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GOVERNMENT GRANTS | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016
GOVERNMENT GRANTS |
GOVERNMENT GRANTS | 9. 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). Phase I 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 the Phase I Mobility Fund (“Phase I Mobility Fund”), a one-time award meant to support wireless coverage in underserved geographic areas in the United States. In August 2013 and October 2014, the Company received FCC final approvals for $21.7 million and $2.4 million, respectively, of Phase I 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 from the award date. In connection with the Company’s application for the Mobility Funds, the Company has issued approximately $10.6 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 the Company 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. The Mobility Funds projects and their results are included within the Company’s U.S. Telecom segment. As of December 31 2016, the Company had received approximately $19.7 million in Mobility Funds. Of these funds, $5.8 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. The remaining $13.9 million received offsets operating expenses, of which $4.6 million has been recorded to date, $3.4 million is recorded within long term liabilities, and the remaining $5.8 million is recorded within current liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016. The balance sheet presentation is based on the timing of the expected usage of the funds which will reduce future operations expenses

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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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