WIDEBAND
The first step in obtaining commercial satellite goods and services is to contact your Regional SATCOM Support Center (RSSC) and speak to a COMSATCOM Service Branch (CSB) representative. For those customers not supported by an RSSC, please contact COMSATCOM Service Branch directly.
These CSB representatives will assist you by answering technical questions, providing cost estimates, and providing advice on filling out and obtaining the required documentation.
The most important step in the acquisition process is to clearly define the requirement. Generally, this can be captured in words that can be inserted into a Telecommunication Request (TR). For very complicated needs, the use of a Statement of Objectives (SOO) or a Statement of Work (SOW) may be more appropriate. If the requirement is a directed or sole source acquisition, then a Justification and Approval (J&A) document will be needed. In any event, CSB personnel will assist you in developing these documents.
If you are constrained in using specific government-owned equipment (e.g., modems, satellite earth stations, etc.) we will ask you to prepare a Commercial Satellite Service Request (CSSR). In these instances, gathering technical information is an essential aspect of satisfying your requirement. The information contained within the CSSR will help us to better understand your requirements, provide cost estimates, and facilitate the exploration of possible solutions. The CSSR can be sent to you via e-mail by one of our representatives or downloaded directly.
You must have a valid requirement in the Satellite Database to comply with Joint Chiefs of Staff requirements. Contacting your CSB representative is an important step in assisting you with this requirement.
The organization requesting COMSATCOM service is required to identify the funding activity responsible for reimbursing DITCO for the cost of the leased service, backbone, and overhead charges, as appropriate. This is accomplished with a Program Designator Code (PDC).
Once you have made the decision to obtain service, you will be required to formalize your request with a TR to your provisioning agency. For information on completing and submitting a TR, please refer to DISA Circular 310-130-1 (.gov/.mil restricted).
Additionally, any of our representatives will be happy to assist you with preparing your TR. Once you submit the TR, the CSB provisioning process can begin. Depending on the complexity of the requirement, our process typically takes between 21 to 45 days to complete. The installation of earth terminals can significantly increase this timeframe. Once you submit the TR to your provisioner, they will transform it into a Telecommunications Service Request (TSR) and again submit it for further processing into a Telecommunications Service Order (TSO). Once the provisioning documents are completed, our contracting officers at DITCO will submit a an Inquiry/Instructions to Contractors to the appropriate contractor(s). The CSB technical analysts and engineers will then evaluate the contractors' solutions to ensure the proposals meet your needs. At the same time, our contracting officers will evaluate the contractor cost proposals. Our recommendation, in conjunction with the contracting officers cost evaluation, will determine to which contractor the contracting officer will award the contract.
A visual representation of our COMSATCOM provisioning process is provided.
Mobile SATCOM
Call the MSS POC at CSB or go directly to the
DISA Direct to submit a Telecommunications Request (TR)