Network backbone

Lumen Technologies to Support US Indo-Pacific Command Communications Under $1.5B Contract

The Defense Information Systems Agency has awarded Lumen Technologies a ten-year, $1.5 billion indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide and operate U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s communications network. According to Zain Ahmed, senior vice president of the company’s public sector unit, “always-on” infrastructure will be provided, allowing INDOPACOM to dedicate efforts to mission objectives.

Services on offer include adaptive networking, edge cloud computing, connected security and collaboration services, Lumen said Tuesday.

In July, the company won an 11-year, $137 million task order to provide similar support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Lumen was tasked with securing and modernizing the agency’s communications services and implementing a software-defined wide-area network.

Ahmed, a member of the Potomac Officers Club, recently spoke with ExecutiveBiz about SD-WANs and how they figure into Lumen’s digital transformation efforts.

Another federal agency that availed of the company’s network solutions in 2022 is the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which awarded an 11-year, $1.2 billion task order for the establishment of a wide-area data transport service. Aside from SD-WANs, Lumen is providing managed trusted internet protocol services and zero trust security, among others.

On the deal’s potential benefits, Ahmed said the company’s services will enable USDA to concentrate on promoting food production, expanding economic opportunities and conserving the environment.