Nature Of Operations And Critical Accounting Policies And Estimates (Policy)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

Nature Of Operations And Critical Accounting Policies And Estimates [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information, with the instructions to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of the Company's management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The operating results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year or any other future period. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2014 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Use Of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Significant estimates include, but are not limited to, depreciation and amortization expense, allowance for doubtful accounts, long-lived assets, pension and postretirement expenses, and income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company derives its revenue from the sale of UC services as well as traditional telephone services.

The Company recognizes revenue when (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement between the Company and the customer exists, (ii) the delivery of the product to the customer has occurred or service has been provided to the customer, (iii) the price to the customer is fixed or determinable, and (iv) collectability of the sales or service price is reasonably assured. Revenue is reported net of all applicable sales tax.

The Company's UC services and solutions consist primarily of its hosted VoIP UC system, certain UC applications, and other professional services associated with the installation and activation. Additionally, the Company offers customers the ability to purchase telephone equipment from the Company directly or independently from external vendors.

Multiple element arrangements primarily include the sale of telephone equipment, along with professional services associated with installation, activation and implementation services, as well as follow on hosting services. The Company has concluded that the separate units of accounting in these arrangements consist of (i) the telephone equipment sale and (ii) the professional services provided combined with the follow on hosting services. The professional services provided do not constitute a separate unit of accounting as they do not have value to the customer on a stand-alone basis. Arrangement consideration is allocated to the separate units of accounting based on the relative selling price. The selling price for telephone equipment is based on third-party evidence representing list prices for similar equipment when sold a stand-alone basis. The selling price for professional and hosting services is based on the Company's best estimate of selling price ("BESP"). The Company develops its BESP by considering pricing practices, margin, competition and overall market trends.

The Company bills a portion of its monthly recurring hosted service revenue a month in advance. Any amounts billed and collected, but for which the service is not yet delivered, are included in deferred revenue. These amounts are recognized as revenues only when the service is delivered.

Equipment sales associated with the sale of telephone equipment is recognized upon delivery to the customer, as it is considered to be a separate earnings process. The sales are recognized on a gross basis, as the Company is considered the primary obligor in customer transactions among other considerations. Other upfront fees, excluding equipment, along with associated costs, up to but not exceeding these fees, are deferred and recognized over the estimated life of the customer relationship. The Company has estimated its customer relationship life at eight years and evaluates it periodically for continued appropriateness.

Telephone

Revenue is earned from monthly billings to customers for local voice services, long distance, DSL, Internet services, hardware and other services. Revenue is also derived from charges for network access to the local exchange telephone network from subscriber line charges and from contractual arrangements for services such as billing and collection and directory advertising. Revenue is recognized in the period in which service is provided to the customer. Directory advertising revenue is recorded ratably over the life of the directory. With multiple billing cycles, the Company accrues revenue earned but not yet billed at the end of a quarter. The Company also defers services billed in advance and recognizes them as income when earned.

The Telephone segment markets competitive service bundles which may include multiple deliverables. The base bundles consist of voice services (including a business or residential phone line), calling features and long distance services and customers may choose to add internet services to a base bundle package. Separate units of accounting within the bundled packages include voice services, long distance and Internet services. Revenue for all services included in bundles is recognized over the same service period, which is the time period in which the service is provided to the customer.

Certain revenue is realized under pooling arrangements with other service providers and is divided among the companies based on respective costs and investments to provide the services. The companies that take part in pooling arrangements may adjust their costs and investments for a period of two years, which causes the funds distributed by the pool to be adjusted retroactively. The Company believes that recorded amounts represent reasonable estimates of the final distribution from these pools. However, to the extent that the companies participating in these pools make adjustments, there will be corresponding adjustments to the Company's recorded revenue in future periods.

Revenue from these pooling arrangements which includes Universal Service Funds ("USF") and National Exchange Carrier Association ("NECA") pool settlements, accounted for 5% and 3% of the Company's consolidated revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. In July 2015, the Federal Communications Commission issued a notice regarding the elimination of high-cost universal service support in certain ILEC areas (see Note 14).

Materials And Supplies

Materials and Supplies

The Company's materials and supplies are carried at average cost, net of reserves for obsolescence, and consist principally of telephone equipment, telephone pole and wiring spare parts and other ancillary equipment for resale.

Fair Value

Fair Value

Fair value is the estimated price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company is required by accounting standards to provide the disclosure framework for measuring fair value and expanded disclosure about fair value measurements. Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following categories:


Level 1:	Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities. The Company considers active markets as those in which transactions for the assets or liabilities occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

Level 2:	These are inputs, other than quoted prices that are included in Level 1, which are observable in the marketplace throughout the term of the assets or liabilities, can be derived from observable data, or supported by observable levels at which transactions are executed in the marketplace.

Level 3:	Measured based on prices or valuation models that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and less observable from objective sources (i.e. supported by little or no market activity). The Company does not have sufficient corroborating evidence to support classifying these assets and liabilities as Level 1 or Level 2.

Financial assets and liabilities are classified based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment, and may affect the valuation of the fair value of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.

Goodwill

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of an acquired business over the net fair value of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Goodwill is not amortized, but rather is assessed for impairment at least annually. The Company tests goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually on December 31, or whenever events or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. If it is determined that an impairment has occurred, the Company records a write down of the carrying value and records the charge for the impairment as an operating expense during the period in which the determination is made. The Company has determined that its operating segments are the applicable reporting units because they are the lowest level at which discrete, reliable financial and cash flow information is regularly reviewed by segment management.

The Company only has goodwill that is associated with its UC segment, resulting from the purchase of certain assets and certain liabilities of Alteva, LLC in 2011. The Company is not aware of any events or circumstances that occurred during the six months ended June 30, 2015 that would have more likely than not reduced the fair value of this reporting unit below its carrying value.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company records deferred taxes that arise from temporary differences between the financial statement and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. Deferred taxes are classified as current or non-current, depending on the classification of the assets and liabilities to which they relate. Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are adjusted for the effect of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment. The Company's deferred taxes result principally from differences in the timing of depreciation, in the accounting for pensions and other postretirement benefits, and state net operating loss carryforwards.

The process of providing for income taxes and determining the related balance sheet accounts requires management to assess uncertainties, make judgments regarding outcomes and utilize estimates. Management must make judgments currently about such uncertainties and determine estimates of the Company's tax assets and liabilities. To the extent the final outcome differs, future adjustments to the Company's tax assets and liabilities may be necessary.

The Company assesses the realizability of its deferred tax assets, taking into consideration future reversals of existing temporary differences, the Company's forecast of future taxable income, and available tax planning strategies that could be implemented to realize the deferred tax assets. Based on this assessment, management must evaluate the need for, and the amount of, valuation allowances against the Company's deferred tax assets. To the extent facts and circumstances change in the future, adjustments to the valuation allowances may be required.

Accounting for uncertainty in income taxes requires uncertain tax positions to be classified as non-current income tax liabilities unless they are expected to be paid within one year. The Company recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for the award of an equity instrument based on the grant-date fair value of the award, with such cost recognized over the applicable vesting period.

Accounting Policies

Accounting Policies

There were no material changes to the Company's other accounting policies as presented in Item 8 of its Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended December 31, 2014.