The General Services Administration finally figured out that the U.S. government could save money on cell phone bills if it signed up for a family plan.
The GSA inked agreements with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for a new government-wide blanket purchase agreement that consolidates service plans, saving some $300 million over five years.
“By buying in bulk, we’re buying once and we’re buying well,” said GSA Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini. “This common sense approach allows us to do what families and businesses across America do every day. We’re driving down costs, increasing efficiency and improving service and operations. These agreements give agencies the ability to pool minutes, order plans and devices more efficiently and have greater visibility into their purchases.”
Yesterday, President Obama nominated Tangherlini to be the agency’s administrator.
“As Acting Director, Dan helped restore the trust of the American people in the General Services Administration by making the agency more efficient, accountable and transparent,” Obama said. Tangherlini assumed his current role in April 2012 to help mop up from the Vegas conference scandal of lavish expenditures.
A single government-wide option with the ability to pool minutes is a first for the federal government, the GSA said today. Instead of racking up overage fees, agencies will be able to dip into a pool of unused minutes.
Federal agencies spend an estimated $1.3 billion on wireless services and mobile devices annually.
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