcation point for services will be included on the individual service order, whether at the proprietary CPE station jack, or other location as specified. Figure 1 below presents the different termination points normally required by the Government.

IDF*

Multiplexer

PBX

NID

Central Office Customer

SDP 5

SDP 4

SDP 1

SDP 3

SDP 2

SDP 6

Figure 1 Service Delivery Points

C.6.4 MAIN / INTERMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION FRAME(S) (MDF/IDF)

All terminated services shall be in accordance with the industry standard (EIA/TIA-568). Although the actual cross connect is included in the price for installations and changes, the costs of any additional hardware and/or cable will be negotiated on an as-needed basis for each task order as applicable.

C.7 IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

Plans required under this Contract are listed below along with required submission time frames. All references to "days" in this paragraph indicate calendar days unless otherwise stated.

C.7.1 TRANSITION PLAN:

The Contractor shall revise and update the draft Transition Plan as submitted with proposals, and submit the final Transition Plan to the CO, or designated representative, within fifteen (15) business days after Contract award. All project time lines and plans shall be submitted using a format compatible with GSA platforms. The CO, or designated representative, will review the Transition Plan and either provide comments or accept the plan within fifteen (15) days. NOTE: If required, the Contractor shall make any required changes within fifteen (15) days and re-submit for CO review.

The Contractor shall develop a milestone schedule that explains the proposed implementation of all service(s) by location within each borough. The plan(s) shall identify and sequence major activities necessary to deliver service(s). This plan may include station surveys, site preparations, installations, testing, cutovers, etc.

The plan shall include, as a minimum, the following information:

a Describe, in narrative form, the general approach in implementing the total project and system cutover(s).

b Update the Implementation Schedule every two (2) weeks and submit to the COTR for review and approval.

c Identify service delivery location(s).

d Describe the process in which required updates will be accomplished, including approval e Develop a detailed, specific milestone schedule for the site(s), inclusive of dates/durations by client/account for accomplishing transition in a timely and effective manner. As a minimum, include all Contract deliverables and other milestones as agreed upon between the Contractor and CO. The Implementation Schedule shall also include the following information:

· "As of" date of report

· Service location and address

· Number of lines at cutover

· Depict planned versus completed progress

· Identify any problem areas, work stoppages and delays, reasons, if any, and their duration, cause, and corrective action required to alleviate the problem.

C.7.2 OVERALL MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall revise and update the draft Overall Management Plan as submitted with proposals, and submit the final Overall Management Plan defining and describing the Contractor’s Management Support Concept to the CO, or designated representative, within thirty (30) calendar days after Contract award. The CO, or designated representative, will review and either provide comments or accept the plan within fifteen (15) calendar days. NOTE: If required, the Contractor shall make any required changes within fifteen (15) days and re-submit for CO review. The Contractor shall explain in detail the methodology and resources, including roles and qualifications of Key Personnel, that will be utilized to satisfy each of the management requirements as outlined.

C.7.3 QUALITY CONTROL PLAN

The Contractor shall revise and update the draft Quality Control Plan as submitted with proposals, and submit the final Quality Control Plan to the CO, within thirty (30) calendar days of Contract award. The plan shall define and describe methods and controls to be implemented that shall ensure compliance with the mandatory provisions of the Contract for the life of the Contract. The CO, or designated representative, will review the plan and either provide comments or accept the plan within fifteen (15) calendar days. NOTE: If required, the Contractor shall make any required changes within fifteen (15) days and re-submit for CO review. The plan shall include details relating to:

a Acceptable Service Level Agreements (SLA) defined as the maximum percent deficient or defectives service that can be considered satisfactory. The plan shall identify the factors to be measured and the methods to be utilized in data collection and analysis.

b Delivery schedules (See Section F) c Adherence to schedules and work functions as detailed in plans provided to and approved by the Government subsequent to contract award.

d Adherence to appropriate safety codes and procedures.

e Adherence to industry recognized levels of quality workmanship and craft practices.

C.8 FEDERAL EMERGENCY SUPPORT DURING DISASTERS

The Contractor shall support the National Security Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) Plan at locations where the technology exists to do so. When required, the Contractor shall provide prioritized service provisioning and restoration to station lines designated as “critical” by the Government. The Government representative or the Regional Emergency Communications Coordinator (RECC) will designate services “critical” on the order. Communications support shall be furnished under PL93288, NSDD97, NSDD145, and other applicable laws. Executive Order 12472 is also applicable to services provisioned.

C.9 SERVICE ORDERING PROCEDURE

Orders shall be performed in accordance with the delivery intervals specified in Section F. Normally, the Contractor’s Customer Service Representative (CSR) will be notified when a priority order has been sent or is in the process of being sent. The Contractor shall respond to the following order types:

a Routine Service Orders - shall be accepted during the Contractor’s normal operating hours.

b Priority Service Orders - shall be accepted during the Contractor’s normal operating hours. Priority orders shall be worked ahead of pending routine orders and will be identified as such by GSA at the time the order is issued.

c Emergency Service Orders – shall be accepted twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week. Service completion of emergency orders shall be in accordance with the delivery times contained in Section F.

C.10 MANAGEMENT SERVICES

The Contractor shall ensure that management services are provided at all levels necessary to comply with the Statement of Work. Management services shall include but not limited to service utilization support and technical assistance, service changes and upgrades, provisioning actions, maintenance of required line grade of services, numbering plan management, upgrades, provisioning of features, provisioning of required grade of service; access levels; diagnostic analysis; database and software management, interoperability, North American Numbering Plan (NANP) upgrades and changes, maintenance, quality assurance, and system control.

C.10.1 TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE

The Contractor shall provide service utilization support and technical assistance to the customer recipients of services provided by this Contract. Response times are listed in Section F.

a The Contractor shall identify Hierarchy of individuals: names, titles, work and 24-hour emergency telephone numbers, facsimiles, and e-mails, within the contractor(s) organization responsible for management of all, or some, aspects of this Contract;

b The Contractor shall provide dedicated Customer Service Representatives (CSR) to provide technical assistance with agency requirements, discuss service improvements, development of station plans, feature assignments and service order planning through the life of the contract. The Contractor shall provide a National Toll Free number to call with inquires. The CSR shall be available during the core hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Alaska Time. The Government shall incur no additional charge(s) for this service.

C.10.2 SYSTEM CHANGES

The Contractor shall make all necessary adjustments, changes, additions, and deletions to assure the availability, continuity, and quality of telecommunications services to all customers through the life of this Contract. The Contractor shall formally request an approval for all recommended changes a minimum of twenty (20) working days prior to proposed implementation of the change.

Service Upgrades/Improvements – The Contractor shall collect and evaluate service(s) data, plan and implement approval service(s) upgrades, and establish the criteria, parameters, processes, and procedures required to provide quality services. System upgrades the Contractor chooses to implement, such as those recommended by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), will be at no cost to the Government.

Changes Recommended by the Contractor – The Contractor may propose system changes to maintain or enhance service at any time. When a change recommended by the Contractor doesn’t require additional funding, the Contractor shall submit a technical description to the COTR for review. The Contractor shall proceed with the change only after receiving approval from the COTR with concurrence by the CO.

When a change recommended by the Contractor increases the costs and requires additional funding, the Contractor shall submit a proposal for changes directly to the CO with copy to the COTR. The proposal shall include both a technical description of the proposed change and an economic justification with cost/benefit analysis and estimated costs associated with the change. The Contractor shall proceed with the proposed changes only after receiving written approval from CO.

Coordination with Associated Telecommunications Services – The Contractor shall coordinate the provision of services and maintenance with other Government contractors, including the designated Networx carriers, as well as follow on contracts, and other tariff and non-tariff service providers at no additional cost. The Contractor shall be required to work with other Government contractors to ensure continuity and compatibility of services(s), the resolution of trouble reports, timely and appropriate coordination of non-Contractor provided equipment and/or services. In situations where circuits originate and terminate in the facilities of two different contractors the contractor who receives the initial trouble report from GSA shall be responsible for coordinating the repair of the service with the contractor providing the other end of the circuit.

C.10.3 TROUBLE HANDLING

The Contractor shall revise and update the draft Maintenance Plan as submitted with proposals, and submit the final Maintenance Plan to the CO, or designated representative, within fifteen (15) business days after Contract award. All project time lines and plans shall be submitted using format compatible with GSA platforms. The CO, or designated representative, will review the Management Plan and either provide comments or accept the plan within fifteen (15) days. NOTE: If required, the Contractor shall make any required changes within fifteen (15) days and re-submit for CO review.

The Contractor shall provide a corrective maintenance plan describing the trouble handling procedures that include, but are not limited to, the following functions:

a Centralized trouble reporting.

b Determining the cause of and correcting troubles.

c Working cooperatively with other contractors and Government representatives to resolve problems.

d Maintaining audit trails of trouble resolution activities.

e Responding to customer organization’s inquiries on trouble resolution status.

f Providing trouble escalation for normal and emergency events.

g Monitoring trouble report management and escalation procedures.

h Providing trouble report and performance information to customer organizations.

i In addition, the contractor shall provide the list of trouble handling points of contacts, including names and phone number for the contract award.

C.10.3.1 TROUBLE REPORTING

The Contractor shall provide a single point of contact for trouble handling. GSA shall be able to submit trouble reports to the point of contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Contractor shall be able to receive trouble reports by toll-free telephone, electronic mail, or facsimile. The point of contact shall be responsible for coordinating trouble isolation and repair efforts within the Contractor’s organization, between other service providers who may be involved in resolving the problem, and the individual reporting the trouble. The point of contact shall be responsible for escalating all troubles not resolved in the required time frames. The point of contact shall stay actively involved with the trouble resolution process from start to completion, including the use of cooperative, end-to-end testing to be used when troubles remain unresolved or become chronic. The Contractor shall resolve trouble reports on a routine and emergency basis. The trouble report shall specify whether emergency or routine handling is required.

Audit trails of trouble resolution activities shall be maintained for the duration of the Contract.

C.10.3.2 ESCALATION PROCEDURES

For routine trouble reports, the maximum allowable time to restore service shall be 24 consecutive hours, after notification, or the next business day unless a longer clearing time is mutually agreed upon by both the Contractor and GSA.

C.10.3.4 EMERGENCY SERVICE RESTORATION

For emergency trouble reports the maximum allowable time to restore service shall be four (4) consecutive hours, after notification, unless a longer clearing time is mutually agreed upon by both the Contractor and GSA. The Contractor shall provide emergency restoration at occurrence of any of the following:

a Catastrophic failure of single and/or multiple switching system(s).

b Catastrophic failure of single and/or multiple transmission facilities.

c Switching locations isolated due to equipment and/or facilities failures.

d Loss of system access to Networx or bundled long distance carrier.

e Loss of system access to the Local Exchange Network.

f Disruption of service to users and/or circuits designated as critical by GSA. Critical users and circuits will be identified in service orders or service order changes.

g Any situation under which service to a system, or 20 percent of station lines at a single location is disrupted for more than four hours including disruption caused by fire, flood, explosion, civil disturbance, work stoppage (strike) or other labor disputes, and backup power failure.

The Contractor shall monitor the system(s) to identify outages requiring emergency restoration and commence appropriate remedial action prior to the actual submission of a trouble report.

The Contractor shall notify the COTR immediately when any emergency restoration action is implemented. The Contractor shall provide status of trouble resolution to the COTR every hour afterward until the trouble is resolved, or otherwise specified by the COTR.

C.10.3.5 PRIORITY SERVICE RESTORATION

When outages occur, the Contractor shall provide prioritized service restoration to station lines designated as critical by Government. The identity and location of critical station lines shall vary over the life of the contract and will be provided to the Contractor by the COTR. The Contractor will only accept priority service restoration requests from the COTR or Contracting Officer. Priorities will be identified on initial task orders. Changes will be requested by the COTR in writing.

C.10.4 MAINTENANCE CHARGES

The Government is not responsible for the expense to the Contractor of maintaining the services delivered under this Contract. In addition to the services herein identified within this SOW, the Contractor may also be required to provide additional services to identify failure caused by facilities and equipment for which the Contractor is not responsible to maintain. The Contractor shall respond to trouble calls requiring investigation of apparent issues with service; investigation shall be performed by the Contractor to determine if the cause of the reported issue is the result of a Contractor-placed piece of equipment or if caused by equipment owned/operated by another entity (i.e. a local exchange carrier or faulty CPE). In the event the issue is determined to be caused by Contractor owned/operated equipment, the Contractor shall take immediate action to correct the problem at no additional charge to the Government. If, however, the issue is determined to be caused by equipment owned/operated by an entity other than the Contractor, the Contractor shall not be responsible for charges associated with repair of that equipment, except that the Contractor shall ensure reasonable cooperation and participation in problem resolution with the responsible entity in so much as the Contractor’s assistance is required for full system function resolution (i.e. testing with Contractor equipment, etc.). The Contractor is hereby advised that any additional costs associated with maintenance services on other than Contractor owned/operated equipment (i.e. actual repair of equipment itself) shall not be incurred unless and until authorized in writing as a result of a modification issued by the CO.

Only upon receiving authorization from the CO, the Contractor shall proceed with performance of the authorized services and invoice for those services once work has been completed. The invoice shall reflect the charge(s) as a separate item identifying the end user and modification which authorized the work. If a site visit was necessary and the trouble was not found to be the Contractor’s responsibility, the Contractor may be authorized to invoice for hours expended and travel costs may be charged using the Pricing Schedules.

C.11 AVAILABILITY OF EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE

The Contractor shall provide appropriate equipment and software necessary to meet the requirements of this Contract at no cost to the Government. Such equipment and software shall have been successfully tested or demonstrated in the commercial or Government marketplace to meet the intended usage requirement(s).

C.12 CONFORMITY TO STANDARDS

See below for identification of applicable industry standards which shall be adhered to during performance of this Contract. Industry standards in effect at the time of Contract award shall apply for the duration of the Contract unless otherwise indicated by the Government. Considering the evolving nature of standards in the telecommunications industry, and the potential for multiple option year periods to be exercised under this Contract, the Government reserves the right to incorporate revisions to any standard throughout the duration of the Contract if the Government so determines a newer standard is required for performance under this Contract. Incorporation of any such revisions shall be accomplished through modification to the Contract issued by the CO. Any equitable adjustment associated with such a change shall be handled in accordance with the requirements set forth in FAR 52.243-1, Alt. II.

Service provided to the Government shall be in conformance with the same standards as the Contractor’s commercial offering at no additional cost. However, if the Government requires conformance to a new standard earlier than the Contractor’s commercial development plan, then the change shall be negotiated on an individual case basis.

When multiple industry standards are cited, the order of precedence shall be as follows unless otherwise specified:

a Industry forums (Frame Relay Forum, NTUE, ATMF, EIA/TIA) b American National Standards Institute (ANSI) c Telcordia Technologies (formerly known as Bellcore) d International Telecom Union-Telecommunications Service Sector (ITU-ITSS)

The Government reserves the right to waive the standards for any service on a case by case basis.

C.12.1 LOCAL VOICE SERVICE (LVS)

The performance standards for Local Voice Service (LVS) shall meet the following parameters:

a Transmission Performance:

1 All analog transmission parameters shall satisfy the values and ranges set forth in Section 7, Transmission, BOC Notes on the LEC Networks (Standard: ANSI EIA/TIA-464 for PBX trunk service and Bellcore Pub SR-2275 for other services).

2 All digital transmission parameters shall satisfy the values and ranges set forth in the High-Capacity Digital Special Access Service - Transmission Parameter Limits and Interface Combinations (Standard: Bellcore Pub TR-TSY-000754 or Bellcore Pub GR-342-CORE).

b Grade of Service (GOS):

1 Terminating calls: P.01 (Erlang-B) 2 Originating calls: P.01 after dial tone (Erlang-B) 3 Transport: P.01 4 Dial tone delay: Less than 1 percent for delay greater than 3 seconds

C.12.2 DATA SERVICES

The Circuit Switched Data Service (CSDS) performance parameters shall meet the following:

a Transmission Performance: All digital transmission parameters shall satisfy the values and ranges set forth in the High-Capacity Digital Special Access Service - Transmission Parameter Limits and Interface Combinations (Standard: Bellcore Pub GR-342-CORE) and ANSI T1.510.

b GOS (end-to-end): Shall be better than 1 percent (i.e., < P.01)

C.12.3 DEDICATED TRANSMISSION SERVICE

The Dedicated Transmission Service (DTS) performance parameters for originating or terminating connection shall meet the following:

Transmission Performance:

1 All analog transmission parameters shall satisfy the values and ranges set forth in Sections 7.4 and 7.5, Transmission, BOC Notes on the LEC Networks (Bellcore Pub SR-2275).

2 All digital transmission parameters shall satisfy the standards set forth in the High-Capacity Digital Special Access Service - Transmission Parameter Limits and Interface Combinations (Standard: Bellcore Pub GR-342-CORE); and additionally, ANSI T1.503/510 for T1.

C.13 TERMINATION CHARGES

The Government shall not pay any charges or fees for disconnects of features, lines or service. In accordance with the Information Technology Management Reform Act, signed into law February 10, 1996, the Government may now cancel all or any part of the services during the term of this Contract without any monetary charges.

C.14 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide both recurring and periodic reports as requested by the Government.

See also Section G – Contract Administration Data for additional reporting requirements and information.

C.14.1 PERIODIC ON-REQUEST REPORTS

Periodic On-Request Reports (i.e. Traffic Report, Call Detail Record (CDR) Report, etc.) as indicated in Section G.4.2 may be requested at any time.

C.14.2 RECURRING REPORTS

Recurring reports may have a reporting interval of monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual and are included in basic service delivery. In addition to the reports identified in Section G, the following recurring report shall also be provided at no additional cost to the Government.

a. Service Order Status Summary – The Contractor shall provide the Service Order Status Summary on Tuesday of each week for active service orders and service orders completed since the last report. The report will be provided to each COTR for the area of their responsibility. A report is not required if there are no open orders and all completions were noted in a previous order.

b. Report of Activity -The Contractor shall maintain a log of all orders and provide monthly reports, due to GSA on the 10th calendar day of the month. This report shall detail order and maintenance activity under this contract. This report shall be in two parts.

(1) The first part will list the total number of orders completed during the month, the number and percentage of orders completed within the delivery intervals described in Section F-3 and the number and percentage of orders completed later than the delivery intervals described in Section F-3.

(2) The second part will list the total number of trouble calls handled during the month, the number and percentage of troubles cleared within the delivery intervals described in Section F-3 and the number and percentage of troubles cleared later than the delivery intervals described in Section F-3 broken down by priority and routine repairs.

C.14.3 FUTURE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall, at the request of the Government, provide special reports on a case-by-case basis. The Government may also discontinue or modify reports, to reflect evolving contract-related issues. Incorporation of any such revisions shall be accomplished through formal modification to the Contract issued by the CO. Any equitable adjustment associated with such a change shall be handled in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Changes Clause.

C.15 WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE

It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to coordinate all necessary maintenance and repair activities with other service providers. The COTR shall be notified immediately if problems arise that cannot be resolved by the Contractor. The Contractor shall keep equipment rooms, wire closets, and all other areas assigned to the Contractor in a clean and orderly state at all times. The Contractor shall provide all labor, tools, parts, and any additional test equipment not furnished as part of this Contract and required to maintain the system's equipment, circuitry, and software. If it becomes necessary for the Contractor to ship an item of equipment to a factory or shop for repairs, through no fault of the Government, all expenses connected with such shipment and repair shall be paid by the Contractor.

C.16 PHYSICAL SECURITY AND WORK AREA MANAGEMENT

The Contractor shall follow security procedures established by Government in conjunction with building management to prevent unauthorized access to the building telecommunications facilities (e.g., telephone closet). These security measures shall include, but are not limited to, procedures for signing in and out, escort procedures, and inspection routines. When multiple contractors share the telecommunications facility, the Contractor shall work with the Government in coordination with other contractors and the building management to agree on procedures that ensure the security of the facility, while allowing access to the facility by multiple parties.

The Contractor shall maintain equipment rooms, wire closets, and all other work areas at Government locations in a clean, orderly, and neat state. The Contractor’s responsibility shall be limited to cleaning up disorder and trash created by its personnel only. The Contractor shall provide all labor, tools, parts, and software, and any additional test equipment required to maintain continuity of service to the Government. For wiring/telephone closets, the Contractor shall clearly label the wires and circuits used to provide LSA services to permit the Government to identify and trace the physical installation of a particular line or group of lines. The Contractor shall ensure that these labels are readable and up-to-date at all times.

Technicians may be required to pass a background investigation in order to work in controlled areas at no additional cost to the Government. See additional security requirements below.

C.17 SECURITY AND PRIVACY

See Section H – Special Contract Requirements for information pertaining security requirements.

C.18 PRIVACY ACT REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall ensure compliance with the Privacy Act (5 USC 552.a), wherein unauthorized access to any calling records or other system configuration and usage data is prohibited. The Government will permit and authorize Government personnel, who have the required security clearances and need to know, access to these records.

C.19 TECHNOLOGICAL REFRESHMENT SUBSTITUTIONS

During the course of this Contract, the Contractor shall propose for GSA’s…