Starlink Internet Services

The Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a sole-source contract for Starlink satellite internet services to ULTISAT Inc. under FAR 12.102(a), citing the unique and non-replaceable capabilities of Starlink’s satellite constellation as the sole basis for the acquisition. The service is intended to support NOAA’s Navigation and Response Branch in Maryland, providing high-capacity, low-latency broadband connectivity that surpasses alternative low Earth orbit systems such as Amazon Kuiper, Eutelsat OneWeb, and Telesat Lightspeed. ULTISAT Inc. is confirmed as the exclusive federal entity authorized to deliver Starlink services under a GSA contract, making it the only viable provider capable of meeting NOAA’s operational demands. The solicitation number is 1305M226F0247, posted on June 11, 2026, with the contracting office located in Norfolk, Virginia, and no competitive evaluation process was conducted due to the absence of comparable alternatives. Performance is designated to occur in Maryland, where the services will be deployed to support critical maritime and navigational operations, though no specific period of performance, delivery schedule, or contract value is disclosed. There is no detailed statement of work, technical specifications, inspection criteria, or performance metrics listed, nor are packaging, marking, invoicing procedures, payment details, or accounting codes provided. The contract type is not explicitly defined but is implied to be a commercial item acquisition. No evaluation factors, weights, or adjectival ratings are included, as the award was based solely on market exclusivity rather than cost or technical merit comparisons. Representations, certifications, and socioeconomic status for ULTISAT Inc. are not documented, and no contracting officer’s representative, technical representative, or procurement contracting officer details are available. Special requirements are confined to the sole-source justification, with no mention of security clearances, option periods, conflicts of interest, or compliance regimes such as Buy American or Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. The absence of CLINs, SLINs, or pricing data indicates that while the necessity of the service is clearly justified, financial and logistical details remain unspecified in the available documentation.