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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2012
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES |
11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Regulatory and Litigation Matters The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to certain regulatory and legal proceedings and other claims arising in the ordinary course of business, some of which involve claims for damages and taxes that are substantial in amount. The Company believes that, except for the items discussed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, for which the Company is currently unable to predict the final outcome, the disposition of proceedings currently pending will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. On July 20, 2012 a trial court in Guyana made findings calling into question the validity of the Company’s Guyana subsidiary’s, Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Ltd. (“GT&T”), exclusive license to provide international voice and data service in Guyana and the applicability of the license to telecommunications services using Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”). The findings were made in a breach of contract case brought originally in 2007 against GT&T by a subscriber to its internet service. Digicel, our main competitor in Guyana, in response to the trial court’s findings, began connecting its own international traffic out of Guyana without receiving an international license and at rates which had not been approved by the Guyana Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”). In response, the Guyana Public Utilities Commission ordered Digicel to cease providing service at these rates and the government of Guyana notified us that they have undertaken to advise Digicel that its activities are in contravention of Guyana law. The Guyana courts also granted GT&T an interim injunction restraining Digicel from bypassing GT&T’s network until GT&T’s request for a permanent injunction can be addressed at a hearing currently scheduled for September 18, 2012. GT&T has also appealed the case, not only with respect to the contract claim, but also as to the court’s findings regarding the exclusivity of GT&T’s license and its application to VoIP services. Historically, the Company has been subject to litigation proceedings and other disputes in Guyana that while not conclusively resolved, to its knowledge have not been the subject of discussions or other significant activity in the last five years. It is possible, but not likely, that these disputes may be revived. The Company believes that none of these additional proceedings would, in the event of an adverse outcome, have a material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operation or liquidity. For all of the regulatory, litigation, or related matters listed above and in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company believes some adverse outcome is probable and has accordingly accrued $5.0 million as of June 30, 2012.

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