Defense Information Systems Agency has issued a request for information on how to establish itself as its own mobile virtual network operator. It intends to extend the Defense Department's unified communications to mobile devices, with the government acting as the MVNO to manage and secure the mobile network.

DISA envisions an MVNO that supports upward of one million subscribers, centralizes provisioning of parts and programs, segregates users from the global Internet and oversees security, according to the RFI posted to FedBizOpps last month. It also asks businesses to estimate logistics like timeframe and cost.

The MVNO would provide unified mobile management rather than siloed management across the services.

The Defense Department has been assertive in incorporating mobile devices into the workplace. The RFI mentions smartphones, Wi-Fi bridges and tablets as the devices the new system will oversee.

For more:
- see DISA's request for information

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