Intend to Award Notice INTERNET2 ACCESS

The US Geological Survey (USGS) Office of Acquisitions and Grants has issued an Intent to Award Notice for Annual Internet2 Access under solicitation 140G0125Q0190. The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota requires specialized wide-area network connectivity to support its National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive operations. The agency intends to award this telecommunications contract to Internet2Network, citing their unique ability to meet the mission-critical networking requirements. This contract falls under NAICS code 517810 for All Other Telecommunications and involves IT and telecom support services. The network infrastructure is essential for EROS's satellite data operations, particularly for receiving and distributing Landsat satellite data to partners including NOAA, NASA, and international space agencies.

The primary objective of this specialized network is to provide high-performance connectivity between the EROS facility and key government and international partners through Internet2's scientific network backbone. The Internet2 network currently handles 70% of EROS data distribution, totaling 12 petabytes in fiscal year 2024, making it critical for the center's data ingest and distribution mission. Contractors who believe they can provide a similar solution to Internet2Network's specialized infrastructure are invited to contact Contract Specialist Patrick Anderson via email by 1:00 PM EDT on August 5, 2025. The eligibility criteria focus on vendors' ability to deliver the same level of specialized wide-area network connectivity that supports scientific, research, educational, and federal agency requirements. The justification emphasizes that Internet2's infrastructure is uniquely positioned to meet these mission-critical networking demands for satellite data operations.