5 FAH-2 H-640
INTERNATIONAL VOICE GATEWAY
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Office of Origin: IRM/BMP/GRP/GP)
5 FAH-2 H-641 DESCRIPTION
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform all agencies)
The International Voice Gateway (IVG) is a private
international telephone network directly linking the Department of State with
posts abroad. It provides a cost-effective, U.S. Government-controlled
telephone service for foreign affairs agencies. The central switch, located in
the Beltsville Information Management Center (BIMC), supports call processing
between domestic and international locations using a Uniform Dial Plan and IVG
trunks provided by the Diplomatic Telecommunications Service-Program Office (DTS-PO).
The IVG service is a coordinated effort between the Departments Telecom,
Wireless, and Data Services Division (TWD), DTS-PO and FPT. TWD manages the
hardware and provisioning of the IVG Private Branch Exchange (PBX). DTS-PO and
FPT manage the hardware that connects their respective networks to the IVG PBX
and to the Post PBX. DTS-PO contracts for and manages the actual WAN circuitry
between BIMC and a Post.
5 FAH-2 H-641.1 IVG Subscriber
Selection Criteria
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform all agencies)
The DTS-PO provides IVG connectivity to subscribers as
part of a general communications upgrade, or as a separate IVG service task. The
overall objective in managing the IVG and selecting subscribers is to provide
voice service when economically feasible to reduce long distance service
expenditures.
5 FAH-2 H-641.2 Initiating IVG
Service
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform all agencies)
a. A funded Telecommunications Service Request (TSR)
must be submitted to TWD to add or delete IVG services. Post are not required
to request IVG service from DTS-PO. IVG service is automatically provided to
all Posts meeting the criteria outlined in paragraphs b and c below.
b. The DTS-PO provides voice services to all diplomatic
sites that have the appropriate equipment and bandwidth to handle IVG, Station
Directed Tie Line (SDTL), and Voice over IP (VoIP) services. Currently,
bandwidth for IVG services is not chargeable, and is provided as part of the
standard Foreign Affairs SBU Transport Network (FASTNet) infrastructure. The
number of simultaneous voice connections between the FASTNet Voice Gateway and
the Post is based on the bandwidth capacity of the largest DTS-PO aggregate
(terrestrial or satellite) contracted for each Post (8 connections for less
than 2Mbps; 16 connections for 2-4 Mbps; and 24 connections for more than 4 Mbps).
c. Please note that IVG services are only delivered
using DTS-POs FASTNet.
5 FAH-2 H-641.3 Usage Fees
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform all agencies)
Currently, intra-IVG network calls do not incur a usage
fee. However, IVG originated calls connected to the public switched telephone
network (PSTN) and destined for toll free numbers or the Washington, DC
metropolitan area (defined as all of the numbers in area code 202; most of the
numbers in area codes 301, 571, and 703; and some of the numbers in area codes
240, 410, and 443) incur a message unit charge of approximately $0.07 per call.
IVG originated calls connected to the PSTN and destined for domestic or
international long distance (any calls outside the callers own area code)
require the use of a caller provided billing arrangement (i.e., a calling card,
credit card, calling collect, etc.).
5 FAH-2 H-641.4 IVG Calls
5 FAH-2 H-641.4-1 Domestic Long
Distance IVG Calls
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform all agencies)
a. A domestic long distance IVG call is one that
originates and terminates in the United States, including calls from Beltsville
to DC (All IVG calls, even those placed from embassies abroad, originate in the
United States, because the Beltsville switch provides dial tone). Users must
charge all domestic IVG calls to a caller provided billing arrangement (i.e. a
calling card, credit card, calling collect, etc.).
b. Posts request vendor contracted calling cards
telegraphically from their regional bureaus. Regional bureaus order the calling
cards from IRM/OPS/ENM/TWD and forward
them to posts. Posts should order separate cards for various State offices at
the mission, i.e., one for the executive office, one for political, admin, etc.
Each post will receive a monthly telecommunications service statement (TSS)
with call detail reporting. The TSS will contain itemized billing information
for each calling card at post, including card number, number dialed, time and
cost of the call.
c. Non-State agencies at posts should request calling
cards from their agency headquarters and will be billed separately based upon
the parent agency procedures.
5 FAH-2 H-641.4-2 International
IVG Calls
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform all agencies)
a. For International IVG calls, which terminate outside
the IVG network and outside the U.S. Department of State, IVG users must charge
all official international calls to a vendor contracted calling card.
b. Posts request vendor contracted calling cards
telegraphically from their regional bureaus. Regional bureaus order the calling
cards from IRM/OPS/ENM/TWD and forward
them to posts. Posts should order separate cards for various State offices at
the mission, i.e., one for the executive office, one for political, admin, etc.
Each post will receive a monthly telecommunications service statement (TSS)
with call detail reporting. The TSS will contain itemized billing information
for each calling card at post, including card number, number called, time and
cost of the call.
c. Non-State agencies at posts should request
international calling cards from their agency headquarters and will be billed
separately based upon the parent agency procedures.
5 FAH-2 H-642 INTERCONNECTIVITY
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform all agencies)
The IVG network connects the Department's internal
telephone system (See 5 FAH-2 H642.1) to PBX telephone systems abroad. Each
post has a unique access number to enable direct PBX-to-PBX dialing.
5 FAH-2 H-642.1 Department of State
Metropolitan Area Network/Wide Area Network (MAN/WAN) (Voice)
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform State/USAID)
The Departments MAN/WAN is a voice network connecting the
IVG central switch at Beltsville to the Department, Washington, DC area
annexes, and other facilities in Fort Lauderdale, FL; Portsmouth, NH;
Charleston, SC; and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN) New York.
5 FAH-2 H-642.2 Domestic Long
Distance, Frame Relay, Point-to-Point Contracts
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform all agencies)
An approved vendor contract provides for a dedicated
telephone network used exclusively by U.S. Government agencies for official
domestic long distance calls, frame relay service, and point-to-point dedicated
transmission service. Contact TWD for information about the current Department
approved vendor.
5 FAH-2 H-642.3 Other
Telecommunications Services
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(Uniform all agencies)
The current General Services Administration (GSA) approved
contract includes a full suite of telecommunications services to U.S.
Government agencies in the National Capital Region (NCR) on a time and
materials contract basis. Contact TWD for additional NCR information about the
current Department approved vendor.
5 FAH-2 H-642.4 Government
Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS)
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(State only)
GETS was developed under White House tasking to provide
enhanced caller capabilities for National Security/Emergency Preparedness
(NS/EP) calls. GETS is administered by the Defense Information Systems Agency
with service accorded to the 23 National Security Council member agencies.
5 FAH-2 H-642.5 Defense Switched
Network (DSN)
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(DOD only)
DSN is a telecommunications network of interconnected PBXs
administered by the Department of Defense for use by elements of the armed
forces, domestically and abroad.
5 FAH-2 H-642.6 Defense RED Switch
Network (DRSN)
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(DOD only)
The mission of the DRSN is to provide the National Command
Authority (NCA), the National Military Command Center (NMCC), Combatant
Commander Command Centers, Warfighters, and other critical DoD and federal
activities with reliable, secure, interoperable C2 and crisis management
capabilities.
5 FAH-2 H-642.7 RED Switch
(CT:TEL-34; 10-10-2012)
(State only)
The Red Switch is a telecommunications network of
interconnected PBXs administered by the Department to provide the Secretary of
State with a means of Secure Communication to high ranking government officials
in both CONUS and abroad 24-hours, 7 days per week, elements of the armed
forces, domestically and abroad. The Red Switch provides interoperability
between government agencies and departments, it provides timely and secure
communications during times of national crisis (e.g. 9/11), worldwide
diplomatic humanitarian efforts (e.g. Tsunami) and for important routine
government business. It also provides secure, immediate, clear worldwide
communications coverage for the Secretary of State, Ambassadors, Diplomats,
Principals, and Posts, with the President, White House and Cabinet Level
Officials, and other State Department entities and Senior Principals.
5 FAH-2 H-643 THROUGH H-649 UNASSIGned