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Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2014
Disclosure Text Block |
Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges | 5. Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges Divestiture Transaction On November 6, 2012, U.S. Cellular entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with subsidiaries of Sprint Corp., fka Sprint Nextel Corporation (“Sprint”). Pursuant to t he Purchase and Sale Agreement, on May 16, 2013, U.S. Cellular transfer red customers and certain PCS license spec trum to Sprint in U.S. Cellular's Chicago, central Illinois, St. Louis and certain Indiana/Michigan/Ohio markets (“Divestiture Markets”) in consideration for $480 million in cash. The Purchase and Sale Agreement also contemplate d certain other agreements, together with the Purchase and Sale Agreement collectively referred to as the “Divestiture Transaction.” Pursuant to t he Purchase and Sale Agreement, U.S. Cellular and Sprint also entered into certain other agreements, including customer and network transition services agreements, which require U.S. Cellular to provide customer, billing and network services to Sprint for a period of up to 24 months after the May 16, 2013 closing date. Sprint will reimburse U.S. Cellular for providing such services at an amount equal to U.S. Cellular's estimated cost s, including applicable overhead allocations. These services were substantiall y complete as of March 31, 2014. In addition, these agreements require Sprint to reimburse U.S. Cellular up to $200 million (the “Sprint Cost Reimbursement”) for certain network decommissioning costs, network site lease rent and termination costs, network access termination costs, and employee termination benefits for specified engineering employees. It is estimated that u p to $175 million of the Sprint Cost Reimbursement will be recorded in (Gain) loss on sale of business and other e xit costs, net and up to $25 million of the Sprint Cost Reimbursement will be recorded in System operations in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. For the six months ended June 30, 2014, $34.1 million of the Sprint Cost R eimbursement had been received and recorded in Cash received from divestitures in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Financial impacts of the Divestiture Transaction are classified in the Consolidated Statement of Operations within Operating income. The table below describes the amounts U.S. Cellular has recognize d and expects to recognize in the Consolidated Statement of Operations between the date the Purchase and Sale Agreement was signed and the end of the transition services period.
(Dollars in thousands) | Expected Period of Recognition |  | Projected Range |  | Cumulative Amount Recognized as of June 30, 2014 |  | Actual Amount Recognized Six Months Ended June 30, 2014 |  | Actual Amount Recognized Six Months Ended June 30, 2013 |  | Actual Amount Recognized Three Months Ended June 30, 2014 |  | Actual Amount Recognized Three Months Ended June 30, 2013
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Proceeds from Sprint |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Purchase price |  | 2013 |  | $ | (480,000) |  | $ | (480,000) |  | $ | (480,000) |  | $ | - |  | $ | (480,000) |  | $ | - |  | $ | (480,000)
|  | Sprint Cost Reimbursement |  | 2013-2015 |  |  | (120,000) |  |  | (175,000) |  |  | (96,835) |  |  | (49,194) |  |  | (8) |  |  | (4,563) |  |  | (8)
| Net assets transferred |  | 2013 |  |  | 213,593 |  |  | 213,593 |  |  | 213,593 |  |  | - |  |  | 213,593 |  |  | - |  |  | 213,593
| Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of property under construction and related assets |  | 2012-2015 |  |  | 10,000 |  |  | 15,000 |  |  | 11,013 |  |  | 338 |  |  | 81 |  |  | (5) |  |  | (141)
| Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement |  | 2012-2014 |  |  | 13,000 |  |  | 16,000 |  |  | 14,129 |  |  | (133) |  |  | 3,103 |  |  | (71) |  |  | 53
| Contract termination costs |  | 2012-2015 |  |  | 90,000 |  |  | 120,000 |  |  | 90,417 |  |  | 30,833 |  |  | 16,605 |  |  | (6,254) |  |  | 13,705
| Transaction costs |  | 2012-2014 |  |  | 5,000 |  |  | 7,000 |  |  | 6,027 |  |  | 462 |  |  | 3,719 |  |  | 253 |  |  | 2,801
|  | Total (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net |  |  |  | $ | (268,407) |  | $ | (283,407) |  | $ | (241,656) |  | $ | (17,694) |  | $ | (242,907) |  | $ | (10,640) |  | $ | (249,997)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Incremental depreciation, amortization and accretion, net of salvage values |  | 2012-2014 |  |  | 211,656 |  |  | 211,656 |  |  | 211,656 |  |  | 13,085 |  |  | 88,324 |  |  | - |  |  | 50,278
(Increase) decrease in Operating income |  |  |  | $ | (56,751) |  | $ | (71,751) |  | $ | (30,000) |  | $ | (4,609) |  | $ | (154,583) |  | $ | (10,640) |  | $ | (199,719)
Incremental depreciation, amortization and accretion, net of salvage values represents amounts recorded in the specified time periods as a result of a change in estimate for the remaining useful life and salvage value of certain assets and a change in estimate which accelerated the settlement dates of certain asset retirement obligations in conjunction with the Divestiture Transaction. Specifically, for the periods indicated, this is estimated depreciation, amortization and accretion recorded on assets and liabilities of the Divestiture Markets after the execution of the Purchase and Sale Agreement on November 6, 2012 le ss depreciation, amortization and accretion that would have been recorded on such assets and liabilities in the normal course, absent the Divestiture Transaction.
|  | As a result of the transaction, U.S. Cellular recognized the following amounts in the Consolidated Balance Sheet:
|  |  |  |  |  | Six Months Ended June 30, 2014 |  |  |
(Dollars in thousands) | Balance December 31, 2013 |  | Costs Incurred |  | Cash Settlements (1) |  | Adjustments (2) |  | Balance June 30, 2014
Accrued compensation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Employee related costs including severance, retention, outplacement | $ | 2,053 |  | $ | 180 |  | $ | (908) |  | $ | (313) |  | $ | 1,012
Other current liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Contract termination costs | $ | 13,992 |  | $ | 16,691 |  | $ | (12,887) |  | $ | 2,091 |  | $ | 19,887
Other deferred liabilities and credits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Contract termination costs | $ | 30,849 |  | $ | 23,773 |  | $ | (2,424) |  | $ | (19,898) |  | $ | 32,300
(1) | Cash settlement amounts are included in either the Net income or changes in Other assets and liabilities line items as part of Cash flows from operating activities on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.
(2) | Adjustment to liability represents changes to previously accrued amounts.
Other Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges On May 23, 2014, U.S. Cellular entered into a License Purchase and Customer Recommendation Agreement with Airadigm Communications, Inc. (“Airadigm”). TDS owns 100% of the common stock of Airadigm. The Agreement provides that Airadigm will transfer to U.S. Cellular FCC spectrum licenses and certain tower assets in certain markets in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan, in consideration for $91.5 million in cash at closing. The transaction also includes a program in which Airadigm would earn a migration fee from U.S. Cellular for each Airadigm customer who becomes a U.S. Cellular customer. Since both parties to this transaction are controlled by TDS, upon closing, U.S. Cellular will record the transferred assets at Airadigm's net book value of $15.2 million. The difference between the consideration paid and the net book value of the transferred assets will be recorded as a reduction of U.S. Cellular's Retained earnings. The transaction is subject to certain conditions. Subject to the satisfaction or (if permitted) waiver of all conditions, the transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2014. On March 5, 2014, U.S. Cellular sold the majority of its St. Louis area non-operating market spectrum license for $92.3 million. A gain of $75.8 million was recorded in (Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges in the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the first quarter of 2014. On February 14, 2014, U.S. Cellular completed an exchange whereby U.S. Cellular received one E block PCS spectrum license covering Milwaukee, WI in exchange for one D block PCS spectrum license covering Milwaukee, WI. The exchange of licenses provided U.S. Cellular with spectrum to meet anticipated future capacity and coverage requirements. No cash, customers, network assets, other assets or liabilities were included in the exchange. As a result of this transaction, U.S. Cellular recognized a gain of $15.7 million, representing the difference between the $15.9 million fair value of the license surrendered, calculated using a market approach valuation method, and the $0.2 million carrying value of the license surrendered. This gain was recorded in (Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges in the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the first quarter of 2014.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for business combinations, including leverage buyout transactions (as applicable), and divestitures. This may include a description of a business combination or divestiture (or series of individually immaterial business combinations or divestitures) completed during the period, including background, timing, and assets and liabilities recognized and reclassified or sold. This element does not include fixed asset sales and plant closings. + References No definition available. + Details
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