USDA, ARS, FMOD, BA, Contracting Section, Bldg. 003, Rm. 329, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350

S -- BARC-EAST WELL-HEAD CABLING PROJECT SOL 407120140200033 DUE 022798 POC T.C. Mitchell, Purchasing Agent, 301 504-8484 or fax 301 504-5009 The U.S. Department of Agriculture intends to noncompetitively negotiate with Bell Atlantic Federal Systems Division, 58 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20002 to provide and install all material and labor for cable connections at Nine (9) well-head sites and Two (2) Water Towers, and placement of additional cable pairs and terminal at One (1) Water Tower . Installation will include both aerial and buried cables, extended from existing WITS Terminals/Location Groups. New Terminals and fixtures to be provided and installed where needed. Bell Atlantic is considered to be the one and only responsible source to satisfy this requirement because they are the service provider listed under the Washington Interagency Telecommunication System (WITS) contract to provide all local telecommunications services. Therefore, any and all easements and/or right-of-ways for placement of telephone cables within the Beltsville Area are held by Bell Atlantic Telco. Also, Bell Atlantic provided a survey and identified improvements necessary to modernize the Outside Plant Campus Distribution Cabling. However, any interested/ qualified source who believes they can provide the required service and materials may respond, within 14 calendar days from the publication date of this synopsis. All such responses will be evaluated in order to determine the ability to meet the above stated capabilities. Responses shall include information corresponding to the required service which demonstrates the capabilities of the offer's ability. This notice may represent the Government's only official notice of this procurement. Award will be made using Simplified Acquisition Procedures. (0029)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0096 19980202\S-0010.SOL)