SectionC.docx

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

C.1. SCOPE:

The General Services Administration, Region 4, Federal Acquisition Service, Network Services, requires continuity of Local Telecommunications, Local Access, and Data Transmission services for all existing locations under contract (see Section J.5 for a list of incumbent contracts). Region 4 covers and supports Federal Agencies in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

The Government contemplates multiple awards to be established as Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), Fixed Price, type of contracts with an agency-prescribed economic price adjustment clause. The contract period shall be a base period of four (4) years with two (2) three (3) year options to extend the term of the contract(s). The Government contemplates awarding to eligible and/or responsible sources in accordance with FAR Subpart 9.103, offering technically acceptable solutions, acceptable past performance, and fair and reasonable prices.

IDIQ contracts will contain Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) that are itemized per Local Access and Transport Areas (LATAs) with service categories and nominal service descriptions (See Section B.6., solicitation CLINS for each LATA and service category). A LATA is a local geographical area in the United States within which a local telephone company may offer telecommunications services. A CLIN represents a service category, a LATA, and a nominal description.

Offerors are encouraged to propose as many CLINs as possible and have the capability of providing the required services within the CLIN(s) chosen (proposed). As information only, Section J, Attachment J.6, depicts the predominant geographical areas that fall into the Southeast Sunbelt Region (Region 4) LATA boundaries and apply to this solicitation.

Local voice, data, and video service requirements will be competed and fulfilled under the North American Industry Classification System code (NAICS) 517110. Offerors shall be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) under NAICS 517110.

Minimum requirements – the minimum requirements outlined below represent separate or integrated services as offered or provided to current GSA customers in different areas, but not in all areas, of each LATA. Offerors are requested to provide separate technical solutions and pricing for each minimum requirement that the Offeror is capable of offering (Offeror’s choice) at time of initial proposal for Government evaluation and acceptance. As a minimum, Offeror must be able to provide at least one (1) of the minimum requirements outlined in Categories 1 and/or 2 in some area of any given LATA being the choice of the Offeror. Proposed solutions for Category 3 for converged services (any combination of technologies from Categories 1 and 2) are Offeror's choice. Proposed solutions for Category 4 are Offeror's choice, must be within NAICS Code 5177110, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of this solicitation, only. There are not any minimum requirements for Categories 3 and 4. Pricing for all solutions must be submitted in accordance with Section B.3 of this solicitation. The minimum requirements are outlined as follows:

Description

Minimum Requirements

0001 THRU 0040

Voice Services

0041 THRU 0080

Data Services

0081 THRU 0120

Converged Services

Combination of Categories 1 and 2 above.

0121 THRU 0160

Other Wired Telecommunications Services Technical proposals are Offeror’s choice within NAICS Code 517110 and in accordance with the terms and conditions of this solicitation.

Note: Section J, Attachment J.1, Common System Line Features and Requirements, and all service requirements, as dictated by the needs of the Government, may be expanded or reduced over the period of the contract. This attachment represents voice features currently in use by the Government. Offerors shall provide the same and/or alternative features for use with voice services based upon offeror plant capabilities.

Telecommunications services shall include digital information transport and processing for connection of voice, video, and data terminals to the Public Switched Network (PSN), Internet Protocol World Wide Web (IPWWW), Local/Wide Area Networks (LAN/WANs), and Point-to-Point connectivity. Offerors shall provide state-of-the-art digital and/or analog telecommunications, data, and video services with capacity and capability for the Federal Government’s requirements within Region 4. Offerors shall design, plan, implement, provide and maintain 100% of the services described in this solicitation.

The following matrix depicts Section C parts and subparts that shall apply to each service category when submitting offers in response to this solicitation:

Category 4

C.9

Fair opportunity – the fair opportunity process will be implemented to allow contract awardees fair consideration for orders issued against the contracts in accordance with Section G.5 of this solicitation/contract. Contract awardees must have awarded solutions within the CLIN(s) chosen in order to be provided fair opportunity within the CLIN(s). A fair opportunity contractor matrix will be developed by the Government at contract award(s) to depict the fair opportunity competitors under each service category. What follows below is an illustration (example) of how the fair opportunity matrix may look (this example utilizes a limited sample of CLINs for the voice and data service categories as depicted in Section B.6 of this solicitation):

Description

The Government reserves the right to take exception to the fair opportunity process in accordance with Section G.6 of this solicitation/contract. Note: Based upon historical workload and projected needs for continuity of service, some Government initial orders pursuant to the fair opportunity process are expected to be large service transitions and may be comprehensive in geographic scope within a CLIN.

C.2. SERVICE(s) PROVISION PLATFORMS:

The platforms offered (switches, servers, routers, etc.) for service(s) delivery shall be such as to obviate the need for the Government to purchase common service customer premise equipment and shall utilize advanced technology, provide modular and expandable service(s); continuously available high reliability uninterrupted service(s) 24 hours a day/365 days a year.

Offeror shall specify location, speeds, and payload capacities afforded by the contractor plant capabilities. All transmission characteristics, such as latency and capacity shall be described in the Offeror’s proposal. All system characteristics including features, reporting, capabilities to include functionally and benefit to the Government shall be described in the Offeror’s proposal. The following minimum features, functions, and capabilities shall be furnished in the provision of service(s):

C.2.1. SERVICE DESIGN:

The service(s) shall be supplied via technology that has innate self-healing ability and circuit redundancy/diversity to assure service delivery reliability.

C.2.1.1. GRADE OF SERVICE (GOS):

All voice services shall be delivered at P.01 GOS. The user has a one percent (1%) chance of reaching a busy signal. All data services shall be delivered at 99.999 % reliability.

C.2.2. SERVICE DELIVERY EQUIPMENT:

The service delivery equipment configuration and design shall be to provide uninterrupted service(s) capability to the terminal user regardless of intervening connecting carrier transmission or signal processing failure(s).

C.2.3. ACCESS RESTRICTION:

Voice service line processors shall examine a minimum of twelve (12) consecutive out-dialed digits and divert calls to intercept message(s), as required, for day-to-day operations at all locations.

C.2.4. OUTGOING AND INCOMING NUMBER IDENTIFICATION (NIOD):

Outgoing calling number ID of all lines shall be furnished connecting switching facilities. That information shall be used for commercial toll calls, Federal Telecommunication System (FTS) intercity network(s) usage, and public network accessed “Emergency 911” correlation applications. Incoming calling number ID (“Caller ID”) shall be furnished, as required on a per line basis, for telephone/terminal display. Automatic Number Identification (ANI) must be passed on all calls.

C.2.4.1 ENHANCED 911 SERVICES (E911): Offeror’s solution shall specify the capability for interfacing Government-owned PBX networks with the local Public Safety Answer Point (PSAP) to provide ANI and Automatic Location Identification (ALI) necessary for all E911 calls. Offerors shall identify options, develop plans, implement service(s), and set-up and maintain E911 databases.

C.2.5. VOICE MAIL:

C.2.5.1. Voice Mail shall be provided for switched voice line service and shall be furnished at a minimum P.01 Grade of Service (GOS) to all subscribers. Service will include announcement only or announcement and message storage.

C.2.5.2. Capability of up to five (5) minutes for announcement and message storage capability up to thirty (30) messages [up to three (3) minutes per message] and transfer Mailbox (ability to have voice mail on last number on hunt group and all other numbers in the hunt group will transfer to the mailbox).

C.2.6. INTEGRATED SERVICES DIGITAL NETWORK (ISDN):

North American Architecture Basic and Primary Rate ISDN system interfaces (BRI and PRI) shall be offered for PSN access termination.

C.2.6.1. Basic Rate system interfaces shall be provided (Voice and/or Data).

C.2.6.2. Primary Rate system interfaces shall be provided (Voice and/or Data).

C.2.7. NUMBERING PLAN:

The service offering shall conform to North American standards and accommodate, as required, the FTS dialing plan for “on” and “off net” operation.

C.2.7.1 NUMBERING PLAN AREA (NPA)/EXCHANGE CODE (NXX):

The Offeror’s solution shall specify the capability of providing NPA/NXX penetration within the proposed CLIN(s).

C.2.8. GROWTH, AND GRADE OF SERVICE (GOS):

a. Annual estimated line growth: Analog = 0.0% Digital = 0.0%.

b. Voice access to and from local lines, other local exchanges, and Intra/Inter-State Carriers GOS shall be P.01 or better.

C.2.9. COMMON SYSTEM LINE FEATURES AND REQUIREMENTS:

Offerors shall provide the same and/or alternative features listed in Attachment J.1 of this solicitation for use with voice services based upon offeror plant capabilities.

C.2.10. 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 Attachment J.2 of this solicitation regardless of the media.

C.2.11. SERVICE PLATFORM VOICE TELECONFERENCING SERVICES:

C.2.11.1. User Controlled - The Offeror shall provide three (3) party conferencing as a standard line feature and six (6) party conferencing as an optional feature available to users via class mark.

C.2.11.2. Meet Me – The Offeror shall provide a thirty (30) party meet me conferencing bridge capability per 1000 lines or one thirty (30) party conferencing capability per service platform of less than 1000 lines.

C.2.12. COMPATIBILITY WITH CUSTOMER PREMISE EQUIPMENT (CPE):

The Offeror shall furnish services compatible with all voice CPE currently in place. Existing voice CPE is NT DMS-100 “P”, ISDN, and tone/loop dial pulse signaling analog phones. Service platform proprietary voice CPE may be offered Government voice system clients in lieu of their existing station equipment.