Starlink SOW Draft.pdf

Draft Statement of Work

I. Project Title: Starlink Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Communications System – Equipment and Service Procurement

II. Period of Performance

The total period of performance is 1 year. The period of performance shall be 1 year from the effective date of the contract.

III. Background or Overview

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducts audits, investigations, inspections, and oversight activities, including missions that occur at remote global locations. OIG investigative and audit teams deploying to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, require dependable, high‑bandwidth, low‑latency communications to support operational readiness, secure data transmission, and investigator safety.

Due to the extreme geographic isolation and environmental conditions at McMurdo Station, conventional terrestrial or geostationary satellite connectivity is insufficient to meet mission requirements. A LEO satellite communications system provides the only feasible solution capable of delivering the necessary bandwidth, latency, portability, and resilience needed for OIG’s operational use.

This Statement of Work establishes the requirements for the procurement, activation, and maintenance of LEO satellite equipment and associated service plans.

IV. Scope of Work

The Contractor shall provide a complete LEO broadband satellite communications solution consisting of equipment, installation materials, service plans, and technical support to ensure reliable communications for NSF OIG personnel at McMurdo Station and during mobile field operations.

i. The solution must:

a. Deliver high‑bandwidth broadband connectivity(Minimum download speed of 100mbps and minimum upload speed of 10mbps) capable of supporting encrypted communications, video calls, large file transfers, and remote operational support.

b. Operate reliably in extreme cold‑weather conditions commonly experienced in Antarctica.

c. Integrate with existing NSF OIG network and device security requirements.

d. Include required mounting hardware, power equipment, and cabling.

ii. Functional Requirements:

a. Provide broadband connectivity with bandwidth suitable for data‑intensive investigative activities. (Minimum download speed of 100mbps and minimum upload speed of 10mbps)

b. Offer low‑latency (must be less than 100ms) communications consistent with LEO satellite architecture.

c. Support simultaneous use by multiple OIG personnel.

d. Enable secure transmission of sensitive investigative data.

e. Allow remote monitoring, configuration, and service management.

f. Include user‑accessible diagnostic tools for troubleshooting.

iii. Equipment Requirements:

a. Provide LEO satellite terminal(s) suitable for rugged, extreme‑environment operation.

b. Provide associated indoor networking hardware.

c. Provide mounting equipment and appropriate cabling.

d. Ensure all equipment is new, fully warranted, and compliant with applicable standards.

iv. Service Requirements:

a. Provide commercial LEO satellite broadband service plans.

b. Provide activation and provisioning support.

c. Provide 24/7 technical support.

d. Provide service level expectations including uptime commitments.

V. Deliverables

The deliverables identified below are based upon the attached Market Research Report and Brand Name Justification documentation, which identified Starlink as the solution best suited to meet NSF OIG operational, environmental, bandwidth, latency, portability, and Antarctic deployment requirements.

The Contractor shall provide the following Starlink equipment and services:

i. Starlink Global Priority Satellite Internet Service:

a. One (1) Starlink Global Priority 2 TB Service Plan

b. One (1) Starlink Global Priority 1 TB Service Plan

ii. Starlink Gen 3 Performance Equipment

a. Three (3) Starlink Gen 3 Performance Kits

b. Three (3) Starlink Gen 3 Routers

c. All mounting hardware, power equipment, connectors, and cabling required for installation and operation at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

The Contractor shall also provide:

• Service activation and provisioning support

• Configuration and operational testing

• Technical documentation and user guidance

• Ongoing technical support and maintenance

• Software and firmware updates necessary to maintain operational capability and security compliance

VI. Timeline and Period of Performance –

During the Base Period, installation, configuration, activation, and testing of the LEO satellite communications system shall be completed within 30 days from the effective date of contract award unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Contracting Officer and Contractor.

Ongoing maintenance, software updates, technical support, and service plan support shall continue for the entirety of the contract.

The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer and COR immediately of any delays affecting performance or delivery schedules.

VII. Place of Performance

Installation and configuration activities will occur at NSF OIG Headquarters located at the Randolph Building, 401 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

System deployment and operational use will occur at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and additional field locations as determined by NSF OIG operational requirements.

VIII. Special Requirements –

Personnel Security:

All Contractor personnel assigned to this effort shall comply with NSF personnel security requirements prior to accessing systems or facilities.

Sensitivity of Data:

All work performed under this Statement of Work shall be considered sensitive and shall not be released to outside parties without express written permission from NSF OIG.

Environmental Requirements:

The solution must operate effectively in Antarctic environmental conditions, including snow, ice, wind, and extreme cold temperatures.

IX. Sensitivity of Data

All work performed under this SOW shall be considered sensitive and shall not be released to outside parties without express written permission from the

NSF OIG.

X. Contractor Staff, Roles and Responsibilities –

Contractor personnel assigned to this requirement shall possess expertise in satellite communications, network configuration, and remote‑environment deployments. Contractor staff shall support troubleshooting, activation, maintenance, and user training.

The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel capable of performing all technical and operational requirements described herein.

XI. Agency Staff, Roles and Responsibilities –

The COR is the individual within the NSF OIG who has overall technical responsibility for this effort. The COR supports the Contracting Officer during administration of this effort. The COR also provides technical direction to the Contractor, i.e., shifting work emphasis between areas of work; fills in details, or otherwise serves to accomplish the purposes of this effort. Technical directions shall be within the general statement of work for this effort. The COR does NOT have the authority to and may NOT issue any technical directions which:

1) Constitutes an assignment of work outside the general scope of this effort;

2) Constitutes a change as defined in the “Changes” clause;

3) In any way causes an increase or decrease in cost or the time required for performance;

4) Changes any of the terms, conditions, or other requirement of this effort; and

5) Suspends or terminates any portion of this effort.

All technical direction shall be issued in writing by the COR or will be confirmed by the COR in writing within 10 calendar days after verbal issuance. A copy of the written directions shall be furnished to the Contracting Officer.

In addition to providing technical direction, the COR will:

1) Monitor the Contractor’s technical progress, including surveillance and assessment of performance, and recommend to the Contracting Officer, any changes in the requirement;

2) Assist the Contractor in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance; and

3) Perform inspection and acceptance, or recommendation for rejection, of Contractor deliverables and identify deficiencies in delivered items.

This does not replace any other quality assurance inspections requirements that are specified elsewhere within this SOW.

If in the opinion of the Contractor, any instruction or direction issued by the COR is outside of their specific authority, the Contractor shall not proceed but shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing within 5 working days after receipt of any instruction or direction.

XII. Reporting Requirements –

The Contractor may experience delays due to many factors. The Contractor will notify the NSF OIG COR of a delay as soon as possible via email;

however, if the delay will require an extension of the period of performance, the Contractor must notify the Contracting Officer and COR immediately with specific details of the need for an extension.

XIII. Government Furnished Property (GFP) –

The government will not furnish property to the contractor.

XIV. Schedule and Milestones –

i. Delivery and activation of LEO satellite equipment – Within 30 days of contract award.

ii. Technical support availability – Continuous throughout contract performance