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SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/WORK STATEMENT SPECIFICATIONS
C.1
SCOPE OF WORK
This work supports the National Science Foundation (NSF) United States Antarctic Program
(USAP) Telecommunications Service. The terms Contractor, USAP Telecommunications
Service Provider, and USAP Telecommunications Network (UTN) Contractor are
interchangeable and are used to define the scope of work required by this contract.
For the consideration set forth in Section B, the UTN Contractor shall provide all labor,
materials, facilities and equipment to meet all requirements set forth in Section C.7 of this
solicitation.
These services include providing the communications satellite space segment, teleport services
for the non-Antarctic circuit termination, non-Antarctic terrestrial communications backhaul
circuit, engineering services, telecommunications network operations monitoring, equipment
maintenance, trouble isolation, resolution, and repair services.
C.2
INTRODUCTION
Space and Naval Warfare Systems (SPAWAR) Center Charleston (SSCC) provides Satellite
Communications (SATCOM) contractual vehicles to support McMurdo Station and South Pole
for the National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs (NSF/OPP). In addition, SSCC
provides engineering support including the provision of intercontinental communications
services. The NSF/OPP serves as the executive U.S. Government manager of the USAP by
Executive Order of the President. The NSF/OPP secures the assistance of SSCC via a
memorandum of agreement (MOA). NSF/OPP issues funding and tasking directives to SSCC
for the execution of USAP support.
C.3
BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING SERVICES
C.3.1
Background
C.3.1.1
United States Antarctic Program
Since the Antarctic Treaty ratification of 1959, a series of memoranda, circulars and directives
has established responsibilities, objectives and practices that taken together, document U.S.
Antarctic Policy. The role of the NSF in the USAP was formally delineated in Presidential
Memorandum 6646, issued on February 5, 1982, in which the following decisions were
presented:

The USAP shall be maintained at a level providing an active and influential presence in
Antarctica designed to support the range of U.S. Antarctic interests.

This presence shall include the conduct of scientific activities in major disciplines; yearround occupation of the South Pole and two coastal stations; and availability of related
necessary logistics support.
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Every effort shall be made to manage the program in a manner that maximizes cost
effectiveness and return on investment.
McMurdo Station, established in 1955, is the principal U.S. facility on Ross Island, located off
the coast of Antarctica. McMurdo Station is the logistics hub of the USAP. McMurdo Station
has a harbor, sea ice and shelf ice landing strips, and a helicopter pad. There are 55 buildings
ranging in size from a small radio shack, to large, three-story structures. Repair facilities,
dormitories, administrative building, a fire house, power and water distillation plants, wharf,
stores, and warehouses are linked by above-ground water, sewer, telephone and power lines.
The water and sewer lines are heat-taped and insulated. Peak summer population capacity is
approximately 1,000 personnel. Winter population is approximately 230.
Research is performed at and near McMurdo Station in marine and terrestrial biology,
biomedicine, geology and geophysics, glaciology, metrology, and upper atmospherics. Air
transportation between McMurdo and New Zealand is frequent between October and February,
the Antarctic summer. Winter transportation is extremely limited.
C.3.1.2
Role of SSCC
SSCC provides engineering services to the NSF in support of the USAP. The services include
telecommunications design and contractual support. The NSF has assigned the responsibility of
contracting the telecommunications services between the Continental United States (CONUS)
and McMurdo Station to SSCC, Code 672.
C.3.1.3
Role of the National Science Foundation
The NSF has overall funding and management responsibility for U.S. activities in Antarctica and
is the U.S. Government executive manager of the USAP. Under the NSF, the OPP is the lead
management activity for operations, science, and budget for the USAP.
C.3.1.4
Role of the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor
The NSF utilizes the services of a Prime Contractor (herein designated the NSF/USAP Prime
Contractor) to provide Information Technology and communications products,
telecommunications services, systems engineering, systems operations, and systems maintenance
in support of the USAP. The NSF/USAP Prime Contractor:

Provides all operations and maintenance of U.S. Government telecommunications
infrastructure located within Antarctica and in many cases, provides telecommunications
services overlaid or interfaced with the services specified in this solicitation in Section C.

Has a significant role in the on-going operations and maintenance of the USAP
Telecommunications Network.

Operates the USAP System Monitoring Center (SMC) at the Network Operations Control
Center (NOCC) in McMurdo Station. The SMC is the primary point of contact (POC)
for critical outside agencies, groups, or others that need immediate assistance, need to
report a problem or need a central point of contact for the program (24X7X365). The
SMC will then use their contact lists to notify appropriate NSF/USAP Prime Contractor
personnel of the issue and provide the hand-off. The current NSF/USAP Prime
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Contractor is Raytheon Polar Services Company (RPSC).
C.3.2
USAP Telecommunications Network Description
The current UTN consists of the following components, as depicted in Figure 1:
a) An 11 meter C-Band satellite earth station, designated BLK-02F3, at Black Island in
Antarctica provides for the termination of all space segment circuits serving
McMurdo Station, Antarctica. SSCC designed and contracted for the development of
the earth station, referred to as the Unattended Satellite Earth Station (USES), in
1995. USES replaced an earlier earth station at the site. Black Island is located
approximately 22 miles South of McMurdo Station at 78 degrees, 07 minutes, 46.484
seconds South Latitude, 166 degrees, 09 minutes, 01.558 seconds East Longitude. A
Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) point-to-point microwave system provides
circuit termination in McMurdo Station along with separate channels for remote
monitoring and control of equipment at the site.
b) The space segment consists of a duplex T-1, INTELSAT Business Services (IBS)
circuit via INTELSAT 701 on a hemispherical beam, in the 180 degree East
geostationary orbital position.
c) CONUS teleport services are provided by the SES Americom earth station in
Brewster, Washington, at 48 degrees 08 minutes North Latitude, 119 degrees 41
minutes West Longitude. The CONUS tail end is terminated to a GFE General DataComm (GDC) time domain multiplexer (GDC Mega MUX) co-located at the
Americom teleport and terrestrial circuits for provision of telephony and other data
services to the USAP.
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Figure 1 Current USAP Satellite Communications Architecture
C.3.2.1
Circuits
The following telecommunications circuits comprise the UTN system and are distributed by a
GDC Mega MUX at McMurdo Station and the SES Americom earth station in Brewster. The
space segment service is carried by duplex T-1 QPSK 1/2 FEC IDR R/S IBS circuits ordered,
monitored and maintained by the current telecommunications service contractor. The GDC
Mega MUXs consolidates all McMurdo-CONUS satellite voice, network, and data traffic
services. Figure 2 illustrates circuit configuration of the GDC Mega MUXs.
Figure 2 GDC Mega MUX Configuration
The bandwidth allocation for the duplex T-1 service between McMurdo and CONUS is allocated
as follows:

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USAP data circuit is a 921.6 Kilobytes per second (Kbps) Transmission Control
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Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Circuit and carries USAP data and provides Internet
for McMurdo.

Two telephony service circuits of 191.2Kbps and 172.4 Kbps for direct inward dial (DID)
and direct outward dial (DOD) voice and fax and a USAF Fax over IP circuit.

Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) data circuit of 19.2 Kbps supporting
the ATFAC Southern Network (ASN) providing seismic data to the U.S. Atomic Energy
Detection System (USAEDS).

Wells Fargo Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) circuit of 56 Kbps providing ATM
services to the residents of McMurdo Station.

National Aeronautical & Space Administration (NASA) Private Network circuit of
128Kbps.

NASA Four wire voice circuit of 16.8 Kbps.
Internal trunk circuits at McMurdo Station, including the microwave system from Black Island to
McMurdo Station, are the responsibility of the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor and are not
discussed in detail in this document.
C.3.2.2
Network Telecommunications Services
The Brewster Earth Station GDC node provides a connection to the PSTN and compression of
voice and fax services. The node also provides multiplexed duplex data circuits from the
Contractor Facility in Centennial, Colorado (CF/C) for NASA, AFTAC, Internet, and USAP
private network. A separate circuit from Brewster provides connection to the Wells Fargo
Network for ATM Service at McMurdo Station.
Two Verizon T-1 links (ALASCOM CK 18930 and 18929) currently provide DID/DOD voice
and fax services into a Verizon Fiber Terminal at the Brewster Teleport. Inbound and outbound
call management is accomplished by an asymmetrical assignment of DID and DOD services.
The services are also separated into business and public voice, and have dedicated fax lines.
Wells Fargo Bank Network Control Center (NCC)/Allen Systems Group, Inc (ASG) NCC
monitors the ATM terminal and communications equipment as required for network
maintenance and trouble resolution. Wells Fargo coordinates trouble resolution for circuit
outages occurring between the Cassie Hill Data Center and the Brewster facility.
C.3.2.3
Network Operations Management
American Telegraph & Telephone Company (AT&T)/ AT&T Alaska Communications
(ALASCOM) Eagle River NOCC in Anchorage, Alaska monitors the space segment and
CONUS terrestrial circuits that comprise the USAP wide area network (WAN). The NOCC
duties include monitoring of the network and the capability to configure the GDC and
telecommunications equipment remotely via dial-in phone lines. Auxiliary monitoring systems
are also available from McMurdo Station and CF/C. The GDC nodes can also be configured
locally. The UTN Contractor has the primary responsibility for network monitoring and control.
The NSF/USAP Prime Contractor normally configures and monitors all GDC nodes as directed
by the NSF.
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C.3.2.4
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Operations, Trouble Reporting, and Fault Resolution
The present service provider continually monitors the circuit performance by analyzing alarms,
recording pertinent information in the NOCC log, and assigning trouble ticket for problems in
the network. The NOCC also provides the network administrator in McMurdo with the trouble
ticket number, the corrective action taken, and an estimated time to repair after initial analysis is
completed. Once each hour, status updates are provided to the system administrator in
McMurdo. Trouble tickets are closed with the cognizant network administrator. The service
provider provides monthly report on outages, outage resolution, and other activity to SSCC, the
network administrators at McMurdo, and the CF/C.
C.3.2.5
Antarctic Alternative Access
Alternate access to McMurdo Station is available via a 9 meter C-Band earth station owned by
New Zealand Telecom. This capability can be used for emergency restoration of the primary
fixed satellite service that is the subject of this solicitation. The backup service provides 32 kb/s
ADPCM voice line service including DID into any McMurdo telephone extension. The service
also supports a 64 kb/s private data circuit for point-to-point static route TCP/IP Local Area
Network (LAN)-to-LAN links between the Christchurch International Antarctic Center (USAP
LAN) and McMurdo.
C.3.3
USAP WAN Configuration Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 – 2010
The planned configuration for the UTN will consist of a single carrier duplex 3-10 Mbps data
circuit between CF/C and McMurdo Station that will carry all voice and data traffic on an IP
only network. McMurdo network equipment will be housed at a centralized NOCC in
McMurdo. Data will be transmitted over a terrestrial microwave to the Black Island satellite
earth station. The space segment will be a C–Band circuit between the earth station at Black
Island and an off-Antarctic earth station with low latency circuit connectivity to CF/C for the
CONUS terrestrial circuit. All USAP and USAP customer data will be routed to end users via
network connections from the CF/C. A high-level block diagram is shown in Figure 3.
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T1
PBX
VOIP
Gateway
AFTAC
Edge
Router
McMurdo
LAN
NASA (Data)
6
Back-up
T1 Pair
Patch
Panel
(ADC
DSX T-1)
MW Ch
6
7
Primary
T1A
Primary
T1 Pair
4
Microwave
Radio
(Harris
Back-up
QuadraT1 Pair
link)
T1B
T1A
T1B
Back-up
8
Patch
Panel
Black Island
Primary
Router
Back-Up
Router
4
T1B
Wells Fargo
McMurdo
22 mile
McMurdo-Black Island
Microwave Link
MW Ch
Primary
T1 Pair
T1A
NASA (Voice)
3 Mbps
V.35 or
EIA-522
Interface
Microwave
Radio
(Harris
Quadralink)
7
Commercial Satellite
3 Mbps
Bi-Directional
Satellite Link
8
Primary
Modem
Primary
3 Mbps
TX/RX IF
Secondary
Modem
3 Mbps
TX IF
Modem Switch
CDM-600 Modems &
CRS-150 Switch
3 Mbps
V.35 or
EIA-522
Interface
CDM-600
Modem
Back-Up
Modem
Satellite
Comm
Ground
Station
Electronics
Back-up
3 Mbps
TX/RX IF
Satellite
Comm
Ground
Station
Electronics
Fractional
DS-3
3 Mbps
RX IF
Overseas Ground Station
AFTAC
NASA (Voice)
Edge
Router
Fractional
DS-3
USAP
Private
Network
NASA (Data)
Wells Fargo (FT1)
VoIP
Gateway
Denver
T1
PSTN
Access
Figure 3 USAP Telecommunications Network Interim Configuration
C.3.4
Planned Modifications Beginning FY 2005/ 2006 Austral Summer
To meet the desired interim capability, the NSF will invest in upgrades at McMurdo Station and
Black Island. The upgrades will provide the necessary capability, reduce the risk of failure of the
critical equipment, and ensure the UTN remains reliable. The efforts discussed in this paragraph
are being performed outside of the scope of this contract. This information is provided for
background information to offerors.
The modifications are broken down into the following major areas: PSTN service migration, IP
conversion, earth station modifications to support increased bandwidth, Black Island earth
station repairs & service life extension, and McMurdo Station terrestrial communications
upgrades.
Specifically:




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Establish CF/C as the CONUS node for the GDC Mega MUX and transition data and
PSTN services from Brewster, WA, to Centennial, CO.
IP Conversion – Conversion of the signaling to IP and removal of the GDC multiplexers.
Bandwidth Increase – Replace existing satellite modems with EF Data CDM-600
modems.
Antenna Control Repairs – Replace current non-functioning antenna control unit.
Repairs are anticipated to be completed by second quarter FY2006. This hardware
failure will not allow the antenna to automatically track inclined orbit satellites or change
satellites without an operator stationed at Black Island earth station. (Note: Black Island
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earth station is not normally manned year around and, during certain periods in the
Austral Winter, is completely inaccessible.)
Service Life Extension – Modify power distribution system and replace the satellite
equipment Monitor and Control system.
McMurdo Terrestrial Communications Upgrades – Replace microwave radios and
Paradyne multiplexers with a high bandwidth IP based solution (scheduled in FY2007).
C.4
APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS
The following documents form a part of this specification:
a) Engineering Drawing Practices ASME Y14.100M-1998
b) Revision of Engineering Drawings and Associated Documents ASME Y14.35M1997
c) Telecordia Generic Requirement (GR-54) DS1 High-Capacity Digital Service (T1)
End User Metallic Interface Specifications
d) American National Standards Institute Standard (TIA/EIA 596-1992) Network
Channel Terminating Equipment for Public Switched Digital Service
C.5
FORMS and OTHER DOCUMENTS
None
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C.6
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DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, and ABBREVIATIONS
Term
Expansion
Definition
AFTAC
Air Force Technical Applications Center
ALASCOM
AT&T Alaska Communications
Ao
Operational Availability
ASG
Allen Systems Group, Inc
ASN
AFTAC Southern Network
AT&T
American Telephone & Telegraph
Company
ATM
Automated Teller Machine
ATS
Aviation Technical Services
CBER
Corrected Bit Error Rate
BI
Black Island
CF/C
Contractor Facility in Centennial
Colorado
CONUS
Continental United States
COTS
Commercial Off The Shelf
DID
Direct Inward Dial
DOD
Direct Outward Dial
DoD
Department Of Defense
ES
Earth Station
Fax
Facsimile
FEC
Forward Error Correction
FOC
Final Operational Capability
FY
Fiscal Year
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U.S. Air Force activity headquartered at Patrick
Air Force Base, Florida that oversees the
Department of Defense (DoD) nuclear test ban
treaty monitoring network
Refers to automated teller machine service
provided via the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor
Common abbreviation for the Black Island
Telecommunications Facility located
approximately 22 miles south of McMurdo
Station.
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Term
Expansion
Definition
GDC
General Data Communications
GFE
Government Furnished Equipment
GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
GOTS
Government Off The Shelf
HQ
Headquarters
IBS
Intelsat Business Service
IDR
Intermediate Data Rate
INTELSAT
International Telecommunications
Satellite Organization
IOC
Initial Operational Capability
IP
Internet Protocol
Kbps, kbps,
kb/s
Kilobits Per Second
LAN
Local Area Network
Mbps, Mb/s
Megabits Per Second
McM
McMurdo
Abbreviation for McMurdo Station, Antarctica
McMurdo
Station
Main Antarctic research facility of the United
States and the largest of the three year-round
U.S. stations. McMurdo is located on Ross
Island in the sector of Antarctica that lies below
New Zealand.
MOA
Memoranda Of Agreement
MUX
Multiplexer
NASA
National Aeronautics And Space
Administration
NCC
Network Control Center
NDI
Non-Developmental Items
NLT
No Later Than
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Manufacturer of the brand named Mega MUX
time division multiplex equipment used for the
private network serving McMurdo Station from
Brewster, Washington
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Term
Expansion
Definition
NOCC
Network Operations Control Center
NRE
Non-Reoccurring Engineering
NSF
National Science Foundation
Refers to telecommunications provider network
service center which maintains continuous
monitoring of common carrier network alarm
and status conditions
Federal Government independent agency
located in the Executive Branch
NSF/USAP
Prime
Contractor
Designation given to the primary contractor of
the NSF which provides operations,
maintenance, logistics, and science management
support for the conduct of the USAP. This costplus-award-fee contractor is under direct
contract to the NSF and is the lead supplier of
Information Technology products and services
for the USAP. Currently Raytheon Polar
Services Company (RPSC) is the incumbent
contractor.
O&M
Operations And Maintenance
OPP
Office Of Polar Programs
PABX
Private Automatic Branch Exchange
PBX
Private Branch Exchange
PC
Personal Computer
PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network
QOS
Quality Of Service
QPSK
Quadrature Phase-shift keying
RF
Radio-Frequency
RPSC
Raytheon Polar Services Company
The current incumbent USAP/NSF Prime
Contractor located at 7400 South Tucson Way,
Centennial, CO, 80112.
R/S
Reed-Solomon
A type of forward error correction
SATCOM
Satellite Communications
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The office within the NSF responsible for the
management and budgeting of the USAP.
Term often used interchangeably with PABX.
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Term
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Expansion
Definition
Scott Base
Year round Antarctic research station operated
by the New Zealand Antarctic Program
(Antarctica New Zealand) and located
approximately 2 miles on Ross Island from the
U.S. McMurdo Station, with a road
interconnection
SLA
Service Level Agreement
SMC
System Monitoring Center
SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol
SOVT
System Operational Verification Test
SOW
Statement Of Work
SPAWAR
Space And Naval Warfare Systems
SSCC
Space And Naval Warfare Systems,
Systems Center, Charleston
SSPA
Solid State Power Amplifier
The SMC is the primary POC for critical
outside agencies, groups, others that need
immediate assistance, need to report a problem
or need a central point of contact for the
program (24X7X365). The SMC will then use
their up to date contact lists to notify
appropriate personnel of the issue and provide
the hand-off.
T1
Digital transmission link operating under a
standardized bit signaling format and digital
carrier rate of 1.544 Mbps
TBD
To Be Determined
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol
TDM
Time Division Multiplex
TMS
Transport Management System
Refers to the monitor and control system used
by GDC Inc. for the brand name Mega MUX
TDM telecommunications trunk multiplexer
TNZ
Telecom New Zealand
Telecommunications service provider to Scott
Base. Operates an earth station near Arrival
Heights that provides backup for off-continent
telecommunications service for the USAP.
TRD
Technical Requirements Document
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Term
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Expansion
Definition
USAEDS
United States Atomic Energy Detection
System
USAP
United States Antarctic Program
USES
Unattended Satellite Earth Station
Common name given to the INTELSAT earth
station BLK-02F3 located at Black Island,
Antarctica and which services the U.S.
Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station,
Antarctica. Sometimes this acronym is used to
refer to the entire end-to-end services provided
by this earth station. Usage varies with context.
UTN
USAP Telecommunications Network
Designation given, for the purpose of this
solicitation, to the U.S. Government's private
satellite+ terrestrial telecommunications system
comprised of the McMurdo Station, USEI
Brewster, WA, and NASA Ames Research
Center nodes
UTN
Contractor
USAP Telecommunications Network
Contractor
Designation given to the telecommunications
contractor and any related subcontractors
operation under contract with SPAWAR
Systems Cent Charleston for the delivery of
telecommunications products and services under
this solicitation
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C.7
STATEMENT OF WORK
C.7.1
Overview and Scope
C.7.1.1
Scope
The scope of USAP Telecommunications Network (UTN) contractor’s responsibility under the
terms of the contract is defined as the turn-key hardware, software, sub-contracts, service
agreements, leases, certifications, sub-contractor management and customer coordination
necessary to provide a non preemptable and continuous telecommunications circuit between the
Government owned and operated earth station at Black Island, Antarctica and NSF/USAP Prime
Contractor's facility in Centennial, CO (CF/C).
C.7.1.1.1
Required Service Dates
All dates and times referenced in this Statement of Work (SOW) are New Zealand local time and
date. New Zealand is in the +12 time zone. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) is the date that
all components of the service shall be in place and the Contractor is ready to commence
certification and testing. The Government has determined that the IOC date shall be no later
than December 19, 2005. The Final Operational Capability (FOC) is the date that full production
service is scheduled to commence, and will be no later than February 1, 2006. The Government
does not require or desire excessive overlap with the existing service that is scheduled to expire
on February 14, 2006 and as such the Contractor will identify and coordinate with subcontractors individual service roll out dates in their proposal to reduce overall cost to the
Government while maintaining adequate establishment, certification, and testing time. The
contract will require flexibility during the testing phase as impact on operational circuits shall be
minimized.
C.7.1.1.2
Contract Term
The term of the contract is to be one base year with four one-year options. The Government
intends to establish the option renewal month between October and December each year to
accommodate the Antarctic operational season of October through February each year.
C.7.1.1.3
Contract Overview
The UTN Contractor shall provide:
a) Satellite space segment, initially a 3.0 Mbps Mb/s circuit with options to increase to a
maximum of 10 Mb/s.
b) Non-Antarctic Teleport service that will support the satellite up-down link and
backhaul circuit to the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor facility at Centennial, Colorado
(CF/C).
c) Provision of a terrestrial backhaul circuit between the teleport and NSF/USAP CF/C.
Backhaul data rates will meet the satellite space segment data rates.
d) Sustaining engineering services for network operations monitoring, testing, and
circuit management.
e) Systems engineering design and implementation services for new service and feature
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implementation.
f) Optional provision of a redundant backhaul circuit that mirrors the capability and
bandwidth of the primary backhaul.
g) Optional provision of service at the existing service level of 1.544 Mbps with a rampup to the base service of 3.0 Mbps.
C. 7.1.2
Bandwidth Expansion Options
The Government anticipates a future requirement for additional circuit capacity to McMurdo
Station to occur following contract award. The Government may elect to exercise bandwidth
increase options with as little as 45 working days notice and not necessarily on one-year contract
anniversary dates.
C.7.2
Requirements
The following lists all the detailed requirements necessary for the UTN Contractor to fully meet
the Government’s needs for telecommunications service to the USAP. The following sections
group related requirements together by activities or required capabilities needed by the customer.
The italicized numbers following each requirements statement are for Government requirements
management purposes only (i.e. G.1, O.1, etc).
C.7.2.1
General Requirements
The following general requirements describe the scope of the service including bandwidth,
circuit descriptions, and locations.
C.7.2.1.1
Base Requirement
The UTN Contractor shall provide a telecommunications circuit between the USAP earth station
at Black Island (designated BLK-02F3) and the NSF/USAP CF/C. The specific characteristics
of the circuits shall be as follows: (G.1)
a) Includes space segment, non-Antarctic teleport services, and terrestrial backhaul
circuit.
b) Initial circuit bandwidth will be 3.0 Mbps with an expansion capability to 10 Mbps.
c) Offer optional bandwidth increases in nx64 Kbps and 1.544 Mbps increments with 45
working days notice by the Government for both the space segment and the backhaul
circuits.
d) The space segment will be provided over a SINGLE Radio Frequency (RF)
transponder carrier over the satellite, as Black Island earth station is not capable of
multi-carrier operation.
e) The Contractor shall recommend modulation schemes, consistent with overall circuit
performance requirements, which make most efficient use of spectrum and/or result
in lowest cost to the Government. Modulation schemes shall be an industry standard
and industry supported schemes that are consistent with the 100 Watt SSPA limitation
of the Black Island Earth Station.
f) Space segment between the satellite and the Black Island earth station shall be C-
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Band. The space segment between the satellite and the non-Antarctic Teleport may
be cross banded to Ku or another band if there are performance and/or cost
advantages.
g) The satellite selected by the Contractor to provide the space segment shall have 24 x
7 x 365 visibility to the Black Island earth terminal.
h) As there is potential for automatic tracking difficulties at the Black Island Teleport
during the base year of the contract. Proposals will be evaluated in part on the orbital
inclination of the proposed space vehicle. Proposed satellites with an inclination of
less than or equal to .02 degrees will be given a favorable weighting.
i) Provide a redundant backhaul as an option.
j) Include a flexible pricing structure that allows the Government to optionally start
service at a bi-directional 1.544 Mbps data rate, and then increase to the base data rate
of 3.0 Mbps without undue cost to the Government.
k) Circuit shall be non-preemptable with a low tolerance for extended outages. “Nonpreemptable” is defined as service that cannot be interrupted to restore other services
in the event of a satellite failure or meet the requirements of another customer.
C.7.2.1.2
Certification, Licensing and Testing
The Contractor shall meet all certification, licensing, and testing requirements generated as a
result of this service at the base or optional bandwidth. This requirement includes, but is not
limited to, Government agencies, space segment providers, teleport operators, and terrestrial
circuit providers. The UTN Contractor is responsible for identifying each activity who
participates in providing or regulating the end-to-end service along with a complete description
of associated licensing, testing, or certification requirements. The scope of this requirement
includes a testing and certification plan that addresses the accomplishment of each of the listed
requirements. (G.2)
C.7.2.1.3
General Guidance
The Contractor shall use, wherever possible, technology, products, or services that are not
developed specifically for the USAP, i.e., commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), government off-theshelf (GOTS), non-developmental items (NDI). (G.3)
C.7.2.2
Operational Coordination and Data Requirements
Requirements that relate to the coordination, monitoring, and control of the telecommunications
circuit are included in this section along with discussion of the deliverable data elements required
to operate and support the circuit.
C.7.2.2.1
Circuit Reliability Requirements
The overall circuit availability (Ao) of the end-to-end telecommunications service will meet or
exceed 99.95 %. The Contractor’s responsibility for circuit reliability applies to space segment,
terrestrial backhaul circuits, Non-Antarctic teleport, and associated equipment.
Ao will be based on bidirectional link performance and shall be as measured by Contractor
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recommended performance metrics (e.g. outage minutes per month, etc.). (O.1)
Specifically the Contractor shall:
a) Establish Memorandas of Agreement (MOA), Service Level Agreements (SLA), or
other formal agreements with space segment and terrestrial circuit provider(s) and
other sub-contractors that define the level of service required.
b) Develop performance metrics that include trouble ticket closeout rate, mean time to
respond for call back on a trouble report, circuit outage incidents, operational
availability of circuits and others.
c) Meet or exceed Clear Sky Corrected Bit Error Rate (CBER) of no more than 1*10E-7
with 1*10E-9 or less as the objective rate. Intervals when the CBER is higher than
the identified value at either ground station will be considered outage periods for Ao
calculation.
d) Ao will be based on bi-directional link performance.
e) Provide for redundancy in the network management system and describe in the
Transition Plan.
C.7.2.2.2
Monitoring and Control Requirements
The Contractor shall provide continuous monitoring and control of the telecommunications
circuit. The specific monitoring and control tasks required of the Contractor shall be as follows:
(O.2)
a) Provide software and hardware monitoring on a 24 x 7 x 365 basis to include:
monitor circuit performance, analyze alarms, maintain operations log, and maintain
trouble reporting/response system.
b) Develop and maintain an up to date list of contacts and procedures necessary to
interface with the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor for circuit and teleport operations,
call back response times, citation to trouble reporting, and resolution.
c) Provide 24 x 7 x 365 electronic and voice contact services. Voice can be Toll Free
PSTN. Electronic contact shall at a minimum be e-mail, instant messaging, and/or a
web contact page. The web page shall be device independent and useable on desktop
computers running common browser applications.
d) Provide a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) generated, read-only,
monitoring interface to the USAP/NSF CF/C and the NOC in McMurdo that provides
continuous status of: modems; Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA); Eb/No; and bit
rate. The use of SNMP Level 3 is preferred.
e) Analyze alarms and record pertinent information in a log and open trouble tickets
assigning a Contractor generated trouble ticket number.
f) Provide the USAP/NSF Prime Contractor with the UTN Contractor generated trouble
ticket number, the corrective action taken, and an estimated time to repair after initial
analysis is completed.
g) The UTN Contractor is responsible for closing all trouble tickets with the USAP/NSF
Prime Contractor.
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h) Notify the USAP/NSF Prime Contractor and the Government of failures, degradation,
changes, or any other observable conditions that would change the Quality of Service
(QOS) of the SATCOM link, Teleport, or backhaul circuits either adversely or
positively. Response times are listed in the table below.
Trouble Area
Responder
Report
Time
Non-Antarctic
Teleport
Black Island Earth
Station
Space Segment
Teleport operator
NSF/USAP Prime
Contractor
Space Segment
Provider
Backhaul Provider
Terrestrial
Backhaul Circuit
Daily
Coverage
5 Minutes
Maximum
Call Out
Time
30 Minutes
Per NSF
direction
5 Minutes
Per NSF
direction
30 Minutes
Per NSF
direction
7 days/week
5 Minutes
30 Minutes
7 days/week
7 days/week
i) Notify the USAP/NSF Prime Contractor and the Government of scheduled changes
that may impact QOS as soon as possible but no later than 30 days prior to the
planned change. Urgent or emergency changes require immediate notification,
generally no later than (NLT) 24 hours.
j) Provide monthly reports of outages, outage resolution, and other activity to SSCC and
the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor via e-mail and World Wide Web. The Government
will provide a portal on the USAP.GOV domain to post reports. This will restrict
access to critical status and health information on the circuit status to USAP
authorized personnel only.
k) During any outage (when Ao falls below the specified standard), provide hourly
status updates to the USAP/NSF Prime Contractor until such a time as the problem is
resolved or a time for full restoration of service is identified.
l) The contractor shall allow access to the Teleport facilities by designated government
personnel and/or designated employees of the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor after
receipt of visit notification for the purposes of coordination, training or fault isolation.
Written notification at least 24 hours in advance of a visit will be provided unless
there is a circuit outage or degradation, whereupon immediate telephone notification
will suffice.
C.7.2.2.3
Coordination Requirements
The Contractor shall coordinate with space segment provider, teleport operator, backhaul
providers, and other sub-contractors involved in the provision of this service to ensure advance
notification of service changes and in order to minimize disruption of the service. As Black
Island is difficult to access during parts of the year, the Government requires the Contractor
coordinate closely with the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor to ensure the Black Island and
McMurdo facilities are ready to support any service changes. Events that require extraordinary
coordination include, but are not limited to:

Change in satellite or space segment provider

Relocation of satellite or other changes that affect Black Island antenna pointing angles
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or tracking requirements

Change in transponder assignment or up/down link frequencies

Change in modulation techniques

Change in terrestrial backhaul that affect QOS, particularly latency
C.7.2.2.4
Engineering Services
The Contractor shall provide sustaining engineering capabilities and services on a set fee billable
basis. Specific details of required services are as follows: (O.3)
a) Engineering services shall apply to all geographical USAP Telecommunications sites
unless specifically excluded.
b) Develop and maintain and distribute as-built and systems documentation for all UTN
Contractor responsible elements as defined in the SOW.
c) Provide field change order systems configuration control management and
documentation.
d) Provide sustaining operations and maintenance field discrepancy report management
and documentation.
e) Provide systems technical performance assessments and reports.
f) Collect and perform analysis of operational performance data including Eb/No, BER
vs. Time, etc as directed by the Government.
g) Provide engineering of systems evaluation for modification or partial replacement of
existing systems/subsystems.
h) Provide field engineering support.
i) Provide on-site technical needs assessment reviews/inspections as requested by the
Government.
j) Provide technical engineering support to the Government.
C.7.2.2.5
Security Requirements
The services provided by the Contractor and any sub-contractors under this contract represent
key components of a mission critical communications link supporting national objectives in
Antarctica. This vital telecommunication infrastructure shall be protected against disruption and
the Government’s data carried across this infrastructure shall be protected against compromise
and loss. The General Accounting Office (GAO) Report, “CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
PROTECTION Commercial Satellite Security Should Be More Fully Addressed” of August 2002
provides information on measures that should be considered by the Contractor in the protection
of this service. Specifically the Contractor shall: (O.4)
a) Provide a detailed description of the processes and techniques used by the Contractor
and sub-contractors under their control to protect satellite systems, teleports, and
terrestrial backhaul from unauthorized use and disruption. The Government will
evaluate the responses based on:
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
Use of robust hardware

Availability of backup capacity

Physical security measure measures and logical access controls at ground
stations

Encryption of the signals for tracking and controlling the satellite.
b) Develop and maintain as part of the operating procedures, contingency plans to
maintain services in the event of loss or degradation of any component of the
provided service and restoration of service in the event of failure that affects the
service for greater than 48 hours. Plans shall address loss or degradation of the
satellite, Teleport, terrestrial backhaul, and associated infrastructure.
c) Physical security measures at the Teleport site should be consistent with industry
standards for similar facilities such as: fencing, closed circuit television, access
control, intrusion detection systems, Best Master Key systems, out door lighting, 24
X 7 X 365 monitored alarms, and backup power systems.
C.7.2.2.6
Circuit Testing Requirements
During the term of the contract the individual components of the service or the overall circuit
may require testing. The scope and duration of the tests will vary with the event that triggered
the requirement. At a minimum, the overall circuit will be tested during service transition and
individual components of the service will be tested as directed by the Government. Specifically
the Contractor shall: (O.5)
a) Develop and submit to the Government for prior approval procedures to conduct
circuit testing prior to any changes in bandwidth, modulation technique, or any other
changes that might impact the performance or quality of the SATCOM link.
b) During service the service phase-in testing, test procedures shall verify the
functionality of the equipment and services prior to transition and will include any
verification, new services turn-up, or transition testing required by the space segment
provider.
c) Any service phase-in tests shall be conducted under conditions simulating normal
service conditions as closely as possible.
d) Test procedures shall be provided to the government for review and approval 30 days
prior to the scheduled commencement of the test period or service transition which
ever is earlier.
e) Scope of testing may involve individual components of the telecommunications
circuit or total end-to-end testing.
f) Make the satellite and ground station available for testing as needed.
g) Frequency and duration of tests are to be negotiated with USAP/NSF Prime
Contractor.
h) Testing of new service shall begin as soon as possible after contract award but no
later than December 19, 2005 and shall be complete by the FOC date of February 1.
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2006.
C.7.2.2.7
Change of Service Plan
The UTN Contractor shall submit a Change of Service Plan for any change in service bandwidth,
implementation of new feature services, integration of new or modified equipment, deletion of
equipment, or deletion of feature services during the duration of the contract.
Specifically: (O.6)
a) The plan shall be appropriately detailed with respect to the complexity of the
transition.

Changes in domestic service providers will require a minimum transition plan
that identifies the new service provider, date of change, technical details of the
new service and updated contact information.

Changes in equipment, equipment location, satellite providers, or earth stations
will require a more complex, comprehensive plan that includes, at a minimum:
o
Description of the change, including the technical details of the new
service
o
Rationale for the change
o
Link calculations
o
Testing and Certification requirements
o
Plan of Action & Milestones
o
Updated contact information.
b) A System Operational Verification Test (SOVT) will be included as a part of the
plan.
c) The plan shall also include any requirements necessary to support new equipment,
methods or operational changes.
d) Plans shall be submitted to the government for review and approval no sooner than 30
calendar days prior to the onset of the scheduled change.
C.7.2.3
Non-Antarctic Termination Technical Requirements
The following requirements relate specifically to the non-Antarctic termination, hereafter
referred to as the Teleport and related services.
C.7.2.3.1
Teleport Lease (ET.1)
a) The Contractor shall provide Teleport lease services for the term of the base year and
each option year of the contract.
a) The Contractor shall provide satellite modem(s) at the Teleport with compatible
technical characteristics (e.g. data rate, modulation, forward error correction etc.), to
the ComtechEFData 600 Modem with High Rate Option and Turbo Codec selected
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by the Government for Black Island.
C.7.2.4
Terrestrial Communications Circuit Technical Requirements
The following requirements relate to the Terrestrial Backhaul Circuit.
C.7.2.4.1
Backhaul Circuit
The Contractor shall provide Terrestrial Backhaul Circuit between the Teleport and the CF/C.
Specific details of the circuit are as follows: (B.1)
a) The location of the Teleport must be in an area that will support backhaul circuits
with adequate bandwidth to handle the size of the SATCOM link.
b) Terrestrial Backhaul Circuit specifications as follows:

Framing: Contractor specified. USAP/NSF Contractor will match framing
specification.

Tail circuit BER: 10e-9

Tail circuit interface: USAP/NSF Contractor will match any of the listed interface
specifications:
HSSI
DS3
Serial

Use of 2xT1 lines is not a desirable backhaul circuit option.

Latency: 60ms (60x10-3seconds) round trip latency between CF/C and nonAntarctic teleport (30ms one way)
c) Optionally provide a redundant Terrestrial Backhaul Circuit with carrier diversity (i.e.
two vendors) with the same bandwidth as the primary circuit.
C.7.2.5
Transition Requirements
The following requirements apply to the transition of service from the existing provider to the
new service.
C.7.2.5.1
Transition Plan
The Contractor shall provide a transition plan as follows: (T.1)
a) The scope of plan shall cover the transition from one provider to the other, one
location to another, etc. as required.
b) Transition plan will cover time frame from Contract award to February 15, 2006.
c) Provide options and make recommendations to ensure a smooth transition from
existing service to new service.
d) Perform a link assessment to ensure the proposed satellite and Teleport can support
the initial 3.0 Mbps data rate and are capable of increasing data rates up to a
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maximum of 10 Mbps. Black Island link budget information as of June 2004 is
provided as follows:
Actual G/T = 37.3db/k
Calculated uplink EIRP = 55.7dbW (6.1642GHz)
Calculated downlink EIRP = 11.5dbW (3.939.2 GHz)
Clear sky (Co + No)/No = 11.6db
Clear sky C/No = 73.5db - Hz
Clear sky Eb/No = 8.3db
-----------------------------------Actual modem readings (values as of 10.10.04) Black Island Eb/No = 10.8db
RSL = -35.0dbm
Transmitter:
Modem Tx(IF) = 139.95MHz
Up converter (RF) = 6.16425GHz
e) Describe any anticipated loss of service in their transition plan. The UTN Contractor
will notify the USAP/NSF Prime Contractor and the Government of any outages,
expected duration and renewal of services.
f) The transition plan shall include a schedule of tasks with associated timeframes
necessary to transition the services.
g) Address contingency plan for possible Teleport antenna failure in the Service
Transition Plan.
h) Submit transition plans to the Government for approval prior to implementation of
changes to the system. Transition plans requiring significant changes to the system
such as equipment relocation will require submission of the plan to the Government
at least 30 calendar days prior to the start date of the change.
i) The Contractor shall coordinate all transition activities with the Government, the
outgoing UTN service provider and the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor and shall make
available to all parties a record of meetings, conferences, phone calls, and other
transition activities.
j) The Contractor shall maintain a list of action items generated as a result of transition
coordination activities. At a minimum, the action item list will contain a description
of the item, responsible organization, due date, closed date, and a traceable reference
to the action taken.
C.7.2.5.2
Transition of Service
The Contractor shall transition USAP telecommunications service from the service provider as
follows: (T.2)
a) Ensure the smooth service continuation from current capability.
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b) Provide service transition testing and certification(s) while minimizing downtime on
existing Antarctic operations traffic. The preferred down-time shall be limited to four
off-peak hours per day interleaved with the existing operational satellite service
during the transition period of December 19, 2005 to February 1, 2006 for testing and
certification of the new service. Off-peak hours are tentatively defined as 1000 to
1400 GMT.
c) Post-award test and acceptance period will be from December 19, 2005 to February 1,
2006. The new service will be established in sufficient time to allow a period of
overlapping service with the current provider to fully test the satellite link and
associated terrestrial circuits.
d) The new service provider shall not require new equipment to be established at Black
Island during the 2005-2006 Austral Summer season (Aug 2005 - Feb 2006).
e) Any equipment proposed for installation at Black Island shall include a complete
technical description including nomenclature, size, installation requirements, specific
interface characteristics, and detailed power requirements. In the event the
Government decides not to host Vendor supplied equipment, the proposal shall
include alternatives that do not include such an installation.
C.7.3
System Documentation
The NSF/USAP Prime Contractor is responsible for the overall documentation of the
Communications System. The Contractor shall provide detailed information at the request of the
Government to support the overall system documentation requirements of the NSF/USAP Prime
Contractor.
C.7.3.1
Initial System Documentation Development and Delivery
The UTN Contractor shall publish a set of applicable systems documentation 30 days after award
of the contract. The content of this documentation shall be limited to the equipment and services
provided by the UTN Contractor to support the services set forth in this contract. The
documentation will be updated when equipment or services are installed or removed. The UTN
Contractor shall maintain red line drawings and documentation until such time as a new issue of
drawings is warranted or directed by the Government.
Documentation is requested electronically in a mutually agreeable format.
C.7.3.2
Operational Procedures
The UTN Contractor shall provide a document detailing the operational procedures including:

Configuration and operations of the equipment

Schedule of tasks necessary to monitor and maintain services throughout the life of the
contract

Trouble-reporting and resolution procedures with details of responsibilities, POCs, and
response times
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
Contingency plans for continuation and restoration of service

Procedures for interfacing with the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor
The UTN Contractor shall be responsible for updating procedures during the life of the contract.
The UTN Contractor shall provide an outline of the Operational Procedures to the Government
for review and approval 14 calendar days after Contract Award. The UTN Contractor shall
provide the final Operational Procedures to the Government for review and approval 30 calendar
days after outline approval. The documentation will be updated when equipment is installed or
removed, or when new procedures are implemented. The UTN Contractor shall provide a copy
of the revised plan to SPAWAR System Center Charleston, the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor,
and the Contracting Officer.
C.7.3.3
Performance Metrics
The UTN Contractor shall propose specific measures and performance values to be used in the
performance of this contract to the Government in their proposal. Metrics include trouble ticket
closeout rate, mean time to respond for call back on a trouble report, circuit outage incidents,
operational availability of circuits, etc. The proposal shall contain objective metrics that the
UTN Contractor will have to measure and report to the Government on a periodic basis as part of
the monthly report of circuit performance. Technical, business, and customer service measures
shall be specified at a minimum, and efforts shall be made to specify standard
telecommunications industry metrics. The UTN Contractor shall price the Performance Metrics
separately in their proposal.
C.7.3.4
Phase-in Service Transition Plan
The Government requires a seamless transition to the new contract. Transition will occur during
the high operational period of the annual Antarctic operating season with mission critical activity
dependent upon the services supported. The UTN Contractor shall provide a Service Transition
Plan (STP) to implement the phase-in of UTN Contractor-supplied service and transition from
the incumbent contractor provided service. The proposal shall include a preliminary outline
version of the STP that includes, at a minimum, all of the elements listed in paragraph C.7.2.5.1.
The STP shall be submitted to the Government for review and approval 30 days after award of
the contract.
C.7.3.5
Planning and Reporting for Changes in Established Service(s)
A Change of Service Plan shall be submitted for any change in service bandwidth,
implementation of new feature services, integration of new or modified equipment, deletion of
equipment, or deletion of feature services during the duration of the contract in accordance with
the requirements listed in paragraph C.7.2.2.5. The Government may waive this requirement on
a case-by-case basis. The Change in Service Plan shall be submitted to the Government for
review and approval 30 days prior to the planned change.
C.7.3.6
System Operational Verification Test (SOVT)
The Transition Plans will include a SOVT. The SOVT will verify the functionality of the
equipment and services prior to transition and will include any verification, new services turn-up,
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or transition testing required by the space segment provider. Such tests will be conducted under
conditions simulating normal service conditions as closely as possible. The SOVT will be
provided to the Government for review and approval 30 days prior to the scheduled transition.
C.7.3.7
Monthly Circuit Performance and Outage Reports
The UTN Contractor shall provide monthly circuit performance and outage reports. For the
purposes of this paragraph, outages are defined as any planned or unanticipated loss of
telecommunications transmission or feature service for any duration. Outage reports shall be
provided to the NSF/USAP Prime Contractor and SSCC. The NSF/USAP Prime Contractor
coordinates the reports into a monthly comprehensive system report to the Government.
The UTN Contractor report shall include, trouble ticket number, outage start, reporting agency
and representative, problem description, time/date of any requested external support (telecom
carriers, contract tech support agencies trouble calls) with their disposition, remedy, resolution
time, and duration. The report shall also describe any suspected system weaknesses,
reconfiguration recommendations, and scheduled outages.
Electronic distribution of reports via a mutually agreed upon format is requested. Distribution
shall be to the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative, designated NSF/USAP Prime
Contractor operations/maintenance personnel at McMurdo and the NSF Office of Polar
Programs.
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