Introduction
This is a Request for Information (RFI) and not a solicitation: Request for Quotations (RFQ) or Request for Proposals (RFP). The Satellite and Information Acquisition Division (SIAD) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO) is conducting market research on the behalf of The Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), Office of Space and Product Operations (OSPO) and is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to gain further market research on current industry technical solutions in order to develop a technical roadmap, understand cost tradeoffs and risks associated with the loss of C-Band frequencies used by GEONETCast America (GNC-A) resulting from the auctioning of the C-Band spectrum under passed Law H.R. 1: One Big Beautiful Bill Act (see sect 40002).
From the law: “...completing a system of competitive bidding not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act for not less than 100 megahertz in the band between 3.98 gigahertz and 4.2 gigahertz from legislation.” Therefore, the auction shall be complete not later than July 4, 2027
GEONETCast Americas is a NOAA/NESDIS program that provides commercial, low-cost satellite broadcast public service, providing near real time distributed space based, air borne and in situ data, metadata and weather products to users in the Western Hemisphere. Without mitigation to the loss of C-Band frequencies in the United States used by GNC-A, disruption to the GNC-A Program objectives may result in data loss to users, existing hardware obsolescence, and potential impact on NOAA’s mission to protect life and property.
This RFI is issued solely for informational and planning purposes and does not constitute a RFQ/RFP, is not a commitment for a RFQ/RFP in the future, and it is not considered to be a commitment by the Government to award a contract, order, or agreement. The Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this RFI. NOAA is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. No basis for claim against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI or based Government use of any information provided in response to this RFI. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in a vendor’s response to this RFI. The Government reserves the right to use any information provided by respondents to this RFI for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate, including using technical information provided by respondents in any resultant solicitation
For information regarding this acquisition, please contact the Contracting Officials listed herein via email.
Background
GEONETCast Americas is a NOAA/NESDIS program that provides emergency alerts, weather data, and derived products over a commercial fixed satellite service. The GNC-A system uses a commercial satellite to broadcast data across the Western Hemisphere to over 150 institutions with receive stations in North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean. The GNC-A service operates at a frequency of 4080 MHz with a bandwidth of 36 MHz delivering a data stream of 20 Mbps. The architecture and coverage area can be found at: https://www.geonetcastamericas.noaa.gov/architecture-and-coverage.html
GNC-A is one of three regional providers for the global GEONETCast program, which is a worldwide, near real time, network of satellite-based data dissemination systems designed to distribute weather alerts and weather data products as part of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). NOAA has provided the GNC-A service since 2008 as part of a commitment under GEO. The other GEONETCast broadcast services include EUMETcast (Europe and Africa) and CMAcast (Asia). They provide similar products and services to approximately 6,000 users in 169 countries. Global GEONETCast coverage can be found at: https://old.earthobservations.org/geonetcast.php
Requirements/Specifications
The Government would like to hear from industry on potential technical solutions to account for the anticipated loss of C-Band frequencies used by GNC-A.
- Broadcast to GNC-A users approximating the same geographic coverage as current coverage.
- Ingest and broadcast all current GNC-A products data bandwidth and distribute with low latency and high reliability.
- Maximize compatibility with existing GNC-A receive technology to minimize changes required by each GNC-A user.
RFI Response Instructions
The release of this RFI has two objectives:
- Understand the range of commercial solutions available to provide GNC-A services given the potential change in the U.S. C-band regulations. A respondent is not limited to replicating the existing system or architecture. Innovative solutions, emerging technologies, or solutions that can evolve over time are of interest.
- Understand the necessity of implementing and transitioning GNC-A services by 13 May 2026
Please provide a written description of a potential solution by 15 days after RFI release. The solution should address the high-level requirements/specifications to the maximum extent possible. Within the description of the solution, please provide the following:
- Describe the technical architecture of the solution (Please note the disclaimer above that “No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in a vendor’s response to this RFI”), including any assumptions. Include what technology or architecture exists now or may need to be developed. Multiple solutions may be offered including:
- Frequency Bands being proposed
- Broadcast Footprint being proposed
- Identify opportunities and risks associated with each solution.
- If possible, address mitigating present uncertainty about spectrum allocation.
- A rough order of magnitude for Government planning purposes only:
- cost to establish each solution in defined increments (e.g., monthly, yearly).
- cost for ground receiver changes (equipment/hardware/software), per user, if possible, with a breakdown by these 3 categories and any other cost implications not covered by these 3 categories
- Responses to this request can range from capabilities very similar to the current GNC-A infrastructure to new and innovative capabilities not yet deployable, but possible within the Requirements/Specifications section of this RFI.
- Whether the potential North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes of Satellite Telecommunications (517410) and Other Computer Related Services (541519) are appropriate and if not, provide an alternative NAICS, along with rationale
RFI Responses:
Each vendor’s response shall be no more than 10 pages total, single-spaced pages, and use a minimum font of 12 point (Times New Roman) on 8 ½ x 11-inch paper. Each page should be separately numbered.
Vendors responding to this RFI must thoroughly review the aforementioned and shall submit the following information:
● Identification of your business’s CAGE Code and Unique Entity ID (same as in your business’s System for Award Management (SAM) record in sam.gov)
● Identification of your type of small business (e.g., woman-owned small business, HUBZone small business, service disabled veteran owned small business, etc.) and size classification relative to the NAICS Code for the proposed acquisition.
● Your firm’s presence (if any) on Government-Wide Contract Vehicles (e.g., NASA SEWP, GSA Advantage).
● Business point of contact (i.e., name, phone, and email).
RESPONSES DUE DATE AND TIME & GOVERNMENT POINTS OF CONTACT
Please send your submission via email to the attention of Contact Specialist (CS) Andrea Chiodi, andrea.chiodi@noaa.gov, and Contracting Officer (CO) Jame Chang, jame.chang@noaa.gov, no later than Friday, October 10, 2025, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
GNC-A Website: https://www.geonetcastamericas.noaa.gov/
