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GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND SPECTRUM MATTERS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2025

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND SPECTRUM MATTERS

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND SPECTRUM MATTERS

8. GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND SPECTRUM MATTERS

Universal Service Fund and Other Domestic Funding Programs

The Company recognizes revenue from several government funded programs including but not limited to, as follows:

●

The Company receives federal Universal Service Fund (“USF”) support under the Alaska Connect Fund (“ACF”). Beginning January 1, 2025, the Company began receiving $25.6 million per year and expects such annual funding to continue until December 31, 2028. Beginning in 2029 and continuing through 2034, the amount of ACF support will be determined by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) staff taking into consideration broadband deployment funded through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. The ACF replaced the $19.7 million per year that the Company had previously received in Connect America Fund II (“CAF II”) support in Alaska;

●

As part of the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Model (“E-ACAM”) funding available to the Company’s operations in the southwest, the Company is estimated to receive $102.6 million over the next 14 years, through 2038, with approximately $9 million annually through 2030 before a gradual step down to $6 million annually in 2038;

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The Company receives $8.0 million per year in CAF II support in the rural southwest until July 2028;

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The Company receives $5.5 million annually in the US Virgin Islands through December 31, 2025, subject to the requirement to enhance network resiliency and operations in those markets;

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The Company was awarded $2.3 million annually in the western United States through December 31, 2031, as part of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I (“RDOF”) auction. In exchange for this support, the Company committed to deploy voice and broadband service to covered areas within six years and to provide service in those areas for ten years. As of September 2025, the Company transferred $1.3 million of the annual awards to other providers and returned $0.7 million of the annual awards to the FCC; and

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The Company receives state USF support in Alaska of approximately $2.5 million annually.

As of September 30, 2025, the Company was in compliance in all material respects with its requirements associated with such funding.

Additionally, in 2024, the Company recognized revenue from the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”) and the Emergency Connectivity Fund (“ECF”) that expired in the second quarter of 2024. During the nine months ended September 30, 2025, the Company recorded a loss of $1.9 million related to the transfer of RDOF awards. This loss is recorded in Loss on disposition of assets, transfers and contingent consideration in the Company’s income statement. The Company had a liability of $2.7 million accrued related to transferring its RDOF awards as of September 30, 2025, which will be paid in the first quarter of 2026.

The company participates in the FCC’s Rural Health Care Program (“RHC”). During the nine months ended September 30, 2025, the Company received $12.5 million related to RHC funding.

Revenue recognized from the USF High Cost Program, including the CAF II, ACF, E-ACAM, and RDOF programs, is recognized as revenue from government grants. Revenue from other programs is recognized in accordance with ASC 606.

The Company recorded the amounts below as communication services revenue for the reported periods (in thousands):


	Three months ended						Three months ended
	September 30, 2025						September 30, 2024

	US Telecom		International Telecom		Total		US Telecom		International Telecom		Total

High cost support	$	4,073	$	1,363	$	5,436	$	3,473	$	1,394	$	4,867
CAF II (including ACF)		8,254		—		8,254		6,731		—		6,731
RDOF		75		—		75		175		—		175
ECF		—		—		—		—		—		—
RHC		3,790		—		3,790		4,420		—		4,420
Other		1,332		3		1,335		1,908		3		1,911
Total	$	17,524	$	1,366	$	18,890	$	16,707	$	1,397	$	18,104


	Nine months ended						Nine months ended
	September 30, 2025						September 30, 2024

	US Telecom		International Telecom		Total		US Telecom		International Telecom		Total

High cost support	$	10,289	$	4,046	$	14,335	$	10,411	$	4,180	$	14,591
CAF II (including ACF)		24,650		—		24,650		20,303		—		20,303
RDOF		219		—		219		465		—		465
ECF		—		—		—		7,312		—		7,312
RHC		12,505		—		12,505		11,539		—		11,539
Other		4,536		12		4,548		10,316		473		10,789
Total	$	52,199	$	4,058	$	56,257	$	60,346	$	4,653	$	64,999

Construction Grants

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 began in 2025 and once these projects are constructed, the Company is obligated to provide service to the participants. As of the date of this Report, the Company expects to meet all requirements associated with these grants.

In the second quarter of 2025, the Company was notified that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”) rescinded Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (“BEAD”) grants initially awarded in December 2024. The Company previously recorded $51 million of grants under this program which are presented below in Transferred and rescinded grants. The Company is currently reviewing funding available under the BEAD grant program. A roll forward of the Company’s grant awards is set forth below (in thousands).


	Amount
Grants awarded, December 31, 2024	$	150,189
New grants		16,097
Construction complete		(10,294)
Transferred and rescinded grants		(52,487)
Grants awarded, September 30, 2025	$	103,505

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 $239 million as of September 30, 2025. 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. Through September 30, 2025, the Company has received $34.0 million of funding under these programs and spent $31.9 million on construction obligations. These amounts are recorded as operating cash flows in the Company’s statement of cash flows.

Replace and Remove Program

In July 2022, the Company was approved to participate in the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (the “Replace and Remove Program”), designed to reimburse providers of advanced communications services for reasonable costs incurred in the required removal, replacement, and disposal of communications equipment and services in their networks that has been deemed to pose a national security risk. Pursuant to the Replace and Remove Program, the Company’s eligible subsidiaries were initially allocated up to approximately $207 million to replace, remove and securely destroy such communications equipment and services in the Company’s networks in the western United States and in the US Virgin Islands; however, in December 2024, this program was fully funded for an increased allocation to the Company of an aggregate amount of approximately $517 million. The Replace and Remove Program requires each of the Company’s participating subsidiaries to complete the project no later than a specified deadline, which was recently extended to the second quarter of 2026.

A summary of the amounts spent and reimbursed under the Replace and Remove Program is below (in thousands):


	Capital		Operating		Total

Total spend, December 31, 2024	$	140,949	$	27,446	$	168,395
Amounts spent		36,445		8,864		45,309
Total spend, September 30, 2025	$	177,394	$	36,310	$	213,704

Total reimbursements, December 31, 2024	$	(103,540)	$	(27,181)	$	(130,721)
Reimbursements received		(48,555)		(9,129)		(57,684)
Total reimbursements, September 30, 2025	$	(152,095)	$	(36,310)	$	(188,405)

Amount pending reimbursement	$	25,299	$	-	$	25,299


	Capital		Operating		Total

Total spend, December 31, 2023	$	49,262	$	15,126	$	64,388
Amounts spent		66,501		9,049		75,550
Total spend, September 30, 2024	$	115,763	$	24,175	$	139,938

Total reimbursements, December 31, 2023	$	(12,773)	$	(4,354)	$	(17,127)
Reimbursements received		(68,450)		(18,739)		(87,189)
Total reimbursements, September 30, 2024	$	(81,223)	$	(23,093)	$	(104,316)

Amount pending reimbursement	$	34,540	$	1,082	$	35,622

At September 30, 2025, $11.0 million of the capital expenditures spent under the Replace and Remove Program were accrued and unpaid. The Company expects to be reimbursed, within the next twelve months, for all amounts spent to date. Amounts identified as capital are recorded as investing cash flows and amounts identified as operating are recorded as operating cash flows in the Company’s statement of cash flows.