The Company recognizes revenue from several government funded programs including the Universal Service Fund (“USF”), a subsidy program managed by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), and the Alaska Universal Service Fund (“AUSF”), a similar program managed by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (the “RCA”). USF funds are disbursed to telecommunication providers through four programs: the High Cost Program; the Low Income Program (“Lifeline Program”); the Schools and Libraries Program (“E-Rate Program”); and the Rural Health Care Support Program (“RHC”).

The Company also recognizes revenue from the Connect America Fund Phase II program (“CAF II”) which offers subsidies to carriers to expand broadband coverage in designated areas. Under CAF II, the Company’s US Telecom segment will receive an aggregate of $27.7 million annually through December 2025 and an aggregate of $8.0 million annually from January 2026 through July 2028.

Both the USF and CAF II programs are subject to certain operational and reporting compliance requirements. The Company believes it is in compliance with these requirements as of December 31, 2023.

The Company also recognizes revenue from the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”) and the Emergency Connectivity Fund (“ECF”). The ACP provides eligible low-income consumers with a monthly subsidy for broadband connectivity and the ECF provides schools and libraries with subsidies for broadband connectivity. In January 2024, the FCC announced that, unless Congress authorizes additional funding, the ACP program will end in the second quarter of 2024.

The Company recorded the amounts below as communication services revenue for the reported periods:

In 2018, the FCC initiated a proceeding to replace the High Cost Program support received by Viya in the US Virgin Islands with a new Connect USVI Fund. On November 16, 2020, the FCC announced that Viya was not the recipient of the Connect USVI Fund award and authorized funding to be issued to the new awardee in June 2021. Pursuant to the terms of the program and effective in July 2021, Viya’s annual USF support was reduced from $16.4 million to $10.9 million. In July 2022, this support was reduced again to $5.5 million for the annual period through June 2023. In April of 2023, the FCC issued an order extending the high cost support in the US Virgin Islands at the current $5.5 million per year received from July 2023 through December 31, 2025. In connection with this order, the FCC requires that the Company maintain its current footprint for voice and broadband services in the US Virgin Islands.

The Company expects to receive approximately $22.7 million over 10 years to provide broadband and voice coverage to over 10,000 households in the United States (not including Alaska) under the 2020 Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I Auction (“RDOF”).

The Company has also been awarded construction grants to build network connectivity for eligible communities. The funding of these grants, used to reimburse the Company for its construction costs, is generally distributed upon completion of a project. Completion deadlines begin in 2024 and once these projects are constructed, the Company is obligated to provide service to the participants. The Company expects to meet all requirements associated with these grants. A roll forward of the Company’s grant awards is below (in thousands).


	Amount
Grants awarded, December 31, 2022	$	80,197
New grants		34,526
Construction complete		(8,305)
Transferred grants		(6,269)
Grants awarded, December 31, 2023	$	100,149

In addition, the Company partners with tribal governments to obtain grants under various government grant programs including, but not limited to, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program ("TBCP") and the Rural Development Broadband ReConnect Program (“ReConnect”). These programs are administered by United States government agencies to deploy broadband connectivity in certain underserved areas. The Company was identified as a sub recipient of grants under these programs totaling $192.6 million as of December 31, 2023. Under these grants the Company expects to enter into agreements to construct and operate the networks for the grant recipient. Once construction is complete the Company will hold a long-term lease to operate the network. The operating agreement will require the Company to meet certain minimum service requirements.

On July 15, 2022, the Company was notified that it was an approved participant in the Federal Communication Commission’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (the “Replace and Remove Program”), designed to reimburse providers of communications services for reasonable costs incurred in the required removal, replacement, and disposal of covered communications equipment or services, that have been deemed to pose a national security risk, from their networks. Pursuant to the Replace and Remove Program, the Company was allocated up to approximately $207 million in reimbursement amounts to cover documented and approved costs to remove and securely destroy all prohibited communications equipment and services in its U.S. networks and replace such equipment. The Replace and Remove Program requires that the Company complete the project no later than one year from submitting our initial reimbursement request, or by July 2024. At this time, the Company anticipates that it will be able to meet the deadlines and requirements of the program. The Company has incurred capital expenditures of $17.5 million related to this project, of which $15.7 million were incurred in 2023. At December 31, 2023, $31.8 million of capital expenditures were accrued and the Company has a receivable of $47.3 million, including operation costs and capital expenditures, which is expected to be reimbursed within the next twelve months. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company has received $17.1 million of reimbursement under the program, of which $4.3 million was classified as operating cash inflows and $12.8 million was classified as investing cash inflows in the statement of cash flows.