Sprint Communications Company, B-278407.2, February 13, 1998

B-278407.2 Feb 13, 1998 Jump To VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Video at far higher speeds than other existing technology) is beyond the scope of the original contract. Sprint argues that DISA was required to hold a competition for the transmission services. Is one of a series of component contracts that make up the DISN. Which is known as the DISN Switched/Bandwidth Manager Services continental United States (CONUS) (DS/BMS-C) contract. Was awarded under request for proposals (RFP) No. The DS/BMS-C contract was awarded to MCI on August 28. Whether the DS/BMS-C contractor will provide transmission services. Section 1.2 of the SOW states: This contract will not require the contractor to provide either access to the network or backbone transmission services. View Decision Matter of: Sprint Communications Company File: B-278407.2 Date: February 13, 1998 * Redacted Decision DIGEST Attorneys DECISION Sprint Communications Company protests the decision of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to modify its contract with MCI Telecommunications Corporation for bandwidth management and switching services for the Defense Information System Network (DISN). Sprint argues that the requirement of the modification that MCI provide transmission services exceeds the scope of the original contract. Thus, Sprint argues that DISA was required to hold a competition for the transmission services. We sustain the protest. BACKGROUND MCI's contract, No. DCA200-96-D-0096, is one of a series of component contracts that make up the DISN, a telecommunications system providing end-to-end common user, switched voice and video, and dedicated data service in support of Department of Defense (DOD) command, control, communication, and intelligence requirements. The MCI contract, which is known as the DISN Switched/Bandwidth Manager Services continental United States (CONUS) (DS/BMS-C) contract, was awarded under request for proposals (RFP) No. DCA200-95-R-0129. Three vendors submitted proposals in response to the DS/BMS-C RFP: MCI, AT&T Corporation, and Electronic Data Systems, Inc., which proposed Sprint as a subcontractor. The DS/BMS-C contract was awarded to MCI on August 28, 1996, at an evaluated life-cycle cost of approximately $84.9 million. Agency Report (Report) at 14. The contract includes a not-to-exceed cost ceiling of $400 million. The DS/BMS-C contract includes a statement of work (SOW) which describes the services to be provided under the contract as "switched and bandwidth management services in support of DISN CONUS." SOW Sec. 1.2. Thus, the DS/BMS-C contract provides the capability to switch network traffic /1/ at service delivery points and provides bandwidth managers at government specified service delivery points. /2/ In addition, the contractor provides network management services and shares network coordinating functions with other network contractors. SOW Sec. 3.4. Concerning the issue raised by this protest--whether the DS/BMS-C contractor will provide transmission services--section 1.2 of the SOW states: This contract will not require the contractor to provide either access to the network or backbone transmission services. All access and backbone transmission services, including those that are needed to connect with existing services during transition of full services between end-user [service delivery points], will be provided by the Government under separate contract unless otherwise stipulated. Also relevant to this protest, SOW Sec. 1.4, "ROLE OF OTHER CONTRACTORS," describes the various contracts that make up the DISN. Generally, that section explains that the DS/BMS-C contract provides switching and bandwidth management services and network management functions for the DISN. Section 1.4 of the DS/BMS-C SOW also describes the DTS-C contract, which was awarded to AT&T on January 28, 1997. According to Sec. 1.4, the DTS-C contract provides access transmission services defined as "access between DOD facilities and the DISN CONUS network" and backbone transmission services defined as "the wideband network level transport that will connect the [bandwidth managers] provided under this [the DS/BMS-C contract] contract." /3/ The Modification In May 1997, DOD's TRICARE /4/ Information Management Program requested that DISA provide a high bandwidth, reliable telecommunications network for hospitals and medical facilities within the military's health care system. Report at 16. The network is to integrate information such as patient records, laboratory analysis results, resource scheduling, billing, and medical consultations. In addition, the network is to allow health care providers in critically short specialty areas to serve a wider area of coverage through video teleconferencing and telemedicine.