Dec. 6 FTS2000 Deadline Passes, Old Contract is Extended

The General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service reached an agreement Dec. 7 with AT&T Corp. and Sprint Corp. to extend the FTS2000 bridge contracts for long-distance telecommunications services, the GSA said.


Agencies were expected to complete transition to the FTS2001 contract by Dec. 6, but the GSA said the agreement was necessary to allow additional time for some agencies.


"Continuity of service is essential, and we cannot and will not leave our customers stranded," said Sandy Bates, FTS Commissioner. "Now, it is time to move full speed ahead to get onto the new networks."


Agencies are transitioning to new FTS2001 contracts with WorldCom Inc. of Clinton, Miss., and Sprint of Westwood, Kan., which were awarded in December 1998 and January 1999, respectively, to replace the FTS2000.


The contract with AT&T of Basking Ridge, N.J., requires a fee of $8 million to maintain FTS2000 systems for program management, provisioning, billing and emergency monitoring beyond the Dec. 6 deadline.