REVENUE

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

REVENUE

REVENUE

2.  REVENUE

Nature of Contracts with Customers

Our revenue contracts with customers may include a promise or promises to deliver goods such as equipment and/or services such as broadband, video or voice services.  Promised goods and services are considered distinct as the customer can benefit from the goods or services either on their own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer and the Company’s promise to transfer a good or service to the customer is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract.  The Company accounts for goods and services as separate performance obligations.  Each service is considered a single performance obligation as it is providing a series of distinct services that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer.

The transaction price is determined at contract inception and reflects the amount of consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for transferring a good or service to the customer.  This amount is generally equal to the market price of the goods and/or services promised in the contract and may include promotional discounts.  The transaction price excludes amounts collected on behalf of third parties such as sales taxes and regulatory fees. Conversely, nonrefundable upfront fees, such as service activation and set-up fees, are included in the transaction price.  In determining the transaction price, we consider our enforceable rights and obligations within the contract. We do not consider the possibility of a contract being cancelled, renewed or modified.

The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation based on the standalone selling price of the good or service, net of the related discount, as applicable.

Revenue is recognized when or as performance obligations are satisfied by transferring control of the good or service to the customer.

Disaggregation of Revenue

The following table summarizes revenue from contracts with customers for the quarters and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020:

	Quarter Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
(In thousands)	2021		2020		2021		2020
Operating Revenues
Commercial and carrier:
Data and transport services (includes VoIP)	$	91,101	$	90,153	$	272,262	$	269,297
Voice services		42,619		45,343		130,359		136,838
Other		10,580		10,909		29,785		33,027
		144,300		146,405		432,406		439,162
Consumer:
Broadband (VoIP and Data)		68,604		67,163		202,340		196,806
Video services		16,163		18,452		49,743		56,796
Voice services		40,587		42,775		121,180		129,072
		125,354		128,390		373,263		382,674
Subsidies		17,264		18,064		52,068		54,587
Network access		29,923		32,009		92,641		93,947
Other products and services		1,743		2,198		13,375		7,534
Total operating revenues	$	318,584	$	327,066	$	963,753	$	977,904

Contract Assets and Liabilities

The following table provides information about receivables, contract assets and contract liabilities from our revenue contracts with customers:

	September 30,
(In thousands)	2021		2020
Accounts receivable, net	$	133,524	$	119,076
Contract assets		22,846		20,746
Contract liabilities		62,210		56,086

Contract assets include costs that are incremental to the acquisition of a contract.  Incremental costs are those that result directly from obtaining a contract or costs that would not have been incurred if the contract had not been obtained, which primarily relate to sales commissions. These costs are deferred and amortized over the expected customer life.  We determined that the expected customer life is the expected period of benefit as the commission on the renewal contract is not commensurate with the commission on the initial contract. During the quarters ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized expense of $2.8 million and $2.3 million, respectively, related to deferred contract acquisition costs.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized expense of $8.1 million and $6.6 million, respectively, related to deferred contract acquisition costs.

Contract liabilities include deferred revenues related to advanced payments for services and nonrefundable, upfront service activation and set-up fees, which are generally deferred and amortized over the expected customer life as the option to renew without paying an upfront fee provides the customer with a material right.  During the quarters ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized previously deferred revenues of $118.1 million and $110.9 million, respectively.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized previously deferred revenues of $347.6 million and $332.1 million, respectively.

A receivable is recognized in the period the Company provides goods or services when the Company’s right to consideration is unconditional.  Payment terms on invoiced amounts are generally 30 to 60 days.

Performance Obligations

ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), requires that the Company disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price that is allocated to remaining performance obligations that are unsatisfied as of September 30, 2021.  The guidance provides certain practical expedients that limit this requirement.  The service revenue contracts of the Company meet the following practical expedients provided by ASC 606:

1. The performance obligation is part of a contract that has an original expected duration of one year or less.

2. Revenue is recognized from the satisfaction of the performance obligations in the amount billable to the customer in accordance with ASC 606-10-55-18.

The Company has elected these practical expedients.  Performance obligations related to our service revenue contracts are generally satisfied over time.  For services transferred over time, revenue is recognized based on amounts invoiced to the customer as the Company has concluded that the invoice amount directly corresponds with the value of services provided to the customer.  Management considers this a faithful depiction of the transfer of control as services are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer over the life of the contract.  As such, revenue related to unsatisfied performance obligations that will be billed in future periods has not been disclosed.