Revenues from Contracts with Customers

3 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenues from Contracts with Customers

The Company adopted Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) beginning on April 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. Upon adoption, the Company applied the standard only to contracts that were not completed, referred to as open contracts. We operate two reportable segments: Wireless and Wireline.

Disaggregation of Revenue

We disaggregate revenue based upon differences in accounting for underlying performance obligations. Accounting differences related to our performance obligations are driven by various factors, including the type of product offering provided, the type of customer, and the expected timing of payment for goods and services.

The following table presents disaggregated reported revenue by category:



	Three Months Ended
	June 30,
	2019		2018
	(in millions)
Service revenue
Postpaid	$	4,199	$	4,188
Prepaid	843		982
Wholesale, affiliate and other	285		294
Wireline	236		276
Total service revenue	5,563		5,740
Equipment sales	1,220		1,173
Equipment rentals	1,359		1,212
Total revenue	$	8,142	$	8,125

Contract Assets and Liabilities

The relationship between the satisfaction of our performance obligations and collection of payments from the customer will vary depending upon the type of contract. In Wireless subsidized contracts, payment related to equipment performance obligations is partially collected upfront and partially collected over the related service period resulting in a contract asset position at contract inception. In traditional Wireless installment billing contracts, the full amount of consideration related to equipment performance obligations is recognized as a receivable at contract inception and collected ratably in accordance with payment terms attached to the installment note. Traditional Wireless installment billing contracts are subject to an accounting contract duration of one month and therefore, do not result in the recognition of a contract position. In Wireless installment billing contracts that include a substantive termination penalty such as when customers receive a monthly service credit to offset monthly payments against applicable installment billing notes, the amount of the total transaction price that is allocated to equipment performance obligations is less than the amount recognized as a noncontingent receivable from the customer at contract inception resulting in a contract liability position. In Wireless leasing contracts, the amount of cash received at inception is generally larger than the amount of upfront revenue allocated and recognized as rental income. This results in a contract liability at contract inception, which is often partially composed of deferred rental income. In prepaid contracts initiated in our indirect channel, customers may purchase a device at a discount.

The Company will often reimburse the dealer some portion of this discount, which is expected to be recovered through future sales of monthly service. This results in a contract asset position at contract inception. In circumstances where prepaid customers prepay account balances, which can be used to purchase future Wireless goods or services, those amounts are recognized as a contract liability until the point where prepayments are redeemed for goods or services and the related performance obligations have been satisfied. In Wireline contracts, we record a contract position, either a contract asset or a contract liability depending upon the specific facts and circumstances of the contract, including to reflect differences between the amount of revenue allocated to equipment delivered upfront and the contractually stated price for that equipment, or if we collect nonrefundable upfront payments from customers related to installation and activation.

We capitalize incremental commissions directly related to the acquisition or renewal of customer contracts, to the

extent that the costs are expected to be recovered. Capitalized costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of

the expected customer life or the expected benefit related directly to those costs.

The following table presents the opening and closing balances of our contract assets, contract liabilities, and receivables balances, as well as capitalized costs associated with contracts with customers:



	June 30,			March 31,
	2019			2019
	(in millions)
Contract assets and liabilities
Contract assets⁽¹⁾	$	997		$	928
Billed trade receivables	2,659			2,690
Unbilled trade receivables	1,031			945
Contract liabilities	995			1,009

Other related assets
Capitalized costs to acquire a customer contract:
Sales commissions - beginning balance	$	1,559
Sales commissions - additions	289
Amortization of capitalized sales commissions	(217		)
Net costs to acquire a customer contract	$	1,631

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(1)	The fluctuation correlates directly to the execution of new customer contracts and invoicing and collections from customers in the normal course of business.

The following table presents revenue recognized during the three-month periods ended June 30, 2019 and 2018:



	Three Months Ended
	June 30,
	2019		2018
	(in millions)
Amounts included in the beginning of period contract liability balance	$	886	$	867

Remaining Performance Obligations

The aggregate amount of total transaction price allocated to performance obligations in contracts existing as of the balance sheet date, which are wholly or partially unsatisfied as of the end of the reporting period, and the expected time frame for satisfaction of those wholly or partially unsatisfied performance obligations, are as follows:



	(in millions)
Remainder of fiscal year ending March 31, 2020	$	6,383
Fiscal year ending March 31, 2021	2,224
Thereafter	21
Total	$	8,628

The amounts disclosed above relate to the allocation of revenue amongst performance obligations in contracts existing as of the balance sheet date, and not to any differences between the timing of revenue recognition and recognition of receivables or cash collection. As a result, those amounts are not necessarily reflected as a contract liability as of the balance sheet date. Included in the above amounts are $2.3 billion for the year ending March 31, 2020 and $687 million for the year ending March 31, 2021, respectively, related to the allocation of the total transaction price to future operating lease revenues. Additionally, amounts disclosed above include estimates of variable consideration, where applicable.

Our Wireless contracts generally do not involve variable consideration, other than expected adjustments to the total transaction price related to future price concessions and product returns and service refunds, all of which we are able to reasonably estimate at contract inception based upon historical experience with similar contracts and similar types of customers. In accordance with the practical expedients:


•	the amounts disclosed above do not include revenue allocated to wholly or partially unsatisfied performance obligations for which the accounting contract duration at contract inception is less than 12 months, which includes expected revenues from traditional installment billing contracts with a one-month accounting contract duration;


•	the amounts disclosed above do not include variable consideration resulting from monthly customer charges intended to partially recover taxes imposed on the Company, including fees related to the Universal Service Fund. Such fees are based on the customer's estimated monthly voice usage and are therefore, allocated to corresponding distinct months of Wireless services; and


•	the amounts disclosed above do not include variable consideration resulting from monthly charges to Wireless wholesale customers. Such fees are based on the customer's monthly usage of capacity and are therefore, allocated to corresponding distinct months of Wireless services.

Wireline contracts are generally not subject to significant amounts of variable consideration, other than charges intended to partially recover taxes imposed on the Company, including fees related to the Universal Service Fund. Such fees are based on the customer's estimated monthly usage and are therefore, allocated to corresponding distinct months of Wireline services and recognized as revenue when invoiced in accordance with the practical expedient. Our Wireline contracts do typically provide the customer with monthly options to purchase goods or services at prices commensurate with the standalone selling prices for those goods or services as determined at contract inception.