Microwave Radio Equipment and Services

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP. Furthermore, those who respond to this RFI should not anticipate feedback with regards to its submission; other than acknowledgment of receipt – IF a request for an acknowledgement is requested by the submitter. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. DHS is not at this time seeking proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay any cost incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. All submissions become the property of the Federal Government, and will not be returned. 1.0 DESCRIPTION The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking information on microwave communications equipment, to include antenna assemblies and related equipment installation, optimization and training services for the Cross Border Security Communications Network (CBSCN) project. This equipment may be employed in multiple configurations, depending on the requirements of the DHS Component. Equipment needs to be of high quality and effective in design and function in providing voice, data and video communication. All proposed products must be readily available, commercial off the shelf products. This is not an RFI for products under Research and Development. 2.0 PURPOSE OF THIS RFI DHS is releasing this RFI in order to determine the capability of the market to provide microwave radio, antenna, and network equipment, and associated installation, optimization and technical training for this equipment. DHS is seeking information from vendors able to deliver microwave radio communications equipment to operate in the 7125-8500MHz band, including appropriate microwave antenna systems, system networking equipment (to include network routers and switches) and microwave radio test/analysis equipment. In addition, DHS is requesting vendor information regarding equipment implementation (to include installation and optimization service) plans from the vendors for the microwave radio system (antenna, radio and network equipment). DHS is also requesting information from vendors regarding microwave radio and network equipment operation and repair training for this equipment. With this equipment and training purchase, DHS is requesting vendors to provide information regarding appropriate contract vehicle options for purchasing the microwave radio and associated equipment, as well as identify appropriate contract vehicles to procure installation, optimization and training services as required. If it is necessary to purchase the equipment and services from separate contract vehicles, the vendors should provide information regarding which contract vehicles are appropriate for this procurement effort. The microwave equipment must support full feature capabilities to interoperate with Mexico’s C4 and DHS Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) microwave systems. The microwave links will have a capacity of OC-3 (155 mbps), will operate in the 7125-8500MHz band, and will not exceed 40MHz RF bandwidth. The microwave terminals must meet National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) certified Advanced Encryption Standards (AES) encryption in accordance with Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 197 and FIPS 140-2 Security standards for Cryptographic Modules ( Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 197 Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) specifies the cryptographic algorithm that can be used to protect electronic data. The use of FIPS 140-2 validation certificates is required by the United States Government for all unclassified uses of cryptography). The microwave terminals must be Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled and capable of interfacing with an IP based network. The microwave equipment must also fit standard 19” equipment rack or cabinet, be equipped with a 120VAC/60Hz charger with -48 VDC battery supply for minimum 1 hour backup capability, must be IP-enabled and support the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) 802.1P standard, and operate at a minimum of +23 dBm transmitter output power, minimum of -71 dBm receiver threshold level at 10-6 BER and must be monitored hot standby (MHSB) configuration. The antenna system for the microwave equipment must operate in the 7125-8500 MHz frequency band, and support 40MHz bandwidth. The antenna gain must be equal to or greater than 40dBi, must be less than or equal to 6 feet in overall diameter, must be rugged robust construction (e.g., MIL-STD 810E) able to survive in harsh field environment, have an operational wind rating of equal to or greater than 75mph, survival wind rating equal to or greater than 125mph, include a protective radome with two support arms. The networking equipment, consisting of a switch and router, requires the following functions: The switch must fit a standard 19” equipment rack or cabinet, have a 120VAC/60Hz power supply, must support AES 256 bit Type 3 encryption, and is equipped for 100 baseT Ethernet interface. The router, at a minimum, must have the following features and functions, which is to fit a standard 19” equipment rack or cabinet, have a 120VAC/60Hz power supply, must support IP Layer 2 switching capabilities and must support AES 256 bit Type 3 encryption. The router must be equipped for 100 baseT Ethernet interface. The contractor shall be responsible for performing all design, installation and optimization work in accordance with all applicable National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Chapter 5 standards, as well as applicable industry standards for microwave radio communications equipment in the 7125-8500MHz band (please see complete standards listing). This shall include, but is not limited to, microwave radio equipment, antennas, waveguides, antenna connectors, waveguide pressurization equipment, grounding systems, point-to-point microwave links, lightning suppression equipment, UPS systems, microwave system management equipment and software, and other equipment as needed. The contractor shall have the required equipment and expertise to verify the performance and/or programming of all components as listed above. The contractor shall also have the required equipment and expertise to test completed microwave systems as directed by the Government. This includes, but is not limited to, testing the system to ensure the functionality, coverage, capacity, interoperability, security, and availability meets the functional requirements and specifications. After all equipment has been installed at the site, the equipment at each identified site shall be tested to ensure proper operation. Each system shall be optimized, as required, to ensure maximum performance. The project shall be granted formal completion after the satisfactory completion of the installation, delivery of all unused Government equipment and materials, removal of debris, resolution of punch-list issues, delivery of system manuals and documentation, and formal Government acceptance. For technical training on the microwave radio and associated equipment, the vendors shall provide education and training to identified appropriate CBP communications equipment technicians who will configure, repair and maintain the microwave radio equipment and antenna systems as applicable. This training will include instruction on the microwave radios, the network switches and routers, and the associated antenna systems, to include waveguide and parabolic antennas. The contractor will provide this training either on-site at the antenna site; or at contractor provided training facilities. The Government shall provide a list of personnel to be trained in writing to the contractor prior to the start of the training period. The contractor shall ensure that instructors are proficient in microwave communications technology, and have the appropriate instruction certifications for this training. Suitable training shall include, at a minimum, the following objectives: to develop and plan meaningful instruction, to use sound teaching methods, to communicate effectively, and to evaluate the achievement of learning objectives. 3.0 CAPABILITY STATEMENT SUBMISSION Interested parties are requested to submit a Capability Statement, including the product description comprised of a detailed summary of salient product characteristics, uses, and capabilities for each product. Product characteristics must meet the requirements listed in Section 2 of this document. Capability Statements shall not exceed 5 pages, excluding the cover page. Product catalogs may be submitted as an attachment and will not be included in the page count. 4.0 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Interested parties are required to address the points identified in 2.0 above. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Electronic files larger than 5 MB shall be broken down into multiple files with no one file exceeding 5 MB. Each electronic submission shall include:  RFI number and “Capability Statement” in the Subject Line  If submission includes more than one electronic email, the file number and total files being submitted (e.g., File 1 of 4, File 2 of 4, etc.) in the Subject Line  In the body of the email, include a Point of Contact (POC), phone number and email address of the person to be contacted regarding any correspondence between the Government and the Vendor. This person should be a primary contact and capable of addressing questions or issues associated with the submission or content of the Capability Statement.  Include a brief summary of email content, Vendor name and firm’s mailing address.  The Capability Statement attachment. All Capability Statements shall be submitted to Evan Strother, Contract Specialist, at the following email address, [email protected], no later than COB, August 7, 2009. Capability Statement receipt time will be determined by the recorded time of receipt in the Contract Specialist’s email box. In the event submissions include multiple electronic files, all files must be received in the electronic mail box by the due date specified above to be considered timely. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized, segregated and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. Responses to this RFI may be evaluated by Government technical experts drawn from staff within DHS and other Federal agencies. Please be advised that all submissions become the property of the Federal Government, and will not be returned. The Government may use selected support contractor personnel to assist in the evaluation. These support contractors will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary and source selection information. This action will be governed under DHS law enforcement sensitive guidelines.