D--INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES

The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO)contracts for long haul telecommunications services with regulated and non-regulated service providers and US International Carriers (USICs) on behalf of the Department of Defense and various other Federal agencies for lease of telecommunications services and ancillary equipment at locations within the 48 Contiguous United States (CONUS), Hawaii, Alaska, US Territories and Possessions, and international locations. Telecommunications requirements are received daily by DITCO and solicitations are posted to the DISA Contracting Opportunities web site. Requirements processed by DITCO normally include a wide spectrum of long-haul telecommunications services such as: business lines and dial tone services, local area access, Intrastate and Interstate point-to-point services, switched services, domestic and international long distance services, 800 Services, Frame Relay Services, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) services, Packet Switched Data Services, video services, Integrated Switched Digital Network (ISDN) services. Analog services are typically 3-Khz voice grade circuits, while digital services range from 9.6 KBS (narrowband) to OC-N (wideband) circuits. The capability to browse all "Inquiries" (solicitations) currently posted on the DISA Contracting Opportunities web site is available to all companies without the need to register in the DITCO system. The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the Contracting Opportunities Web Site is https://www.ditco.disa.mil/dcop. If you plan on submitting a quote to any solicitation, you must first register on the DISA Contracting Opportunities Web Site to obtain a User ID and Password execute a basic agreement with DITCO. Basic Agreements, and instructions for executing Basic Agreements, can be obtained via the Contracting Opportunities Home Page under the Publications link. DITCO attempts to acquire all components for each telecommunications service requirement from a single source. DITCO utilizes a streamlined "Inquiry/Quote/Order" (IQO) process to solicit contractor quotes and issue "Orders" for required telecommunications services and equipment. Under the IQO process, DITCO provides an "Inquiry" inviting companies to submit quotations for delivery of specified telecommunications requirements. The "Inquiry" contains the technical information necessary to describe the Government's requirement, along with the requested service date, and solicits quotes from industry. The "Quote" confirms the company's ability to provide the requested service and equipment, identifies the time interval in which the service and equipment can be provided, and provides the applicable charges and Uniform Service Order Codes (USOCs). After evaluation of the "Quotes", an "Order" is prepared and issued to the company whose "Quote" best conforms to the requirements of the Inquiry. The "Order" forms the contract which is referred to as a Communications Service Authorization (CSA). Each CSA includes details about the telecommunications services/equipment being acquired and also incorporates contract terms and conditions prescribed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Department of Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS), and agency regulations. To expedite the acquisition process, a basic agreement, which includes general contract terms and conditions, is negotiated between DITCO and the company. This basic agreement is referenced in each order/CSA issued to the company and incorporates the general contract terms and conditions previously negotiated. Additional specialized terms and conditions may be incorporated into a CSA as required to satisfy unique needs. The normal practice is to allow companies to provide their "Quote" within 14 business days from the date a requirement is posted on the web. However, for critical National Security requirements, a shorter interval may be required. In situations where it is determined and justified that only one company can satisfy a particular requirement, DITCO may issue a non-competitive Inquiry or Direct Order to that company. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for these telecommunications services requirements is 517110.