Local and Long-Distance Telecommunications Service in Alaska

for Information (RFI) – Commercial Local and Long-Distance Telecommunications Services Agency/Office: Department of War / 673 CONS/PKC Notice Type: Request for Information Daylight Time Disclaimer This RFI is issued solely for market research. It does not constitute a solicitation (Request for Quotations) or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Furthermore, the Government is not at this time seeking quotes and will not accept unsolicited quotes. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. 1.0 Purpose This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, Market Research. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. The Government is seeking industry feedback on commercial

pricing practices for local and international long-distance telecommunications services to inform a future acquisition strategy. 2.0

Background The Government requires reliable local and long-distance telecommunications services to support mission-critical operations. The Government’s strong preference is to utilize a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) structure to the maximum extent practicable. The Government possesses historical data establishing the average monthly volume (in minutes) of long-distance calls. However, destination countries vary significantly, and each country carries a distinct long-distance rate, presenting a challenge for traditional FFP structuring. 3.0 Requested Information /

Questions to Industry The Government requests that interested vendors review the scenario above and provide responses to the following inquiries regarding commercial best practices: Question 1: The Government intends to utilize an FFP

contract type. How does your company typically structure CLINs to bill for a combination of standard local services and variable long-distance (domestic and international) services in commercial contracts? Answer: Question 2: The Government knows the historical average of monthly long-distance minutes but understands rates fluctuate based on the specific destination country. If this is the case, how would industry recommend structuring an FFP CLIN to account for this variation? Please discuss methods such as a single blended rate, geographic tiering (e.g., grouping countries by rate bands), baseline volume

pricing with pre-priced overages, or other standard commercial practices. Answer: Question 3: If a pure FFP structure for international long-distance is not standard commercial practice due to rate volatility, what alternative