Procurement panel to help keep its govt’s Internet bill down

The federal government hopes that a new telecommunications procurement panel will help departments minimise the costs of a range of telco services including Internet access.

Finance minister Senator Mathias Cormann today unveiled initial six members of the new Telecommunications Services Panel.

Macquarie Telecom, Nextgen Networks, Sliced Tech, Telstra, TPG and Verizon Australia have all joined the panel.

The head agreements signed with the telcos will be in place until 30 November 2020. There are options for up to three one-year extensions.

“The Government is continuing negotiations with other providers to be added to the panel,” said a statement issued by Cormann.

The panel is the successor to the Internet Based Network Connection Services procurement panel, which Cormann described as “hugely successful” and credited with achieving savings of over $94 million during its life. That panel generated 198 contracts collectively valued at $470 million.

Use of the new panel to procure a range of services is mandatory for non-corporate Commonwealth entities. Those services include terrestrial managed WAN services, Internet connection services, and terrestrial transport data link services.

“It is optional for Non-Corporate Commonwealth Entities to source Managed WAN Services (Satellite) and Transport Data Link Services (Satellite) through Finance, using the Panel,” state documents issued by the Department of Finance.