Verizon expands federal offerings in the region

The General Services Administration has placed Verizon Federal Inc. of Washington on two contracts that let the company compete for $330 million worth of federal telecommunications business from Philadelphia to Richmond, Va.

The vendor was added to GSA's regional Access program for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Verizon is eligible to compete for federal local phone service in 11 cities in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The region's markets do not include the Washington metro area. The eight-year contract?three base years with five one-year options?has a maximum value of $35 million.

A much bigger market is opened to Verizon in Philadelphia, where federal agencies can spend up to $296 million in voice and data services over eight years. Verizon won access to the market through a modification of a Metropolitan Area Acquisition contract.

Verizon was awarded an MAA contract for Norfolk, Va., in January 2002. Under crossover provisions of the MAA program, contracts can be modified to let companies compete in other markets. Verizon applied in August 2003 for a modification to that contract to cross over to Philadelphia.

The original Philadelphia MAA contracts were awarded in February 2001 to AT&T Corp. and Winstar Holdings LLC.

William Jackson writes for Government Computer News magazine.