Marine Corps Airborne Commercial Satellite Communications Support

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)/Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO) intend to issue a sole source contract to ViaSat, Inc., 6155 EI Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92009.  This Acquisition is for Marine Corps Airborne Commercial Satellite Communications Support.

This proposed contract action is to provide the Marine Corps with airborne SATCOM services.  These services are sold as subscriptions known as Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPs).  SIMOPs provide Senior Leaders and their support staff with 'Office in the Sky' capabilities-uninterruptible and seamless connectivity to networks; voice, video, and data; and capabilities available in their office environments-while traveling via aircraft. 

Airborne communications on the move services is an emerging market with few competitors.  Currently, service providers offer proprietary equipment that will only work with that provider's proprietary services.  The ViaSat Arclight modems use a proprietary waveform that also makes them compatible only with service provided through an Arclight Hub.  At this time, ViaSat is the only vendor that provides a commercially available service utilizing an Arclight Hub.  In addition, the ViaSat modem sends controls that operate the VR-12 antenna.  The coding used to send communications between the modem and the antenna control unit is also proprietary to ViaSat making the entire radio frequency chain (antenna, antenna control unit, modem) unable to be altered with equipment other than ViaSat equipment.  The combination of antenna and modem restrictions locks the installed equipment to use only ViaSat and currently there is no way to bypass these restrictions.

A request for a written proposal is expected to be issued December 21, 2016.  Anticipated award date is February 15, 2017.  The resultant firm-fixed price contract will be for a 1-year base period and four 12-month option periods. 

The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is 10 USC 2304 (c)(1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.  Companies that can provide this service must indicate their interest in writing within 7 business days of this advertisement.  All responsible sources will be considered in evaluation the determination to issue a sole-source contract.  Quotations or proposals received in response to this notice cannot be accepted since this synopsis cannot be considered a request for quote or a request for proposal.