Federal Telecommunications System (FTS) is a government-wide intercity telecommunications service that was established in 1963 by U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). The system was developed to cater to the long-distance telecommunications needs of federal agencies in a more cost-effective and efficient manner. Over the years, FTS has evolved with changing technology and agency requirements, offering different iterations such as FTS2000 and FTS2001 to meet the unique demands of each era.
Initially, FTS provided basic voice communication services, but with technological advancements, it has expanded its offerings to include data transmission, internet access, and video conferencing among others. In the modern context, FTS is often associated with Networx, a program managed by GSA that provides a range of telecommunications and network services to federal agencies. Despite the changes, the primary objective of FTS remains to provide reliable, efficient, and economical telecommunications services to federal agencies across the nation.
