XML 62 R24.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.1.9

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 14. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES 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 below, 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. The Company had previously amended its Amended Credit Facility to provide for an additional $55 million letter of credit sub-facility to its revolver loan to be available for issuance in connection with the Company's Mobility Fund Grant obligations. On June 17, 2013, the Company issued approximately $29.8 million in letters of credit to the Universal Service Administrative Company to secure a portion of the pending awards of approximately $68.8 million of Mobility Fund Grants to certain of its subsidiaries. In connection with the Company's sale of its Alltel business on September 20, 2013, it notified the FCC and USAC that it would no longer be eligible to perform under the terms and conditions of the Alltel Mobility Funds. At that time, USAC chose not to draw any amounts under our letter of credit securing the Alltel Mobility Funds and the Company terminated $19.9 million in letters of credit on November 14, 2013. See Note 10 for further information about the Mobility Fund. The letters of credit accrue a fee at a rate of 1.75% per annum on the outstanding amounts. As of December 31, 2013 the Company had approximately $9.9 million in letters of credit payable to USAC outstanding to cover its Mobility Fund obligations and there were no draw downs against these letters of credit. If the Company fails to comply with certain terms and conditions upon which the Mobility Fund Grants are to be granted, or if it loses eligibility for Mobility Fund support, USAC will be entitled to draw the entire amount of the letter of credit applicable to the affected project including penalties. The results of the Company's Mobility Fund projects, once initiated, will be included in the Company's "U.S. Wireless" segment. Currently, the Company's Guyana subsidiary, GT&T, holds a license to provide domestic fixed services and international voice and data services in Guyana on an exclusive basis until December 2030. Since 2001, the Government of Guyana has stated its intention to introduce additional competition into Guyana's telecommunications sector. Since that time, the Company and GT&T have met on several occasions with officials of the Government of Guyana to discuss potential modifications of GT&T's exclusivity and other rights under the existing agreement and license. In 2012, the Government of Guyana introduced draft legislation in Parliament that, if enacted, would have the effect of terminating the Company's exclusive license rights by permitting other telecommunications carriers to receive licenses to provide domestic fixed services and international voice and data services in Guyana. Along with the draft legislation, the Government also released drafts of new regulations and licenses (collectively, the "Draft Laws"). These Draft Laws would also introduce material changes to many other features of Guyana's existing telecommunications regulatory regime. While little or no substantive actions were taken on the Draft Laws since 2012, the Company cannot predict when or if the proposed legislation will be adopted by Parliament or, if adopted and then signed into law by the President, the manner in which it would be implemented by the Minister of Telecommunications and the PUC. Although the Company believes that it would be entitled to damages or other compensation for any involuntary termination of its contractual exclusivity rights, it cannot guarantee that the Company would prevail in a proceeding to enforce its rights or that its actions would effectively halt any unilateral action by the Government. Historically, GT&T has been subject to other litigation proceedings and disputes in Guyana that, while not conclusively resolved, to the Company's 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, as discussed below, 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 the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operation or liquidity. In a letter dated September 8, 2006, the National Frequency Management Unit ("NFMU") agreed that total spectrum fees in Guyana should not increase for the years 2006 and 2007. However, that letter implied that spectrum fees in 2008 and onward may be increased beyond the amount GT&T agreed to with the Government. GT&T has objected to the NFMU's proposed action and reiterated its position that an increase in fees prior to development of an acceptable methodology would violate the Government's prior agreement. In 2011, GT&T paid the NFMU $2.6 million representing payments in full for 2008, 2009 and 2010. However, by letter dated November 23, 2011, the NFMU stated that it did not concur with GT&T's inference that the amount was payment in full for the specified years as it was their continued opinion that the final calculation for GSM spectrum fees was not agreed upon and was still an outstanding issue. By further letter dated November 24, 2011, the NFMU further rejected a proposal that was previously submitted jointly by GT&T and Digicel which outlined a recommended methodology for the calculation of these fees. The NFMU stated that it would prepare its own recommendation which it would send to the Minister of Telecoms for decision of the matter. GT&T paid additional spectrum fees in 2012 according to the methodology used for its 2011 payments, and have reserved amounts payable for 2013 and 2014 according to this methodology. There have been no further discussions on this subject and GT&T has not had the opportunity to review any recommendation made to the Minister. In November 2007, Caribbean Telecommunications Limited ("CTL") filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against GT&T and ATN claiming breach of an interconnection agreement for domestic cellular services in Guyana and related claims. CTL asserted over $200 million in damages. GT&T and ATN moved to dismiss the complaint on procedural and jurisdictional grounds. On January 26, 2009, the court granted the motions to dismiss the complaint on the grounds asserted. On November 7, 2009 and again on April 4, 2013, CTL filed a similar claim against GT&T and the PUC in the High Court of Guyana. The Company believes these claims are without merit and are duplicative of a previous claim filed by CTL in Guyana that was dismissed. There has been no action on these matters since the April 2013 filing. On May 8, 2009, Digicel filed a lawsuit in Guyana challenging the legality of GT&T's exclusive license rights under Guyana's constitution. Digicel initially filed this lawsuit against the Attorney General of Guyana in the High Court. On May 13, 2009, GT&T petitioned to intervene in the suit in order to oppose Digicel's claims and that petition was granted on May 18, 2009. GT&T filed an answer to the charge on June 22, 2009 and the case is pending. The Company believes that any legal challenge to GT&T's exclusive license rights granted in 1990 is without merit and the Company intends to vigorously defend against such a legal challenge. On February 17, 2010, GT&T filed a lawsuit in the High Court of Guyana asserting that, despite its denials, Digicel is engaged in international bypass in violation of GT&T's exclusive license rights, the interconnection agreement between the parties, and the laws of Guyana. GT&T is seeking, among other things, injunctive relief to stop the illegal bypass activity, actual damages in excess of US$9 million and punitive damages of approximately US$5 million. Digicel filed counterclaims alleging that GT&T has violated the terms of the interconnection agreement and Guyana laws. GT&T intends to vigorously prosecute this suit. On July 20, 2012 a trial court in Guyana made findings calling into question the validity of GT&T's exclusive license to provide international voice and data service in Guyana and the applicability of that 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 and are now temporarily stayed pending further court proceedings. 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. 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. 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. GT&T is also involved in several legal claims regarding its tax filings with the Guyana Revenue Authority dating back to 1991 regarding the deductibility of intercompany advisory fees as well as other tax assessments. Should GT&T be held liable for any of the disputed tax assessments, totaling $33.2 million, the Company believes that the Government of Guyana would then be obligated to reimburse GT&T for any amounts necessary to ensure that GT&T's return on investment was no less than 15% per annum for the relevant periods. In Bermuda, the Regulatory Authority continued its implementation of the Electronic Communications Act of 2011, which allows communications service providers to enter new lines of business and introduces competition in the sector. As the government of Bermuda reforms the local telecommunications market, it has adopted new and amended regulations that establish regulatory and other fees, additional regulation and result in other circumstances that could increase the regulatory costs incurred by or otherwise impact the Company's Bermuda operations. For instance, in December 2014, the Bermuda Regulatory Authority adopted a decision that, if implemented, would prevent the Company from using a portion of existing spectrum held in Bermuda reserved for the launch of next generation services in accordance with the Company's plans and demands of its customers in Bermuda. While the Company has appealed the decision, it if is implemented, it could damage the competitive position of the Compnay's Bermuda business and limit its ability to grow. The term of the Company's telecommunications license to operate in Aruba expired on January 15, 2014. The government of Aruba informed the Company earlier in January 2014 that a renewed license would be issued only upon payment by the Company of a fee in the amount of Afl 7.2 million (or approximately US$4 million). The Company is continuing to operate as it is actively contesting the assessment of such fee. Lease Commitments and Other Obligations The Company leases approximately 2.3 million square feet for its operations centers, administrative offices and retail stores as well as certain tower sites under non-cancelable operating leases. The Company's obligations for payments under these leases are as follows at December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
2015 |  | $ | 13,810 |
2016 |  |  | 13,047 |
2017 |  |  | 8,983 |
2018 |  |  | 6,372 |
2019 |  |  | 2,372 |
Thereafter |  |  | 5,319 |
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Total obligations under operating leases |  | $ | 49,903 |
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 was $13.7 million, $12.7 million and $15.0 million, respectively.

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.25) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6449706&loc=d3e16207-108621 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12565-110249 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394976&loc=d3e25287-109308 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration