GSA Invites Comments on FTS Metropolitan Area Acquisition Concept

GSA #9335

July 18, 1996
Contact: Bill Bearden
(202) 501-1231
(bill.bearden@gsa.gov)

Give comments at government panel August 14 and 15

As part of the government's continuing effort to foster a partnership with industry and ensure that the acquisition approach is market-based, the GSA invites interested parties to offer comments on a report entitled Federal Telecommunications Service (FTS) Metropolitan Area Acquisition (MAA) Concept Development.

The report gives the rationale for the MAA program, describes the vision and objectives, and introduces the conceptual details and schedule of the program.

The report is available via the Internet at http://www.gsa.gov/maa.

The emerging competition in the local telecommunications services market, especially in metropolitan areas, creates an opportunity for the government to gain an immediate price reduction in local telecommunications services from vendors. The potential price reduction, in turn, creates an incentive for Federal Government agencies to combine their traffic volumes to further strengthen the government's market power and ensure the price reduction is substantial. The MAA program will take advantage of the competitive local market for price reductions.

Envisioned to be a series of pilot interagency acquisition projects, the MAA program is designed to leverage the emerging competitive local telecommunications market for local telecommunications services in selected metropolitan areas. The program is also designed to encourage and accelerate the pace of competition in the local telecommunications marketplace by making available a substantial Federal telecommunications market share to vendors. The New York metropolitan area has been selected as the first pilot project in the MAA program.

GSA also invites oral comments on this document before a government panel at the MAA Concept Development Conference to be held on August 14 and 15, 1996 at The Alexander Hamilton Customs House, 1 Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004.

Requests to speak and/or to attend the conference will require advance registration.

Information on the program, the conference, instructions on conference registration and comments submission, are provided at the above Internet address or by contacting Jill Filipczyk on (202) 606-9164. For any additional information, please contact Claudia Bennett, in the FTS Office of Strategic and Program Planning on (703) 506-3310.