NCTAMS LANT N0018926RL014 QA PART 1.pdf

NCTAMS LANT

N0018926RL014

Questions and Answers

Q1: Does the phrase integrated voice services mean voice services are to integrate with other Unified

Communications as a Service (UCaaS) services such as meetings, webinars, and contact centers and facility customer relationship data bases and order tracking systems?

A1: The term "integrated voice services" refers to a complete, end-to-end, self-contained voice solution as detailed in the PWS. While the solution must interoperate with specific systems identified in the PWS, such as VTCs and emergency networks, the scope of this requirement does not include integration with broader UCaaS platforms, customer relationship management (CRM) databases, or order tracking systems.

Q2: Do the words Central Office based, dial tone facilities include one or more contractor facilities providing voice services?

A2: Yes. This phrasing is intended to describe a solution provided and managed from the contractor's own facilities, as opposed to a system managed on-premise by the government. The PWS clarifies that the solution will operate on an "independent vendor owned/maintained distribution network."

Q3: Please supply addresses of each location including Facility Name, Building Number, Street Address, Floor

Number, Suite Number, City, State, ZIP + 4, i.e. NAVSTA Norfolk, 1968 Gilbert Stuite, Suite 600, Norfolk, VA

23511-3392.

A3: Due to the scale of this requirement, which encompasses approximately 20,000 endpoints across multiple installations, it is not feasible to provide building and room-level details for each endpoint prior to award. Offerors should base their proposals on the locations and endpoint counts specified in the PWS. Detailed site information necessary for implementation will be provided to the successful contractor(s) upon award.

Q4: Because this is a requirement for VoIP, please supply for all locations what Internet connections are available such as commercial Internet and NIPRNET and include name of ISP or carrier.

A4: Per the PWS, the solution is required to operate on an independent, vendor-owned and maintained distribution network. The vendor is responsible for providing the necessary connectivity for their solution. The Government will not provide access to NIPRNET or other government networks for this purpose.

Q5: i. Call Forward Variable. What is the definition?

A5: "Call Forward Variable" (also known as Call Forwarding-All Calls) is the standard telephony feature that allows a user to manually forward all incoming calls to a different, user-designated phone number.

Q6: In reference to PWS Sections 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6, and 3.1.7, is the omission of Direct Inward Dialing and

Direct Outward Dialing intentional?

A6: The omission was not intentional. Direct Inward Dialing (DID) and Direct Outward Dialing (DOD) are fundamental requirements for telephone service at all locations. An updated PWS will be provided to reflect.

Q7: What is the current Information Systems Platform (ISP) infrastructure at each location?

A7: To clarify the terminology, the Government refers to ISP as Inside Plant cabling infrastructure, not Information

Systems Platform. The contractor is required to utilize the existing Inside Plant (ISP) cabling (e.g., copper, fiber, Cat

5/6) where available and suitable for their solution. Due to the scale of this requirement across approximately 20,000 endpoints, detailed building-level Inside Plant cable records cannot be provided prior to award. The successful offeror will be responsible for assessing and utilizing the existing ISP during the site survey and implementation phases.

Q8: What are the end-user instruments at each location?

A8: A detailed list of end-user instruments will not be provided because each individual command purchases their own devices (i.e. customer premise equipment). Consequently, there is a wide variety of equipment in use across the installations. As stated in the PWS, the contractor's proposed solution must be able to support a variety of standard endpoint types, including digital and IP phones, VTC systems, STE, and VoSIP devices based on common industry standards.

Q9: Since PWS 3.0 states “NCTAMS LANT requires a comprehensive contract for the complete replacement of existing Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM) commercial telephony services.”, will Navy provide replacements for

TDM and proprietary end-user instruments or use PC and mobile clients provided by Contractor?

A9: The Government will not centrally provide replacement instruments, as each command purchases and maintains their own devices. The contractor's solution must support the continued use of existing command-owned endpoints as described in the PWS. The use of PC or mobile clients may be proposed as part of an offeror's solution, but the core requirement is to support the existing physical endpoints purchased by the commands.

Q10: Is it acceptable to use available Ethernet Internet connection or NIPRNET supplied by Navy’s ISP or carrier?

A10: No. Please see the answer to question 4. The solution must operate on a vendor-owned and maintained network.

Q11: Please define ACD and UCD.

A11: ACD (Automatic Call Distribution): A system that automatically receives, queues, and distributes a high volume of incoming calls to a specific group of terminals or agents based on pre-set rules (e.g., next available agent, skills-based routing).

UCD (Uniform Call Distribution): A system that distributes incoming calls to a group of users, typically in a fixed sequential order or simultaneously, to find the next available person to answer. It is a simpler form of call distribution than ACD.

Q12: Please supply a list of all end-user instruments and equipment desired for continued use. Please include type of device, manufacturer, model, end of life status, end of support status, network connection type (SIP, analog, digital, proprietary, or TDM), and number of each item at each location.

A12: As noted in the response to Question 8, this level of detail cannot be provided because each command purchases their own devices, leading to a highly varied hardware landscape. See Q8.

Q13: Can you confirm that the replacement for VOIP will not negatively impact RSM?

A13: The management, execution, and impact on existing Regional Switch Maintenance (RSM) contracts are outside the scope of this solicitation. Offerors are to propose a solution and transition plan solely for the requirements defined within the provided PWS.

Q14: If it will, what changes are needed for RSM?

A14: N/A.

Q15: Is temporary interoperability between legacy TDM systems and the new VoIP platform required during transition?

A15: Yes. Given the scale of approximately 20,000 endpoints across multiple installations, an instantaneous flash-cut is not feasible. The contractor must ensure continuous service during the transition phase, which will require temporary interoperability and routing between the new platform and the legacy TDM environment until the migration is fully complete.

Q16: Are mission-critical functions such as crash nets, secure voice paths, DSN interfaces, STE/VoSIP, E911, and command communications required to remain fully operational across both environments during migration?

A16: Yes. Life-safety and mission-critical functions, including E911/NG911, crash nets, secure voice (STE/VoSIP), and DSN access, must remain fully operational at all times. Any necessary downtime required for individual circuit or endpoint cutovers must be strictly minimized, scheduled, coordinated, and approved by the Government in advance.

Q17: Has the Government validated any preferred interoperability models or architectural approaches?

A17: No. This is a performance-based requirement. The Government has not mandated a specific architectural model. Offerors are encouraged to propose their best architectural approach that meets the performance, survivability, security, and interoperability requirements defined in the PWS.

Q18: What timeline is expected for interoperability testing, validation, and phased cutover?

A18: The offeror shall propose a comprehensive transition timeline and phased cutover schedule as part of their proposal/implementation plan. The timeline should be designed to minimize disruption to base operations. A final schedule will be mutually agreed upon by the vendor and government.

Q19: If temporary feature limitations exist during transition, what operational boundaries are considered acceptable?

A19: Core voice connectivity, E911/NG911 routing, and mission-critical circuits (e.g., crash nets, STE) cannot experience feature limitations or degradation. Temporary limitations on non-critical administrative features during the transition phase may be evaluated by the Government on a case-by-case basis, provided they are clearly identified and mitigated in the offeror's transition plan.

Q20: If interoperability requires incumbent OEM/vendor support (licensing, gateways, software upgrades, temporary interconnections, or engineering support), please clarify whether these costs are expected to be included in contractor pricing or provided as Government-furnished support.

A20: All costs required to provide a complete, functioning solution: including any temporary gateways, licensing, or interconnections required during the transition from the legacy environment; must be included in the offeror's pricing.

Q21: Are there known incumbent vendor constraints or third-party dependencies offerors should consider?

A21: The government is not aware of any constraints.

Q22: Can the Government confirm whether a centralized on-premises VoIP architecture hosted within Government-designated facilities is acceptable in lieu of a fully cloud-hosted solution, provided all performance, survivability, E911, and security requirements are met?

A22: No. As clarified in the PWS, the solution must operate on an independent, vendor-owned and maintained distribution network.

Q23: If so, will the Government provide rack space, power, environmental controls, and physical access for core call control infrastructure?

A23: Any proposed use of Government assets must be identified during the post-award site survey and a determination of use will be provided by the Government.

Q24: Please clarify the contractor responsibility boundary beyond the Government demarcation point. Specifically, is the contractor responsible for inside plant wiring, gateway cross-connects, MDF/IDF work, and endpoint cabling, or will the Government provide and maintain existing LAN readiness, PoE capability, and internal wiring infrastructure?

A24: The vendor is not responsible for inside plant wiring (ISP). The vendor is responsible to deliver VoIP services to each building and affect connection to the existing ISP.

Q25: Please clarify responsibility for decommissioning and final disposition of legacy infrastructure, including PBX systems, gateways, copper cabling, T1 infrastructure, MDF cleanup, desk phones, and associated disposal or environmental compliance requirements. Should these costs be included in contractor pricing, and does removed equipment remain Government property?

A25: The vendor is not responsible for the physical removal, disposal, or environmental compliance associated with

Government-owned legacy PBX core systems, desk phones, or widespread cable abatement. The contractor shall coordinate with the Government for the orderly disconnection of legacy services as they are replaced. Any existing

Government-owned equipment disconnected during the transition will remain Government property and will be dispositioned by the Government.

Q26: It appears NAVSUP has sole sourced a contract with BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC dba AT&T with a base period commencing 01 June 2026 to replace POTS and Centrex with an IP based solution such as AT&T

Business Voice at NAS Key West and JIATF South. This implies that the scope of work at NAS Key West and JIATF

South may be changed. It is also possible that NAVSUP will do the same at the other 6 sites?

A26: That is a misunderstanding of the purpose of that contract. That sole-source contract is an interim bridge solution to temporarily maintain legacy services at that location while this current requirement is being competed; it is not a contract to replace legacy systems with AT&T Business Voice. The scope of work for this contract is as stated in the PWS, see answers to Q27-28 below.

Q27: Is the requirement to replace: AT&T POTS/Centrex service at NAS Key West and JIATF South or AT&T IP based AT&T Business Voice or similar solution at Key West and JIATF South?

A27: As stated in Section 1.0 of the PWS, the requirement is for the "complete replacement of existing Time-

Division Multiplexing (TDM) commercial telephony services." The Government is seeking to replace the legacy

TDM (e.g., POTS/Centrex) services, not an already implemented IP-based solution. The scope of work remains as defined in the PWS.

Q28: Has the Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) voice network been replaced, abandoned, and/or contracted to be replaced by an ethernet IP network such a AT&T gigabit passive optical network (GPON)?

A28: No. The purpose of this solicitation is to procure a solution that will replace the existing TDM commercial telephony services. The legacy TDM network is currently active and will be replaced by the solution awarded under this contract.

Q29: Is the FedRAMP/DoW ATO requirement still in place for Cloud based solutions? AT&T Business Voice does not appear to have any FedRAMP or DoW ATO.

A29: Yes, security authorization requirements remain in full effect for any proposed cloud-based solution.

Consistent with the current FedRAMP 20x framework and the DoD Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide

(CC SRG), any proposed Cloud Service Offering (CSO) must, at a minimum, possess the unified "FedRAMP

Authorized" designation at the Moderate baseline (based on NIST 800-53 Rev 5 controls). The Government will not comment on the compliance status of specific commercial products or competitors. Offerors must ensure their proposed solutions meet all stated security and authorization requirements current as of the date of their proposal submission. An updated PWS will be provided to reflect that.

Q30: What constitutes a Cloud based system, i.e.(a) hosted in the cloud or (b) connected by commercial Internet or

NIPRNET to a VoIP system hosted in a data center?

A30: For the purposes of this requirement, a Cloud-based system is defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) definition of cloud computing (NIST SP 800-145). If the proposed solution utilizes multi-tenant commercial cloud infrastructure (e.g., Unified Communications as a Service [UCaaS], SaaS, or IaaS) to host the core call control and routing features, it is considered a cloud-based system and must meet the FedRAMP requirements.

Q31: 5. In October 2024, NCTAMS LANT awarded NT Connect a contract for $118,000.00 for specified services including developing a site survey of 121 locations and 1,888 users at NAS Key West. The solicitation number is

N7027224Q0020. The site survey report was to include layout drawings, ISP cabling power specs, floor plans, and engineering diagrams. Perhaps this site survey can be provided to vendors?

A31: The site survey report referenced was procured under a separate contract and will not be provided as part of this solicitation. The Government will consider providing that site survey report post-award.