MetTel Supports GSA Network Transformation

MetTel Supports GSA Nationwide Network Transformation

MetTel announced its successful deployment of a nationwide network and voice infrastructure modernization with the U.S. General Services Administration. Executed under GSA’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract, the initiative marks a major milestone in enhancing operational efficiency, security, and connectivity across a global footprint of nearly 800 sites.

The project involved advanced technologies, including SD-WAN, Zero Trust, and Low Earth Orbit satellite connectivity to improve performance, increase security, and reduce costs. These enhancements enable federal employees to work efficiently across a geographically dispersed organization, including in some of the nation’s most remote locations.

Key projects within the transformation included migrating hundreds of digital subscriber lines and LTE sites to more robust broadband and Ethernet services, upgrading data circuits to support “Return to Office” bandwidth needs, and a complete modernization of the agency’s voice services.

“Through close collaboration, GSA now has a future-ready network infrastructure that is secure, resilient, and scalable. This project sets a new benchmark for federal technology modernization,” said Don Parente, Vice President of Public Sector Sales at MetTel.

The cornerstone of the project was the implementation of zero trust architecture by integrating the SD-WAN with zero trust security, eliminating the need for traditional managed trusted internet protocol services gateways, and optimizing traffic flow for cloud applications. The voice transformation was equally significant, migrating legacy time-division multiplexing services to a modern SIP-based environment with multi-carrier redundancy and specialized support for critical life-and-safety lines in elevators and alarm panels.

Highlights of the project include:

Enterprise-Wide SD-WAN Implementation with Zero Trust Architecture
Deployment of a modern software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) integrated with zero trust security to implement a zero trust architecture. This upgrade flattened GSA’s network core, enhanced security, and optimized traffic flow for cloud-based applications ,enabling seamless and secure operations across nearly 800 locations.
Expanded Remote Connectivity with LEO Satellites
To ensure primary broadband access in remote areas, the project adopted Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity. Enabled by MetTel, this capability extends high-speed, resilient network access to some of the agency’s most far-reaching and underserved field offices.
Modernized Voice Infrastructure for Essential Services
The project transformed legacy time-division multiplexing (TDM) voice systems into a SIP-based, cloud-enabled environment with multi-carrier redundancy. With MetTel’s support, GSA is creating resilient and dependable voice services for critical systems such as elevators, fire alarms, and on-site childcare centers.
Progress Toward Full IPv6 Enablement
The upgraded network infrastructure lays a strong foundation for long-term scalability, security, and future-proofing of services.
Improved Connectivity and Enterprise Cost Savings
The project transitioned hundreds of DSL and LTE locations to higher-performance broadband and Ethernet connections. Through the EIS contract and MetTel’s optimization efforts, the agency achieved significant cost savings and improved overall network performance.
Bandwidth Upgrades to Support Return-to-Office Operations
Data circuits at regional offices and large field sites were upgraded to accommodate higher bandwidth demand, improving the digital experience for employees returning to the office and ensuring robust support for mission-critical activities.

GSA’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions is the federal government’s recommended contract vehicle for enterprise telecommunications and networking services.

EIS is a comprehensive solution-based vehicle to address all aspects of federal agency IT telecommunications and infrastructure requirements.

Source: MetTel media announcement

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