D -- Notice to Award AFRN

The Project and Contracting Office, Baghdad, Iraq, increased the ceiling on the Indefinite Quantity/Indefinite Delivery, IDIQ, contract, W914NS-04-D-0005, from $75M to $150M to enable the simultaneous issuance of a Task Order to Build-Out of the Advanced First Responder Network, AFRN. The AFRN system will provide Iraqi civil authorities, including fire, civil, and defense organizations with a national communications, command and control system. It will provide real-time reliable voice, video, and data communications throughout Iraq to first responders from these organizations. Technical experts from the Projects and Contracting Office, Baghdad, conducted market research in the August 2004 timeframe by assessing the complexity of the AFRN requirements and the ability of other sources to build-out the AFRN in additional Iraqi cities. While there are other sources that are operating in Iraq, all of these sources would need to supplement their existing workforce with personnel with the skills to implement the AFRN and develop their own network design. This would result in duplication of costs and delivery delays. Consequently, the Government's technical expert determined that only Lucent can meet the Government's urgent requirements. The Iraqi Minister of Interior, the Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq, and the United States National Security Advisor have all stated that the immediate implementation of the AFRN in 16 cities is vital to the national security of Iraq. Given the critical nature of security, especially in the wake of the transition of authority to a newly sovereign Iraq, any delay in implementing the AFRN in these 16 cities will significantly jeopardize the security to all personnel in Iraq. It is estimated that use of any source, other than Lucent, would result in delays of 6-9 months.