10-Q/A 1 a2192974z10-qa.htm 10-Q/A
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549



FORM 10-Q/A

(Amendment No. 1)

(Mark One)    

ý

 

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2009.

or

o

 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from            to          

Commission File Number 333-56365



FairPoint Communications, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
  13-3725229
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

521 East Morehead Street, Suite 500
Charlotte, North Carolina

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

28202
(Zip Code)

(704) 344-8150
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)



         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 ý    No o

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o    No o

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definition of "large accelerated filer", "accelerated filer" and"smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one)

Large accelerated filer o   Accelerated filer ý   Non-accelerated filer o
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
  Smaller reporting company o

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

         As of April 24, 2009, there were 89,496,847 shares of the Registrant's common stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding.

         Documents incorporated by reference: None



EXPLANATORY NOTE

        FairPoint Communications, Inc. (the "Company") is filing this Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-Q/A (this "Form 10-Q/A") to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5, 2009 (the "Original Filing"), solely to correct two errors contained in "Part I—Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Three Months Ended March 31, 2009 Compared with Three Months Ended March 31, 2008—Operating Expenses," under the paragraph entitled "Selling, general and administrative," as follows:

    1.
    In the third sentence of the paragraph, the amount of "non-recurring cutover related costs" was incorrectly reported as "$36.6 million," and instead should be reported as "$19.4 million."

    2.
    In the fourth sentence of the paragraph, the decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of "the impact of the merger and the transitions services agreement," was incorrectly reported as "$36.1 million," and instead should be reported as "$18.9 million."

        The version of "Part I—Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" which is being filed herewith has been revised to correct these errors and will replace the version of "Part I—Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contained in the Original Filing.

        As required by Rule 12b-15 promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the Company's principal executive officer and principal financial officer are providing new Rule 13a-14(a) certifications in connection with this Form 10-Q/A.

        The only changes to the Original Filing are those described above. No attempt has been made in this Form 10-Q/A to modify or update disclosure contained in the Original Filing. This Form 10-Q/A does not reflect events occurring after the date of the Original Filing or modify or update any related disclosures.

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Item 2.    Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

        The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements of the Company and the notes thereto. The following discussion includes certain forward-looking statements. For a discussion of important factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results referred to in the forward-looking statements, see "Part I—Item 1A. Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and "Part II—Item 1A. Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" contained in this Quarterly Report.

Overview

        We are a leading provider of communications services in rural and small urban communities, offering an array of services, including local and long distance voice, data, video and Internet and broadband product offerings. We are one of the largest telephone companies in the United States focused on serving rural and small urban communities, and we are the 7th largest local telephone company in the United States, in each case based on number of access lines as of March 31, 2009. We operate in 18 states with 1.7 million access line equivalents (including voice access lines and high speed data lines, which include DSL, wireless broadband and cable modem) in service as of March 31, 2009.

        We were incorporated in Delaware in February 1991 for the purpose of acquiring and operating incumbent telephone companies in rural markets. We have acquired 36 such businesses, 32 of which we continue to own and operate. Many of our telephone companies have served their respective communities for over 75 years.

        As our primary source of revenues, access lines are an important element of our business. Over the past several years, communications companies, including FairPoint, have experienced a decline in access lines due to increased competition, including competition from wireless carriers and cable television operators, the introduction of DSL services (resulting in customers substituting DSL for a second line) and challenging economic conditions. During the period under which we were operating under a transition services agreement we entered into with certain subsidiaries of Verizon on January 15, 2007, as amended on March 31, 2008 (the "transition services agreement"), we had limited ability to change current product offerings. Now that we have completed the cutover to our own systems, we expect to be able to modify bundles and prices to be more competitive in the marketplace.

        We are subject to regulation primarily by federal and state governmental agencies. At the federal level, the FCC generally exercises jurisdiction over the facilities and services of communications common carriers, such as us, to the extent those facilities are used to provide, originate or terminate interstate or international communications. State regulatory commissions generally exercise jurisdiction over common carriers' facilities and services to the extent those facilities are used to provide, originate or terminate intrastate communications. In addition, pursuant to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which amended the Communications Act of 1934, state and federal regulators share responsibility for implementing and enforcing the domestic pro-competitive policies introduced by that legislation.

        Legacy FairPoint's operations and our Northern New England operations operate under different regulatory regimes in certain respects. For example, concerning interstate access, all of the pre-merger regulated interstate services of FairPoint were regulated under a rate-of-return model, while all of the rate-regulated interstate services provided by the Verizon Northern New England business were regulated under a price cap model. We have obtained permission to continue to operate under this regime until the FCC completes its general review of whether to modify or eliminate the "all-or-nothing" rule. Without this permission, the all-or-nothing rule would require that all of our regulated operations be operated under the price cap model for federal regulatory purposes. In addition, while all of our operations generally are subject to obligations that apply to all local exchange carriers, our non-rural operations are subject to additional requirements concerning interconnection,

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non-discriminatory network access for competitive communications providers and other matters, subject to substantial oversight by state regulatory commissions. In addition, the FCC has ruled that our Northern New England operations must comply with the regulations applicable to the Bell Operating Companies. The rural and non-rural operations are also subject to different regimes concerning universal service.

Systems Cutover Status and Implications

        During 2007, 2008 and throughout January 2009, we were in the process of developing and deploying new systems, processes and personnel to replace those used by Verizon to operate and support our network and back office functions in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. These services were provided by Verizon under the transition services agreement through January 30, 2009. On January 30, 2009, we began the cutover process from the Verizon systems to the new FairPoint systems, and on February 9, 2009, we began operating our new platform of systems independently from the Verizon systems, processes and personnel. During the period from January 23, 2009 until January 30, 2009, all retail orders were taken manually and following cutover were entered into the new systems. From February 2, 2009 through February 9, 2009, we manually processed only emergency orders, although we continued to provide repair and maintenance services to all customers.

        Following the cutover, many of these systems have functioned without significant problems, but a number of the key back-office systems, such as order entry, order management and billing, experienced certain functionality issues. As a result of these systems functionality issues, as well as a lack of work force proficiency on the new systems, we have experienced increased handle time by customer service representatives for new orders, reduced levels of order flow-through across the systems, which caused delays in provisioning and installation, and delays in the processing of bill cycles and collection treatment efforts. These issues have impacted customer satisfaction and resulted in large increases in customer call volumes into our customer service centers. While many of these issues were anticipated, the magnitude of difficulties experienced was beyond our expectations.

        We have since worked diligently to remedy these systems functionality issues, updated and provide for additional training opportunities for our workforce and have made measurable progress, although a number of issues still remain. Average handle time for our customer sales and service representatives, although still above pre-cutover levels, has been reduced significantly; provisioning of new orders has increased steadily, although a sizable backlog still remains; all bill cycles have been caught up and are now being processed on a normal schedule, and call volumes into the customer service centers have been substantially reduced and are nearly at pre-cutover levels. Collection efforts, however, are hampered by a lack of systems functionality, which adversely impacts our liquidity. Based on the progress made to date and our current plans, we continue to expect that we will largely return to normal operations by the end of the second quarter of 2009.

        Because of these cutover issues, in the first quarter of 2009 we incurred $19.4 million of incremental expenses in order to operate our business, including third-party contractor costs and internal labor costs in the form of overtime pay. The cutover issues also required significant staff and senior management attention, diverting their focus from other efforts. We expect to continue to incur additional incremental costs during the second quarter of 2009, although the amount of such costs should decline as we return to a normal level of operations.

        In addition to the significant incremental expenses we have incurred as a result of these cutover issues, we have been unable to fully implement our operating plan for 2009 and effectively compete in the marketplace, which we believe is having an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity, as well as our ability to continue to comply with the financial covenants in our credit facility.

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Dividends

        Our board of directors has adopted a dividend policy that reflects our intent to return cash to stockholders. Future dividends, if any, will be paid from cash generated by our business in excess of operating needs, interest and principal payments on our indebtedness, dividends on future senior classes of our capital stock, if any, capital expenditures, taxes and future reserves, if any. Financial covenants in our credit facility and the indenture governing the notes may restrict our ability to pay dividends, and certain of these restrictions may be more restrictive than the conditions and restrictions imposed by the state regulatory orders. See "Part II—Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds—Restrictions on Payment of Dividends."

        On March 4, 2009, our board of directors voted to suspend the quarterly dividend. This action is expected to improve our liquidity by approximately $93 million annually.

Recent Developments

    Dividend

        Our board of directors has adopted a dividend policy which reflects our intent to return cash to stockholders. On December 3, 2008, the Company declared a dividend of $0.2575 per share of common stock, which was paid on January 16, 2009 to holders of record as of December 31, 2008.

        On March 4, 2009, our board of directors voted to suspend the quarterly dividend.

    Credit Facility Amendment

        On January 21, 2009, we entered into an Amendment, Waiver, Resignation and Appointment Agreement with Lehman Commercial Paper Inc. ("LCPI"), as resigning administrative agent, collateral agent and swingline lender, Bank of America, N.A. ("Bank of America"), as syndication agent and as successor administrative agent, collateral agent and swingline lender, and certain other financial institutions party thereto (the "amendment"). The amendment, among other things, amends our credit facility.

        Pursuant to the amendment, LCPI resigned as administrative agent, collateral agent and swingline lender under our credit agreement and related documents and Bank of America was appointed as successor administrative agent, collateral agent and swingline lender.

        The amendment also:

    Terminates LCPI's approximately $30 million unfunded commitment under our revolving credit facility and changes LCPI's existing pro rata share of the drawn revolving loans under the revolving facility into a new loan, aggregating approximately $30 million, which will be due in a single payment on the maturity date of our revolving credit facility (the "new Lehman loan"). The interest rate applicable to the new Lehman loan is equal to the interest rate applicable to loans under our revolving credit facility.

    Allows us and/or lenders holding a certain percentage of the loans and commitments under the credit agreement to remove any agent that is deemed to be a "defaulting lender" (a designation given to a lender that breaches certain of its obligations under the credit agreement or as to which certain circumstances exist relating to the financial wherewithal or stability of such a lender).

    Permits the repurchase of the notes, subject to certain conditions, including, without limitation, compliance with a tax sharing agreement, dated January 15, 2007, between FairPoint and Verizon (the "Tax Sharing Agreement"), and provides that the amount of cash used to make any such repurchase will reduce the amount of cumulative distributable cash (as defined in our

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      credit facility) available for the payment of cash dividends or share repurchases and will reduce excess cash flow (as defined in our credit facility).

    Clarifies that if at any time we reduce or suspend the quarterly dividend payable on our common stock, we may increase the dividend back to the per share amount paid by us on October 17, 2008, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent to the payment of dividends.

    Transition Agreement

        In addition to a regular monthly fee, the transition services agreement and related agreements required us to make payments totaling approximately $45.4 million to Verizon in the first quarter of 2009, including a one-time fee of $34.0 million due at cutover, with the balance used to purchase certain internet access hardware from Verizon and its affiliates.

        On January 30, 2009, we entered into a Transition Agreement (the "transition agreement") with Verizon and certain of its subsidiaries. The transition agreement was executed in connection with the cutover of certain back office systems, as contemplated by the transition services agreement.

        Pursuant to the transition agreement:

    Verizon New England accelerated its payments totaling $30.0 million that could have been owed to us for certain potential line losses in New Hampshire (the "line loss payment"). The $30.0 million line loss payment was applied as a credit against the $34.0 million one-time fee owed by us at cutover to Verizon Information Technologies LLC ("Verizon Technologies") under the transition services agreement. The line loss payments were contemplated by an order of the NHPUC issued on February 25, 2008. The order required that Verizon pay $15.0 million to the Company on March 31, 2009 and also pay $15.0 million to the Company on March 31, 2010 if certain conditions were met. Verizon agreed that this line loss payment is not refundable to Verizon, regardless of whether the conditions to its payment set forth in the order are met.

    Verizon provided additional credits totaling approximately $7.7 million (including $7.5 million related to the purchase of certain internet access hardware and $0.2 million related to other fees) against the total payments due in the first quarter of 2009 from the Company to Verizon.

        In accordance with the transition agreement, on February 20, 2009, we made a final payment to Verizon Technologies of approximately $7.7 million in respect of amounts owed under the transition services agreement and for the internet access hardware referred to above.

Basis of Presentation

        On March 31, 2008, the merger between Spinco and Legacy FairPoint was completed. In connection with the merger and in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement, Legacy FairPoint issued 53,760,623 shares of common stock to Verizon stockholders. Prior to the merger, the Verizon Group engaged in a series of restructuring transactions to effect the transfer of specified assets and liabilities of the Verizon Northern New England business to Spinco and the entities that became Spinco's subsidiaries. Spinco was then spun off from Verizon immediately prior to the merger. While FairPoint was the surviving entity in the merger, for accounting purposes Spinco is deemed to be the acquirer. As a result, for the three months ended March 31, 2008, the statement of operations and the financial information derived from the statement of operations in this Quarterly Report reflect the financial results of the Verizon Northern New England business only for such period. For more information, see note 1 to the "Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements."

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        We view our business of providing voice, data and communication services to residential and business customers as one business segment as defined in Statement of Financial Accounting, or SFAS, No. 131, "Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information."

Revenues

        We derive our revenues from:

    Local calling services.  We receive revenues from our telephone operations from the provision of local exchange, local private line, wire maintenance, voice messaging and value-added services. Value-added services are a family of services that expand the utilization of the network, including products such as caller ID, call waiting and call return. The provision of local exchange services not only includes retail revenues but also includes local wholesale revenues from unbundled network elements, referred to as UNEs, interconnection revenues from competitive local exchange carriers and wireless carriers, and some data transport revenues.

    Network access services.  We receive revenues earned from end-user customers and long distance and other competing carriers who use our local exchange facilities to provide usage services to their customers. Switched access revenues are derived from fixed and usage-based charges paid by carriers for access to our local network. Special access revenues originate from carriers and end-users that buy dedicated local and interexchange capacity to support their private networks. Access revenues are earned from resellers who purchase dial-tone services.

    Interstate access revenue.  Interstate access charges to long distance carriers and other customers are based on access rates filed with the FCC. These revenues also include Universal Service Fund payments for high-cost loop support, local switching support, long term support and interstate common line support.

    Intrastate access revenue.  These revenues consist primarily of charges paid by long distance companies and other customers for access to our networks in connection with the origination and termination of intrastate telephone calls both to and from our customers. Intrastate access charges to long distance carriers and other customers are based on access rates filed with the state regulatory agencies.

    Universal Service Fund high-cost loop support.  We receive payments from the Universal Service Fund to support the high cost of operating in rural markets and to provide support for low income subscribers, schools, libraries and rural healthcare.

    Long distance services.  We receive revenues from long distance services we provide to our residential and business customers. Included in long distance services revenue are revenues received from regional toll calls.

    Data and Internet services.  We receive revenues from monthly recurring charges for services, including high speed data, Internet and other services.

    Other services.  We receive revenues from other services, including video services (including cable television and video-over-DSL), public (coin) telephone, billing and collection, directory services and the sale and maintenance of customer premise equipment.

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        The following table summarizes revenues and the percentage of revenues from the listed sources (in thousands, except for percentage of revenues data):

 
  Revenues   % of Revenues  
 
  Three months
Ended
March 31,
  Three months
ended
March 31,
 
 
  2009   2008   2009   2008  

Revenue Source:

                         

Local calling services

  $ 129,032     132,175     41 %   47 %

Access

    97,038     79,018     31 %   28 %

Long distance services

    45,375     41,267     15 %   15 %

Data and Internet services

    28,405     22,020     9 %   8 %

Other services

    11,780     7,934     4 %   2 %
                   
 

Total

    311,630     282,414     100 %   100 %
                   

Operating Expenses

        Our operating expenses consist of cost of services and sales, selling, general and administrative expenses, and depreciation and amortization.

    Cost of Services and Sales.  Cost of services and sales includes the following costs directly attributable to a service or product: salaries and wages, benefits, materials and supplies, contracted services, network access and transport costs, customer provisioning costs, computer systems support and cost of products sold. Aggregate customer care costs, which include billing and service provisioning, are allocated between cost of services and sales and selling, general and administrative expense.

    Selling, General and Administrative Expense.  Selling, general and administrative expense includes salaries and wages and benefits not directly attributable to a service or product, bad debt charges, taxes other than income, advertising and sales commission costs, customer billing, call center and information technology costs, professional service fees and rent for administrative space. Also included in selling, general and administrative expenses are non-cash expenses related to stock based compensation. Stock based compensation consists of compensation charges incurred in connection with the employee stock options, stock units and non-vested stock granted to executive officers and directors.

    Depreciation and amortization.  Depreciation and amortization includes depreciation of our communications network and equipment and amortization of intangible assets.

        Because the Verizon Northern New England business had been operating as the local exchange carrier of Verizon in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, and not as a standalone telecommunications provider, the historical operating results of the Verizon Northern New England business for the three months ended March 31, 2008 include approximately $58 million of expenses for services provided by the Verizon Group, including information systems and information technology, shared assets including office space outside of New England, supplemental customer sales and service and operations. Through January 30, 2009, we operated under the transition services agreement, under which we incurred $15.9 million of expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2009. As of January 30, 2009, we began performing these services internally or obtaining them from third-party service providers and not from Verizon.

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    Acquisitions and Dispositions

        On March 31, 2008, we completed the merger with Spinco. The merger of Legacy FairPoint and Spinco was accounted for as a reverse acquisition of Legacy FairPoint by Spinco under the purchase method of accounting because Verizon's stockholders owned at least a majority of the shares of the combined Company following the merger. The merger consideration was $316.3 million. Spinco was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verizon that owned Verizon's local exchange and related business activities in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Spinco was spun off from Verizon immediately prior to the merger. Spinco served approximately 1,562,000 access line equivalents as of the date of acquisition.

Results of Operations

Three Months Ended March 31, 2009 Compared with Three Months Ended March 31, 2008

        The following table sets forth the percentages of revenues represented by selected items reflected in the statements of operations. The year-to-year comparisons of financial results are not necessarily indicative of future results (in thousands, except percentage of revenues data):

 
  2009   % of
Revenues
  2008   % of
Revenues
 

Revenues

  $ 311,630     100 % $ 282,414     100 %
                   

Operating expenses

                         
 

Cost of services and sales

    145,147     46     135,837     48  
 

Selling, general and administrative

    92,412     30     63,116     22  
 

Depreciation and amortization

    67,867     22     53,925     19  
                   

Total operating expenses

    305,426     98     252,878     89  
                   

Income from operations

    6,204     2     29,536     11  

Interest expense

    (53,479 )   (17 )   (14,522 )   (5 )

Gain on derivative instruments

    12,898     4          

Gain on early retirement of debt

    4,863     2          

Other income

    15,915     5     986      
                   

Income (loss) before income taxes

    (13,599 )   (4 )   16,000     6  

Income tax (expense) benefit

    4,822     1     (6,457 )   (2 )
                   

Net income (loss)

  $ (8,777 )   (3 )% $ 9,543     4 %
                   

        Revenues increased $29.2 million to $311.6 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to 2008. The acquisition of Legacy FairPoint contributed $61.8 million to total revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2009. Excluding the impact of the merger, combined total revenue would have decreased $32.6 million. We derive our revenues from the following sources:

        Local calling services.    Local calling services revenues decreased $3.1 million to $129.0 million during the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Legacy FairPoint contributed $18.3 million to local revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2009. Excluding the impact of the merger, local calling services revenues would have decreased $21.4 million compared to the prior year. This decrease is primarily due to a 10.9% decline in total voice access lines in service at March 31, 2009 compared to March 31, 2008. The revenue decline was mainly driven by the effects of competition and technology substitution.

        Access.    Access revenues increased $18.0 million to $97.0 million during the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Legacy FairPoint contributed $23.5 million to access revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2009. Excluding the impact of the merger, access revenues would have decreased by $5.5 million. Of this decrease, $3.6 million is attributable to a decrease in interstate

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access revenues and $1.9 million is attributable to a decrease in intrastate access revenues, reflecting the impact of access line loss and technology substitution.

        Long distance services.    Long distance services revenues increased $4.1 million to $45.4 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Legacy FairPoint contributed $7.1 million to long distance in the three months ended March 31, 2009. Excluding the impact of the merger, long distance revenues would have decreased $3.0 million. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in the number of subscriber lines in 2009, partially offset by increased revenue from bundled product offerings designed to retain customers and generate more revenue.

        Data and Internet services.    Data and Internet services revenues increased $6.4 million to $28.4 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Legacy FairPoint contributed $8.7 million to data and Internet services revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2009. Excluding the impact of the merger, data and Internet services revenues would have decreased $2.3 million.

        Other services.    Other services revenues increased $3.8 million to $11.8 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Legacy FairPoint contributed $4.1 million to other services revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2009. Excluding the impact of the merger, other services revenues would have decreased $0.3 million.

Operating Expenses

        Cost of services and sales.    Cost of services and sales increased $9.3 million to $145.1 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Legacy FairPoint contributed $25.1 million to cost of services and sales expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2009. Also included in cost of services and sales for the three months ended March 31, 2009 are $6.1 million of expenses related to the transition services agreement. Excluding the impact of the merger and the transition services agreement, cost of services and sales would have declined $21.9 million. The decline reflects the elimination of costs allocated from Verizon affiliates prior to the closing of the merger, which has more than offset direct costs incurred by us to operate our Northern New England operations.

        Selling, general and administrative.    Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $29.3 million to $92.4 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Legacy FairPoint contributed $19.0 million to selling, general and administrative expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2009. Included in selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2009 are $9.8 million of expenses related to the transition services agreement and $19.4 million of non-recurring cutover related costs (which we are allowed to add back to adjusted EBITDA under our credit facility). Excluding the impact of the merger and the transition services agreement, selling, general and administrative expenses would have decreased $18.9 million. The decline reflects the elimination of costs allocated from Verizon affiliates prior to the closing of the merger, which has more than offset the direct costs incurred by us to operate our Northern New England operations.

        Depreciation and amortization.    Depreciation and amortization expense increased $13.9 million to $67.9 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Legacy FairPoint contributed $9.3 million to depreciation and amortization expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2009. Excluding the impact of the merger, depreciation and amortization expense would have increased $4.6 million.

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Other Results

        Interest expense.    Interest expense increased $39.0 million to $53.5 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. This increase is due to the debt that we incurred upon and subsequent to the closing of the merger.

        Gain on derivative instruments.    Gain on derivative instruments represents net gains and losses recognized on the change in fair market value of interest rate swap derivatives. During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we recognized non-cash gains of $12.9 million related to our derivative financial instruments.

        Gain on early retirement of debt.    Gain on early retirement of debt represents a $5.6 million net gain recognized on the repurchase of $8.0 million aggregate principal amount of the notes, partially offset by a loss of $0.8 million attributable to writing off a portion of the unamortized debt issue costs associated with our credit facility.

        Other income (expense).    Other income (expense) includes non-operating gains and losses such as those incurred on sale of equipment. Other income increased $14.9 million to $15.9 million in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. The increase was primarily attributable to a one-time gain of $15.0 million recognized in the first quarter of 2009 related to the settlement under the transition agreement.

        Income taxes.    The effective income tax rate is the provision for income taxes stated as a percentage of income before the provision for income taxes. The effective income tax rate in the first quarter of 2009 and 2008 was 35.5% benefit and 40.4% expense, respectively.

        Net income (loss).    Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2009 was $8.8 million compared to net income of $9.5 million for the same period in 2008. The difference in net income (loss) between 2009 and 2008 is a result of the factors discussed above.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

        We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies

        Our critical accounting policies are as follows:

    Revenue recognition;

    Allowance for doubtful accounts;

    Accounting for pension and other post-retirement benefits;

    Accounting for income taxes;

    Depreciation of property, plant and equipment;

    Valuation of long-lived assets, including goodwill;

    Accounting for software development costs; and

    Purchase accounting.

        Revenue Recognition.    We recognize service revenues based upon usage of our local exchange network and facilities and contract fees. Fixed fees for local telephone, long distance, Internet services and certain other services are recognized in the month the service is provided. Revenue from other services that are not fixed fee or that exceed contracted amounts is recognized when those services are

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provided. Non-recurring customer activation fees, along with the related costs up to, but not exceeding, the activation fees, are deferred and amortized over the customer relationship period.

        Allowance for Doubtful Accounts.    In evaluating the collectability of our accounts receivable, we assess a number of factors, including a specific customer's or carrier's ability to meet its financial obligations to us, the length of time the receivable has been past due and historical collection experience. Based on these assessments, we record both specific and general reserves for uncollectible accounts receivable to reduce the related accounts receivable to the amount we ultimately expect to collect from customers and carriers. If circumstances change or economic conditions worsen such that our past collection experience is no longer relevant, our estimate of the recoverability of our accounts receivable could be further reduced from the levels reflected in our accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet.

        Accounting for Pension and Other Post-retirement Benefits.    Some of our employees participate in our pension plans and other post-retirement benefit plans. In the aggregate, the pension plan benefit obligations exceed the fair value of pension plan assets, resulting in expense. Other post-retirement benefit plans have larger benefit obligations than plan assets, resulting in expense. Significant pension and other post-retirement benefit plan assumptions, including the discount rate used, the long term rate of return on plan assets, and medical cost trend rates are periodically updated and impact the amount of benefit plan income, expense, assets and obligations.

        Accounting for Income Taxes.    Our current and deferred income taxes are affected by events and transactions arising in the normal course of business, as well as in connection with the adoption of new accounting standards and non-recurring items. Assessment of the appropriate amount and classification of income taxes is dependent on several factors, including estimates of the timing and realization of deferred income tax assets and the timing of income tax payments. Actual payments may differ from these estimates as a result of changes in tax laws, as well as unanticipated future transactions affecting related income tax balances. We account for tax benefits taken or expected to be taken in our tax returns in accordance with FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (FIN 48), which requires the use of a two step approach for recognizing and measuring tax benefits taken or expected to be taken in a tax return and disclosures regarding uncertainties in income tax positions.

        Depreciation of Property, Plant and Equipment.    We recognize depreciation on property, plant and equipment principally on the composite group remaining life method and straight-line composite rates over estimated useful lives ranging from three to 50 years. This method provides for the recognition of the cost of the remaining net investment in telephone plant, less anticipated net salvage value (if any), over the remaining asset lives. This method requires the periodic revision of depreciation rates. Changes in the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment or depreciation methods could have a material effect on our results of operations.

        Valuation of Long-lived Assets, Including Goodwill.    We review our long-lived assets, including goodwill, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Several factors could trigger an impairment review such as:

    significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results;

    significant regulatory changes that would impact future operating revenues;

    significant negative industry or economic trends; and

    significant changes in the overall strategy in which we operate our overall business.

        Goodwill was $595.1 million at March 31, 2009. We have recorded intangible assets related to the acquired companies' customer relationships and trade names of $251.7 million as of March 31, 2009. As

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of March 31, 2009, there was $22.9 million of accumulated amortization recorded. These intangible assets are being amortized over a weighted average life of approximately 9.7 years. The intangible assets are included in intangible assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheet.

        We are required to perform an impairment review of goodwill as required by SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets annually or when impairment indicators are noted. We performed our annual goodwill impairment assessment as of October 1, 2008 and concluded that there was no indication of impairment at this time. In light of the weakening economic environment, we performed another assessment as of December 31, 2008 and concluded that there was no indication of impairment at that time. Given the continued deterioration of economic conditions, we will continue to monitor for impairment indicators.

        Accounting for Software Development Costs.    We capitalize certain costs incurred in connection with developing or obtaining internal use software in accordance with American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Statement of Position 98-1, "Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal Use" (98-1). Capitalized costs include direct development costs associated with internal use software, including direct labor costs and external costs of materials and services. Costs incurred during the preliminary project stage, as well as maintenance and training costs, are expensed as incurred.

        Purchase Accounting.    We recognize the acquisition of companies in accordance with SFAS No. 141, Accounting for Business Combinations ("SFAS 141"). The cost of an acquisition is allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair values as of the close of the acquisition, with amounts exceeding the fair value being recorded as goodwill.

New Accounting Standards

        In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141R, "Business Combinations" ("SFAS 141R"). SFAS 141R replaces SFAS 141 and establishes principles and requirements for how an acquirer recognizes and measures in its financial statements the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, any non-controlling interest in the acquiree and the goodwill acquired. SFAS 141R also establishes disclosure requirements which will enable users to evaluate the nature and financial effects of the business combination. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008 and early adoption is prohibited. We will assess the impact of SFAS 141(R) if and when a future acquisition occurs.

        In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, "Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities" ("SFAS 161"). SFAS 161 requires companies with derivative instruments to disclose information that should enable financial statement users to understand how and why a company uses derivative instruments, how derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for under FASB Statement No. 133 "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities" and how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect a company's financial position, financial performance and cash flows. SFAS 161 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008. The adoption of SFAS 161 did not have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.

        In May 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 162, "The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("SFAS 162"). SFAS 162 identifies the sources of accounting principles and the framework for selecting the principles used in the preparation of financial statements of non-governmental entities that are presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (the GAAP hierarchy). Statement 162 will become effective 60 days following the SEC's approval of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board amendments to AU Section 411, "The Meaning of Present Fairly in Conformity With Generally Accepted Accounting Principles." The adoption of SFAS 162 is not expected to have any impact on our consolidated results of operations and financial position.

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Inflation

        We do not believe inflation has a significant effect on our operations.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

        Our short-term and long-term liquidity needs arise primarily from: (i) interest and principal payments on our indebtedness; (ii) capital expenditures, including those mandated by the state regulatory orders approving the merger; (iii) working capital requirements as may be needed to support the growth of our business; (iv) dividend payments, if any, on our common stock; (v) obligations under our employee benefit plans; and (vi) potential acquisitions.

        As we have essentially fully drawn down on our available credit facility, and in view of the current state of the financial markets, we anticipate that our primary source of liquidity will be cash flow from operations and cash on hand. While we currently believe that cash generated from operations and cash on hand should be sufficient to meet our cash obligations for the next twelve months, any delays or disruptions in cash flows would place further strains on our liquidity position.

        As of March 31, 2009, we were in compliance with the financial covenants contained in our credit facility. However, the continuing adverse general economic conditions, the operational difficulties experienced following the cutover to our new platform of systems for the Northern New England operations, the additional incremental costs incurred to operate the business following the cutover and our resulting inability to fully execute on our 2009 operating plan and compete effectively in the marketplace are causing us to be at risk of failing to comply with the interest coverage covenant contained in our credit facility as early as the covenant measurement period ending June 30, 2009. If a default occurs, the lenders would be permitted to accelerate the maturity of the loans outstanding under our credit facility, to seek to foreclose upon any collateral securing such loans and to terminate any commitments of the lenders to lend to us. In the event of noncompliance, we would seek to obtain a waiver from our lenders or seek to amend the covenants. There can be no assurance that such a waiver or amendment could be obtained at all or on terms, including any costs or fees associated therewith, reasonably acceptable to us in light of our current liquidity position and expected future cash flows.

        We are considering engaging a financial advisor to evaluate our current capital structure and to explore options with respect to a potential restructuring. In addition, we intend to seek from time to time to repurchase a portion of the notes. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity needs, contractual restrictions, including those contained in the Tax Sharing Agreement and the agreements governing our indebtedness, and other factors.

        On March 4, 2009, our board of directors voted to suspend the quarterly dividend. This action was taken to increase financial flexibility and enable us to begin to focus on strengthening our capital structure. This action was expected to improve our liquidity by approximately $93 million annually.

        Our $2,030 million senior secured credit facility consists of a non-amortizing revolving facility in an aggregate principal amount of $200 million, a senior secured term loan A facility in an aggregate principal amount of $500 million, a senior secured term loan B facility in the aggregate principal amount of $1,130 million and a delayed draw term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $200 million. Spinco drew $1,160 million under the term loan immediately prior to being spun off by Verizon, and then FairPoint drew $470 million under the term loan and $5.5 million under the delayed draw term loan concurrently with the closing of the merger.

        Subsequent to the merger, we borrowed the remaining $194.5 million available under the delayed draw term loan. These funds were used for certain capital expenditures and other expenses associated with the merger. As of March 31, 2009, we had also borrowed $150.0 million under our $170.0 million revolving credit facility.

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        On October 5, 2008, the administrative agent under our credit facility filed for bankruptcy. The administrative agent accounted for thirty percent of the loan commitments under our revolving credit facility. On January 21, 2009, we entered into an amendment to our credit facility under which, among other things, the administrative agent resigned and was replaced by a new administrative agent. In addition, the resigning administrative agent's undrawn commitments under our revolving credit facility, totaling $30.0 million, were terminated and are no longer available to us. See "Recent Developments—Credit Facility Amendment." Accordingly, as of March 31, 2009, the remaining amount available under our revolving credit facility is $4.7 million, net of outstanding letters of credit. As of March 31, 2009, we also had pending commitments for additional letters of credit totaling $3.7 million.

        The revolving credit facility has a swingline subfacility in the amount of $10.0 million and a letter of credit subfacility in the amount of $30.0 million, which allows for issuances of standby letters of credit for our account. Our credit facility also permits interest rate and currency exchange swaps and similar arrangements that we may enter into with the lenders under our credit facility and/or their affiliates.

        The term loan B facility and the delayed draw term loan will mature in March 2015 and the revolving credit facility and the term loan A facility will mature in March 2014. Each of the term loan A facility, the term loan B facility and the delayed draw term loan are repayable in quarterly installments in the manner set forth in our credit facility.

        Interest rates for borrowings under our credit facility are, at our option, for the revolver and for the term loans at either (a) the Eurodollar rate, as defined in the credit agreement, plus an applicable margin or (b) the base rate, as defined in the credit agreement, plus an applicable margin.

        Our credit facility contains customary affirmative covenants and also contains negative covenants and restrictions, including, among others, with respect to the redemption or repurchase of our other indebtedness, loans and investments, additional indebtedness, liens, capital expenditures, changes in the nature of our business, mergers, acquisitions, asset sales and transactions with affiliates.

        Borrowings under our credit facility bear interest at variable interest rates. We have entered into various interest rate swap agreements which are detailed in note 7 of the notes to our condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2009 included in this Quarterly Report. As a result of these swap agreements, approximately 76% of our indebtedness effectively bore interest at fixed rates rather than variable rates as of March 31, 2009. After these interest rate swap agreements expire, our annual debt service obligations on such portion of the term loans will vary from year to year unless we enter into a new interest rate swap or purchase an interest rate cap or other interest rate hedge. To the extent interest rates increase in the future, we may not be able to enter into new interest rate swaps or to purchase interest rate caps or other interest rate hedges on acceptable terms.

        Spinco issued, and we assumed in the merger, $551.0 million aggregate principal amount of the notes. The notes mature on April 1, 2018 and are not redeemable at our option prior to April 1, 2013. Interest is payable on the notes semi-annually, in cash, on April 1 and October 1. The notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 131/8% and principal is due at maturity. These notes were issued at a discount and, accordingly, at the date of their distribution, the notes had a carrying value of $539.8 million (principal amount at maturity of $551.0 million less discount of $11.2 million).

        The indenture governing the notes limits, among other things, our ability to incur additional indebtedness and issue certain preferred stock, repurchase our capital stock or subordinated debt, make certain investments, create certain liens, sell certain assets or merge or consolidate with or into other companies, incur restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to make distributions or transfer assets to us and enter into transactions with affiliates.

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        During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we repurchased $8.0 million aggregate principal amount of the notes for an aggregate purchase price of $2.2 million in cash. In addition, we prepaid $3.3 million of principal under the term loan A facility of our credit facility. In total, we retired $11.3 million of outstanding debt during the three months ended March 31, 2009.

        Our ability to service our indebtedness will depend on our ability to generate sufficient cash in the future. Scheduled amortization payments will begin on the term loan A facility of our credit facility in 2009, on the term loan B facility of our credit facility in 2010 and on the delayed draw facility in 2011. No principal payments are due on the notes prior to their maturity. We will need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity and may not be able to refinance our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

        Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities was $46.1 million and $(0.3) million for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

        Net cash used in investing activities was $57.6 million and $13.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively. These cash flows primarily reflect capital expenditures of $57.7 million and $24.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively. Net cash used in investing activities also includes acquired cash of $11.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2008.

        Net cash provided by financing activities was $33.7 million and $24.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2009, net proceeds from FairPoint's issuance of long-term debt were $50.0 million, repayment of long-term debt was $5.5 million and dividends to stockholders was $23.0 million.

        Cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2009 totaled $92.5 million, excluding restricted cash totaling an additional $55.2 million. At April 30, 2009, cash and cash equivalents totaled $69.0 million.

        We expect our capital expenditures will be approximately $190 million to $210 million in 2009. We anticipate that we will fund these expenditures through cash flows from operations and cash on hand.

        We expect our contributions to our employee pension plans and post-retirement medical plans will be approximately $0.6 million in 2009.

        As a condition to the approval of the merger and related transactions by state regulatory authorities, we have agreed to make capital expenditures following the completion of the merger. As a condition to the approval of the transactions by the state regulatory authority in Maine, we agreed that, following the closing of the merger, we will make capital expenditures in Maine during the first three years after the closing of $48 million in the first year and an average of $48 million in the first two years and an average of $47 million in the first three years. We are also required to expend over a five year period not less than $40 million on equipment and infrastructure to expand the availability of broadband services in Maine, which is expected to result in capital expenditures in Maine in excess of the minimum capital expenditure requirements described above.

        The order issued by the state regulatory authority in Vermont also requires us to make capital expenditures in Vermont during the first three years after the closing of the merger in the amount of $41 million for the first year and averaging $40 million per year in the first two years and averaging $40 million per year in the first three years following the closing. Pursuant to the Vermont order, we are required to remove double poles in Vermont, make service quality improvements and address certain broadband build-out commitments under a performance enhancement plan in Vermont, using, in the case of double pole removal, $6.7 million provided by the Verizon Group and, in the case of service quality improvements under the performance enhancement plan, $25 million provided by the Verizon Group. In Vermont we have also agreed to certain broadband build-out milestones that require us to reach 100% broadband availability in 50% of our exchanges in Vermont, which could result in

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capital expenditures of $44 million over such period in addition to the minimum capital expenditures required by the Vermont order as set forth above.

        We are also required to make capital expenditures in New Hampshire of at least $52 million during each of the first three years after the closing of the merger and $49 million during each of the fourth and fifth years after the closing of the merger. The amount of any shortfall in any year must be expended in the following year, and the amount of any excess in any year may be deducted from the amount required to be expended in the following year. If any shortfall in any year exceeds $3 million, then the amount that we are required to spend in the following year shall be increased by 150% of the amount of such shortfall. If there is any shortfall at the end of the fifth year after the closing of the merger, we will be required to spend 150% of the amount of such shortfall at the direction of the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission. The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission may require that a portion of these increased capital expenditures be directed toward state programs rather than invested in our assets. We are required to spend at least $56.4 million over the 60-month period following the closing of the merger on broadband infrastructure in New Hampshire, which is expected to result in capital expenditures in New Hampshire in excess of the minimum capital expenditure requirements described above. We also have the availability of $49.2 million contributed to us by the Verizon Group, and $1.0 million in interest earned thereon, to make capital and operating expenditures in New Hampshire in addition to those described above for unexpected infrastructure improvements proposed by us and approved by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission.

        Additionally, the orders issued by the state regulatory authorities in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in connection with their approval of the merger include a requirement that we pay the greater of $45 million or 90% of our free cash flow (defined as the cash flow remaining after all operating expenses, interest payments, tax payments, capital expenditures, dividends and other routine cash expenditures have occurred) annually to reduce the principal amount of our indebtedness, until certain financial ratio tests have been satisfied.

        On January 30, 2009, we entered into the transition agreement with Verizon in connection with the cutover of certain back office systems, as contemplated by the transition services agreement. The transition services agreement and related agreements had required us to make payments totaling approximately $45.4 million to Verizon in the first quarter of 2009, including a one-time fee of $34.0 million due at cutover, with the balance related to the purchase of certain internet access hardware. The settlement set forth in the transition agreement resulted in a $22.7 million improvement in our cash flow for the first quarter of 2009. See "Recent Developments—Transition Agreement."

Summary of Contractual Obligations

        The tables set forth below contain information with regard to disclosures about contractual obligations and commercial commitments.

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        The following table discloses aggregate information about our contractual obligations as of March 31, 2009 and the periods in which payments are due:

 
  Payments Due by Period  
 
  Total   Less
Than
1 Year
  1-3
Years
  3-5
Years
  More Than
5 Years
 
 
  (in thousands)
 

Long-term debt, including current maturities(a)

  $ 2,519,750   $ 45,000   $ 108,300   $ 413,200   $ 1,953,250  

Interest payments on long-term debt obligations(b)

    1,089,053     213,792     378,279     338,952     158,030  

Capital lease obligations

    12,323     3,111     4,717     3,239     1,256  

Operating leases

    48,200     11,692     18,833     13,520     4,155  
                       

Total projected contractual obligations

  $ 3,699,326   $ 273,595   $ 510,129   $ 768,911   $ 2,116,691  
                       

(a)
Includes $543.0 million of the notes. The notes were issued at a face value of $551.0 million and a discount of $11.2 million. During the first quarter of 2009, $8.0 million of the notes were retired. See note 8 to the "Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements" for more information.

(b)
Excludes amortization of estimated capitalized debt issuance costs.

        The following table discloses aggregate information about our derivative financial instruments as of March 31, 2009, including the source of fair value of these instruments and their maturities.

 
  Fair Value of Contracts at Period End  
 
  Total   Less than
1 year
  1-3
years
  3-5
years
  More than
5 years
 
 
  (Dollars in thousands)
 

Source of fair value:

                               
 

Derivative financial instruments(1)

  $ (70,057 )   (39,860 )   (28,878 )   (1,319 )    
                       

(1)
Fair value of interest rate swaps at March 31, 2009 is based on information provided by the counterparties in order to compute the value of the underlying contracts using consistent methodologies. These market values were then discounted for the Company's risk of non-performance, which is represented by the market spread on our debt as of March 31, 2009. See note 7 to the "Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements" for more information.

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PART II—OTHER INFORMATION

Item 6.    Exhibits.

        The exhibits filed as part of this Form 10-Q/A are listed in the index to exhibits immediately preceding such exhibits, which index to exhibits is incorporated herein by reference.

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SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

        FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Date: May 8, 2009

 

By:

 

/s/ ALFRED C. GIAMMARINO

        Name:   Alfred C. Giammarino
        Title:   Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer

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Exhibit Index

Exhibit No.
  Description
31.1   Certification as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
31.2   Certification as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*

*
Filed herewith.

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EXPLANATORY NOTE
SIGNATURES
Exhibit Index