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DEBT
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
DEBT DEBT
2020 Credit Facility

On March 3, 2020, the Company entered into a Senior Secured Credit Facilities Credit Agreement (as amended, the "2020 Credit Facility"), by and among the Company, as a guarantor, Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc., as the borrower ("Borrower"), Citizens Bank, N.A. ("Citizens"), Santander Bank, N.A., and others as lenders ("Lenders"). The proceeds from the Credit Agreement were used, in part, to pay off in full all obligations of the Company under the 2019 Credit Facility.

The 2020 Credit Facility originally provided for $500 million of commitments from the Lenders to the Borrower, comprised of $400 million in term loans (the "2020 Term Loan Facility") and a $100 million facility available for revolving loans (the "2020 Revolving Credit Facility"). Under the 2020 Revolving Credit Facility, a $30 million sublimit was originally available for letters of credit and a $20 million sublimit is available for swingline loans.

The indebtedness and other obligations under the 2020 Credit Facility are unconditionally guaranteed on a senior secured basis by the Company, Edgewater Networks, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and GENBAND Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (together, the "Guarantors"). The 2020 Credit Facility is secured by first-priority liens on substantially all of the assets of the Borrower and the Guarantors, including substantially all of the assets of the Company.

The 2020 Credit Facility requires compliance with certain financial covenants, including a minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio and a maximum Consolidated Net Leverage Ratio (each as defined in the 2020 Credit Facility, and each tested on a quarterly basis).

On August 18, 2020, the Company entered into the First Amendment to the 2020 Credit Facility in which $75 million of the 2020 Term Loan Facility was assigned from Citizens to a new lender and designated as the Term B Loan. The remaining $325 million of the 2020 Term Loan Facility was deemed the Term A Loan.

The Term A Loan and the 2020 Revolving Credit Facility mature in March 2025 and originally bore interest at the Borrower's option at either the LIBOR rate plus a margin ranging from 1.50% to 3.50% per year, or the base rate plus 0.50%, or the prime rate plus a margin ranging from 0.50% to 2.50% per year (the "Applicable Margin"). The Applicable Margin varies depending on the Company's Consolidated Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2020 Credit Facility).
The Term B Loan was scheduled to mature in March 2026 and bore interest, at the Borrower's option, at either the LIBOR rate plus a margin of 7.50% per year, or the base rate (the highest of the Federal Funds Effective Rate (as defined in the First Amendment) plus 0.50%, or the prime rate.

On December 1, 2020, the Company entered into the Second Amendment to the 2020 Credit Facility to obtain consent for an equity exchange with AVCT in connection with the sale of our Kandy Communications business, as well as to amend certain other provisions of the 2020 Credit Facility.

On March 3, 2021, the Company entered into the Third Amendment to the 2020 Credit Facility which provided for an incremental term loan facility in the principal amount of $74.6 million, the proceeds of which were used to consummate an open market purchase of all outstanding amounts under the Term B Loan, resulting in the assignment and immediate cancellation of the Term B Loan, such that the outstanding amount under the Term A Loan and incremental term loan facility were combined and held by the Lenders (the "2020 Term Loan") with the same terms as the Term A Loan. The Company wrote off $2.5 million of capitalized debt issuance costs in connection with the Third Amendment.

On March 10, 2022, the Company entered into the Fourth Amendment to the 2020 Credit Facility to increase the Maximum Consolidated Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2020 Credit Facility) and in conjunction the Company made a $15.0 million prepayment that was applied to the final payment due on the maturity date.

On June 30, 2022, the Company entered into the Fifth Amendment to the 2020 Credit Facility (the "Fifth Amendment") to increase the Maximum Consolidated Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2020 Credit Facility) for 2022, with the fourth quarter of 2022 increased to 4.75:1.00, the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2023 declining to 3.25:1.00, and in all subsequent quarters the ratio was to be fixed at 3.00:1.00. Also, the Fifth Amendment reduced the minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the 2020 Credit Facility) in 2022, with the fourth quarter of 2022 reduced to 1.10:1.00 and in all subsequent quarters the ratio was to be fixed at 1.25:1.00. In addition, the Fifth Amendment increased the maximum rate at which loans were to bear interest if the Company's Consolidated Net Leverage Ratio for any quarter was greater than 4.50:1.00. Specifically, loans incurred would bear interest, at the Borrower’s option, at either LIBOR plus a margin ranging from 1.50% to 4.50% per year, or the base rate plus 0.50%, or the prime rate plus a margin ranging from 0.50% to 3.50% per year. The Fifth Amendment also allows the Company to incur junior secured or unsecured debt in an amount no less than $50 million, subject to certain conditions, including the requirement that 50% of the aggregate amount of such incurred debt (net of certain costs, fees and other amounts) must be applied to prepay the 2020 Credit Facility, and compliance with certain leverage ratio-based covenant exceptions. In connection with the Fifth Amendment, the Company made a $10.0 million voluntary prepayment that was applied to the final payment due on the maturity date. Subsequent to the Fifth Amendment, the Company is required to make quarterly principal payments on the 2020 Term Loan aggregating approximately $5.0 million per quarter through March 31, 2024 and $10.0 million in each of the three quarters thereafter, with the remaining and final payment due on the maturity date in March 2025.

On March 24, 2023, the Company entered into the Sixth Amendment to the 2020 Credit Facility (the “Sixth Amendment”) effective March 30, 2023. The Sixth Amendment, among other things, increased the Maximum Consolidated Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2020 Credit Facility), with the first, second and third quarters of 2023 increasing to 4.50:1.00. In the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, the Maximum Consolidated Net Leverage Ratio declines to 4.25:1.00 and 4.00:1.00, respectively. In all subsequent quarters, the Maximum Consolidated Senior Net Leverage Ratio will be fixed at 3.00:1.00 and the Maximum Consolidated Net Leverage Ratio will be fixed at 4.00:1.00. Also, the Sixth Amendment reduced the minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the 2020 Credit Facility) to 1.10:1.00 through the first quarter of 2024 and in all subsequent quarters the ratio will be fixed at 1.25:1.00. The Sixth Amendment reduced the maximum borrowings allowed under the 2020 Revolving Credit Facility from $100 million to $75 million and the sublimit available for letters of credit was reduced from $30 million to $20 million. In addition, the Sixth Amendment replaced LIBOR with the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or SOFR, as the alternative rate that may be used by the Company for calculating interest owed under the 2020 Credit Facility with the margin now fixed at 4.5%. In conjunction with the Sixth Amendment, the Company made a $75 million prepayment that was applied to the final payment due upon maturity in March 2025 of approximately $200.3 million. The $75 million prepayment was almost entirely funded with the net proceeds from the Private Placement and the sales of our interest rate swap. Debt issuance costs associated with the Sixth Amendment totaled $1.7 million and will be amortized on a straight line basis over the remaining life of the 2020 Credit Facility to Interest expense, net.
At March 31, 2023, the Company had an outstanding balance under the 2020 Term Loan of $250.4 million with an average interest rate of 5.7% and $3.0 million of letters of credit outstanding with an interest rate of 4.5%. At December 31, 2022, the Company had an outstanding balance under the 2020 Term Loan of $330.4 million at an average interest rate of 5.4% and $3.3 million of letters of credit outstanding with an interest rate of 4.5%. The Company's interest rates under our 2020 Term Loan for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 benefited from a hedge instrument that was in place, specifically a fixed rate swap, which was sold in March 2023 (see Note 10). As a result of the fixed rate swap sold in March 2023, the ongoing interest rate will be based upon SOFR plus a fixed margin of 4.5%. The Company was in compliance with all covenants of the 2020 Credit Facility at both March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

Letters of Credit and Performance and Bid Bonds

The Company uses letters of credit and performance and bid bonds in the course of its business. At March 31, 2023, the Company had $7.2 million of letters of credit, bank guarantees, and performance and bid bonds outstanding (collectively, "Guarantees") , comprised of the $3.0 million of letters of credit under the 2020 Credit Facility described above (the "Letters of Credit") and $4.2 million of bank guarantees and performance and bid bonds (collectively, the "Other Guarantees") under various uncommitted facilities. At December 31, 2022, the Company had Guarantees aggregating $8.3 million, comprised of the $3.3 million of Letters of Credit noted above and $5.0 million of Other Guarantees. At both March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had cash collateral of $0.2 million supporting the Guarantees, which is reported as Restricted cash in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.