Justice launches fly-off competition for $2.5 billion wireless deal

The Justice Department has narrowed the field down to two bidders - General Dynamics C4 Systems and Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Solutions - for a five-year, $2.5 billion wireless communications system that will be used by all federal law enforcement officials.

Motorola, AT&T and Boeing were eliminated from the competition, which began in August 2004.

The Justice Department’s Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) project is the federal government’s first major attempt since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to improve the interoperability and performance of tactical communication systems used by law enforcement and disaster recovery officials.

"There has been other funding through grant programs to encourage interoperable communications for state and local entities, but this is the first time the federal government is putting its money into a system that is oriented toward emergency response, law enforcement and inter-governmental coordination," says Ray Bjorklund, senior vice president of FedSources, a McLean, Va. consulting company that tracks the government IT market.

IWN is estimated at $2.5 billion for the first five years. The government has said it may extend the program an additional 10 years, leading some experts to value the deal as high as $10 billion.

IWN will provide integrated voice, data and multimedia communications services to federal law enforcement, first responder and Homeland Security officials. IWN will provide secure and highly reliable wireless communications services using a very high frequency system and an IP backbone. The network will be based on land mobile radio and commercial wireless services. Interoperability with other federal, state and local government agencies is a key feature of the system.

IWN will replace a variety of antiquated communications systems that the Justice Department says are plagued with problems including outdated technology, insufficient coverage, channel crowding and congestion.

More than 80,000 law enforcement officials are expected to use IWN. These include members of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency.