MODIFICATION
D -- RELAY OF ENVIRONMENTAL DATA FROM NOAA DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM PLATFORMS (DCPs) TO THE USERS
- Notice Date
- 2/22/2005
- Notice Type
- Modification
- NAICS
- 517410
— Satellite Telecommunications
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office, SSMC4 - Room 7601/OFA61 1305 East West Highway, 7th Floor, Silver Spring, MD, 20910
- ZIP Code
- 20910
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-NESDIS-DCS-2005-HLK
- Response Due
- 3/10/2005
- Archive Date
- 3/25/2005
- Description
- The attached are responses to questions received for this RFI. RESPONSES TO DCS RFI NESDIS-DCS-2005-HLK 1. Q - Questions about the solicitation. A ? This is a ?Request for Information (RFI)? only from NOAA at this time. There is no RFP planned at this time. Any information about the current systems and mission can be found on the web site cited in the RFI. 2. Q ? Is there a time-frame for the release of the RFQ for this proposal? A ? No. There is no RFP planned at this time. 3. Q ? If we do not respond to this RFI, will this prevent a bid submittal when the RFQ is released? A ? No, you may still respond to the RFP when one is released. 4. Q ? Is NOAA seeking alternatives to the specifications listed? A ? See response to #5, below. 5. Q ? The RFI indicates that you are willing to consider alternate means of relaying data from the collection platforms to NOAA. Does this mean that the GOES/POES/NPOESS satellites would not perform this task? A ? Yes. NOAA is interested in learning about and considering all options/capabilities for relaying and distributing the DCP data via commercial services. Responders to the RFI will provide a technical approach for providing DCS services that may replace any or all of the existing system segments. It may provide a better, more capable, flexible and cost-effective solution to a segment or an entire system. 6. Q ? How is the data currently distributed from NOAA to the users? Where are the users? How many users are there? POES Raw data is preprocessed at NOAA into a common format and delivered to two global processing centers owned and operated by a quasi-commercial subsidiary of the French space agency CNES. Collection Location Satellites (CLS) Toulouse France and Service Argos Inc. Lanham MD converts the preprocessed data into scientific parameters and delivers data to the users. The means of data delivery vary from telnet, e-mail, internet, and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Telecommunication System (GTS). GTS is an independent circuit with various gateways around the world where environmental data is shared for the modeling and operational forecast communities. For more on the GTS visit http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/TEM/gts.html. Users of the POES Argos Data Collection System are located across the globe. The system is used by researchers and Governments of approximately 39 different countries. (Statistics reported in June 2004) There are 1,106 System Use Agreements in place covering 3,734 programs. Argos DCS has issued 41,315 IDs for platforms and averages ~12,000 active platforms in a given month. GOES The users (mainly U.S. government agencies and international hydro-meteorological offices) are located throughout the GOES coverage area, including the US, Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America. For GOES, DCS data are distributed via several methods: directly from the GOES satellite for reception by a Direct Readout Ground System (DRGS); rebroadcast to a commercial DOMSAT system which retransmits a single data stream in Ku band for reception by a small antennae-based system; Internet distribution from our ground system, and some user Internet-based redistribution systems. There are approximately 25,000 transmitters (DCPs), belonging to about 400 user agencies. 7. Q ? Are you able to consider an alternate frequency (i.e., not the UHF band) for any part of the link - e.g., from the data collection platforms to NOAA, or from NOAA to the users? Yes, if the frequency change can be coordinated and approved by the users, government agencies and found to be cost effective. Currently, the frequencies used for the DCS link are set at the user?s platform transmitters and the spacecraft transponder. While there are other uplinks available for metsat use, there are many thousands of DCPs in use around the world using the 401-403 MHz band for this purpose. The Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) has endorsed use of this band for DCP transmissions. So it would pose quite a hardship to change all of the existing DCPs to a new frequency. Of course this could not be accomplished for many years because existing metsats in orbit cannot change frequencies and for those in planning, changes would necessitate substantial delays and additional costs. The other uplink frequencies available are 2025-2110 MHz, 8175-8215 MHz, 28.5-29 GHz, 40-40.5 GHz. These higher frequencies would require a much different design. Adding to the complexity of using these frequencies is the need to coordinate with existing users of these bands, in particular 2025-2110 MHz and 8175-8215 MHz. However, with lead time and advance coordinated planning, it may be possible. Responses to the RFI may describe alternate mechanisms for all links. 8. Q ? For information on the customer interface, I presume you are seeking details on the 'human' interface for problem reporting/resolution rather than technical interface specifications? The customer service interface is that portion of the Responder?s technical approach that is to be used for providing the service both to NOAA and to its subscribers. This interface may include scheduling requests for service, changing or terminating service, reporting trouble with the service, or requesting information about the service, data processing issues, data retrieval problems etc. NOAA would be willing to consider whatever ideas the vendor chooses to propose.
- Record
- SN00755803-W 20050224/050222211644 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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