Intangible Assets

6 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Wireless licenses are considered indefinite-lived intangible assets. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are not subject to amortization but instead are tested for impairment annually, or more frequently if an event indicates that the asset might be impaired. There were no impairment charges related to the Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets during the three and six months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.

Intangible assets consist of the following activity for the six months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):


	2024		2023
Balance at the beginning of period	$	216,743	$	202,044
Acquisitions and transfers	5,027		8,022
Sale of intangible assets	—		(31,798)
Exchanges - licenses received	126		24,146
Exchanges - licenses surrendered	(33)		(4,848)
Balance at the end of period	$	221,863	$	197,566

Purchases of intangible assets, including refundable deposits, retuning costs and swaps

During the six months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company entered into agreements with several third parties in multiple U.S. markets to acquire, retune or swap wireless licenses for cash consideration (“deals”) and made Anti-Windfall Payments to the US Treasury Department. The initial deposits to incumbents are recorded as spectrum receivable on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets and are refundable if the FCC does not approve the sale, retuning or swap of the spectrum. The initial deposits are transferred to deferred broadband cost or intangible assets in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets, as applicable, upon meeting the relevant deal milestones. The final payments related to closed retuning or swap deals are recorded as deferred broadband costs on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The final payments for license purchases or Anti-Windfall Payments are recorded as intangible assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Broadband License Exchanges

During the six months ended September 30, 2024, the Company was granted by the FCC, a broadband license for 1 county. The Company recorded the new broadband license at its estimated accounting cost basis of approximately $0.1 million. In connection with receiving the broadband license, the Company disposed of a de minimis amount related to the value ascribed to the narrowband license it relinquished to the FCC for the same 1 county. The total carrying value of the narrowband license included the cost to acquire the original narrowband license, Anti-Windfall Payments paid to cover the shortfall in this county and the clearing costs. The Company did not have any exchanges for the three months ended September 30, 2024. The Company recorded a gain on disposal of intangible assets of $0.1 million for the six months ended September 30, 2024.

During the six months ended September 30, 2023, the Company was granted by the FCC, broadband licenses for 14 counties. The Company recorded the new broadband licenses at their estimated accounting cost basis of approximately $24.1 million. In connection with receiving the broadband licenses, the Company disposed of $4.8 million, related to the value ascribed to the narrowband licenses it relinquished to the FCC for the same 14 counties. The total carrying value of narrowband licenses included the cost to acquire the original narrowband licenses, Anti-Windfall Payments paid to cover the shortfall in each county and the clearing costs. As a result of the exchange of narrowband licenses for broadband licenses, the Company recorded a gain on disposal of intangible assets of $8.5 million and $19.3 million for the three and six months ended September 30, 2023, respectively.

Broadband License Sale

During the quarter ended September 30, 2023, the Company transferred to SDG&E the San Diego County broadband license for total cumulative payments of $44.0 million net of delivery delay adjustments of $1.1 million. As a result, the Company recognized a reduction in intangible assets of $31.8 million and recorded a $7.3 million gain on sale of intangible assets on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations.

As part of the SDG&E Agreement, SDG&E has an option to pursue additional spectrum with the Company. In accordance with ASC 606, the Company recorded a $4.9 million deferred gain on sale of intangible assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2024, related to this option, which expires in September 2028.