Iridium Satellite Services for SNOTEL Data Transmission

The United States Department of Agriculture's Assistant Secretary for Departmental Management is seeking Iridium satellite throughput services to support the Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting (SSWSF) Program's critical weather monitoring operations. The procurement requires a vendor to provide Iridium satellite communication services for 204 actively transmitting radios deployed at remote weather stations across western U.S. states, with each radio requiring a minimum base plan of 12,000 bytes of data per month, plus additional funding for sites exceeding this threshold through variable data usage fees. The contractor must also maintain 38 Iridium radios in inventory on "standby" status, capable of activation within two business days for radio replacements, upgrades, and new site installations. The solicitation includes extensive cybersecurity, supply chain risk management, and federal IT compliance requirements, including Section 508 accessibility standards and IPv6 compatibility. The contract will be awarded using a Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) evaluation approach, with quotations originally due September 24, 2025, but extended to 3:00 PM Mountain Time on September 25, 2025 through Amendment 0001.

Amendment 0001 significantly changed the procurement structure by converting it to a Total Small Business Set Aside, moving away from the original "No Set-Aside Used" designation that would have considered small businesses before large businesses. The contract structure includes a base performance period from September 30, 2025, to September 29, 2026, with four optional one-year extension periods that could extend the contract through September 29, 2030, creating a potential five-year total contract duration. Services must be delivered through a centralized Iridium gateway to multiple WCIS LRGS instances and an email backup account, with data transmission from remote weather stations located primarily in western states. The amendment also added provisions for increased quantities through separately priced line items, allowing for up to 40 additional modems and associated activation fees beyond the base requirement. Performance will occur in Portland, Oregon, though the supported weather monitoring stations are distributed across the western United States.