{"id":1900,"date":"2016-02-02T09:36:31","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T14:36:31","guid":{"rendered":"\/technology\/?p=1900"},"modified":"2024-01-11T18:19:21","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T23:19:21","slug":"satellite-solutions-on-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gsablogs.gsa.gov\/technology\/2016\/02\/02\/satellite-solutions-on-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Satellite Solutions on Course"},"content":{"rendered":"

(This blog post is part of a multi-week series reviewing data and trends from GSA\u2019s IT acquisition vehicles for FY15. Read previous posts at <\/span><\/i>http:\/\/gsablogs.gsa.gov\/technology\/<\/span><\/i><\/a>)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Satellites Make a Difference<\/b><\/h2>\n

Use of commercial satellite systems continue to give government the ability to make a huge difference in the lives of Americans. Defense and other systems can monitor global events and rapidly implement communications infrastructure almost immediately without advance resource and lead-time commitments.<\/span><\/p>\n

We depend on satellite solutions more and more to meet critical warfighter and disaster recovery communications requirements. In addition, satellites provide network diversity and resilience in the event that a terrestrial-based network fails. <\/span><\/p>\n

We rely on satellites for weather alerts, search and recovery, shipboard and maritime navigation, distance learning and training, and many scientific and research programs depend on commercial satellite capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n

SATCOM also supports additional remote and mobile applications in the areas of humanitarian relief, disaster-response communications, and counter terrorism efforts<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Satellite Use, by the Numbers<\/b><\/h2>\n

Use of commercial satellite services in Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) by government under GSA-DoD\u2019s joint<\/span> Satellite Communications (SATCOM)<\/span><\/a> program continues to be strong.<\/span><\/p>\n

Usage exceeded $532 million in FY15. Nearly 2,000 services and items have been delivered through the SATCOM contracts since inception in 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

A total of 44 agencies, including 34 civilian agencies, ordered satellite services in FY15 from<\/span> the joint GSA-DoD program called Future COMSATCOM Services Acquisition (FCSA).<\/span><\/p>\n

Defense needs continue to dominate the government\u2019s commercial satellite buys under FCSA with approximately <\/span>93.7<\/span>% of business volume from defense and 6.3% from civilian agencies. This is consistent with FY14 demand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Agencies buying through the FCSA program obtain lower prices. Bandwidth prices in FY15 using the FCSA contract averaged 34% savings off of Schedule list prices. GSA estimates that the SATCOM centralized competition and increased price transparency driven by the GSA-DoD partnership saved the government $211 million in FY15.<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Satellite Buying Trends<\/b><\/h2>\n

The buying patterns on the<\/span> SATCOM<\/span><\/a> contracts remain consistent with last year, showing which satellite services are most often used and how agencies are buying them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Most commercial satellite requirements (approximately 75%) continue to be satisfied through use of<\/span> IT Schedule 70<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n