Contact: Mr. Gomes Zita, Vice President -- Operations, Telecomunicacoes de Mocambique, Rua da Se No. 2, Caixa Postal 25, Maputo, Mozambique, telephone: 011-258-1-431921, fax: 011-258-1-431944.

B -- MOZAMBIQUE -- VSAT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM FEASIBILITY STUDY POC Evangela Kunene, USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009. Mozambique -- VSAT Communications System Feasibility Study. The Grantee invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms which are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to conduct a feasibility study for a VSAT communications system infrastructure project in Mozambique. The Grantee, Telecomunicacoes de Mocambique (TDM), serves as Mozambiques national carrier and has operated as an independent, state-owned company since 1992. TDM retains its monopoly rights, but at the same time has financial autonomy. It is charged with planning, installing, and operating the national and international network for Mozambique, including basic services, switching and transmission, and cellular services. Currently, TDM provides telephone, fax, telex, leased line and mobile telephony services, in addition to its Internet gateway and the support it provides to television and radio broadcasting stations. In accordance with its morecommercial orientation and independence, over the last six years TDM initiated internal reforms and outsourced specific business activities to increase efficiency and productivity. It also entered into several joint ventures for the delivery of value-added and complimentary services. However, TDMs strategic priorities have recently shifted, and a wireless local loop project is no longer a top priority. The need to interconnect private business areas and find methodologies for linking remote population centers is a primary concern, and may be best achieved with a VSAT system. The feasibility study will include the following topics: 1) market/demand analysis for VSAT services for business needs, 2) consumer analysis, 3) preliminary evaluation of a pilot VSAT network, 4) review of regulatory environment, 5) organization analysis, 6) marketing/price plan, 7) competitive analysis including a review of current competition and traffic potential, 8) overview of suggested VSAT network maintenance plan, 9) suggested VSAT network maintenance plan, 10) cost/benefit analysis for VSAT network implementation, 11) cash flow and financial operating analysis, 12) financing plan, 13) commercial VSAT strategy for TDM, and 14) environmental assessment. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a $83,600 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) for this study. The selected consultant team will be precluded from competing for any follow-on work associated with this project. A detailed Request for Proposals (RFP), which includes requirements for the Proposal, the Terms of Reference, and a background definitional mission report are available from TDA, at 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209-2131. Requests for the RFP should be faxed to the IRC, TDA at 703-875-4009. In the fax, please include your firms name, contact person, address, and telephone number. Some firms have found that RFP materials sent by U.S. mail do not reach them in time for preparation of an adequate response. Firms that want TDA to use an overnight delivery service should include the name of the delivery service and your firm's account number in the request for the RFP. Firms that want to send a courier to TDA to retrieve the RFP should allow one hour after faxing the request to TDA before scheduling a pick-up. Please note that no telephone requests for the RFP will be honored. Please check your internal fax verification receipt. Because of the large number of RFP requests, TDA cannot respond to requests for fax verification. Requests for RFPs received before 4:00 PM will be mailed the same day. Requests received after 4:00 PM will be mailed the following day. Please check with your courier and/or mail room before calling TDA. Only U.S. firms and individuals may bid on this TDA financed activity. Interested firms, their subcontractors and employees of all participants must qualify under TDA's nationality requirements as of the due date for submission of qualifications and proposals and, if selected to carry out the TDA-financed activity, must continue to meet such requirements throughout the duration of the TDA-financed activity. All goods and services to be provided by the selected firm shall have their nationality, source and origin in the U.S. or host country. The U.S. firm may use subcontractors from the host country for up to 20 percent of the TDA grant amount. Details of TDA's nationality requirements and mandatory contract clauses are also included in the RFP. Interested U.S. firms should submit their Proposal in English directly to the Grantee by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 19, 1999, at the above address. Evaluation criteria for the Proposal are included in the RFP. Price will not be a factor in contractor selection, and therefore, cost proposals should NOT be submitted. The Grantee reserves the right to reject any and/or all Proposals. The Grantee also reserves the right to contract with the selected firm for subsequent work related to the project. The Grantee is not bound to pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of Proposals. Posted 12/08/98 (I-SN278201). (0342)

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