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GOVERNMENT GRANTS | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2018
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. The Company has received $21.1 million 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 was 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. The Mobility Funds projects and their results are included within our U.S. Telecom segment. As of December 31 2017, the Company had received approximately $21.1 million in Mobility Funds. Of these funds, $7.2 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 $11.9 million has been recorded to date and $2.0 million is recorded within current liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2018. The balance sheet presentation is based on the timing of the expected usage of the funds which will reduce future operations expenses through the expiration of the arrangement in July 2018. Tribal Bidding Credit As part of the broadcast television spectrum incentive auction, the FCC implemented a tribal lands bidding credit to encourage growth of wireless services on the lands of federally recognized tribes. The Company received $7.4 million under this program in the first quarter of 2018. A portion of these funds will be used to offset network capital costs and a portion will be used to offset the costs of supporting the networks. The Company’s current estimate is to use $5.4 million to offset capital costs which will subsequently reduce future depreciation expense and $2.0 million to offset the cost of supporting the network which will reduce future operating expense. The credits are subject to certain requirements, including deploying service by January 2021 and meeting minimum coverage metrics. If the requirements are not met the funds are subject to claw back provisions. The Company currently expects to comply with all requirements. E-Rate The Universal Service Administrative Company established the universal service Schools and Libraries Program (“E-Rate”) to provide discounted telecommunication access to eligible schools and libraries. The program awards providers grants to build network connectivity to eligible participants. The grants are distributed upon completion of a project. At March 31, 2018, the Company was awarded approximately $15.4 million of E-Rate grants with construction completion obligations between June 2019 and June 2020. Once the networks are constructed the Company is obligated to provide service to the program participants. The Company is in various stages of constructing the networks and has not received any of the funds. The Company expects to meet all requirements associated with the grants.

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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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