SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- AIRLINE PASSENGER WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES FOR ENCHANCED FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL SERVICE APPLICATONS
- Notice Date
- 7/16/2007
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 517212
— Cellular and Other Wireless Telecommunications
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, OH 44135
- ZIP Code
- 44135
- Solicitation Number
- NNC07RCI001L
- Response Due
- 8/17/2007
- Archive Date
- 7/16/2008
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF SOLICITATION. IT IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. In responding to this notice, please refer to ?Airline/Passenger Wireless Communications Services for Enhanced FAMS Applications.? Send information/literature/qualification statement no later than August 17, 2007 to the e-mail or postal address as provided herein. NASA is supporting the Federal Air Marshals Service (FAMS) in this investigation and does not intend to award a contract based on this information. This RFI is for planning purposes only and to allow the industry an opportunity to provide technical and business information relative to the goals set forth below. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is seeking information about wireless telecommunications services that are or soon will be available to U.S. airlines and/or passengers of U.S. domestic and international aircraft to assess the potential use of these services in enhancing both on-board and off-board (air-ground) communications services for FAMS applications. The information received from this RFI will be used by NASA and the FAMS to assess the technology readiness level of potential solutions and plan for potential establishment of a future public-private partnership that enhances on-board and off-board communications for Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) in all phases of flight. In general, FAMs on duty need to be able to communicate with other FAMs and, potentially, crew members and other law enforcement officers onboard the aircraft, as well as with FAMs in ground-based mission operations control centers. Communications primarily take the form of messaging and digital data file exchanges both onboard the aircraft and between the aircraft and the ground. However, voice capability is required for some modes of FAMs? operations. Details on specific minimum, desired and maximum requirements for data rates, availability during each phase of flight, and acceptable latency will be provided only to those companies deemed qualified for follow-on private discussions by the FAMS and/or NASA. That determination will be based on the content and quality of the response to this RFI or on established credentials from existing relationships with the FAMS and/or NASA on this or similar activities. One of the primary goals of a potential future public-private partnership is to leverage to the greatest extent practicable the existing service capabilities and infrastructure made available to all air travel passengers in the form of airline passenger communications services (APC). This goal is believed to provide the most benefits to all parties for the least additional total life-cycle costs and operational risks for each party. However, the FAMS is open to consideration of public-private partnerships with providers of airline administrative communications (AAC) services and airline operational control (AOC) services. Qualified providers are considered to be those U.S. commercial entities including established and recognized: air transportation carriers, APC, AOC or AAC service providers, wireless telecommunications network service providers or equipment manufacturers, aircraft or avionics equipment manufacturers, aeronautical communications systems integrators, or business consultants to the aviation industry. Qualified providers are requested to provide information that describes the capabilities of their currently available systems and components as well as near-term enhancements or longer-term development efforts that may be of potential benefit to FAMS in any and all flight domains. The primary goal of this investigation is to identify those communications services that are already available and those that may soon be available to all passengers. However, the FAMS is also interested in influencing or leveraging through public-private partnerships the design of future onboard and air-ground communications services to provide even greater capabilities. Interested companies are invited to submit specific information on any or all of the following topics: 1. Category of responder: ?Indicate your status as an: air carrier; on-board service provider; off-board service; provider; terrestrial service provider; component supplier; systems integrator; or advisor/consultant; and ?Provide data on the actual or potential size of fleet, type of aircraft, or percentage of relevant market penetration. 2. Equipage: ?Provide relevant equipage data and/or plans as desired. 3. Primary communications system(s) proposed for general airline and/or passenger use: ?Describe primary solution for on-board wireless data local area network, ?Including operational spectrum, bandwidth and latency, ?Including expected interfaces to commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) personal electronic devices (PEDs); ?Including on-board cabin/crew communications, and ?Including sensor data distribution within the airframe; ?Describe primary solution for off-board air/ground data communications, ?Via APC, AAC, or AOC services, ?Including operational spectrum, bandwidth and latency; ?Describe primary solution for terrestrial interconnectivity; ?Describe primary solution for on-board and off-board voice communications; ?Describe alternate or secondary solutions for data and voice communications; and 4. Proposed concepts of use of airline and/or passenger communications systems for FAMs specific support: ?Describe how FAMs access and use commercial on-board systems; ?Describe how FAMs access and use off-board systems (via terrestrial RF or satellite); ?Describe approach to compatibility with COTS PEDs and applications, or the need for any custom PEDs and/or applications; ?Describe connectivity with mission operations control facilities via terrestrial infrastructure; ?Describe concepts for FAMs use in specific phases of flight; and ?Provide estimates of capacity available to FAMs during nominal and peak operations. 5. Time line of pertinent communications systems capabilities provided: ?Identify what capabilities are currently available; ?Identify what capabilities are available in the near term (within 2 years); and ?Identify what capabilities may be available in the long term (beyond 2 years). 6. Certification impact: ?Describe extent of required interaction with crew and/or flight deck avionics; ?Discuss certification implications for proposed FAMS use of airline and/or passenger wireless communications services; and ?Describe status of relevant certification processes. 7. Security impact: ?Discuss security implications for proposed FAMS use of airline and/or passenger wireless communications services. ?Identify potential security risks, vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies. 8. Business case for airline and/or passenger communications system to be leveraged: ?Identify benefits to all parties; ?Identify potential leverage of airline and/or passenger communications system for FAMS applications; ?Describe total cost of ownership (e.g. costs of new equipage, facilities and engineering, maintenance and upgrades); ?Describe leverage from other markets (e.g. passenger services); ?Describe concepts for pricing/fee strategies from user perspective (e.g. bundled voice and data services, minimum usage flat fees per flight, on demand); ?Identify current or pending partner(s); and ?Identify other relevant investors. 9. Challenges or concerns: ?Identify major and minor barriers to providing wireless communications service to FAMS; ?Identify approach to overcome those barriers; and ?Identify any other issues of possible concern to the carriers, the providers or the FAMS. Submittal Instructions 1.Please send relevant literature and information to: E-mail address: James.M.Budinger@nasa.gov NASA-Glenn Research Center Attn: James M. Budinger 21000 Brookpark Road, Mail Stop: 60-1 Cleveland, OH 44135-3191 (216) 433-3496 [Phone] (216) 433-6371 [Fax] 2.Such information shall include as a minimum, a brief description of your relevant company capabilities, products and services, history, and other specific information as requested in this RFI. However, specific information related to any or all of the 9 topics identified above is desired. As part of your information package, please include company Technical Point(s) of Contact including address, telephone number and e-mail address. 3. At its discretion, NASA on behalf of the FAMS may request further discussions and/or clarification of the information submitted in the late-August 2007 time frame. If agreeable to both parties, such discussions may take place via teleconferencing or on-site visit to FAMS facilities in the Washington, DC area at the responder?s expense. If they do occur, discussions will be constrained to a two hour time duration, and will consist of vendor presentations and subsequent discussions of the presented material only. Representatives from NASA, the FAMS and their Contractors and Grantees may be present for such discussions. THIS RFI IS ISSUED SOLELY FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION. Contractors of NASA and the FAMS that are assisting in the development of the FAMS Air-Ground Communications Roadmap and associated research, experiments and demonstrations will have access to the information submitted for the purpose of conducting the technology pre-screening process. Responses to this RFI will not be returned. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with any response to this RFI. THIS SYNOPSIS SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT, NOR WILL THE GOVERNMENT PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITATED. RESPONDERS WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED OF ANY REVIEWS RESULTING FROM THIS RFI.
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