The first step in obtaining commercial satellite goods and services is to contact your Global or Regional SATCOM Support Center (RSSC) and speak to a Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Services Division (CSD) representative. For those customers not supported by an RSSC, please contact COMSATCOM Center directly.
COMSATCOM Center representatives will assist you by answering technical questions, providing current templates of the Requirements Package, providing cost estimates, and providing advice on filling out the required documentation. Note that you must have a valid requirement in the satellite database to comply with Joint Chiefs of Staff requirements. Contacting your COMSATCOM Center representative is an important step in assisting you with all aspects of submitting a COMSATCOM requirement.
The most important step in the acquisition process is to clearly define the requirement, which will be captured in a Performance Work Statement (PWS) and Commercial Satellite Service Request (CSSR).
The information contained within these documents will help us to better understand your requirements, provide cost estimates, and facilitate the exploration of possible solutions. All required documents will be sent to you directly via e-mail by one of our representatives. If the requirement is a directed or sole source acquisition, then a Justification and Approval document will be needed. In any event, COMSATCOM Center personnel will assist you in developing these documents.
Funds for COMSATCOM requirements under SINs 132-54 and -55 are paid for using a Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request (MIPR), which must match the cost estimate provided by the COMSATCOM Center.
Once the provisioning documents are completed, our contracting officers at DITCO will submit a Request for Quotes (RFQ).
The COMSATCOM Center technical analysts and engineers will then evaluate the vendor solutions to ensure that the proposals meet your needs. At the same time, our contracting officers will evaluate the vendor cost proposals. Our recommendation, in conjunction with the contracting officers' cost evaluation, will determine to which vendor the contracting officer will award the contract.
The timeline to process a Requirements Package is dependent on your requirement's variables (e.g., size and complexity, cost threshold, and number of reviewers/approvers necessary). If an emergency occurs and/or contingency effort occurs, the COMSATCOM Center and DITCO will work within their means and levels of authority to provision your services as quickly as possible.
A visual representation of our COMSATCOM Acquisition Process is provided.
Mobile Satellite Services
Call the Mobile Satellite Service Points of Contact or go directly to the
DISA Direct to submit a TR.