58 -- Satellite Services

The Social Security Administration intends to negotiate a sole-source procurement with Marshall Communications Corporation for the continued satellite airtime services for the period February 1, 2008 through March 31, 2008. The Satellite Transponder Air-Time (STAT),is a portion of the entire IVT network. The IVT network currently delivers Social Security Administration (SSA) training material to a majority of Headquarter, field office (FO), Office of Hearing and Appeals (OHA) and Disability and Determination Services (DDS) employees nationwide. The IVT Network was developed to provide an economical training delivery system to support our customer. The customer, in this case, is the IVT downlink sites or FO, the IVT studio personnel and the Office of Training. The FO IVT system consists of satellite receivers, a viewer response system, video cassette recorder (VCR) and a big screen television. The FO participant receives the IVT broadcast from the satellite receiver and views this on their television. The FO participant can respond to the instructor through the viewer response system. This technology enables instructor/student based communication to occur ? resulting in two-way communication. The IVT Satellite System deployed by SSA is the delivery system of content material provided by the Office of Training. The STAT is summarized below: Satellite Transponder Air-Time The satellite transponder is a leased commodity from a satellite supplier. A satellite normally has between 24 ? 36 transponders. SSA currently leases one-third of one transponder. Telestar IV is the current satellite that SSA utilizes. Telestar IV was chosen for its coverage of the CONUS (Continental US), Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin islands. This is important because not all domestic satellites have the geographic footprint of Telestar IV. Currently, the on-air satellite time for SSA is from 7:30 AM ? 9:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. C.2 Mandatory Requirements The Government requires two main categories of the STAT Contractor to fulfill in this contract: 1. Provide the required satellite bandwidth and airtime, and 2. Provide the professional services within a multi-contractor environment. The Contractor shall provide all qualified personnel and/or services; i.e., engineering and project management, and to provide satellite transponder bandwidth and airtime. The satellite transponder bandwidth and airtime services will be performed in the continental United States (CONUS), Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Contractor shall provide to the Government any modifications, upgrades, operating conditions or other changes of the satellite provider and / or services, which includes, but not limited to, the operating satellite, time of operations, and bandwidth. The Contractor shall provide engineering and program management in the event that a transponder / polarity modification or satellite relocation is required. Satellite transponder bandwidth and airtime shall be required in the event that a transponder/polarity modification or satellite relocation is performed. The Contractor will work directly with the ISI Contractor to ensure no lapse in service. C.3 Specific Requirements C.3.A Satellite Transponder Airtime SSA has a requirement to provide services with NO downtime for its satellite transmission of broadcasts; i.e., 100% of SSA?s IVT downlink systems. The satellite transponder bandwidth airtime is a critical, single point of failure for SSA?s transmission requirements. 1. The STAT Contractor shall operate and manage all functions of SSA?s airtime requirements. 2. The STAT Contractor shall provide satellite footprint coverage of the CONUS (Continental US), Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin islands (current operating condition). 3. The STAT Contractor shall provide airtime from 7:30 AM ? 9:00 PM ET Monday through Friday (current operating condition). The operating airtime is subject to change if future requirements are requested by the Government. 4. The STAT Contractor shall work directly with the IVT ISI Contractor. The ISI Contractor provides the on-site management of the IVT satellite uplink system, which is the Radio Frequency (RF) source to the satellite. a. STAT Contractor shall provide a 24 X 7 service phone access to the satellite ?Space Segment Provider?. b. STAT Contractor shall document and provide all procedures for operation to the satellite ?Space Segment Provider?; i.e. a hard copy (binder with tabs) and a soft copy shall reside in the Visual Communication Control Center (VCCC) and with the Project Officer. These documents shall be updated no less than every six months or when a change to the operating system has occurred. c. STAT Contractor shall work in parallel with the ISI Contractor under all circumstances to ensure no disruption of service. i. Any modification in the current operating condition. ii. STAT Contractor and ISI Contractor will hold either daily/weekly/ monthly meetings as determined by the Project Officer. 5. The STAT Contractor shall work directly with the Project Officer to develop future requirements to expand bandwidth and/or air time. 6. SSA has a requirement to remain on the current satellite/transponder/ polarity; i.e. current operating conditions. No modifications and/or changes will be considered or until requested by the Government. - SSA current satellite configuration is: (subject to change under current contract) i. Satellite ? Galaxy 26 ii. Transponder ? 23 iii. Band ? KU iv. Carrier Bandwidth ? 27 MHz v. Uplink Frequency ? 14,415 MHz vi. Downlink Frequency ? 12,115 MHz vii. Uplink Polarity ? Horizontal viii. Downlink Polarity ? Vertical 7. The Government has a requirement to maintain its current carrier bandwidth of 27 MHz (continuous bandwidth spectrum). 8. Contractor will provide satellite transponder time based upon system design and support SSA?s studio broadcasts for a period of 1 month60 months. 9. Contractor will provide a disaster recovery plan that describes the process for restoring services in the event of lost communications with the satellite. The plan will include detailed procedures and time lines for re-pointing downlink antennas to a new satellite. The disaster recovery plan will be delivered within 60 days of contract; i.e. a hard copy (binder with tabs) and a soft copy will reside in the Visual Communication Control Center (VCCC) and with the Project Officer. These documents will be updated no less than every six months or when a change to the operating system has occurred. SSA anticipates the award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for the period February 1, 2008 through March 31, 2008. The Government will consider all responses to this notice, but a determination by the Government to conduct a sole source acquisition remains at the discretion of the Government. The Government will not pay for any information submitted. Interested sources that believe they have the ability to perform the services required should submit a detailed statement of their capabilities in writing to Leslie Hyman, Contract Specialist, via email at Leslie.Hyman@ssa.gov. Responses must be received by 2:00 p.m. EST on January 28,2008. If no viable responses are received by January 28, 2008, the Government will issue a Purchase Order to Marshall Communications Corporation.