The Federal Telecommunications System 2000, a Military Perspective

The General Services Administration(GSA)is currently working on replacing the Federal Telecommunications System(FTS), a 25 year old network made of mostly AT&T leased analog switches and lines. Since the 1982 divestiture of the Bell System, the government has lost special tariff rates as well as ATT's technical expertise, making the FTS an expensive and burdensome operation. With technological advances such a digitization and integration of services, increased user requirements of value added services and a highly competitive marketplace, a replacement is needed to ensure continued government telecommunications operation up through the year 2000. GSA, having analyzed these factors within the framework of fiscal realities, proposes the FTS2000 as the answer to the federal government's telecommunications problems. This system will offer voice, data and video services across a transparent, nationwide network. The winning bidder will assume all technical and operational responsibility for the network, providing the government with these state-of-the-art services according to each agencies needs. What advantages does the FTS2000 have for the military that could offset all or part of the expense of building separate, dedicated networks? What policy decisions must be taken, no matter what system the military opts for, in the interest of national defense? How can the government ensure connectivity and interoperability of its agencies in an era of changing technological innovations? This thesis addresses these matters and proposes alternatives and policy that the military should consider with the advent of the FTS2000.