SOURCES SOUGHT
D -- MDRC AIR TIME
- Notice Date
- 6/1/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 517410
— Satellite Telecommunications
- Contracting Office
- Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Readiness, Response & IT Branch, 500 C Street, S.W., Room 350, Washington, DC, 20472
- ZIP Code
- 20472
- Solicitation Number
- HSFEHQ-06-0001
- Response Due
- 6/20/2006
- Archive Date
- 7/5/2006
- Description
- 1.0 SECTION 1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1.1 Scope The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to provide industry with a vehicle to describe solutions and implementation approaches for satellite network communication alternatives in support of the MDRC communication requirements. An MDRC is a recreational vehicle that has been retrofitted with satellite communications that provides voice and data connectivity to the FEMA network and systems including the internet. The insight gained from this RFI will enable FEMA to incorporate strategies, alternatives, experiences and innovative practices to improve current services and develop and implement a long-term flexible, reliable and cost efficient solution. The ultimate goal is to achieve an optimized MDRC Satellite network communication solution to better serve the citizen during federal disaster recovery efforts. Responses to this RFI should be from the perspective of being a satellite service provider. The government does not need at this time, information marketing a firm?s products for use in a common solution. The objectives of this RFI are to: Determine if options exist to replace the current airtime solution component without disruption to the mission and with maximum re-use of current GFE assets; Solicit information from industry on strategies, alternatives, and experiences in developing and implementing satellite communication solutions in the mid and long term including innovative practices that have been effective in increasing satellite network communication effectiveness and efficiency; Understand options for other satellite airtime alternatives including migration from current solution. Solicit lessons learned from enterprises that have overcome similar challenges as those faced by the government (e.g., remote communications with no land-based communications available); and 1.2 MDRC Overview The following sections provide insight into FEMA?s mission and how MDRCs are used to achieve this mission. 1.2.1 FEMA Mission FEMA?s mission encompasses the centralized direction of emergency management in both peacetime and war, for emergencies ranging from natural to man-made disasters. FEMA executes its responsibilities via ten Regional Offices, five Federal Regional Centers, the Mt. Weather Emergency Assistance Center (MWEAC), the National Emergency Training Center (NETC), the Olney Federal Support Center, and other fixed disaster processing sites. 1.2.2 The MDRC Fleet and Deployment FEMA began using Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers (MDRCs) in response to the Florida hurricanes in August and September of 2004 and has since established a fleet of 60 MDRCs that are stationed at four locations throughout the United States. In November of 2004, On Call Communications, Inc installed satellite systems designed to provide remote voice and data services on ten (10) of FEMA?s MDRCs. These On Call systems were operational within three weeks and are currently in service providing telephone and secure internet service to the victims of Hurricanes in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama (FEMA Regions IV and VI). In response to Hurricane Katrina, the FEMA Response Division procured an additional thirty (30) new MDRCs that were also equipped with the satellite communications capability. MDRCs are deployed rapidly but only on an as needed basis, are on location for varying periods of time, serve a range of constituents, and only will require a communication link that is appropriate to time in the field. MDRCs are deployable to temporary housing shelters and are capable of providing communications and workstations in Staging Areas, Mobilization Centers, and other command and control centers. 1.2.3 MDRC Communication Environment The MDRC communication environment constitutes a set of government owned hardware that communicates through a VSAT satellite terminal. The end-point of communication is the connection to the private fiber which, in turn, establishes a connection to FEMA?s WAN or the Internet. For the purposes of this RFI, ?airtime? is hereby defined as the environment contained with in the dotted line areas. It includes the satellite, the base station (i.e., Current Teleport), the facility to house the base station communication hardware, and the bandwidth (i.e. space segments) provided through the satellite. The ?MDRC infrastructure? is inclusive of all communication equipment and services to the demarcation points at the MDRC vehicle and the FEMA WAN entry point. This includes the airtime portion of the solution. FEMA hopes to understand if alternatives exist to competitively price airtime in the short term without impacting mission services while also protecting GFE asset investments. The following describes the balance of technical components associated with MDRC. MDRC Unit Components Antenna?s: .96 and 1.2m Ku Band antennas PCs/Phones/Faxes: 10 PCs, 20 Phones and 1 faxes per MDRC (up to 20 PCs possible). 600 PCs, 1200 Phones, 60 faxes total at peak usage (up to 1200 PCs) Modem: Comtech Efdata 570L Protocols Supported: SMTP, FTP, and HTTP Uplink Power (Block Converter): 4 & 8 watt block up converters Low Noise Block Converter: Amplifier and downconverter Teleport and Satellite Modem: Comtech Efdata 570 General Earth Station RF Equipment FEMA Regional Office Quintum 24 line: VOIP Modem: UD Gateway 1.2.4 General Satellite Communication Service Requirements: Coverage ? CONUS plus Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii, and Alaska Ku Band services Bandwidth (on demand, guarantee of service, scalable, QOS, traffic shaping) Secure connectivity to FEMA WAN Non-proprietary solutions/services Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity, and Survivability of the entire MDRC infrastructure ? providing options to maintain communications with minimal disruption of service 2.0 SECTION 2: AIRTIME ALTERNATIVES 2.1 Short-term Alternatives to current MDRC Satellite Airtime Solution Please answer these questions from the perspective of an alternative airtime solution to replace the current solution. Be sure to include innovative practices, and any relevant past experience. Alternative solutions should address migration approaches and re-use of existing assets if applicable. 2.1.1 - Is it possible to replace the airtime portion of the solution in the short term without disruption of service? If yes, please describe how this would happen, including your timeline, migration strategy, risks/mitigations and major challenges. 2.1.2 - If 2.2.1 is possible, please describe the impact on the current GFE assets that are currently part of the MDRC infrastructure, including trade-offs, potential re-use of equipment and business case impact. If no impact is estimated (i.e., full compatibility between new solution and existing solution), then please indicate as "No Impact - fully compatible swap is possible". 2.1.3 - What solution would you provide that would ensure secure, direct connection to the FEMA WAN? 2.1.4 ? Is it possible to provide internet services (open and secure) through the airtime portion? If so, how? 2.1.5 - It is possible to present a reasonable cost business case for exchanging a portion (or all) of the GFE for the current solution? 2.2 Mid-Long Term Solution & Approach for Overall MDRC Satellite Communications Services Please answer these questions from the perspective of an overall solution and approach for optimizing the MDRC Satellite Communication infrastructure. Be sure to include innovative practices, the applicability of these practices to government and any relevant past experience. 2.2.1 - What are the critical factors that drive an optimum solution for satellite bandwidth? 2.2.2 - Given the VOIP requirement, can this portion of the total IP traffic be subject to oversubscription? 2.2.3 - What hardware would you replace/remove from the current VSAT Solution? How would you ensure mission compatibility and no break in service in your replace/remove process? 2.2.4 - What is the optimum compression that may be used with VOIP and still maintain satisfactory voice quality? 2.2.5 - Is there a better voice solution to VOIP? 2.2.6 - Please describe a reasonable cost continuity of operations and/or fail-over solution. 2.2.7 - What are the options to ensure bandwidth is available when needed (e.g., leasing transponders, dedicated T1s). 2.2.8 - For the options described in 2.3.7, please describe the efficiencies, trade-offs and cost benefits of each. 2.2.9 - Do solutions or services exist that provide the end-to-end infrastructure required (including vehicles, staff, satellite, etc.) to support the MDRC mission? (e.g. managed services) If yes, please describe including trade-offs, cost differences and efficiencies gained or lost. 2.2.10 - If solutions exist per 2.3.9, please describe service level options. 2.2.11 - Is it possible for the voice calls to be routed directly from the remote MDRC vehicles to their destinations without back-hauling through FEMA infrastructure (i.e. FEMA PBXs)? If yes please describe, including the usage, billing and auditing features/processes.
- Place of Performance
- Address: USA
- Zip Code: USA
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: USA
- Record
- SN01060430-W 20060603/060601220415 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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