ETHERNET SERVICE FOR OCIO/OIS ATLANTA LOCATIONS

INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE. The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Acquisition Management Services, on behalf of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), intends to issue a sole source award to Level 3 Communications, LLC, located at 1025 Eldorado Blvd, Broomfield, CO 80021, for a linear 1 Gig dedicated ethernet point to point service, unrestricted and unlimited tagging, jumbo frame enabled, layer two transport, terminated at both ends with SM fiber and LC connectors, with inside plant cabling at two locations in Atlanta, GA (ATL).  This ethernet circuit is part of HHS’ Trusted Internet Connection (TIC) infrastructure. Transition or any disruption of this circuit without the proper lead time and planning would have an extreme negative impact on HHS cyber security operations.  The period of performance consists of a 12-month base period and one 12-month option period to allow OCIO sufficient time to consider a competitive follow-on.  The statutory authority is FAR 41 U.S.C. 1901, as set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 12.102(a). 

TIC is a federal initiative launched in 2007 to improve the internet points of presence and external network connections for the government. HHS’ complex TIC architecture represents a significant, on-going investment that supports and impacts most aspects of the HHS mission. HHS’ goal is to optimize network performance, enhance security and operational capabilities, and streamline management and costs across the department.  

On September 12, 2019, OMB released M-19-26 with the goal of "Updating the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC Initiative)". M-19-26 provided an enhanced approach for implementing the TIC initiative that enabled agencies with the increased flexibility to leverage modern security capabilities, while also establishing a process for ensuring the TIC Initiative is agile and responsive to advancements in technology and rapidly evolving threats. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) branded this evolution of the program as TIC 3.0 and has since developed Core Program and Use Case Guidance to support and navigate the program's paradigm shift. The TIC 3.0 program updates have modernized and expanded the original version of the initiative to drive security capabilities to better leverage advances in technology as agencies decentralize their network perimeters or system boundaries to better support the remote workforce and the continued adoption of cloud service provider environments.  

Level 3 Communications, LLC is the only source that can provide the service without introducing unacceptable risk to network security, service availability, or compliance with federal cybersecurity mandates. Transitioning to a new provider would require extensive reengineering, testing, and certification, which is not feasible within the current operational timeline.  The ATL-TIC provides primary Trusted Internet Connection services, which are essential for secure internet access and cybersecurity posture across multiple departmental components.  The services are critical, and disruption would result in immediate and significant harm to government operations, including loss of connectivity for mission-critical systems and potential exposure to cybersecurity threats.  The circuit is crucial to the Department’s enterprise-wide systems hosted at the Atlanta facility.   

THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. No solicitation document is available, and telephone, fax, or e-mail requests will not be honored. No contract will be awarded on the basis of offers received in response to this notice. A determination not to compete this proposed contract based on this notice is within the discretion of the Government. Point of contact for this requirement is Tory Estabrook at tory.estabrook@psc.hhs.gov.