News Releases
GSA Awards Local Telecommunications Services Contracts in PhiladelphiaGSA # 9801 February 27, 2001 WASHINGTON - The U.S. General Services Administration today awarded two contracts to provide local telecommunications services to federal government agencies in Philadelphia under its Metropolitan Area Acquisition Program. The combined value for government business in estimated to be $296 million over 8 years - 4 base years plus 4 one-year options. GSA selected AT&T and WinStar Communications, Inc. to provide services in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia MAA originating and terminating service area includes the counties of Philadelphia and Delaware (located in Pennsylvania) and the cities of Camden and Trenton (located in New Jersey). These awards are the latest results of the Metropolitan Area Acquisition (MAA) Program, which is managed by GSA's Federal Technology Service (FTS). The contracts in Philadelphia bring the total number of cities served by the program to 20, and complete the second phase of the program. The third phase, involving procurements for seven additional cities, is currently underway. The Philadelphia contracts provide for standard voice service as well as switched data service and dedicated transmission service offerings. The scope of the contracts allow for the addition of new and leading edge services, as they become available in the commercial marketplace. The contracts in Philadelphia have an estimated value of $296 million over 8 years, with new local service prices that will potentially save the government over $80 million when compared with standard business rates, and close to $66 million when compared with rates currently available to the government. This is an approximately 62% saving over standard business rates and 57% over current government rates. For basic analog voice services, the offered prices will potentially save the government nearly $41 million when compared to standard business rates and more than $27 million when compared to currently available prices. "We are pleased that we have been able to conclude Phase 2 of the MAA program so successfully," stated FTS Commissioner Sandra Bates. "All told, the contracts awarded in the twenty MAA cities to date have the potential to save federal government telecommunications users over $1 billion compared to current costs. We look forward to extending similar savings to even more government users through Phase 3 of the program." The MAA program was conceived shortly after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 in order to bring to the local service environment the same benefits of competition that had been seen in the long distance market since 1984. As part of its program strategy, FTS has incorporated competition-enhancing terms in its MAA and FTS2001 (long distance) telecommunications contracts, including price management mechanisms and technology refreshment provisions. These are meant to ensure not only that the prices paid by federal government users remain current with the best available in the marketplace, but that the types of services offered remain current with industry trends as well. For more MAA program specific information, please refer to the GSA FTS website at http://www.gsa.gov/maa, or call the MAA Program Director, Joseph Romanelli at (703) 306-6650.
To date, MAA contracts have been awarded for the following cities. New York: May 20,1999 to AT&T - $359 million maximum contract value - NY MAA service area includes the five boroughs of New York City; Lower Westchester county, NY; Nassau county, NY; Western Suffolk county, NY; Hudson county, NJ; Southern Bergen county, NJ; Eastern Essex county, NJ; Eastern Union county, NJ; Eastern Passaic county, NJ. Chicago: May 20, 1999 to AT&T - $180 million maximum contract value - Chicago MAA service area includes all sites within the Chicago city limits. San Francisco: May 20, 1999 to AT&T - $150 million maximum contract value - San Francisco MAA service area includes all sites in the city and county of San Francisco. Buffalo: February 24, 2000 to Bell Atlantic and AT&T - $40 million maximum contract value - Buffalo MAA service area includes Erie county, New York. Cincinnati: March 23, 2000 to Winstar Communications Inc.- $100 million maximum contract value - Cincinnati MAA service area includes Hamilton county, Ohio. Cleveland: March 24, 2000 to Ameritech Corp. and AT&T - $150 million maximum contract value - Cleveland MAA service area includes Cuyahoga county, Ohio. Los Angeles: March 24, 2000 to Winstar Communications and Pacific Bell - $200 million maximum contract value - Los Angeles MAA service area includes the mainland Los Angeles county, California. Baltimore: March 28, 2000 to Winstar Communications Inc.- $320 million maximum contract value - Baltimore MAA service area includes the city and county of Baltimore plus the area of Anne Arundel county (District 5) around the Baltimore Washington International Airport. Atlanta: April 26, 2000 to Winstar Communications, Inc. and Bell South - $520 million maximum contract value - Atlanta MAA service area includes the six counties of Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Douglas, Fulton, and Gwinnett. Miami: April 26, 2000 to Winstar Communications, Inc. and Bell South - $140 million maximum contract value - Miami MAA service area includes Dade and Broward counties. Indianapolis: April 27, 2000 to Winstar Communications, Inc., SBC Global Services and AT&T - $240 million maximum contract value - Indianapolis MAA service area includes Marion County plus Clay Township in Hamilton County and Pleasant Township in Johnson County. St. Louis: April 27, 2000 to Winstar Communications, Inc. and Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. - $140 million maximum contract value - St. Louis MAA service area includes the City and County of St. Louis in Missouri plus the Counties of Madison and St. Clair in Illinois. Minneapolis: May 31, 2000 to USWest and Winstar Communications, Inc. - $60 million maximum contract value - Minneapolis MAA service area includes Hennepin and Ramsey Counties as well as the city of Columbia Heights in Anoka County and Eagan in Dakota County. Dallas: June 30, 2000 to Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, Winstar Communications, Inc., and AT&T - $470 million maximum contract value - Dallas MAA service area includes Dallas and Tarrant counties, and encompasses the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. Denver: July 12, 2000 to AT&T, Qwest Corporation (formerly US West), and Winstar Communications, Inc. - $270 million maximum contract value - Denver MAA service area includes the entire county of Denver, the northern portion of Jefferson county to include the town of Golden (the Golden and Northeast Jefferson Minor Civil Divisions (MCDs)), the southeast portion of Adams county to include Commerce City (the West Adams, North Aurora, and Commerce City MCDs), and the western portion of Arapahoe county (to include the South Aurora and Southwest Arapahoe MCDs). Boston: July 31, 2000 to AT&T, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, Winstar Communications, Inc. and Bell Atlantic - $270 million maximum contract value - Boston MAA service area includes the city of Boston, as well as the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk. Albuquerque: August 31, 2000 to Qwest Corporation (formerly US West -- $102 million maximum contract value - Albuquerque comprehensive service coverage area includes Bernadillo County with extended local calling capabilities into the localities of Belen, Estancia, Laguna Acoma, Los Lunas, Moriarty, Mountainair, Pena Blanca, and Tijeras. Boise: August 31, 2000 to Qwest Corporation (formerly US West) -- $41 million maximum contract value -- Boise coverage service area includes Ada County. New Orleans: October 16, 2000 to Bell South -- $75 million maximum contract value - New Orleans MAA originating and terminating service area included the parishes of St. Charles, Jefferson, and Orleans, the town of Belle Chasse (located in the Plaquemines parish), and the towns of Chalmette, Arabi, Meraux, Violet, and Poydras (all located in St. Bernard parish). To date awards have been made to a total number of 20 cities served by the program. Procurements for seven additional cities are expected this year under Phase 3 of the program.
Continuous competition introduced throughout the life of the contract with a price management mechanism to ensure timely and continued pricing. One-stop-shopping local service contract with a broad scope for future local and long distance service integration and other new commercial services. Government customers on par with commercial customers�Government gets access to new services at same pace as commercial marketplace. Four base years plus four one-year options indefinite delivery/indefinite quantify fixed price contract with flexible provision for agencies' specific requirements. Significant price reduction due to competition. Service Level Feature-rich voice services with many features included as part of basic service package and as options. Services also No per-minute usage charge for Government-to-Government calls on the contractor's network. Number portability supported when agencies move to a new service provider. New services are compatible with existing ISDN equipment with no new equipment costs to agencies. Detailed pricing by NPA-NXX. Six flexible service delivery point options that allow agencies to acquire partial or turnkey services. Flexible solutions for ensuring quality inside wiring and achieving connectivity throughout a building. Wide range of support services including responsive ordering, billing, network troubleshooting, repair capabilities, Continuous competition designed to allow agencies to act as "smart shoppers" in a commercial-like marketplace. Index of News Releases
Last Reviewed 2/5/2009
|