DISA solicits communications upgrades for Air Force One
With Boeing’s Connexion service going off-line, the Defense Information Systems Agency looks for a new partner; winning bid must offer 3 megabit/sec data rate, support six aircraft at once, and rely on existing Air Force One antennas
Here is an interesting opportunity for the most competant and patriotic of companies. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is actively looking for commercial satellite services to deliver broadband data services aboard Air Force One and twenty-six other Special Air Mission aircraft. The need has arisen not because planners felt that the current service, provided by Boeing and known as Connexion, was inadequate, but because Boeing recently announced that it would shut down the service (for which its main business was with commercial airlines and business jets.)
A few technical specifications: The winning proposal will offer a minimum data rate of three megabits per second, will support as many as six aircraft at a time with twenty users per plan, and will support virtual private network connections, access to government intranets, high-speed Internet, Internet-based voice services, e-mail, videoconferencing and secure telephone calls. It should also provide direct broadcast televison service, and if at all possible the system should use existing antennas aboard Air Force One (no plane modifications are currently scheduled and the Secret Service naturally prefers as little meddling as possible.)
-read more in Bob Brewin’s FCW report
