Tower Obligations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Note 9 – Tower Obligations

Existing CCI Tower Lease Arrangements

In 2012, we conveyed to Crown Castle International Corp. (“CCI”) the exclusive right to manage and operate approximately 7,100 tower sites (“CCI Lease Sites”) via a master prepaid lease with site lease terms ranging from 23 to 37 years (the “2012 Tower Transaction”). CCI has fixed-price purchase options for the CCI Lease Sites totaling approximately $2.0 billion, exercisable at the end of the lease term. We lease back a portion of the space at certain tower sites for an initial term of 10 years, followed by optional renewals at customary terms.

Assets and liabilities associated with the operation of the tower sites were transferred to special purpose entities (“SPEs”). Assets included ground lease agreements or deeds for the land on which the towers are situated, the towers themselves and existing subleasing agreements with other mobile network operator tenants that lease space at the tower sites. Liabilities included the obligation to pay ground lease rentals, property taxes and other executory costs.

We determined the SPEs containing the CCI Lease Sites (“Lease Site SPEs”) are VIEs as they lack sufficient equity to finance their activities. We have a variable interest in the Lease Site VIE but are not the primary beneficiary as we lack the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the Lease Site VIE’s economic performance. These activities include managing tenants and underlying ground leases, performing repair and maintenance on the towers, the obligation to absorb expected losses and the right to receive the expected future residual returns from the purchase option to acquire the CCI Lease Sites. As we determined that we are not the primary beneficiary and do not have a controlling financial interest in the Lease Site SPEs, the Lease Site SPEs are not included in our consolidated financial statements.

However, we also considered if this arrangement resulted in the sale of the CCI Lease Sites for which we would de-recognize the tower assets. By assessing whether control had transferred, we concluded that transfer of control criteria, as discussed in the revenue standard, were not met. Accordingly, we recorded this arrangement as a financing whereby we recorded debt, a financial obligation, and the CCI Lease Sites tower assets remained on our balance sheet. We recorded long-term financial obligations in the amount of the net proceeds received and recognize interest on the tower obligations at a rate of approximately 8% using the effective interest method. The tower obligations are increased by interest expense and amortized through contractual leaseback payments made by us to CCI and through net cash flows generated and retained by CCI from operation of the tower sites.

Acquired CCI Tower Lease Arrangements

Prior to the Merger, Sprint entered into a lease-out and leaseback arrangement with Global Signal Inc., a third party that was subsequently acquired by CCI, that conveyed to CCI the exclusive right to manage and operate approximately 6,400 tower sites (“Master Lease Sites”) via a master prepaid lease. These agreements were assumed upon the close of the Merger, at which point the remaining term of the lease-out was approximately 17 years with no renewal options. CCI has a fixed price purchase option for all (but not less than all) of the leased or subleased sites for approximately $2.3 billion, exercisable one year prior to the

expiration of the agreement and ending 120 days prior to the expiration of the agreement. We lease back a portion of the space at certain tower sites for an initial term of 10 years, followed by optional renewals at customary terms.

We considered if this arrangement resulted in the sale of the Master Lease Sites for which we would de-recognize the tower assets. By assessing whether control had transferred, we concluded that transfer of control criteria, as discussed in the revenue standard, were not met. Accordingly, we recorded this arrangement as a financing whereby we recorded debt, a financial obligation, and the Master Lease Sites tower assets remained on our balance sheet.

As of the Merger date, we recognized Property and equipment with a fair value of $2.8 billion and tower obligations related to amounts owed to CCI under the leaseback of $1.1 billion. Additionally, we recognized $1.7 billion in Other long-term liabilities associated with contract terms that are unfavorable to current market rates, which includes unfavorable terms associated with the fixed-price purchase option in 2037.

We recognize interest expense on the tower obligations at a rate of approximately 6% using the effective interest method. The tower obligations are increased by interest expense and amortized through contractual leaseback payments made by us to CCI. The tower assets are reported in Property and equipment, net in our Consolidated Balance Sheets and are depreciated to their estimated residual values over the expected useful life of the tower, which is 20 years.

The following table summarizes the balances associated with both of the tower arrangements in the Consolidated Balance Sheets:


(in millions)	December 31, 2020		December 31, 2019
Property and equipment, net	$	2,838	$	198
Tower obligations	3,028		2,236
Other long-term liabilities	1,712		—

Future minimum payments related to the tower obligations are approximately $397 million for the year ending December 31, 2021, $716 million in total for the years ending December 31, 2022 and 2023, $598 million in total for years ending December 31, 2024 and 2025, and $624 million in total for years thereafter.

We are contingently liable for future ground lease payments through the remaining term of the CCI Lease Sites and the Master Lease Sites. These contingent obligations are not included in Operating lease liabilities as any amount due is contractually owed by CCI based on the subleasing arrangement. Under the arrangement, we remain primarily liable for ground lease payments on approximately 900 sites and have included lease liabilities of $282 million in our Operating lease liabilities as of December 31, 2020.