A Message from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced the first of three sets of solicitations for DTV transition assistance, releasing six Statements of Work (SOW) with Requests for Quotations (RFQs) that seek proposals for Basic In-Home Installation Services to assist consumers in making the transition to digital television (DTV). Under the terms of the “DTV Delay Act,” which was enacted into law on February 11, 2009, all full-power broadcast television stations will cease analog transmission and will be transmitting only digital signals after June 12, 2009. In cooperation with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the FCC is undertaking a series of coordinated steps to assist consumers in making a smooth transition to digital broadcast television. The contract solicitations released today are one major piece of that coordinated effort.
Links to the solicitations can be found at www.fcc.gov/omd/contracts/pre-award/dtv-support.html. Links to future DTV-related solicitations will be posted there as well. For additional information, contact Wilma Mooney. The solicitations for Basic In-Home Installation Services will close on April 9, 2009.
Based on the Commission’s DTV transition outreach initiative, proposals are being solicited for each of six U.S. regions – Pacific, West Central, Southwest, East Central, Southeast, and Northeast. The Commission is seeking proposals that focus on providing assistance to low-income individuals, minority communities, non-English speaking consumers, senior citizens, consumers living in rural areas or on tribal lands, and consumers with disabilities. Additionally, because statistical data suggest that certain geographical areas of the country are less prepared than others, the Commission, in conjunction with NTIA, has developed a combined list of the DMAs that appear to be most at risk. While the Commission is seeking proposals with emphasis on these at-risk DMAs, it plans to provide assistance throughout the country, and proposals may address any geographic area where full-power broadcast TV stations have not already fully transitioned to digital broadcasting.
In the upcoming days, the FCC will release two additional sets of service-related solicitations, seeking proposals for Expert In-Home DTV Transition Services and DTV Walk-in Help Centers. It also has recently issued a solicitation seeking contractor assistance in providing call center operations in connection with the DTV transition. These combined activities are designed to help meet the statutory objectives in the DTV Delay Act, in particular to provide assistance to the most vulnerable consumers beyond that which is available through traditional means such as information found on the FCC’s and other entities’ Internet sites, fact sheets, and other printed materials, as well as from the broadcast stations themselves.
The solicitations are open to all interested parties, both non-profit and for-profit entities that engage paid employees or volunteers to perform the stated services, regardless of whether they qualify as small business concerns or Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business concerns under Small Business Administration regulations. However, the FCC will make awards using cascading HUBZone and small business set-asides before considering awards to entities other than small businesses.
