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GOVERNMENT GRANTS | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2014
GOVERNMENT GRANTS |
GOVERNMENT GRANTS | 8. GOVERNMENT GRANTS The Company has received funding from the U.S. Government and its agencies under Stimulus and Universal Services Fund programs. These are generally designed to fund telecommunications infrastructure expansion into rural or underserved areas of the United States. The fund programs are evaluated to determine if they represent funding related to capital expenditures (capital grants) or operating activities (income grants). Stimulus Grants The Company was awarded several federal stimulus grants in 2009 and 2010 by the U.S. Government under provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 intended to stimulate the deployment of broadband infrastructure and services to rural, unserved and underserved areas. As of March 31, 2014, the Company has spent (i) $35.7 million in capital expenditures (of which $27.5 million has been funded by the federal stimulus grant) in connection with the Company’s build of ten new segments of fiber-optic, middle-mile broadband infrastructure in upstate New York and parts of Pennsylvania and Vermont; (ii) $7.6 million in capital expenditures (of which $5.3 million has been funded by the federal stimulus grant) in connection with the Company’s last-mile broadband infrastructure buildout in the Navajo Nation across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah; and (iii) $44.8 million in capital expenditures (of which $31.4 million has been or will be funded by the federal stimulus grant) in connection with the Company’s fiber-optic middle mile network buildout to provide broadband and transport services to over 340 community anchor institutions in Vermont. The results of the Company’s New York and Vermont stimulus projects are included in the Company’s “U.S. Wireline” segment and the results of the Company’s Navajo stimulus project are included in the Company’s “U.S. Wireless” segment. The New York and Navajo Stimulus projects were completed during 2013. The Vermont stimulus project will be completed during the latter half of 2014 and the Company anticipates that it will incur an additional $3.0 million of capital expenditures of which $2.1 million is expected to be funded by the federal stimulus grants. Mobility Fund Grants As part of the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) reform of its Universal Service Fund (“USF”) program, which previously provided support to carriers seeking to offer telecommunications services in high-cost areas and to low-income households, the FCC created two new funds, including the Mobility Fund, a one-time award meant to support wireless coverage in underserved geographic areas in the United States. In August 2013, the Company received FCC final approval for approximately $21.7 million of Mobility Fund support to its wholesale wireless business (the “Mobility Funds”) to expand voice and broadband networks in certain geographic areas in order to offer either 3G or 4G coverage. As part of the receipt of the Mobility Funds, the Company committed to comply with certain additional FCC construction and other requirements. A portion of these funds will be used to offset network capital costs and a portion is used to offset the costs of supporting the networks for a period of five years. In connection with the Company’s application for the Mobility Funds, the Company has posted approximately $9.9 million in letters of credit to the Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) to secure these obligations. If the Company fails to comply with any of the terms and conditions upon which the Mobility Funds were granted, or if it loses eligibility for the Mobility Funds, USAC will be entitled to draw the entire amount of the letter of credit applicable to the affected project plus penalties and may disqualify the Company from the receipt of additional Mobility Fund support. As of March 31, 2014, all of the letters of credit remain outstanding. and no amounts have been drawn thereon The Company began the construction of its Mobility Funds projects during the third quarter of 2013 and its results are included in the Company’s “U.S. Wireless” segment. As of March 31, 2014, the Company has received approximately $7.3 million in Mobility Funds. Of these funds, $1.0 million was recorded as an offset to the cost of the property, plant, and equipment associated with these projects and, consequentially, a reduction of future depreciation expense and $6.3 million was recorded as a liability to reduce future operating expenses.. The balance sheet presentation is based on the timing of the expected recognition of the funds and accordingly, $2.5 million is recorded within other current liabilities while the remaining $3.8 million is recorded within other long-term liabilities.

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- Definition The entire disclosure of government grants received or to be received by the entity. + References No definition available. + Details
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