Cellular modems and data plan for traffic counter stations

The Federal Highway Administration, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (FHWA-EFLHD), is soliciting proposals for cellular modems, SIM cards, and a cellular data plan to provide network connectivity between 100 continuous traffic counter stations and an FHWA central computer. This simplified acquisition will be evaluated using three technical factors: Equipment Meeting Technical Specifications (50 percent weight), Technical Experience with the Equipment (30 percent), and Previous Experience Creating a Cellular Network (20 percent). Offerors must submit a technical proposal limited to 25 pages, single-spaced in Times New Roman font size 12, and a separate price proposal detailing staff hours by discipline, estimated direct costs, and a total budget summary, with both documents sent electronically to regina.mcdonald@dot.gov. The Evaluation Board will assess technical proposals first, then analyze the price proposal for the highest-rated firm, and if negotiations are unsuccessful, will solicit the next most highly qualified offeror. The response deadline is March 24, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST, representing 15 days from the posted date of March 9, 2026.

This solicitation contains no set-aside designation and is open to all responsible sources. The contract will be structured as a firm-fixed-price agreement with option years, consisting of a base year period through September 30, 2026, followed by four optional 12-month periods extending through Fiscal Year 2030, with specific pricing required for each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN). The procurement includes up to 100 cellular modems similar to Sierra Wireless RV55 specifications, deployed in three groups: a Pilot Group of 10 modems, Production Group 1 of 45 modems for late spring 2026 deployment, and Production Group 2 of up to 45 additional modems for FY27 deployment, along with SmartSIM Plus SIM cards supporting AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks and a shareable data plan supporting approximately 500 MB monthly usage. The place of performance is Ashburn, Virginia 20147, with equipment to be shipped to the Alternate Contracting Officer's Representative (ACOR) and the central receiving location for the data plan being the FHWA facility in Lakewood, Colorado.