ATN International, Inc. [ATNI] Filings

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

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Commission File No. 001-12593

ATN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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(978) 619-1300

(Registrant’s telephone

number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

(Title of each class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ◻ No ⌧

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ◻ No ⌧

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ⌧ No ◻

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ⌧ No ◻

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ◻

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ⌧

The aggregate market value of Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2023, was approximately $394 million based on the closing price of the registrant’s Common Stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

As of March 15, 2024, the registrant had 15,481,207 outstanding shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Report”) contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other matters, our future financial performance and results of operations; the impact of federal support program revenues; expectations regarding future revenue, operating income, EBITDA and capital expenditures; the competitive environment in our key markets, demand for our services and industry trends; expectations regarding litigation; our liquidity; and management’s plans and strategy for the future. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections, beliefs, and assumptions and are not guarantees of future events or results.  Actual future events and results could differ materially from the events and results indicated in these statements as a result of many factors, including, among others, (1) the general performance of our operations, including operating margins, revenues, capital expenditures, and the retention of and future growth of our subscriber base and ARPU; (2) our ability to replace and remove all prohibited mobile telecommunications equipment in our U.S. network on the timeframe and at the cost approved by the FCC; (3) our ability to satisfy the needs and demands of our major carrier customers; (4) government funding program availability and regulation of our businesses, which may impact our revenue, operating costs, and telecommunications licenses; (5) the adequacy and expansion capabilities of our network capacity and customer service system to support our customer growth; (6) our ability to efficiently and cost-effectively upgrade our networks and information technology platforms to address rapid and significant technological changes in the telecommunications industry; (7) continued access to capital and credit markets on terms we deem favorable; (8) our reliance on a limited number of key suppliers and vendors for timely supply of equipment and services relating to our network infrastructure; (9) our ability to continue to cost-effectively service our debt to levels needed to fund our business  given rising interest rates; (10) our estimated plan with respect to material construction projects and the effect such progress will have on our financial results; (11) increased risk of political, geopolitical and other risks and opportunities facing our operations, including those resulting from the persistence of high inflation and other macroeconomic headwinds including increased costs and supply chain disruptions; (12) the loss of, or an inability to recruit skilled personnel in our various jurisdictions, including key members of management; (13) our ability to find investment or acquisition or disposition opportunities that fit our strategic goals; (14) the occurrence of weather events and natural catastrophes and our ability to secure the appropriate level of insurance coverage for these assets; and (15) increased competition.  

Please keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made by us in this Report or elsewhere speaks only as of the date on which we make it. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect us. In any event, these and other important factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by our forward-looking statements, including those set forth in Item 1A of this Report under the caption “Risk Factors.” We have no duty to, and do not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements made by us in this Report after the date of this Report, except as may be required by law.

In this Report, the words “the Company,” “we,” “our,” “ours,” “us” and “ATN” refer to ATN International, Inc. and its subsidiaries. This Report contains trademarks, service marks and trade names that are the property of, or licensed by, ATN and its subsidiaries.

References to dollars ($) refer to US dollars unless otherwise specifically indicated

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PART I

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

Strategy

We believe that access to reliable, high-quality communications services for data, voice and video is fundamental to the economic growth and well-being of every community and should be easy and ubiquitous. Our strategy is informed by our mission which is to digitally empower people and communities so that they can connect with the world and prosper.

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We seek to do so by providing our customers with critical communication technologies that enable rural and remote communities to access reliable, high-speed broadband access through fiber or fiber-like services. These services are essential for allowing these communities to access such things as healthcare, education, and economic opportunities.  

At the start of 2022, we launched a 3-year strategy to deploy capital into fiber and fiber-fed high-speed data solutions to increase our network reach and grow broadband subscribers. The key elements of our strategy are the following:

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Overview

We provide digital infrastructure and communications services in the United States, primarily in the western U.S., the Navajo Nation and Alaska, and internationally, including Bermuda and the Caribbean region. We focus on smaller markets, many of which are rural or remote, that have a growing demand for infrastructure investments. Through our operating subsidiaries, we primarily provide: (i) fixed and mobile telecommunications connectivity to residential, business and government customers, including a range of high-speed internet and data services, fixed and mobile wireless solutions, and video and voice services; and (ii) carrier communications services, such as communications tower facilities to large business and government customers, and terrestrial and submarine fiber optic transport.

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About the Company

We are a leading provider of digital infrastructure and communications services with a focus on rural and remote markets in the United States, and internationally, including Bermuda and the Caribbean region.

We have developed significant operational expertise and resources that we use to augment our capabilities in our local markets. With this support, our operating subsidiaries are able to improve their quality of service with greater economies of scale and expertise than would typically be available in the size markets we operate in. We provide management, technical, financial, regulatory, and marketing services to our operating subsidiaries and typically receive a management fee calculated as a percentage of their revenues, which is eliminated in consolidation. We also actively evaluate investment opportunities and other strategic transactions, both domestic and international, and generally look for those that we believe fit our profile of telecommunications businesses and have the potential to complement our “First-to-Fiber” and “Glass & Steel™” approach in markets while keeping a focus on generating excess operating cash flows over extended periods of time. We use the cash generated from our operations to maintain an appropriate ratio of debt and cash on hand and to re-invest in organic growth, to fund capital expenditures, to return cash to our stockholders through dividends or stock repurchases, and to make strategic investments or acquisitions.

For further information about our financial segments and geographical information about our operating revenues and assets, see Notes 1 and 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Report.

As of December 31, 2023, we offered the following types of services to our customers:

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Through December 31, 2023, we identified two operating segments to manage and review our operations and to facilitate investor presentations of our results. These operating segments are as follows:

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The following chart summarizes the operating activities of our principal subsidiaries, the segments in which we reported our revenue and the markets we served during 2023.

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Our principal corporate offices are located at 500 Cummings Center, Suite 2450, Beverly, Massachusetts, 01915. The telephone number at our principal corporate offices is (978) 619-1300.

We file with or submit to the SEC our annual, quarterly, current reports, proxy statements and other information meeting the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“the Exchange Act”). We make available, free of charge, on our website our proxy statement, annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports and other publicly filed information available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to the SEC. Our Internet address where these documents and other information can be found is www.atni.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Report, and you should not consider that information to be part of this Report. Our annual, quarterly, periodic and current reports, proxy statements and other public filings are also available free of charge on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet website at www.sec.gov.

US Telecom Segment

Our US Telecom segment generates fixed services, carrier services, mobility services, and managed services revenues in Alaska and parts of the western United States.

In July 2021, we completed the acquisition of Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. (“Alaska Communications”), an Alaska based entity that provides fixed services, carrier services and managed services to primarily carrier and business customers in the State of Alaska and beyond using its statewide and interstate telecommunications network.  At the same time, we entered into an agreement with affiliates and investment funds managed by Freedom 3 Capital, LLC as well as other institutional investors (collectively the “Freedom 3 Investors”) to fund the Alaska Transaction. As a result of the Alaska Transaction, we now own approximately 52% of the common equity of Alaska Communications and control its operations and management.  Beginning on July 22, 2021, the results of the Alaska Transaction are included in our US Telecom segment.

In November 2022, we acquired all of the issued and outstanding stock of Sacred Wind Enterprises, Inc. (“Sacred Wind”), a rural telecommunications provider in New Mexico (the “Sacred Wind Transaction”). As part of the Sacred Wind Transaction, we paid a combination of cash and equity for Sacred Wind, resulting in the Sacred Wind stockholders becoming minority owners in the new business formed by combining Sacred Wind with our existing operations in the western United States, Commnet. Beginning on November 7, 2022, the results of the Sacred Wind Transaction are included in our US Telecom segment.

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Revenues from our US Telecom segment were approximately 51% of our consolidated revenues for fiscal years 2023 and 2022.

Carrier Services

Carrier Services.  In Alaska, we provide wholesale voice and internet connectivity to carrier customers.  In the western United States, we provide wholesale mobile voice and data roaming services in rural markets and wholesale transport services on a smaller scale to national, regional, local and selected international wireless carriers as part of our carrier services as well as tower rental, backhaul and maintenance services. Our largest wholesale networks are located principally in the western United States.

In Alaska, we provide connectivity to our wholesale customers, either through direct sales of wholesale transport over our terrestrial or subsea networks or by entering into transactions whereby we agree to build, host or maintain networks on behalf of another carrier over a contracted term.  

We currently have roaming agreements with each of the three U.S. national wireless network carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless) along with several other wireless service providers. Other than these agreements with the national carriers, our standard roaming agreements are usually terminable within 90 days. While we continue to provide services pursuant to these roaming agreements, responding to changes in the business environment and customer needs, we have shifted our business focus away from traditional roaming and toward a network infrastructure model of carrier services further described below.

In the western United States, we are increasingly providing network infrastructure services as part of our expanded carrier services, such as tower leasing and transport facilities to our carrier partners, to supplement our historic revenue base. By the end of 2023, we have completed 88% of the build of AT&T’s network for the First Responder Network Authority (“FirstNet”). Ongoing, we are providing equipment and site maintenance and high-capacity transport from these FirstNet cell sites to AT&T’s core network for an initial term ending in 2031. In 2023, we signed our second major Carrier Managed Services (“CMS”) agreement with Verizon to build out a large network to support their customer base. We expect the Verizon build to be substantially complete by the end of 2024.

Sales and Marketing. Our wholesale transport customers are predominately communications carriers such as local exchange carriers, wireless carriers, internet service providers and interstate integrated providers. Our services are mainly sold through direct and inside sales. These business customers choose from our wide range of carrier service offerings to meet their needs.

We believe that our ability to deliver reliable, high capacity backhaul across multiple provider footprints, both from licensed fixed wireless microwave and fiber access solutions, creates value for our customers who are typically unable to scale their rural access capacities as rapidly and successfully as they can in less remote markets. We are investing in the expansion of our regional fiber and network asset footprint, and in enhanced network reliability and route diversity, in the expectation that our carrier customers will have greater demand for higher capacity, higher reliability and lower latency backhaul to support their own investments in 5G network deployments.

Fixed Services

Services. In Alaska, we provide fiber broadband and managed IT services, offering technology and service enabled customer solutions to business and wholesale customers in and out of Alaska. We also provide telecommunication services to consumers in the most populated communities throughout the state. Our facilities-based communications network connects to the contiguous states via our two diverse undersea fiber optic cable systems. We provide high-capacity data networking, internet connectivity, voice communications and IT Services. Networking services include Ethernet and IP routed services as well as switched and dedicated voice services. In addition, we offer other value-added services such as network hosting, managed IT services and long-distance services. Our network is among the most expansive in Alaska

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and forms the foundation of service to our customers. We operate in a largely two-player terrestrial wireline market and our customers are primarily business customers.

In the western United States, we provide fiber and fixed wireless services to business customers such as schools, libraries, mine operators and state and local governments as well as residential customers. Through our Sacred Wind acquisition, our focus in the western United States is to continue to build-out our residential and commercial broadband services.

Network. In Alaska, we provide communications and IT solutions that connect Alaskans, as well as customers in the continental United States, to the world. This is based on an extensive facilities-based wireline telecommunications network in Alaska that we operate. We continually upgrade our network to provide higher levels of performance, higher bandwidth speeds, increased levels of security and additional value-added services to our customers. We operate significant terrestrial and submarine fiber miles which serve as the backbone of our network with a focus on reaching enterprise customers. Our networks are monitored for performance continuously in redundant monitoring centers to provide a high level of reliability and performance. Our network is extensive within Alaska’s urban areas and connects our largest markets, including Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau with each other and the contiguous states as well as many rural areas. Residential broadband customers are served in Alaska with copper-based DSL internet access, and in 2022 we began deploying fiber driven broadband service to certain markets. We continue to utilize fixed wireless technology over spectrum to reach even more customers, and we expanded our Multi-Dwelling Unit (“MDU”) offering utilizing fiber or fixed wireless backhaul. 

We own and operate two undersea fiber optic cable systems, AKORN® and Northstar, that provide diverse routing from our Alaskan network to our facilities in Oregon and Washington designed to serve the critical communications requirements of our internal companies and the requirements of our external customers. These facilities provide survivable service to and from Alaska, with key monitoring and disaster recovery capabilities for our customers. We also have several ownership rights on other cables connecting Alaska to the continental United States. Our Network Operations Control Center is located in Hillsboro, Oregon and we have collocation facilities located in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington.  Through our landing stations in Oregon, we also provide an at-the-ready landing point for other large fiber optic cables, and their operators, connecting the U.S. to networks in Asia and other parts of the world. 

Our terrestrial fiber network on the North Slope of Alaska allows us to provide broadband solutions to the oil and gas sector and to advance our sales of managed IT services.  Rural healthcare, education and business customers are served by a satellite earth station network utilizing a combination of Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (“GEO”) and low earth orbit (“LEO”) satellite capacity. These satellite services are used to provide Internet and WAN backhaul connectivity to our customers.

In the western United States, we have deployed, and are working to deploy more, carrier-grade fiber optic networks strategically throughout our markets to continue to serve governmental, educational, healthcare, business, consumer and tribal customers in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. We are continuing to expand our capacity offerings with a focus on enhancing our owned and leased transport facilities. Expansion of our network anchored by new fiber deployments is facilitating a long-held vision for reducing reliance on limited capacity microwave backhaul and enabling new wholesale agreements with additional national and regional carriers for both lit and dark fiber services.

Competition. In Alaska, we face strong competition in our markets from larger competitors with substantial resources. For traditional voice and broadband services, we compete with GCI and AT&T on a statewide basis, and smaller providers such as Matanuska Telephone Association, Inc., a co-op owned telephone and internet service provider operating in the Matanuska Valley region of Alaska, on a more local basis.

In the western United States, we experience competitive pressures from ILEC providers such as AT&T, Lumen and Frontier along with their channel partners. Similarly, national fiber providers such as Zayo also offer our customers services and employ vast wholesale channel solutions. Our ability to offer full-service solutions across multiple LEC service areas and very remote sites back to mobile telephone switching offices continues to be market differentiator and a driver for our success.

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Our fixed services in the United States also face additional competitive pressure from the continued development and commercialization of LEO satellite technologies with the capacity for providing high-quality data services to our customers.

Mobility Services

Mobility Services. Historically, we offered mobile services to retail customers in certain rural markets already covered by our wholesale networks in the western United States. As we continue our transition to provide carrier services, we have made the decision to de-emphasize providing retail mobile services. We do not offer mobility services in Alaska.

In July 2022, we were approved to participate in the Federal Communication Commission’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, our eligible subsidiaries were initially allocated up to approximately $207 million to replace, remove and securely destroy such communications equipment and services in our networks in the western United States and in the US Virgin Islands, which represents approximately 40% of the funds we requested for such projects. The Replace and Remove Program requires each of these subsidiaries to complete the project no later than one year from receiving its initial disbursement. As of December 31, 2023, we have received approximately $18 million in reimbursements under the Replace and Remove Program. All of our participating subsidiaries must complete their projects in 2024, absent any extensions. See US Federal Regulation – FCC Replace and Remove Program.

Network and Operations. We provide wireless communications network products and services with owned and leased cellular, PCS, BRS, EBS, AWS, and Citizens Broadband Radio Services (“CBRS”) spectrum. Our networks are comprised of base stations and radio transceivers located on owned or leased towers and buildings, telecommunications switches and owned or leased transport facilities. We design and construct our network in a manner intended to provide high-quality service to substantially all types of compatible wireless devices.

The same network that we use for CMS currently provides services to retail customers, and those retail customers benefit from the route diversity, redundant equipment, ring topologies, battery backup and the use of emergency standby power that we have put in place to service our carrier customers. We operate high-capacity, carrier-class digital wireless switching systems that are capable of serving multiple markets through a mobile telephone switching office and centralized equipment used for network and data management that is located in high-availability facilities supported by multiple levels of power and network redundancy. Our systems are designed to incorporate Internet Protocol (IP) packet-based Ethernet technology, which allows for increased data capacity and a more efficient network. Interconnection between the mobile telephone switching office and the cell sites utilizes Ethernet technology over fiber or microwave links for virtually all of our sites.

Competition. Historically, the most significant competitive challenge we face in our U.S. wholesale wireless business is the extent to which our carrier customers choose not to roam on our networks or elect to build or acquire their own infrastructure in a market in which we operate, reducing or eliminating their need for our roaming services in those markets. We are addressing this competitive threat mainly by offering a managed carrier services solution to build and maintain base stations and provide backhaul between our sites and the carrier’s mobile telephone switching office, thereby delivering a native coverage experience to the carrier’s end-customers. While these solutions are similarly vulnerable to competitive overbuild, managed carrier services are offered under longer-term agreements providing us with a predictable source of revenue to support our operating costs.

International Telecom Segment

Our International Telecom segment generates mobility services, fixed services, carrier services, and managed services revenues in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Guyana and the US Virgin Islands. Revenues from our International Telecom segment were approximately 49% of our consolidated revenues for fiscal years 2023 and 2022.

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Fixed Services

High-speed data and related services. We offer high-speed broadband services to both residential and business customers in all our International Telecom markets. We provide a number of broadband internet plans with varying speeds to address different customer needs and price requirements in our various markets. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 157,000 broadband customers across our international markets and approximately 84% of those customers had access to high-speed networks.

Voice services. We offer fixed voice services that include local exchange, regional and long distance calling and voice messaging services in Bermuda, Guyana, and the US Virgin Islands. With respect to our international long-distance business, we also collect payments from foreign carriers for handling international long-distance calls originating from the foreign carriers’ countries and terminating on our network. We also make payments to foreign carriers for international calls originating on one of our networks and terminating in the foreign carrier’s countries and collect from our subscribers or a local originating carrier a rate that is market-based or set by regulatory tariff.

Video services. We offer video services in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and the US Virgin Islands. We have several offerings available to our video customers, including basic and tiered local and cable TV channels grouped into various content categories, such as news, sports and entertainment.

Network. We offer our broadband services over our fiber-optic, copper and coaxial cable networks in our international markets. Where we have made investments to upgrade our network, we are actively working to migrate customers from legacy copper networks to either fiber or fixed wireless networks. All fixed access lines in our network are digitally switched from our switching centers in the US Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Guyana. Our switching centers in these markets enable dedicated monitoring of our network designed to ensure quality and reliable service to our customers.

In Bermuda and the US Virgin Islands, we deliver our services via a hybrid fiber coaxial (“HFC”) cable network and via fiber-optic network. In the Cayman Islands and Guyana, we also provide fixed services via fiber-optic network, DSL and FWA. These networks give us expanded internet access coverage within our International Telecom segment. We make efforts to construct our network with materials and routes redundancies that can withstand the climate of the regions, such as high winds.

Our international voice and data networks link with the rest of the world principally through our ownership and investments in undersea fiber-optic cables in the Caribbean and Atlantic regions. These cables are crucial arteries that supply access to communications services for islands and remote markets like the ones in which we operate.

Sales and Marketing. Our fixed services are sold through five main distribution channels: digital, company owned and operated retail/pop-up retail, authorized dealers and agents, direct sales, and inside sales. Business and residential customers are able to purchase any of our stand alone or bundled data, managed services, security services, and voice services through any of our above channels. We are seeking to grow and protect our existing business customer base through a simplified bundling approach that enhances our value proposition and brand position in our markets. During the 2023 year, we invested in a number of sales support resources to support subscriber growth.

Competition. We compete with a limited number of other providers, including Digicel, Liberty Latin America, and individual newer entrants in select markets, with respect to various services. We believe our breadth of services and regional strategy to strengthen and enhance our business offerings, provide us with a strong competitive position and the ability to win and retain an economically viable share of those markets.

Mobility

We provide mobile, data, and voice services to retail and business customers in Bermuda, Guyana and in the US Virgin Islands. We also provide roaming services for many of the largest US providers’ customers visiting these

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locations. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 409,000 mobile subscribers in our International Telecom segment.

Products and Services. A significant majority of our customers in our International Telecom segment subscribe to one of our prepaid plans, which require customers to purchase an amount of voice minutes, text messages or data prior to use. A smaller minority of customers subscribe to our postpaid plans that allow customers to select a plan with voice minutes, text messaging, a given amount of data and other features that recur on a monthly basis, and are billed at the end of the service period.

Network and Operations: We offer our mobility services over 4G (LTE) in all of our markets (other than in the Cayman Islands) with emerging 5G in all markets where we offer mobility services. We own and operate base stations on owned and leased sites throughout our international markets. Except for VoLTE, which has components in each market and leverages shared components in Miami and Denver, all of our mobile networks have their core supporting facilities in the home network in the US Virgin Islands, Bermuda and Guyana. Our local Network Operations Centers (“NOCs”) provide dedicated monitoring of our networks and are designed to ensure that we have continuous monitoring of all our wireless and wireline facilities.

The transport networks in all the markets are primarily fiber based with route diversity provided by the deployment of fiber rings where possible and supplemental microwave deployments. The vast majority of the networks are IP based utilizing MPLS for redundancy to provide high availability networks. Standby power is provided by back up battery and generators. As part of our three-year investment strategy, we have been making upgrades designed to enhance the resiliency of our network. We have standardized business continuity and disaster recovery plans and engage in regular reviews and testing of those plans throughout the markets. Connection between these markets and the rest of the world is principally through subsea fiber networks described in our “International Telecom – Fixed Services – Network” section above.

Sales and Marketing. We provide mobile services, mobile connectivity devices and account management through five main distribution channels: digital, Company owned retail/pop-up retail, authorized dealers/agents, direct sales, and inside sales. Business and residential customers are able to purchase any of our services, Prepaid Mobile, Postpaid Mobile, and Mobile Data, through any of the above channels. Customers are also able to purchase devices, and accessories to enhance their services through these same channels. We offer a full suite of mobile devices and add on accessories similar to what is available in most other countries in the world. Our sales channels are strategically located throughout our service areas manned by trained, branded, and supported sales and service representatives.

Handsets and Accessories. We offer a diverse line of wireless devices and accessories designed to meet both the personal and professional needs of our customers. These devices support a variety of wireless connectivity technologies that are deployed across our various markets. Our device assortment includes a wide range of smartphones including those featuring the Android™ and iOS™ operating systems in addition to a full line of feature phones, wireless hot spots and various wireless solutions for small businesses. To complement our phone offerings, we sell a complete range of original equipment manufacturer and after-market accessories that allow our customers to personalize their wireless experience, including phone protection, battery charging solutions and Bluetooth hands-free kits.

Competition. We believe we compete for wireless retail customers in our international markets based on features, price, technology deployed, network coverage (including through roaming arrangements), quality of service and customer care. We compete against Digicel and Liberty Latin America in the Caribbean region, other smaller local providers, and in some markets, against one or more US national operators.

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Human Capital Resources

People and Culture

We know that our employees are our most valuable assets to realize our mission to digitally empower people and communities so they can connect with the world and prosper. We do this through meeting the everyday connectivity needs of rural and historically underserved communities. We developed the values listed below to reflect both our current culture and the values that we strive to embody to attract and maintain key talent. We endeavor to implement these values every day through employee engagement events, regular communication on company goals and milestones, and foster a connected and empowered workplace.

ATN Workforce Overview

As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 2,300 employees, of whom approximately 1,000 were employed in the United States (including the US Virgin Islands), and approximately 1,300 were employed by our international subsidiaries. At the holding company level, we employ our executive management team and staff. Approximately 24% of our total employee population are covered by contracts with various unions. Employees represented by unions are located in Alaska and all our international markets except for the Cayman Islands. Our collective bargaining agreement with the union in our US Virgin Islands operations expires in 2024 and we will be negotiating a new agreement. As of the end of 2023, we believe we have a good relationship with our unions.

Commitment to Local Management and Diversity of Viewpoint

We seek engaged managers who have strong values, integrity, knowledge of our market and business model, and have respect for differing viewpoints. We strive to create a diverse working environment that creates a greater understanding of our differences and makes us a stronger company.

We rely heavily on local management teams to run our subsidiary operating units. Many of the markets in which we operate are small and remote, and in some cases are subject to government restrictions on granting work visas, all of which makes it difficult to attract and retain talented and qualified managers and staff in those markets.

Employee Engagement and Development

Together with our subsidiaries, we are working hard to improve the way technology is used in the diverse communities we serve. We believe having management and staff that are as diverse as the communities in which they operate is crucial to our success and to our ability to have a positive impact on those communities. We celebrate different perspectives and backgrounds because we believe they help us to have a stronger, more creative, and more successful workplace.

We are proud to offer benefits to our employees that promote wellness and personal care, a safe work environment and career growth opportunities. We regularly utilize performance development tools for our employees, which are focused on driving engagement and high performance through frequent communications throughout the year.

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Our annual employee engagement survey provides employees with the opportunity to share confidential feedback on what they believe has been working well and where they believe we can improve to better support our employees. Our focus areas for engagement include skills development and manager performance. Anonymous, aggregated results are shared with employees, and the results are used to drive our long-term action plans for how we can seek to continue to improve our work culture.

US Federal Regulation

At the federal level in the United States, we are regulated in large part by the FCC.  Our operations in the United States are subject to the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, including the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (“Communications Act”), and the FCC’s implementing regulations.

The FCC provides regulations that require certain disclosures or operational measures for both our fixed and wireless services. To date, that includes, but is not limited to:

Wireless Services

The FCC regulates, among other things, the licensed and unlicensed use of radio spectrum; the ownership, lease, transfer of control, and assignment of wireless licenses; the ongoing technical, operational, and service requirements applicable to such licenses; the timing, nature, and scope of network construction; the provision of certain services, such as enhanced 911 (“E-911”); and the interconnection of communications networks in the United States. Although some of these regulations apply to both our services to retail customers and our wholesale services to wireless carriers, many apply only to our retail services. As we reduce the markets in which we provide retail wireless services, the significance to our business of regulatory obligations applicable only to our retail services will diminish.

Spectrum Licenses. We provide our wireless services pursuant to various commercial mobile radio services (“CMRS”) licenses issued by the FCC. Some of these licenses are site-based while others cover specified geographic

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market areas. The specific radio frequencies, the authorized spectrum amounts, and certain of the technical and service rules vary depending on the licensed service.

In addition to CMRS licenses, our wireless business relies on common carrier and non-common carrier fixed point-to-point microwave licenses issued by the FCC.

Most of our license grants are for a period of ten years and are renewable upon application to the FCC. License renewal applications may be denied if the FCC determines, after appropriate notice and hearing, that renewal would not serve the public interest, convenience, or necessity.  Where a license renewal is denied, the licensee loses authority to operate on the spectrum in those areas previously authorized by the license. While our license renewal applications have been regularly granted by the FCC in the past, there can be no assurance that all of our licenses will be renewed in the future. The FCC also may deny license applications and, in extreme cases, revoke licenses if it finds that an entity lacks the requisite qualifications to be a licensee. To our knowledge, there are no circumstances that would warrant such a finding by the FCC against us.

The FCC conditions spectrum licenses on the satisfaction of certain obligations to construct networks covering a specified geographic area or population by specific dates. These obligations vary depending on the licensed service. Failure to satisfy an applicable construction requirement can result in the assessment of fines and forfeitures by the FCC, a reduced license term, or automatic license cancellation. We are substantially in compliance with the applicable construction requirements that have arisen for the licenses we currently hold and expect to meet our future construction requirements as well.

Public Interest and Safety Obligations. The Communications Act and the FCC’s rules impose additional requirements upon wireless service providers. A failure to meet or maintain compliance with the Communications Act and/or the FCC’s rules may subject us to fines, forfeitures, penalties, or other sanctions. To our knowledge, we comply in all material respects with applicable FCC technical and reporting requirements.

The radio systems towers that we own and lease are subject to Federal Aviation Administration and FCC regulations that govern the location, marking, lighting, and construction of towers and are subject to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and other environmental statutes enforced by the FCC. In addition, the FCC has also adopted guidelines and methods for evaluating human exposure to emissions of radiofrequency radiation from radio equipment. To our knowledge, all of our radio systems on towers that we own or lease comply in all material respects with these requirements, guidelines, and methods.

The FCC has adopted requirements for CMRS providers to promote access to reliable 911, hearing aid compatible devices, emergency alerting, and first responder communications. For example, wireless providers are obligated to transmit all 911 calls to a public safety answering point, as well as deploy and use increasingly accurate location information technologies. Federal law limits our liability for uncompleted 911 calls to a degree commensurate with wireline carriers in our markets. The FCC also has adopted obligations on wireless providers related to network reliability and resiliency and disaster management. Further, new FCC rules require CMRS providers to provide reasonable roaming during disasters to other providers’ subscribers when technically feasible and establish mutual aid arrangements with other providers, among other obligations. In addition, wireless providers must timely inform the FCC and local public safety entities about outages of network services that meet certain thresholds. Some of our subsidiaries have voluntarily elected to transmit Wireless Emergency Alerts from federal, state, and local emergency alert originators and, as a result, are required to meet certain technical and operational obligations established by the FCC. To our knowledge, we comply with such obligations currently applicable to our operations, and we devote resources necessary to meet these obligations and maintain network services.

We are obligated to pay certain annual regulatory fees and assessments to support FCC wireless industry regulation, as well as fees supporting federal universal service programs, number portability, regional database costs, centralized telephone numbering administration, telecommunications relay service for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and application filing fees. These fees are subject to periodic change by the FCC and the manner in which carriers may recoup these fees from customers is subject to various restrictions. To our knowledge, we comply in all material respects with applicable FCC regulatory fee and assessment requirements.

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Fixed Services

The FCC generally exercises jurisdiction over the interstate and international fixed wireline telecommunications services that we provide as a regulated common carrier. The Communications Act and regulations promulgated thereunder require, among other things, that we offer regulated interstate telecommunications common carrier services at just, reasonable, and non-discriminatory rates and terms. The Communications Act also requires us to offer competing carriers interconnection and non-discriminatory access to certain facilities and services designated as essential for local competition.

We are subject to competitive market forces, as well as rate-of-return regulation for intrastate services that originate and terminate in Alaska and the US Virgin Islands and price-cap rate regulation for interstate services in Alaska and the US Virgin Islands regulated by the FCC. Because we face competition, we may not be able to charge the maximum permitted rates under price-cap regulation or realize the authorized intrastate rate of return. A broader range of data and information services are offered by our unregulated affiliates or as unregulated services by our regulated companies. 

The FCC regulates the prices that we charge for the use of our local telephone facilities in originating or terminating interstate calls. In Alaska and the US Virgin Islands, rates for interstate telecommunications services we offer are determined using price cap regulation, under which the rates vary from year to year based on mathematical formulae, and not based on changes to our costs, including both inter-carrier rates and retail end user rates. The FCC also regulates rates for “business data services,” which are those circuit-switched or packet-switched services that offer dedicated point-to-point transmission of data at certain guaranteed speeds and service levels using high-capacity connections, including special access services, but the FCC has generally forborne from regulating our rates for these services, except on certain routes that the FCC believes lack sufficient competition.

The Communications Act encourages competition in local telecommunications markets by removing barriers to market entry and imposing on non-rural incumbent local exchange carriers (“ILECs”) various requirements related to, among other things, interconnection, access to unbundled network elements, co-location, access to poles, ducts, conduits, and rights of way, wholesale and resale obligations, and telephone number portability. Our ILEC operations in the US Virgin Islands through Viya are exempt from most such federal requirements pursuant to a rural exemption.

While, to date, the FCC has declined to classify interconnected voice-over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) service as a telecommunications service or information service, it has imposed a number of consumer protection and public safety obligations on interconnected VoIP providers, relying in large part on its general ancillary jurisdiction powers. To the extent that we provide interconnected VoIP service, we are subject to a number of these obligations, and, to our knowledge, we comply in all material respects with applicable VoIP requirements.

Universal Service Support and Contributions

In general, all telecommunications providers are obligated to contribute to the Universal Service Fund (“USF”), which is used to promote the availability of qualifying telecommunications and broadband service to low-income households, households located in rural and high-cost areas, and to schools, libraries, and rural health care providers. We contribute to the USF and also receive various forms of USF support.  We are subject to audit by the Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) with respect to our federal contributions and our receipts of universal service funding. To our knowledge, we comply in all material respects with applicable federal and state USF assessment and support requirements.

USF High-Cost Support. The FCC’s high-cost USF (or alternatives to former high cost USF) mechanisms promote the deployment and operation of voice and broadband networks in areas where high costs would otherwise undermine the availability of service to consumers, including in rural, insular, and remote areas. High-cost support mechanisms generally include explicit conditions to deploy broadband to new locations and provide service meeting specified standards.

We receive several forms of high-cost support, including but not limited to, as follows:

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As of December 31, 2023, we believe we are in compliance with all of our construction and service obligations under these programs and we currently expect to comply in all material respects with our deployment and service requirements associated with such funding. If we fail to meet these obligations or require substantial additional capital expenditures to meet the obligations in a timely manner, our revenue, results of operations and liquidity may be materially adversely impacted. In 2023, the FCC initiated a proceeding to consider the future of high-cost support in Alaska. Some of the proposals in that proceeding could negatively affect Alaska Communications’ support, including proposals to eliminate support in areas served by an unsubsidized competitor or to require incumbent providers to compete for the receipt of support. At this time, we cannot predict the outcome of this proceeding. 

Rural Health Care Universal Service Support Program. The FCC’s Rural Health Care Universal Service Support Mechanism (“RHC program”) provides funding to help make broadband telecommunications and Internet access services provided by us and other service providers affordable for eligible rural health care providers. We believe we are in compliance with the current RHC program rules. Nonetheless, the FCC recently sought comment on proposed changes to RHC program rules. We may be required to make changes to our rates should the FCC amend the program rules which may impact our revenue, results of operations, and liquidity.

Subsidies for Low-Income Customers. The FCC’s Lifeline support mechanism provides a subsidy to eligible low-income consumers against the cost of voice services, as well as broadband in CAF II locations and beginning January 1, 2022, the FCC established the Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”), which provides eligible low-income consumers and students with a monthly subsidy for the purchase of broadband Internet access service from service providers that elected to participate in the program, which we did. However, in January 2024, the FCC announced that, unless Congress authorizes additional funding, the ACP program will end in the second quarter of 2024, and directed ACP providers, including us, to start informing customers of the program’s termination in February 2024. Although we believe that we comply with the rules of these subsidy programs, we cannot predict whether the FCC will further modify its approach to using USF support to subsidize voice and broadband service to low-income consumers.

E-Rate. We have provided telecommunications services, broadband Internet access services, and internal connections supported by the FCC’s Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism (“E-rate”) for many years. E-rate support provides an invaluable means by which elementary and secondary schools can afford those services, particularly in rural and remote, high-cost areas. Historically, E-rate has primarily supported services that connect eligible school buildings. To our knowledge, we comply with applicable E-Rate requirements.

FCC Replace and Remove Program

The FCC prohibits the use of USF support to purchase or obtain any equipment or services produced or provided by certain companies determined to pose an unacceptable risk to US national security. The FCC also required eligible

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telecommunications carriers receiving USF support to replace and remove from their networks covered equipment and services and established the Replace and Remove program to allow certain providers to apply for reimbursement of certain costs reasonably incurred to permanently remove, replace, and dispose of such equipment and services.

Our participating operating subsidiaries, Commnet, NTUA Wireless, and Viya, have covered equipment or services in their networks and have received funding to participate in the Replace and Remove Program In July 2022, the FCC approved our eligible subsidiaries’ participation in the program but also announced that the total amount of approved costs appropriated by Congress amounted to only 40% of the total amount for which reimbursement was sought by all applicants and accordingly, awarded us only with approximately 40% of the total costs we requested for participation in and completion of the program. Congress is considering appropriating additional funding to meet the remaining 60% of the demand for reimbursement, but we cannot predict whether or when such additional funding will be allocated, or how much, if any, will be allocated.

The related funding appropriated by Congress amounted to only 40% of the total amount and accordingly, awarded us only with approximately 40% of the total costs we requested for participation in and completion of the program. Companies that were awarded funding must complete the removal, replacement, and disposal of Covered List equipment and services in their networks within a year of their initial funding disbursements. All of our participating subsidiaries have submitted requests for reimbursement and received their initial disbursements and are currently within their  one-year project completion deadlines. For a discussion of our risks in completing the project on the timeline and currently allocated budget, please see “We are reliant on government funding to execute on the FCC’s Replace and Remove program” in our Risk Factors.

Video Services

Video services systems are regulated by the FCC under the Communications Act. We provide video services in the US Virgin Islands. The FCC regulates our programming selection through local broadcast TV station mandatory carriage obligations, constraints on our retransmission consent negotiations with local broadcast TV stations, and limited regulation of our carriage negotiations with cable programming networks. The FCC and federal laws also impose rules governing, among other things, leased cable set-top boxes, our ability to collect and disclose subscribers’ personally identifiable information, access to inside wiring in multiple dwelling units, cable pole attachments, customer service and technical standards, and disability access requirements. Failure to comply with these regulations could subject us to penalties. To our knowledge, we comply in all material respects with currently applicable FCC video services requirements.

US State and Territorial Regulation

In addition to FCC regulation, we are subject to state and local regulation, such as environmental, zoning, land use and other regulations.

Alaska Regulation

Providers of intrastate wireline telecommunication services in Alaska are required to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (the “RCA”), which Alaska Communications holds. The RCA also adopts and administers various regulatory requirements applicable to certificate holders, although the scope of such regulations was materially reduced in 2019. We believe that Alaska Communications complies with these RCA requirements.

US Virgin Islands Regulation

Our wireline (i.e., voice, broadband internet, and cable video) operations in the US Virgin Islands are subject to the US Virgin Islands Public Utilities Code, pursuant to which the Virgin Islands Public Service Commission (“PSC”) regulates certain telecommunications and cable TV services that Viya provides in the US Virgin Islands.

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Our video, internet, and wireless companies in the US Virgin Islands also receive tax benefits as qualifying participants in the US Virgin Islands’ Research & Technology Park (“RTPark”) program. These benefits resulted in tax exemptions of approximately $2.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2023. In order to qualify, we are required to pay monthly management fees of 0.4% of tenant company revenue, make annual charitable contributions to the University of the Virgin Islands, purchase products and services locally when feasible and provide in-kind services to RTPark.

Guyana Regulation

Our subsidiary, GTT Inc. (“GTT”), in which we hold an 80% interest, is subject to regulation in Guyana under the provisions of GTT’s License from the Government of Guyana, the Guyana Public Utilities Commission Act of 2016 as amended (or “PUC Law”) and the Guyana Telecommunications Act of 2016 (or “Telecommunications Law”). The Public Utilities Commission of Guyana (or “PUC”) is an independent statutory body with the principal responsibility for regulating telecommunications rates and services in Guyana. The Ministry of Telecommunications, of the Government of Guyana, has statutory authority over telecommunications licensing and related issues. The Telecommunications Agency (or “TA”) advises and makes recommendations to the Minister of Telecommunications, implements policy and has principal responsibility for operating licenses and frequency authorizations.

Licenses. GTT provides domestic fixed wireline and mobile as well as international voice and data services in Guyana pursuant to licenses from the Government of Guyana granting GTT the right to provide a variety of domestic fixed wireline and mobile and international voice and data services. These licenses were issued in October 2020.

On October 5, 2020, the Prime Minister of Guyana formally implemented telecommunications legislation previously passed by the Guyana Parliament in 2016 that introduces material changes to many features of Guyana’s existing telecommunications regulatory regime with the intention of creating a more competitive market. The regulations include new requirements for the market as a whole, that impact our operations, administrative reporting and services.  There can be no assurance that these regulations will be administered in such a way that does not lead to adverse impacts for GTT’s operational and financial performance.

Bermuda Regulation

The Regulatory Authority of Bermuda (the “RA”) is the primary regulator of our operations in Bermuda. The relevant legislation is the Regulatory Authority Act 2011 and the Electronic Communications Act 2011. Pursuant to these statutes, the RA is responsible for regulating all electronic communications services in Bermuda, including the broadband, mobile and video services we offer. The statutory framework provides the RA powers in respect of licensing, consumer protections, ex post competition issues, and the identification and remedying of significant market power concerns.

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

In addition to the other information contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this Report, you should carefully consider the risks described below that could materially affect our business, financial condition, or future results. These risks are not the only risks facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or results of operations.

Operational Risks

Cybersecurity breaches could have an adverse effect on our business.

We are highly dependent on our information technology (“IT”) systems for the operation of our network, our facilities, delivery of services to our customers and the compilation of our financial results. Failure of these IT systems, through cyberattacks, breaches of security, human error or otherwise, may cause disruptions to our operations. There can

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