Spectrum License Transactions

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Note 5 – Spectrum License Transactions

The following table summarizes our spectrum license activity for the three months ended March 31, 2024:


(in millions)	2024
Spectrum licenses, beginning of year	$	96,707

Spectrum license acquisitions	411

Spectrum licenses transferred to held for sale	(17)
Costs to clear spectrum	53

Spectrum licenses, end of period	$	97,154

Cash payments to acquire spectrum licenses and payments for costs to clear spectrum are included in Purchases of spectrum licenses and other intangible assets, including deposits, on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

Spectrum Transactions

In September 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) announced that we were the winning bidder of 7,156 licenses in Auction 108 (2.5 GHz spectrum) for an aggregate price of $304 million. At inception of Auction 108 in June 2022, we deposited $65 million. We paid the FCC the remaining $239 million for the licenses won in the auction in September 2022. On February 29, 2024, the FCC issued to us the licenses won in Auction 108, and substantially all of these licenses were deployed in March 2024. The licenses are included in Spectrum licenses on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2024.

License Purchase Agreements

DISH Network Corporation

On July 1, 2020, we and DISH Network Corporation (“DISH”) entered into a license purchase agreement (the “DISH License Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which DISH agreed to purchase certain 800 MHz spectrum licenses for a total of approximately $3.6 billion. The closing of the sale of spectrum under the DISH License Purchase Agreement remains subject to FCC approval. On October 15, 2023, we and DISH entered into an amendment (the “LPA Amendment”) to the DISH License Purchase Agreement pursuant to which, among other things, the parties agreed that (1) DISH will pay us a $100 million non-refundable extension fee (in lieu of the approximately $72 million termination fee that had previously been agreed to), (2) the closing for the purchase of the spectrum licenses by DISH will occur no later than April 1, 2024, (3) if DISH has not purchased the spectrum licenses by such date for any reason (including failure to receive the required FCC approval prior to such date), then the DISH License Purchase Agreement will automatically terminate, and we will retain the $100 million extension fee, (4) if DISH does purchase the spectrum by April 1, 2024, the $100 million extension fee will be credited against the $3.6 billion purchase price, and (5) we are permitted to commence auction of the spectrum prior to April 1, 2024 at our discretion (and subject to DISH’s purchase right). The LPA Amendment was approved by the Court and became effective on October 23, 2023. On October 25, 2023, we received a payment of $100 million from DISH for the extension fee and recorded a corresponding liability within Other current liabilities on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Subsequent to March 31, 2024, DISH did not purchase the 800 MHz spectrum by April 1, 2024. As such, we will recognize a gain for the $100 million extension fee previously paid by DISH in the second quarter of 2024 within Selling, general and administrative expenses on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and relieve the liability that was initially recorded upon receipt of the payment. Additionally, we have commenced an auction process for the disposition of the spectrum as required under the final judgment agreed to by us, Deutsche Telekom AG (“DT”), Sprint LLC, SoftBank Group Corp. (“SoftBank”) and DISH with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which was approved by the Court on April 1, 2020. If the specified minimum price of $3.6 billion is not met in the auction, we would be relieved of the obligation to sell the licenses.

Channel 51 License Co LLC and LB License Co, LLC

On August 8, 2022, we, Channel 51 License Co LLC and LB License Co, LLC (together with Channel 51 License Co LLC, the “Sellers”) entered into License Purchase Agreements pursuant to which we will acquire spectrum in the 600 MHz band from the Sellers in exchange for total cash consideration of $3.5 billion. The licenses will be acquired without any associated networks and are currently being utilized by us through exclusive leasing arrangements with the Sellers.

On March 30, 2023, we and the Sellers entered into Amended and Restated License Purchase Agreements pursuant to which we and the Sellers agreed to separate the transaction into two tranches of licenses, with the closings on the acquisitions of certain licenses in Chicago, Dallas and New Orleans being deferred in order to potentially expedite the regulatory approval process for the remainder of the licenses. Subsequently, on August 25, 2023, we and the Sellers entered into Amendments No. 1 to the Amended and Restated License Purchase Agreements, which deferred the closings of certain additional licenses in Chicago and Dallas into the second closing tranche. Together, the licenses with closings deferred into the second closing tranche represent $1.1 billion of the aggregate $3.5 billion cash consideration. The licenses being acquired by us, and the total consideration being paid for the licenses, remain the same under the original License Purchase Agreements and subsequent amendments.

The FCC approved the purchase of the first tranche on December 29, 2023, and we expect the closing of the first tranche to occur in the second quarter of 2024, with the associated cash payment expected to occur in the third quarter of 2024. We anticipate that the second closing (on the deferred licenses) will occur in late 2024 or early 2025.

The parties have agreed that each of the closings will occur within 180 days after the receipt of the applicable required regulatory approvals, and payment of each portion of the aggregate $3.5 billion purchase price will occur no later than 40 days after the date of each respective closing.