Show NOCs: OIG report: Should you charge extra for NOC tours?

Thu Jan 7 18:09:48 UTC 2021

Department of Commerce OIG review of FirstNet request to tour AT&T GNOC

https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/DOC/OIG-21-016-I.pdf
Continued FirstNet Authority Management Attention is Needed to Address 
Control Environment Weaknesses

[...]
FirstNet Authority disagreed that the request for a GNOC tour “constituted 
a request for ‘additional contract services outside the scope of the 
contract.’” In its response, FirstNet Authority stated, “GNOC tours are 
not governed or limited by the [NPSBN] contract as these kinds of tours 
are commonplace for AT&T to provide to outside parties.”  However, we 
found that the contractor only offers a multi-media presentation regarding 
the GNOC at its Corporate Briefing Center. FirstNet Authority requested a 
visit and tour of the GNOC, which is neither included in the contract nor 
offered widely to the public. We reaffirm that the tour was not in the 
contract and could be viewed as exerting indirect pressure for the 
contractor to perform unreimbursed services outside the contract.
[...]