GSA seeks comments on WITS 3

The General Services Administration has issued a request for information for the follow-on contract for local telecommunications services in the Washington metropolitan area.

The Washington Interagency Telecommunications System 3 program (WITS 3), will replace the current WITS2001 contract that expires in January 2008.

The WITS2001 contract, held by Verizon Communications Inc., provides federal agencies in the national capital region a wide range of local access, data and telecommunications equipment.

The national capital region includes Washington, the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George's, the Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, and the Virginia cities of Alexandria, Manassas, Fairfax and Falls Church.

Verizon won the 8-year, $1.4 billion WITS2001 contract in 2000.

WITS 3 ? which also will be for $1.4 billion over 8 years, counting four one-year options ? is scheduled to be awarded in January 2007. It will provide a continuation of local telecommunications services with in the Washington region, and also will serve as a platform for users to migrate to GSA's Networx contract based on individual agency requirements, funding and timelines.

Networx is GSA's $20 billion governmentwide contract for telecom and networks, which will be awarded in April 2006.

With WITS 3, the government wants to expand the opportunities for wide participation by industry as well as include new and emerging technologies, the RFI said.

GSA is seeking from industry comments on the government's strategy and requirements for WITS3. The deadline is Aug. 25.