GSA Awards Largest Federal Telecommunications Acquisition ever Competed

Ten-year $20 billion program to provide voice, IP, wireless, satellite and IP-centric services to 135 federal agencies across 191 countries.

The U.S. General Services Administration today awarded its highly anticipated Networx Universal contracts to:

• AT&T Corp.
• MCI Communications Services Inc., doing business as Verizon Business Services
• Qwest Government Services Inc.

Providing voice, IP, wireless, satellite and IP-centric services to 135 federal agencies across 191 countries, Networx Universal will transform the current federal telecommunications system to a secure, worldwide IP and MPLS-based network compliant with Internet Protocol version 6 and other major technological advances anticipated throughout its contract life. The entire Networx program, to include the counterpart Networx Enterprise contract to be awarded in May, is estimated at $20 billion across 10 years.

"Award of the Networx Universal contracts is an historic moment at GSA, and reflects our goal of providing transformational products and services to our federal customers at the best prices available in the marketplace," said GSA Administrator Lurita Doan. "I look forward to working with our new industry partners to provide the best possible service and value to our customer agencies and the American taxpayer."

"We are proud of the message this program conveys about GSA's ability to deliver large acquisitions on schedule," said GSA's Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Jim Williams. "This effort represents a new era for GSA. The advanced technologies and services defined in the Networx program will serve as a platform to transform the government's telecommunications infrastructure to a more seamless and secure environment. I am extremely proud to be associated with the Integrated Technology Service Networx Team."

The historical, technologically ambitious Networx program is the largest federal telecommunications acquisition ever competed, said GSA in a release. It will meet the federal government's full range of worldwide telecommunications and networking requirements during the next decade. Its application-oriented architecture will support the federal communications infrastructure underlying key government operations. This will provide the seamless, secure and interoperable federal telecommunications environment that is necessary today and will prove even more crucial in years ahead.

Networx is the third in a series of telecommunications acquisition programs GSA developed in close partnership with federal agencies. Networx Universal will ensure continuity of telecommunications services currently provided on FTS2001 Bridge and FTS2001 Crossover contracts.