e10vq

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)


þ		QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES

EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2005.


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 0-27416

RURAL CELLULAR CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Minnesota *(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)*		41-1693295 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

PO Box 2000
3905 Dakota Street SW
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
(320) 762-2000
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

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 þ NO o

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). YES þ NO 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 þ

Number of shares of common stock outstanding as of the close of business on November 1, 2005.


Class A			13,279,766
Class B			321,394

RURAL CELLULAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
(Unaudited)


	September 30,			December 31,
(In thousands, except per share data)	2005			2004

CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	$	37,000		$	52,465
Current portion of long-term debt		15			81
Advance billings and customer deposits		12,062			11,076
Accrued interest		17,871			41,112
Other accrued expenses		12,368			9,679

Total current liabilities		79,316			114,413
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES		1,747,138			1,733,079

Total liabilities		1,826,454			1,847,492


REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK		176,597			166,296

SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT:

Class A common stock; $.01 par value; 200,000 shares authorized, 13,140 and 11,836 outstanding		131			118
Class B common stock; $.01 par value; 10,000 shares authorized, 453 and 540 outstanding		5			5

Additional paid-in capital		207,212			193,347
Accumulated deficit		(843,998	)		(791,446	)
Unearned compensation		(1,408	)		(698	)
Accumulated other comprehensive income		1,821			2,336

Total shareholders’ deficit		(636,237	)		(596,338	)

	$	1,366,814		$	1,417,450

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

RURAL CELLULAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(Unaudited)


(In thousands,	For the Three Months Ended						For the Nine Months Ended
except per share data)	September 30,						September 30,
	2005			2004			2005			2004

REVENUE:
Service	$	98,287		$	97,093		$	291,847		$	280,657
Roaming		41,785			29,739			86,519			81,745
Equipment		8,220			5,589			26,694			16,450

Total revenue		148,292			132,421			405,060			378,852

OPERATING EXPENSES:
Network costs, excluding depreciation		32,885			27,768			88,377			77,073
Cost of equipment sales		13,738			10,035			42,747			30,627
Selling, general and administrative		40,868			34,988			114,234			98,485
Depreciation and amortization		24,549			19,474			71,475			55,389
Stock based compensation		321			—			429			—
Impairment of assets		—			—			7,020			—

Total operating expenses		112,361			92,265			324,282			261,574

OPERATING INCOME		35,931			40,156			80,778			117,278


OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense		(43,776	)		(35,129	)		(124,104	)		(121,884	)
Interest and dividend income		249			424			911			1,370
Other		(125	)		(14	)		(149	)		(78	)

Other expense, net		(43,652	)		(34,719	)		(123,342	)		(120,592	)

INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX BENEFIT		(7,721	)		5,437			(42,564	)		(3,314	)


INCOME TAX BENEFIT		(104	)		—			(313	)		—


NET INCOME (LOSS)		(7,617	)		5,437			(42,251	)		(3,314	)


PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDEND		(3,534	)		(3,253	)		(10,301	)		(9,581	)


NET INCOME (LOSS) APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHARES	$	(11,151	)	$	2,184		$	(52,552	)	$	(12,895	)


NET INCOME (LOSS) PER BASIC SHARE	$	(0.89	)	$	0.18		$	(4.24	)	$	(1.05	)


NET INCOME (LOSS) PER DILUTED SHARE	$	(0.89	)	$	0.17		$	(4.24	)	$	(1.05	)


WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES USED TO COMPUTE INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE:
Basic		12,517			12,251			12,388			12,234
Diluted		12,517			12,795			12,388			12,234

COMPREHENSIVE LOSS:

NET INCOME (LOSS) APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHARES	$	(11,151	)	$	2,184		$	(52,552	)	$	(12,895	)

Adjustments — derivative financial instruments		(172	)		(172	)		(515	)		2,291

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	$	(11,323	)	$	2,012		$	(53,067	)	$	(10,604	)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

RURAL CELLULAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)


	Nine months ended
(In Thousands)	September 30,
	2005			2004

OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net loss	$	(42,251	)	$	(3,314	)
Adjustments to reconcile to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		71,475			55,389
Loss on write-off of debt and preferred securities issuance costs		243			12,605
Mark-to-market adjustments — financial instruments		—			4,339
Gain on repurchase of preferred stock		(5,685	)		(22,573	)
Non-cash preferred stock dividends		3,797			21,144
Impairment of assets		7,020			—
Stock based compensation		429			—
Deferred income taxes		(313	)		—
Other		3,528			5,931
Change in other operating elements:
Accounts receivable		(13,893	)		2,088
Inventories		(1,148	)		846
Other current assets		(432	)		(361	)
Accounts payable		(3,936	)		(8,827	)
Advance billings and customer deposits		986			1,120
Accrued preferred stock dividends		37,842			20,967
Accrued interest		(19,443	)		(13,024	)
Other accrued expenses		2,591			(1,857	)

Net cash provided by operating activities		40,810			74,473

INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment		(77,521	)		(61,602	)
Net proceeds from property exchange		—			13,573
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment		118			54
Other		(125	)		4

Net cash used in investing activities		(77,528	)		(47,971	)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock related to employee stock purchase plan and stock options		587			187
Repayments of long-term debt under the credit agreement		—			(525,724	)
Proceeds from issuance of 8 ¼% senior secured notes		—			350,000
Proceeds from issuance of senior secured floating rate notes		—			160,000
Repurchase of preferred stock		(13,355	)		(68,351	)
Payments to settle interest rate swaps		—			(7,645	)
Payments of debt issuance costs		—			(13,928	)
Other		(87	)		(161	)

Net cash used in financing activities		(12,855	)		(105,622	)

NET DECREASE IN CASH		(49,573	)		(79,120	)

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, at beginning of year		85,339			142,547


CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, at end of period	$	35,766		$	63,427

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

RURAL CELLULAR CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)

1) BASIS OF PRESENTATION:

Throughout this document, Rural Cellular Corporation and its subsidiaries are referred to as “RCC,” “we,” “our,” or “us.”

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004 have been prepared by management. In the opinion of management, only normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for all periods presented have been made.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted. It is suggested that these condensed consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2005 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full fiscal year or for any other interim periods.

2) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES:

For a detailed discussion of our significant accounting policies and estimates, please refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004. There have been no material changes in the application of our significant accounting policies. Applications of these policies in preparing the third quarter 10-Q require that estimates be made by management to fairly present the financial position of RCC.

Impairment of Long Lived Assets

Impairment of Assets. Effective on June 28, 2005, the Customer Relationship Management and Billing Managed Services Agreement between Rural Cellular Corporation and Amdocs Software Systems Limited (“Amdocs”) was mutually terminated. The termination was based upon RCC’s decision that the proposed systems would not meet its requirements given that Amdocs’s focus has become more orientated to national wireless providers. Under these circumstances, it was determined that the systems would not have been cost-effective to adapt and maintain over the long term.

Reflecting the termination of the Agreement, we recorded a charge to operations in June 2005 of approximately $7.0 million, reflecting the write-down of certain development costs previously capitalized.

3) ACCOUNTING FOR STOCK OPTIONS:

We account for stock option plans under Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees,” under which no compensation expense is recognized. The following schedule shows our net income (loss) and net income (loss) per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004, had compensation expense been determined consistent with the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.” The pro forma information presented below is based on several assumptions and should not be viewed as indicative of future periods.


	Three months ended						Nine months ended
	September 30,						September 30,
(in thousands, except for per share data)	2005			2004			2005			2004

Net income (loss) applicable to common shares:
As reported	$	(11,151	)	$	2,184		$	(52,552	)	$	(12,895	)
Fair value compensation expense		(607	)		(727	)		(1,821	)		(2,181	)

Pro forma	$	(11,758	)	$	1,457		$	(54,373	)	$	(15,076	)


Net income (loss) per basic share:
As reported	$	(0.89	)	$	0.18		$	(4.24	)	$	(1.05	)
Fair value compensation expense		(0.05	)		(0.06	)		(0.15	)		(0.18	)

Pro forma	$	(0.94	)	$	0.12		$	(4.39	)	$	(1.23	)


Net income (loss) per diluted share:
As reported	$	(0.89	)	$	0.17		$	(4.24	)	$	(1.05	)
Fair value compensation expense		(0.05	)		(0.06	)		(0.15	)		(0.18	)

Pro forma	$	(0.94	)	$	0.11		$	(4.39	)	$	(1.23	)

4) LICENSES AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS:

Licenses consist of the value assigned to our personal communications services (“PCS”) licenses and cellular licenses. Other intangibles, resulting primarily from acquisitions, include the value assigned to customer lists and goodwill. Amortization is computed using the straight-line method based on the estimated useful life of the asset. Customer lists are the only intangible asset with a definitive useful life; all others are considered to have indefinite useful lives.

Customer list amortization expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2005 was approximately $4.6 million and $13.9 million, respectively. Customer list amortization expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 was approximately $4.6 million and $13.8 million, respectively. Annual customer list amortization expense is estimated to be approximately $18.5 million for each of the years ending December 31, 2005 and 2006, $8.2 million in 2007 and $2.5 million in 2008.

We review goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment based on the requirements of SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” (“SFAS No. 142”). In accordance with this statement, goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis as of October 1st or on an interim basis if an event occurs or circumstances change that would reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. These events or circumstances would include a significant change in the business climate, legal developments, operating performance indicators, competition, sale or disposition of a significant portion of the business or other factors. In analyzing goodwill for potential impairment, we use projections of future cash flows from the reporting units. These projections are based on our view of growth rates, anticipated future economic conditions, the appropriate discount rates relative to risk, and estimates of residual values. We believe that our estimates are consistent with assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value. If changes in growth rates, future economic conditions, discount rates, or estimates of residual values were to occur, goodwill may become impaired.

In accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) No. 02-7 (“EITF 02-7”), Unit of Accounting for Testing of Impairment of Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets, impairment tests for indefinite-lived intangible assets, including FCC licenses, are required to be performed on an annual basis or on an interim basis if an event occurs or circumstances change that would indicate the asset might be impaired. We utilize a fair value approach, incorporating discounted cash flows, to complete the test. This approach determines the fair value of the FCC licenses, using start-up model assumptions and, accordingly, incorporates cash flow assumptions regarding the investment in a network, the development of distribution channels, and other inputs for making the business operational. These inputs are included in determining free cash flows of the reporting unit, using assumptions of weighted average costs of capital and the long-term rate of growth for each reporting unit. We believe that our estimates are consistent with assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value. If any of the assumptions were to change, FCC licenses may become impaired. There was no impairment charge in the three or nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004 related to our assessment under SFAS No. 142.

Deferred Debt Issuance Costs

Deferred debt issuance costs relate to the credit agreement, senior secured notes, senior notes, senior subordinated notes and certain preferred stock issuances. These costs are being amortized over the terms of the respective instruments. If the related debt issuance is extinguished prior to maturity, the debt issuance costs are immediately expensed. We recorded within interest expense $243,000 and $12.6 million of debt issuance costs in the nine months ended September 30, 2005 and September 30, 2004, respectively.

5) LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:

We had the following long-term liabilities outstanding (in thousands):


	September 30,		December 31,
	2005		2004

8 ¹/4% senior secured notes	$	350,000	$	350,000
Senior secured floating rate notes		160,000		160,000
9 ⅞% senior notes		325,000		325,000
9 ³/4% senior subordinated notes		300,000		300,000
9 ⅝% senior subordinated notes		125,000		125,000
11 ⅜% senior exchangeable preferred stock		149,709		174,176
Accrued dividends on 11 ⅜% senior exchangeable preferred stock		45,716		34,844
12 ¼% junior exchangeable preferred stock		255,558		247,984
Accrued dividends on 12 ¼% junior exchangeable preferred stock		20,132		—
Deferred tax liability		13,665		13,979
Other		2,358		2,096

Long-term liabilities	$	1,747,138	$	1,733,079

Credit Agreement — As of September 30, 2005, we had $60 million in undrawn availability under our revolving credit agreement. The credit agreement is subject to various covenants, including the ratio of senior secured indebtedness to annualized operating cash flow (as defined in the credit agreement), the ratio of total indebtedness to annualized operating cash flow, and the ratio of annualized operating cash flow to interest expense.

Our borrowings under the revolving credit facility bear interest at rates based on, at our option, either (i) the one, two, three, six, or, if made available by the lender, nine or twelve month Eurodollar rate, which is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO rate, or (ii) the Alternate Base Rate, which is the higher of the prime lending rate on page 5 of the Telerate Service and the Federal Funds Effective Rate plus ½ of 1 percent. In each case, we are required to pay an additional margin of interest above the Eurodollar rate or the Alternate Base Rate. The margin is based on the ratio of our senior secured debt to our adjusted cashflow. The margin above the Alternate Base Rate ranges from 1.50% to 2.00%. The margin above the Eurodollar rate fluctuates from 2.50% to 3.00%.

Although the credit agreement financial covenants are not applicable unless we draw against the credit facility, we were in compliance with all of the credit agreement financial covenants at September 30, 2005. Because we had failed to pay six or more quarterly dividends on our 11 ⅜% senior exchangeable preferred stock (“senior exchangeable preferred stock”), a “Voting Rights Triggering Event” as defined in the terms of our senior exchangeable preferred stock existed at September 30, 2005. While a “Voting Rights Triggering Event” exists, certain terms of our senior exchangeable preferred stock, if enforceable, may prohibit incurrence of additional indebtedness, including borrowings under our revolving credit facility.

See Note 9, “Events Subsequent to September 30, 2005,” for information regarding our payment in October 2005 of four quarterly dividends on our senior exchangeable preferred stock and our draw of $58.0 million against the revolving credit facility on November 3, 2005.

Senior Secured Notes — In March 2004, we issued $160 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured floating rate notes due March 15, 2010 (“2010 notes”) and $350 million aggregate principal amount of 8 ¼% senior secured notes due March 15, 2012 (“2012 notes”). Interest on the 2010 notes is reset quarterly and payable on March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15 of each year. The effective interest rate on the 2010 notes was 8.37% at September 30, 2005. Interest on the 2012 notes is payable on March 15 and September 15 of each year.

After March 15, 2006, we may redeem the 2010 notes, in whole or in part, at prices starting at 102.000% of the principal amount at March 15, 2006, and declining to 101.000% at March 15, 2007 and to 100.000% at March 15, 2008, plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the date fixed for repurchase. At any time, which may be more than once, before March 15, 2006, we can choose to redeem up to 35% of the 2010 notes with proceeds from certain equity offerings for 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2010 notes redeemed plus a premium equal to the interest rate per annum on the 2010 notes applicable on the date on which notice of repurchase is given, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of repurchase. At least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2010 notes issued under the indenture must remain outstanding after the repurchase.

After March 15, 2008, we may redeem the 2012 notes, in whole or in part, at prices starting at 104.125% of the principal amount at March 15, 2008, and declining to 102.063% at March 15, 2009 and 100.000% at March 15, 2010, plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the date fixed for repurchase. At any time, which may be more than once, before March 15, 2007, we can choose to redeem up to 35% of the 2012 notes with proceeds from certain equity offerings for 108.250% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2012 notes redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of repurchase. At least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2012 notes issued under the indenture must remain outstanding after the repurchase.

9 ⅞ % Senior Notes - In 2003, RCC issued $325 million principal amount of 9 ⅞% senior notes due 2010. Interest is payable on February 1 and August 1 of each year. The notes will mature on February 1, 2010. After August 1, 2007, at our option, we may redeem the 9 ⅞% notes at prices starting at 104.938% of the principal amount at August 1, 2007, declining to 102.469% at August 1, 2008 and 100% at August 1, 2009, plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the date fixed for repurchase. Prior to August 1, 2006, we may redeem up to 35% of the outstanding principal amount of the 9 ⅞% notes at 109.875% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the date fixed for repurchase with the net cash proceeds of certain equity offerings.

9 ¾ % Senior Subordinated Notes - In 2002, we issued $300 million principal amount of 9 ¾% senior subordinated notes due 2010. Interest on the 9 ¾% senior subordinated notes is payable semi-annually on January 15 and July 15. The 9 ¾% senior subordinated notes will mature on January 15, 2010. After January 15, 2006, at our option, we may redeem the 9 ¾% notes at prices starting at 104.875% of the principal amount at January 15, 2006, declining to 103.250%, 101.625%, and 100.000% at January 15, 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively, plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the date fixed for repurchase.

9 ⅝% Senior Subordinated Notes - In 1998, RCC issued $125 million principal amount of 9 ⅝% senior subordinated notes due 2008 (“9 ⅝ Notes”). Interest on the senior subordinated notes is payable semi-annually on May 15 and November 15. The senior subordinated notes will mature on May 15, 2008, and are redeemable, in whole or in part, at our option, at a rate of 101.604% of the principal amount at May 15, 2005, declining to 100.000% at May 15, 2006, plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the date fixed for repurchase.

11 ⅜% Senior Exchangeable Preferred Stock — Due May 15, 2010. Dividends on the senior exchangeable preferred stock are cumulative, are payable quarterly, and were payable, until May 15, 2003, at our option either in cash or by the issuance of additional shares of senior exchangeable preferred stock having an aggregate liquidation preference equal to the amount of such dividends.

We accrue undeclared dividends by increasing the carrying amount of the senior exchangeable preferred stock. At September 30, 2005, RCC had accrued $45.7 million in undeclared dividends with respect to our senior exchangeable preferred stock, which will be payable at the senior preferred mandatory repurchase date, if not sooner declared and paid.

Because we failed to pay six or more quarterly dividends on our senior exchangeable preferred stock, the holders of senior exchangeable preferred stock have the right to elect the lesser of two directors or the number of directors constituting 25% of the members of our board. Accordingly, James V. Continenza and Jacques Leduc were elected to our board by the holders of the senior exchangeable preferred stock at our annual meeting on May 24, 2005. The holders of senior exchangeable preferred stock have the right to elect two directors until all dividends in arrears are paid.

See Note 9, “Events Subsequent to September 30, 2005”, for information regarding our payment in October 2005 of four quarterly dividends on our outstanding 11 ⅜% senior exchangeable preferred stock.

We may redeem the senior exchangeable preferred stock, in whole or in part, at any time at a repurchase price equal to 102.844% at May 15, 2005, declining to 101.422% at May 15, 2006, and 100.000% at May 15, 2007, plus accumulated and unpaid dividends, if any, to but excluding the repurchase date.

Exchange of Senior Exchangeable Preferred Stock for Class A Common Stock. In September we exchanged an aggregate of 9,535 shares of our senior exchangeable preferred stock for an aggregate of 1,070,190 shares of our Class A common stock in negotiated transactions. The shares were issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided in Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Gain on repurchase of senior exchangeable preferred stock. During the nine months ended September 30, 2005, we repurchased 14,932 shares of our senior exchangeable preferred stock for $13.4 million. These shares had accrued $4.0 million in unpaid dividends. The resulting $5.6 million gain was recorded as a reduction of interest expense.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, we repurchased 22,750 and 80,500 shares of our senior exchangeable preferred stock for $19.0 million and $68.4 million, respectively, resulting in gains of $7.3 million and $22.6 million, respectively, which were recorded as a reduction of interest expense.

12 ¼% Junior Exchangeable Preferred Stock — Due February 15, 2011 (“junior exchangeable preferred stock”). Dividends on the junior exchangeable preferred stock are cumulative, are payable quarterly, and were payable until February 15, 2005, at our option, either in cash or by the issuance of additional shares of junior exchangeable preferred stock having an aggregate liquidation preference equal to the amount of such dividends. We have not declared or paid the cash dividends due on May 15, 2005 or August 15, 2005.

We may redeem the junior exchangeable preferred stock, in whole or in part, at any time, at a repurchase price equal to 106.125% of the liquidation preference at February 15, 2005, declining to 104.594% at February 15, 2006, 103.063% at February 15, 2007, 101.531% at February 15, 2008, and 100.000% at February 15, 2009, plus accumulated and unpaid dividends, if any, to but excluding the repurchase date.

If we fail to pay six or more quarterly dividends on our junior exchangeable preferred stock, the holders of junior exchangeable preferred stock will have the right to elect the lesser of two directors or the number of directors constituting 25% of the members of our board by following the procedures set forth in the certificate of designation.

At September 30, 2005, we had accrued $20.1 million in undeclared dividends with respect to our junior exchangeable preferred securities, which will be payable at the mandatory repurchase date, if not sooner declared and paid. The shares of senior and junior exchangeable preferred stock are non-voting, except as otherwise required by law and as provided in their respective Certificates of Designation. Each Certificate of Designation provides that at any time dividends on the outstanding exchangeable preferred stock are in arrears and unpaid for six or more quarterly dividend periods (whether or not consecutive), the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the affected exchangeable preferred stock, voting as a class, will be entitled to elect the lesser of two directors or that number of directors constituting 25% of the members of our Board of Directors. The voting rights continue until such time as all dividends in arrears on the affected class of exchangeable preferred stock are paid in full (and, in the case of the senior exchangeable preferred stock after May 15, 2003, or in the case of the junior exchangeable preferred stock after February 15, 2005, are paid in cash), at which time the terms of any directors elected pursuant to such voting rights will terminate. Voting rights may also be triggered by other events described in the Certificates of Designation.

6) REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK:

We have issued the following preferred stock with liquidation preferences of $1,000 per share:

Other

Accrued

Conversion

features,

Number of

dividends at

Dividend

price to

rights,

shares

September 30,

Total

Repurchase

rate per

common

preferences

originally

2005

Valuation

Date

annum

stock

and powers

issued

(In thousands)

Class M Voting Convertible Preferred Stock

April 3, 2012

8.000%

$53.000

Voting

110,000

$59,975

$169,975

Class T Convertible Preferred Stock

April 1, 2020

4.000%

$50.631

Non-Voting

7,541

1,659

9,200

Total

117,541

$61,634

$179,175

Preferred security balance sheet reconciliation (in thousands):


	As of
	September 30, 2005
Preferred securities originally issued	$	117,541
Accrued dividends		61,634
Unamortized issuance costs		(2,578	)

	$	176,597

Dividends on the Class M convertible preferred stock are compounded quarterly, accrue at 8% per annum, and are payable upon repurchase or upon liquidation of RCC. The Class M convertible preferred stock is convertible into shares of our Class A common stock at an original conversion price of $53.00 per share, subsequently adjusted to $50.43 per share. Dividends are not payable if the shares are converted. The holders of the Class M convertible preferred stock are entitled to vote on all matters submitted to the holders of the common stock on an as-converted basis. The Class M convertible preferred stock is senior to our common stock with respect to dividend rights and rights on liquidation, winding-up and dissolution of RCC.

The senior exchangeable preferred stock, junior exchangeable preferred stock, Class M convertible preferred stock are redeemable at 100% of their total liquidation preference plus accumulated and unpaid dividends at their respective repurchase dates.

In order to comply with the FCC rules regarding cross-ownership of cellular licensees within a given market, we issued 7,541 shares of Class T convertible preferred stock with a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share to Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (“TDS”) on September 30, 2000 in exchange for 43,000 shares of Class A common stock and 105,940 shares of Class B common stock owned by TDS or its affiliates. TDS or RCC can convert the convertible preferred stock into the original number of shares of Class A or Class B common stock at any time that ownership by TDS or its affiliates of the common stock would then be permissible under FCC rules.

See Note 9, “Events subsequent to September 30, 2005,” for information regarding our conversion of the Class T convertible preferred stock into common stock in October 2005.

7) NET INTEREST EXPENSE

Components of interest expense are as follows:


	Three months ended						Nine months ended
(in thousands)	September 30,						September 30,
	2005			2004			2005			2004

Interest expense on credit agreement	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	4,884
Interest expense on senior secured notes		10,531			9,564			30,865			19,878
Interest expense on senior notes		8,023			8,023			24,070			24,070
Interest expense on senior subordinated notes		10,320			10,320			30,961			30,961
Amortization of debt issuance costs		1,170			1,148			3,510			3,518
Write-off of debt issuance costs		92			269			243			12,605
Senior and junior preferred stock dividends		13,969			13,331			41,639			42,111
Effect of derivative instruments		(172	)		(172	)		(515	)		5,380
Gain on repurchase and exchange of senior exchangeable preferred stock		(131	)		(7,296	)		(5,685	)		(22,572	)
Other		(26	)		(58	)		(984	)		1,049

	$	43,776		$	35,129		$	124,104		$	121,884

Exchange of senior exchangeable preferred stock preferred stock for common stock. During the three months ended September 30, 2005, we exchanged an aggregate of 9,535 shares of our 11 ⅜% senior exchangeable preferred stock for an aggregate of 1,070,190 shares of our Class A common stock in negotiated transactions. The shares were issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided in Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These transactions resulted in a gain of $131,000, which was recorded as a reduction of interest expense.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, we repurchased 22,750 and 80,500 shares of our senior exchangeable preferred stock for $19.0 million and $68.4 million, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, the repurchases resulted in gains of $7.3 million and $22.6 million, respectively, which were recorded as a reduction of interest expense.

8) GUARANTOR/NON-GUARANTOR CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION

RCC’s obligations under the Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2010 and 8 ¼% Senior Secured Notes due 2012 are senior secured obligations and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior, secured, third-priority basis by certain of RCC’s subsidiaries. Wireless Alliance, LLC is not a guarantor of the notes.

We account for our investment in subsidiaries using the equity method for purposes of the supplemental consolidating presentation. The principal eliminating entries eliminate investments in subsidiaries and inter-company balances and transactions. For financial reporting purposes, each subsidiary computes income tax expense (benefit), income taxes payable, and deferred income taxes on a separate company basis as if they filed separate federal and state income tax returns. The differences between the separate company basis and consolidated income taxes is then adjusted in the elimination column of the condensed consolidating financial information.

The financial accounting records of RGI Group, Inc. (“RGI”), a guarantor subsidiary, are not maintained on a stand-alone basis and, accordingly, are included in the parent company financial presentation. RGI’s assets were approximately $6 million as of September 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004.

THE FOLLOWING CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION AS OF THE DATES AND FOR THE PERIODS INDICATED OF RURAL CELLULAR CORPORATION (THE PARENT), ITS GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES, AND ITS NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARY REFLECTS ALL INTER-COMPANY REVENUE AND EXPENSE.

Balance Sheet Information as of September 30, 2005 (unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data):


				Guarantor			Non-Guarantor
	Parent			Subsidiaries			Subsidiaries			Eliminations			Consolidated

CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	33,425		$	2,283		$	58		$	—		$	35,766
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts		31,852			41,784			2,600			—			76,236
Inventories		1,432			7,098			276			—			8,806
Other current assets		2,177			2,618			(29	)		—			4,766
Intercompany receivable		38,691			—			—			(38,691	)		—

Total current assets		107,577			53,783			2,905			(38,691	)		125,574

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net		53,877			214,360			9,782			—			278,019

LICENSES AND OTHER ASSETS:
Licenses, net		—			539,834			8,679			—			548,513
Goodwill, net		3,151			345,533			—			—			348,684
Customer lists, net		1,033			32,913			—			—			33,946
Deferred debt issuance costs, net		25,882			—			—			—			25,882
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		1,156,035			—			—			(1,156,035	)		—
Other assets, net		3,571			6,805			2,294			(6,474	)		6,196

Total licenses and other assets		1,189,672			925,085			10,973			(1,162,509	)		963,221

	$	1,351,126		$	1,193,228		$	23,660		$	(1,201,200	)	$	1,366,814


CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	$	22,200		$	14,077		$	723		$	—		$	37,000
Current portion of long-term debt		15			—			—			—			15
Advance billings and customer deposits		2,356			9,444			262			—			12,062
Accrued interest		17,871			—			—			—			17,871
Other accrued expenses		35,726			50,970			21			(74,349	)		12,368
Intercompany liabilities		—			41,184			(2,492	)		(38,692	)		—

Total current liabilities		78,168			115,675			(1,486	)		(113,041	)		79,316
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES		1,732,598			1,088,647			41,023			(1,115,130	)		1,747,138

Total liabilities		1,810,766			1,204,322			39,537			(1,228,171	)		1,826,454


REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK		176,597			—			—			—			176,597

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT):
Class A common stock; $.01 par value; 200,000 shares authorized,13,140 outstanding		131			918			—			(918	)		131
Class B common stock; $.01 par value; 10,000 shares authorized, 453 outstanding		5			—			—			—			5
Additional paid-in capital		207,212			760,152			31,679			(791,831	)		207,212

Accumulated earnings (deficit)		(843,998	)		(772,164	)		(47,556	)		819,720			(843,998	)

Unearned compensation		(1,408	)		—			—			—			(1,408	)

Accumulated other comprehensive income		1,821			—			—			—			1,821

Total shareholders’ equity (deficit)		(636,237	)		(11,094	)		(15,877	)		26,971			(636,237	)

	$	1,351,126		$	1,193,228		$	23,660		$	(1,201,200	)	$	1,366,814

Balance Sheet Information as of December 31, 2004 (in thousands, except per share data):


				Guarantor			Non-Guarantor
	Parent			Subsidiaries			Subsidiaries			Eliminations			Consolidated

CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	84,068		$	1,253		$	18		$	—		$	85,339
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts		17,047			43,252			2,250			—			62,549
Inventories		1,905			5,435			318			—			7,658
Other current assets		1,669			2,425			81			—			4,175

Total current assets		104,689			52,365			2,667			—			159,721

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net		61,016			203,148			11,969			—			276,133

LICENSES AND OTHER ASSETS:
Licenses, net		—			539,834			8,679			—			548,513
Goodwill, net		3,149			345,533			—			—			348,682
Customer lists, net		1,268			46,600			—			—			47,868
Deferred debt issuance costs, net		30,228			—			—			—			30,228
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		1,184,801			—			—			(1,184,801	)		—
Other assets, net		3,453			10,245			2,518			(9,911	)		6,305

Total licenses and other assets		1,222,899			942,212			11,197			(1,194,712	)		981,596

	$	1,388,604		$	1,197,725		$	25,833		$	(1,194,712	)	$	1,417,450


CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	$	22,609		$	28,991		$	865		$	—		$	52,465
Current portion of long-term debt		81			—			—			—			81
Advance billings and customer deposits		2,147			8,619			310			—			11,076
Accrued interest		41,112			—			—			—			41,112
Other accrued expenses		34,442			49,248			42			(74,053	)		9,679

Total current liabilities		100,391			86,858			1,217			(74,053	)		114,413
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES		1,718,255			1,852,703			41,025			(1,878,904	)		1,733,079

Total liabilities		1,818,646			1,939,561			42,242			(1,952,957	)		1,847,492


REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK		166,296			—			—			—			166,296

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT):
Class A common stock; $.01 par value; 200,000 shares authorized, 11,836 outstanding		118			918			—			(918	)		118
Class B common stock; $.01 par value; 10,000 shares authorized, 540 outstanding		5			—			—			—			5

Additional paid-in capital		193,347			349			31,679			(32,028	)		193,347

Accumulated earnings (deficit)		(791,446	)		(743,103	)		(48,088	)		791,191			(791,446	)

Unearned compensation		(698	)		—			—			—			(698	)

Accumulated other comprehensive income		2,336			—			—			—			2,336

Total shareholders’ equity (deficit)		(596,338	)		(741,836	)		(16,409	)		758,245			(596,338	)

	$	1,388,604		$	1,197,725		$	25,833		$	(1,194,712	)	$	1,417,450

Statement of Operations Information for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2005
(unaudited) (in thousands):


				Guarantor			Non-Guarantor
	Parent			Subsidiaries			Subsidiaries			Eliminations			Consolidated
REVENUE:
Service	$	24,838		$	71,833		$	1,877		$	(261	)	$	98,287
Roaming		9,961			29,683			2,141			—			41,785
Equipment		1,844			6,197			179			—			8,220

Total revenue		36,643			107,713			4,197			(261	)		148,292


OPERATING EXPENSES:
Network costs, excluding depreciation		6,269			26,033			790			(207	)		32,885
Cost of equipment sales		2,772			10,685			281			—			13,738
Selling, general and administrative		12,016			27,653			1,253			(54	)		40,868
Depreciation and amortization		4,081			19,659			809			—			24,549
Stock based compensation		321			—			—			—			321

Total operating expenses		25,459			84,030			3,133			(261	)		112,361


OPERATING INCOME		11,184			23,683			1,064			—			35,931


OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense		(43,757	)		(26,498	)		(827	)		27,306			(43,776	)
Interest and dividend income		27,555			—			—			(27,306	)		249
Inter-company charges		2,703			(2,703	)		—			—			—
Equity in subsidiaries		(5,304	)		—			—			5,304			—
Other		2			(127	)		—			—			(125	)

Other expense, net		(18,801	)		(29,328	)		(827	)		5,304			(43,652	)

INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(7,617	)		(5,645	)		237			5,304			(7,721	)


INCOME TAX PROVISION (BENEFIT)		—			117			—			(221	)		(104	)

NET INCOME (LOSS)		(7,617	)		(5,762	)		237			5,525			(7,617	)


PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDEND		(3,534	)		—			—			—			(3,534	)


NET INCOME (LOSS) APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHARES	$	(11,151	)	$	(5,762	)	$	237		$	5,525		$	(11,151	)

Statement of Operations Information for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2005
(unaudited) (in thousands):


				Guarantor			Non-Guarantor
	Parent			Subsidiaries			Subsidiaries			Eliminations			Consolidated
REVENUE:
Service	$	70,205		$	216,590		$	5,722		$	(670	)	$	291,847
Roaming		18,553			61,699			6,269			(2	)		86,519
Equipment		4,906			21,288			500			—			26,694

Total revenue		93,664			299,577			12,491			(672	)		405,060


OPERATING EXPENSES:
Network costs, excluding depreciation		16,277			70,277			2,333			(510	)		88,377
Cost of equipment sales		8,286			33,612			849			—			42,747
Selling, general and administrative		29,252			81,359			3,785			(162	)		114,234
Depreciation and amortization		13,035			55,740			2,700			—			71,475
Stock based compensation		429			—			—			—			429
Impairment of assets		7,020			—			—			—			7,020

Total operating expenses		74,299			240,988			9,667			(672	)		324,282


OPERATING INCOME		19,365			58,589			2,824			—			80,778


OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense		(124,041	)		(78,634	)		(2,294	)		80,865			(124,104	)
Interest and dividend income		81,765			9			2			(80,865	)		911
Inter-company charges		9,490			(9,490	)		—			—			—
Equity in subsidiaries		(28,839	)		—			—			28,839			—
Other		9			(158	)		—			—			(149	)

Other expense, net		(61,616	)		(88,273	)		(2,292	)		28,839			(123,342	)

INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(42,251	)		(29,684	)		532			28,839			(42,564	)


INCOME TAX PROVISION (BENEFIT)		—			(623	)		—			310			(313	)


NET INCOME (LOSS)		(42,251	)		(29,061	)		532			28,529			(42,251	)


PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDEND		(10,301	)		—			—			—			(10,301	)


NET INCOME (LOSS) APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHARES	$	(52,552	)	$	(29,061	)	$	532		$	28,529		$	(52,552	)

Statement of Operations Information for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2004
(unaudited) (in thousands):


				Guarantor			Non-Guarantor
	Parent			Subsidiaries			Subsidiaries			Eliminations			Consolidated
REVENUE:
Service	$	22,969		$	71,764		$	2,425		$	(65	)	$	97,093
Roaming		5,614			22,435			1,693			(3	)		29,739
Equipment		1,668			3,717			204			—			5,589

Total revenue		30,251			97,916			4,322			(68	)		132,421


OPERATING EXPENSES:
Network costs, excluding depreciation		4,680			22,453			700			(65	)		27,768
Cost of equipment sales		2,517			7,234			284			—			10,035
Selling, general and administrative		8,703			25,013			1,275			(3	)		34,988
Depreciation and amortization		4,138			14,446			890			—			19,474

Total operating expenses		20,038			69,146			3,149			(68	)		92,265


OPERATING INCOME		10,213			28,770			1,173			—			40,156


OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense		(35,103	)		(42,956	)		(570	)		43,500			(35,129	)
Interest and dividend income		43,925			(1	)		—			(43,500	)		424
Inter-company charges		(7,874	)		7,874			—			—			—
Equity in subsidiaries		(5,435	)		—			—			5,435			—
Other		—			(14	)		—			—			(14	)

Other expense, net		(4,487	)		(35,097	)		(570	)		5,435			(34,719	)

NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		5,726			(6,327	)		603			5,435			5,437


INCOME TAX PROVISION (BENEFIT)		289			5,296			—			(5,585	)		—


NET INCOME (LOSS)		5,437			(11,623	)		603			11,020			5,437


PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDEND		(3,253	)		—			—			—			(3,253	)


NET INCOME (LOSS) APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHARES	$	2,184		$	(11,623	)	$	603		$	11,020		$	2,184

Statement of Operations Information for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2004
(unaudited) (in thousands):


				Guarantor			Non-Guarantor
	Parent			Subsidiaries			Subsidiaries			Eliminations			Consolidated
REVENUE:
Service	$	63,776		$	210,256		$	6,786		$	(161	)	$	280,657
Roaming		11,210			65,812			4,729			(6	)		81,745
Equipment		4,071			11,768			611			—			16,450

Total revenue		79,057			287,836			12,126			(167	)		378,852


OPERATING EXPENSES:
Network costs, excluding depreciation		12,826			61,770			2,641			(164	)		77,073
Cost of equipment sales		5,851			23,907			869			—			30,627
Selling, general and administrative		24,092			70,542			3,854			(3	)		98,485
Depreciation and amortization		11,265			41,479			2,645			—			55,389

Total operating expenses		54,034			197,698			10,009			(167	)		261,574


OPERATING INCOME		25,023			90,138			2,117			—			117,278


OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense		(121,791	)		(122,578	)		(1,730	)		124,215			(121,884	)
Interest and dividend income		125,581			4			—			(124,215	)		1,370
Inter-company charges		(20,848	)		20,848			—			—			—
Equity in subsidiaries		(10,979	)		—			—			10,979			—
Other		(6	)		(72	)		—			—			(78	)

Other expense, net		(28,043	)		(101,798	)		(1,730	)		10,979			(120,592	)

NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(3,020	)		(11,660	)		387			10,979			(3,314	)


INCOME TAX PROVISION (BENEFIT)		294			18,738			—			(19,032	)		—


NET INCOME (LOSS)		(3,314	)		(30,398	)		387			30,011			(3,314	)


PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDEND		(9,581	)		—			—			—			(9,581	)


NET INCOME (LOSS) APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHARES	$	(12,895	)	$	(30,398	)	$	387		$	30,011		$	(12,895	)

Statement of Cash Flows Information for Nine Months Ended September 30, 2005
(unaudited) (in thousands):


				Guarantor			Non Guarantor
	Parent			Subsidiaries			Subsidiaries			Eliminations			Consolidated
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	$	(42,251	)	$	(29,061	)	$	532		$	28,529		$	(42,251	)
Adjustments to reconcile to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		13,035			55,740			2,700			—			71,475
Loss on write-off of debt issuance costs		243			—			—			—			243
Gain on repurchase of preferred stock		(5,685	)		—			—			—			(5,685	)
Non-cash preferred stock dividends		3,797			—			—			—			3,797
Impairment of assets		7,020			—			—			—			7,020
Stock based compensation		429			—			—			—			429
Deferred income taxes		—			(623	)		—			310			(313	)
Other		3,053			476			(1	)		—			3,528
Change in other operating elements:
Accounts receivable		(7,766	)		(5,777	)		(350	)		—			(13,893	)
Inventories		473			(1,663	)		42			—			(1,148	)
Other current assets		(349	)		(192	)		109			—			(432	)
Accounts payable		447			(4,241	)		(142	)		—			(3,936	)
Advance billings and customer deposits		210			824			(48	)		—			986
Accrued preferred stock dividends		37,842			—			—			—			37,842
Accrued interest		(19,443	)		—			—			—			(19,443	)
Other accrued expenses		1,186			1,426			(21	)		—			2,591

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities		(7,759	)		16,909			2,821			28,839			40,810

INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment		(20,009	)		(57,224	)		(288	)		—			(77,521	)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment		27			91			—			—			118
Other		(124	)		(1	)		—			—			(125	)

Net cash used in investing activities		(20,106	)		(57,134	)		(288	)		—			(77,528	)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Change in parent company receivable and payable		(9,923	)		41,255			(2,493	)		(28,839	)		—
Proceeds from issuance of common stock related to employee stock purchase plan and stock options		587			—			—			—			587
Repurchase of preferred stock		(13,355	)		—			—			—			(13,355	)
Other		(87	)		—			—			—			(87	)


Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		(22,778	)		41,255			(2,493	)		(28,839	)		(12,855	)

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH		(50,643	)		1,030			40			—			(49,573	)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, at beginning of year		84,068			1,253			18			—			85,339

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, at end of period	$	33,425		$	2,283		$	58		$	—		$	35,766

Statement of Cash Flows information for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2004
(unaudited) (in thousands):


				Guarantor			Non-Guarantor
	Parent			Subsidiaries			Subsidiaries			Eliminations			Consolidated
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	$	(3,314	)	$	(30,398	)	$	387		$	30,011		$	(3,314	)
Adjustments to reconcile to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		11,265			41,479			2,645			—			55,389
Loss on write-off of debt and preferred stock issuance costs		12,605			—			—			—			12,605
Gain on repurchase of preferred stock		(22,573	)		—			—			—			(22,573	)
Adjustments of interest rate derivatives to fair market value		4,339			—			—			—			4,339
Non-cash preferred stock dividends		21,144			—			—			—			21,144
Tax adjustments		294			18,738			—			(19,032	)		—
Other		3,813			2,160			(42	)		—			5,931
Change in other operating elements:
Accounts receivable		1,478			822			(212	)		—			2,088
Inventories		(269	)		1,067			48			—			846
Other current assets		31			(418	)		26			—			(361	)
Accounts payable		(6,655	)		(1,918	)		(254	)		—			(8,827	)
Advance billings and customer deposits		101			976			43			—			1,120
Accrued preferred stock dividends		20,967			—			—			—			20,967
Accrued interest		(13,024	)		—			—			—			(13,024	)
Other accrued liabilities		(1,960	)		180			(77	)		—			(1,857	)

Net cash provided by operating activities		28,242			32,688			2,564			10,979			74,473

INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment		(19,356	)		(41,717	)		(529	)		—			(61,602	)
Proceeds from property exchange, net		(414	)		13,987			—			—			13,573
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment		18			36			—			—			54
Other		19			(15	)		—			—			4

Net cash used in investing activities		(19,733	)		(27,709	)		(529	)		—			(47,971	)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Change in parent company receivable and payable		17,773			(4,754	)		(2,040	)		(10,979	)		—
Proceeds from issuance of common stock related to employee stock purchase plan and stock options		187			—			—			—			187
Repayments of long-term debt under the credit agreement		(525,724	)		—			—			—			(525,724	)
Proceeds from issuance of 8 ¼% senior secured notes		350,000			—			—			—			350,000
Proceeds from issuance of variable rate notes		160,000			—			—			—			160,000
Repurchase of preferred stock		(68,351	)		—			—			—			(68,351	)
Payments to settle interest rate swaps		(7,645	)		—			—			—			(7,645	)
Payments of debt issuance costs		(13,928	)		—			—			—			(13,928	)
Other		(161	)		—			—			—			(161	)

Net cash used in financing activities		(87,849	)		(4,754	)		(2,040	)		(10,979	)		(105,622	)

NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH		(79,340	)		225			(5	)		—			(79,120	)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, at beginning of year		141,263			1,266			18			—			142,547

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, at end of period	$	61,923		$	1,491		$	13		$	—		$	63,427

9) EVENTS SUBSEQUENT TO SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

Declaration of Senior Exchangeable Preferred Stock Dividends. On October 10, 2005, our board declared payment of four quarterly dividends on our outstanding senior exchangeable preferred Stock. These dividends, which were paid on October 26, 2005, represented the quarterly dividends payable on November 15, 2004, February 14, 2005, May 15, 2005 and August 15, 2005, and totaled $118.69 per share, including accrued interest.

The aggregate total dividends of approximately $17.8 million were paid from existing cash and reduced the number of unpaid quarterly dividends to five, which remedied the existing Voting Rights Triggering Event and removed any uncertainty regarding our ability to incur indebtedness, including under the revolving credit facility. We do not anticipate paying additional cash dividends on our senior exchangeable preferred stock in the foreseeable future. Accordingly future draws on the revolving credit facility may be restricted.

Revolving Credit Agreement. Effective October 18, 2005, we received approval from a majority of the banks who are lenders under the revolving credit agreement to exclude $17.8 million of senior exchangeable preferred dividends paid on October 26, 2005, from the interest coverage covenant calculation. We also borrowed $58.0 million against the revolving credit facility on November 3, 2005 and are in compliance with all of the credit facility financial covenants as of November 3, 2005.

Effective October 18, 2005, we received approval from a majority of the banks who are lenders under the revolving credit agreement to exclude $17.8 million of 11 ³/8% senior exchangeable preferred dividends paid on October 26, 2005, from the interest coverage covenant calculation.

Conversion of Class T Convertible Preferred Stock into Class A Common Stock. On October 27, 2005, RCC converted all of its outstanding shares of Class T convertible preferred stock into the 43,000 shares of Class A and 105,940 shares of Class B common stock. Dividends are not payable if the shares are converted. Accrued dividends reversed in this transaction resulted in a gain of approximately $7.0 million, which will reduce preferred stock dividends in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Offering of Senior Subordinated Floating Rate Notes. On November 7, 2005, we completed an offering of $175 million of Senior Subordinated Floating Rate Notes. With the proceeds of this offering, we will redeem all of our outstanding 9 ⁵/8% notes. The total amount for such redemption will be approximately $133 million, including $125.0 million aggregate principal, $6.7 million accrued interest to the redemption date, anticipated to be December 7, 2005, and $2 million premium for early redemption. This transaction will result in a loss of approximately $1.0 million, which will be included in interest expense in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

We are a wireless communications service provider focusing primarily on rural markets in the United States. Our principal operating objective is to increase revenue and achieve profitability through increased penetration in existing wireless markets.

Our operating territories include portions of five states in the Northeast, three states in the Northwest, four states in the Midwest, and three states in the South. Within each of our four territories, we have a strong local sales and customer service presence in the communities we serve.

Our marketed networks covered a total population of approximately 6.4 million POPs and served approximately 704,605 voice customers as of September 30, 2005. We have national roaming agreements in our markets with Cingular (effective through December 2009) and Verizon (effective through December 2007). Under these agreements, we are able to attain preferred roaming status by overlaying our existing TDMA networks in our South, Northeast and Northwest networks with GSM/GPRS/EDGE technology and our Midwest region network with CDMA technology. We also have various agreements with T-Mobile, which are effective through December 2007.

In July 2005, we decided to centralize and streamline our business processes in order to redeploy resources to better support our new products and services. RCC’s sales, customer service, network operations, and financial areas will now be managed on a functional basis through a centralized management structure. We believe this change should allow us to more efficiently apply best practices company-wide, streamline decision-making, and reframe our relationship with customers.

Summary of three months ended September 30, 2005

Our third quarter operating highlights reflect:

	•		Continued construction and substantial completion of our 2.5G networks and, accordingly, improved roaming minutes over the comparable period of the previous year,

	•		Continued transition of our 2.0G customers to 2.5G handsets,

	•		Increased service revenue, primarily reflecting higher Local Service Revenue (“LSR”) and Universal Service Fund (“USF”) support,

	•		Increased costs required to support and market 2.5G networks, products, and customers,

	•		Increased customer churn and declining customers reflecting increased customer care needs, which we encountered during the commercial introduction of our GSM networks, and new technology billing system issues.

For the three months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2004, service revenue increased 1.2% to $98.3 million and LSR increased to $51 as compared with $48. Contributing to the increase in LSR were increased levels of USF and increased access and features revenue. During the three months ended September 30, 2005, our total customers decreased by 12,150 to 704,605 at September 30, 2005 as compared to 716,755 at June 30, 2005.

Roaming revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2005 was $41.8 million as compared to $29.7 million in the three months ended September 30, 2004. The increase in roaming revenue reflects outcollect roaming yield declining to $0.13 per minute in the three months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to $0.16 per minute in the three months ended September 30, 2004, which was more than offset by a 65% increase in roaming outcollect minutes as compared to the comparable period of the prior year.

At September 30, 2005, substantially all of our 974 cell sites were equipped with next-generation technology. During the three months ended September 30, 2005 and June 30, 2005, 2.5G outcollect minutes accounted for 85% and 72%, respectively, of our total outcollect minutes.

Including the cost of our anticipated overlays, our total capital expenditures for 2005 and 2006 are expected to be approximately $150 million, of which we had spent approximately $77.5 million through September 30, 2005.

Operating revenue

Our revenue primarily consists of service, roaming, and equipment revenue, each of which is described below:

	•		Service revenue includes monthly access charges, charges for airtime used in excess of the time included in the service package purchased, long distance charges derived from calls placed by customers, data related services, as well as wireless and paging equipment lease revenue.

			Also included are charges for features such as voicemail, call waiting, call forwarding, and incollect revenue, which consists of charges to our customers when they use their wireless phones in other wireless markets. We do not charge installation or connection fees. We also include in service revenue the USF support funding that we receive as a result of our ETC status in certain states and the USF pass-through fees we charge our customers.

	•		Roaming revenue includes only outcollect revenue, which we receive when other wireless providers’ customers use our network.

	•		Equipment revenue includes sales of wireless equipment and accessories to customers, network equipment reselling, and customer activation fees.

Operating expenses

Our operating expenses include network costs, cost of equipment sales, selling, general and administrative expenses, and depreciation and amortization, each of which is described below:

	•		Network costs include switching and transport expenses and expenses associated with the maintenance and operation of our wireless network facilities, including salaries for employees involved in network operations, site costs, charges from other service providers for resold minutes, and the service and expense associated with incollect revenue.

	•		Cost of equipment sales includes costs associated with telephone equipment and accessories sold to customers. In recent years, we and other wireless providers have increased the use of discounts on phone equipment to attract customers as competition between service providers has intensified. As a result, we have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, losses on equipment sales per gross additional and migrated customer. We expect to continue these discounts and promotions because we believe they will increase the number of our wireless customers and, consequently, increase service revenue.

	•		Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses include salaries, benefits, and operating expenses such as marketing, commissions, customer support, accounting, administration, and billing. We also include in SG&A contributions payable to the USF.

	•		Depreciation and amortization represents the costs associated with the depreciation of fixed assets and the amortization of customer lists and spectrum relocation.

Other expenses

In addition to the operating expenses discussed above, RCC also incurs other expenses, primarily interest on debt and dividends on preferred stock.

•

Interest expense primarily results from the issuance of outstanding notes and exchangeable preferred stock, the proceeds of which were used to finance acquisitions, repay other borrowings, and further develop our wireless network.

Interest expense includes the following:

	•		Interest expense on our credit agreement, senior secured notes, senior notes, and senior subordinated notes,

	•		Amortization of debt issuance costs,

	•		Early extinguishment of debt issuance costs,

	•		Dividends on senior and junior exchangeable preferred stock,

	•		Amortization of preferred stock issuance costs,

	•		Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, and

	•		Gains on repurchase and exchange of preferred stock.

•

Preferred stock dividends are accrued on our outstanding Class M convertible preferred stock and Class T convertible preferred stock.

Customer Base

At September 30, 2005, our customer base consisted of three types of customers: postpaid, wholesale, and prepaid. Postpaid customers accounted for the largest portion of our customer base as of that date, at 85.4%. These customers pay a monthly access fee for a wireless service plan that generally includes a fixed number of minutes and certain service features. In addition to the monthly access fee, these customers are typically billed in arrears for long-distance charges, roaming charges, and minutes of use exceeding their rate plans. Our wholesale customers are similar to our postpaid customers in that they pay monthly fees to utilize our network and services; however, the customers are billed by a third party (reseller), who has effectively resold our service to the end user (customer). We in turn bill the third party for the monthly usage of the end user. Wholesale customers accounted for 12.8% of our total customer base as of September 30, 2005. Our prepaid customers accounted for 1.8% of our customer base as of September 30, 2005.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

The following discussion and analysis is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities during the periods reported. Estimates are used when accounting for certain items such as unbilled revenue, allowance for doubtful accounts, depreciation or amortization periods, income taxes, valuation of intangible assets, and litigation contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience, where applicable, and other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. We believe that certain significant accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

For a detailed discussion of our significant accounting policies and estimates, please refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004. There have been no material changes in the application of our significant accounting policies subsequent to the report. Applications of these policies in preparing the third quarter 10-Q require that estimates be made by management to fairly present the financial position of RCC.

Property, Plant and Equipment and Definite Life Intangibles Impairment

Fixed assets and definite life intangibles are evaluated for impairment whenever indicators of impairment exist. Accounting standards require that if an impairment indicator is present, we must assess whether the carrying amount of the asset is unrecoverable by estimating the sum of the future cash flows expected to result from the asset, undiscounted and without interest charges. If the carrying amount is more than the recoverable amount, an impairment charge must be recognized, based on the fair value of the asset. We believe that the accounting estimate related to asset impairment is a “significant accounting estimate” because: (1) it requires us to make assumptions about future revenues and costs of sales over the life of the asset, (2) judgment is involved in determining the occurrence of a “triggering event,” and (3) recognizing an impairment could have a material impact on our financial position and results of operations. Our assumptions about future revenues require significant judgment because actual revenues have fluctuated in the past and may continue to do so. In estimating future revenues, we use our internal business forecasts, which we develop based on recent revenue data for existing products and services, planned timing of new products and services, and other industry and economic factors. When indicators are present, RCC tests for impairment.

On June 28, 2005, our customer relationship management and billing managed services agreement with Amdocs was mutually terminated. Until October 2005, our GSM customers were being served through a transitional Amdocs system implemented earlier this year. As a result of the termination of the agreement, we recorded a charge to operations during the three months ended June 30, 2005 of $7.0 million, reflecting the write down of certain development costs previously capitalized.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting for Share-Based Compensation. On December 16, 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS No. 123(R), “Share-Based Payment,” which is a revision of SFAS No. 123 and supersedes Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25. SFAS No. 123(R) requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be valued at fair value on the date of grant and to be expensed over the applicable vesting period. Pro forma disclosure of the income statement effects of share-based payments is no longer an alternative. SFAS No. 123(R) is effective for us as of January 1, 2006. In addition, companies must also recognize compensation expense related to any awards that are not fully vested as of the effective date. Compensation expense for the unvested awards will be measured based on the fair value of the awards previously calculated in developing the pro forma disclosures in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123. We are currently assessing the impact of adopting SFAS No. 123(R) on our consolidated results of operations.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following tables present certain consolidated statement of operations data as a percentage of total revenue as well as other operating data for the periods indicated.


(in thousands)	Three months ended September 30,												Nine months ended September 30,
	2005						2004						2005						2004
				%						%						%						%
	Actual			of revenue			Actual			of revenue			Actual			of revenue			Actual			of revenue
REVENUE:
Service	$	98,287			66.3	%	$	97,093			73.3	%	$	291,847			72.1	%	$	280,657			74.1	%
Roaming		41,785			28.2			29,739			22.5			86,519			21.3			81,745			21.6
Equipment		8,220			5.5			5,589			4.2			26,694			6.6			16,450			4.3

Total revenue		148,292			100.0			132,421			100.0			405,060			100.0			378,852			100.0

OPERATING EXPENSES:
Network costs, excluding depreciation		32,885			22.2			27,768			21.0			88,377			21.8			77,073			20.3
Cost of equipment sales		13,738			9.3			10,035			7.6			42,747			10.6			30,627			8.1
Selling, general and administrative		40,868			27.6			34,988			26.4			114,234			28.2			98,485			26.0
Depreciation and amortization		24,549			16.6			19,474			14.7			71,475			17.6			55,389			14.6
Stock based compensation		321			0.2			—			—			429			0.1			—			—
Impairment of assets		—			—			—			—			7,020			1.7			—			—

Total operating expenses		112,361			75.9			92,265			69.7			324,282			80.0			261,574			69.0

OPERATING INCOME		35,931			24.1			40,156			30.3			80,778			20.0			117,278			31.0

OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense		(43,776	)		(29.5	)		(35,129	)		(26.5	)		(124,104	)		(30.6	)		(121,884	)		(32.2	)
Interest and dividend income		249			0.2			424			0.3			911			0.2			1,370			0.4
Other		(125	)		(0.1	)		(14	)		0.0			(149	)		0.0			(78	)		0.0

Other expense, net		(43,652	)		(29.4	)		(34,719	)		(26.2	)		(123,342	)		(30.4	)		(120,592	)		(31.8	)

INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX BENEFIT		(7,721	)		(5.3	)		5,437			4.1			(42,564	)		(10.4	)		(3,314	)		(0.8	)

INCOME TAX BENEFIT		(104	)		(0.1	)		—			—			(313	)		(0.1	)		—			—

NET INCOME (LOSS)		(7,617	)		(5.2	)		5,437			4.1			(42,251	)		(10.3	)		(3,314	)		(0.8	)
PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDEND		(3,534	)		(2.4	)		(3,253	)		(2.5	)		(10,301	)		(2.5	)		(9,581	)		(2.5	)

NET INCOME (LOSS) APPLICABLE TO COMMON SHARES	$	(11,151	)		(7.6	)%	$	2,184			1.6	%	$	(52,552	)		(12.8	)%	$	(12,895	)		(3.3	)%


Consolidated Operating Data:	Three months ended						Nine months ended
	September 30,						September 30,
	2005			2004			2005			2004

Penetration (1) (2)		9.6	%		10.5	%		9.6	%		10.5	%
Retention (3)		97.0	%		97.8	%		97.3	%		98.0	%
Average monthly revenue per customer (4)	$	74		$	63		$	65		$	60
Local service revenue per customer (5)	$	51		$	48		$	50		$	46
Acquisition cost per customer (6)	$	477		$	442		$	484		$	428

Voice customers at period end
Postpaid								601,699			636,655
Prepaid								12,931			21,018
Wholesale								89,975			81,890

Total customers								704,605			739,563


Direct marketed POPs (1)
RCC Cellular								5,651,000			5,525,000
Wireless Alliance								754,000			754,000


Total POPs								6,405000			6,279,000


(1)		Reflects 2000 U.S. Census Bureau data updated for December 2002.

(2)		Represents the ratio of wireless voice customers, excluding wholesale customers, at the end of the period to population served (“POPs”).

(3)		Determined for each period by dividing total postpaid wireless voice customers discontinuing service during such period by the average postpaid wireless voice customers for such period (customers at the beginning of the period plus customers at the end of the period, divided by two), dividing that result by the number of months in the period, and subtracting such result from one.

(4)		Determined for each period by dividing service revenue (not including pass-through regulatory fees) and roaming revenue by the monthly average postpaid customers for such period.

(5)		Determined for each period by dividing service revenue (not including pass-through regulatory fees) by the monthly average postpaid customers for such period.

(6)		Determined for each period by dividing selling and marketing expenses, net cost of equipment sales, and depreciation of rental telephone equipment by the gross postpaid wireless voice customers added during such period.

Three months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004

Revenue

Operating Revenue:


	Three months ended September 30,
(In thousands)	2005		2004		$ Increase		% Increase

Service	$	98,287	$	97,093	$	1,194		1.2	%
Roaming		41,785		29,739		12,046		40.5	%
Equipment		8,220		5,589		2,631		47.1	%

Total operating revenue	$	148,292	$	132,421	$	15,871		12.0	%

Service Revenue. Service revenue growth for the three months ended September 30, 2005 primarily reflects LSR increasing to $51 for the three months ended September 30, 2005 compared to $48 for the three months ended September 30, 2004, partially offset by declining customers. Driving the higher LSR were increased access and features revenue together with increased USF payments.

Service Revenue


	Three months ended September 30,
(In thousands)					$ Increase			% Increase
	2005		2004		(Decrease)			(Decrease)

Local service	$	75,204	$	75,892	$	(688	)		(0.9	)%
USF support		10,795		7,616		3,179			41.7	%
Regulatory pass through		3,424		3,204		220			6.9	%
Other		8,864		10,381		(1,517	)		(14.6	)%

Total service revenue	$	98,287	$	97,093	$	1,194			1.2	%

Reflecting the increase in USF qualified service areas, USF support payments increased to $10.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to $7.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2004. We are currently receiving USF support in the states of Alabama, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. We recently received ETC designation in South Dakota and expect to begin receiving USF support in that state during the first quarter of 2006. We have pending applications for ETC designation for New Hampshire and for the additional markets in Alabama and Mississippi that we acquired in 2004. Given the expansion of USF qualified service areas in states that we serve, we expect the amount of USF support to be approximately $40 million in 2005.

The increase in regulatory pass-through fees reflects a change in federally managed rates.

Customers. Primarily reflecting customer retention declining to 97.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2005, our total customers decreased to 704,605 at September 30, 2005 as compared to 739,563 at September 30, 2004. Our decline in customer retention reflects a multitude of technology related issues, including increased customer care needs (which we encountered during the commercial introduction of our GSM networks), GSM billing system changes, and the transitional stage of our networks. Customer migrations and postpaid gross customer adds for the three months ended September 30, 2005 were 46,000 and 41,000, respectively. We expect to continue a more moderate and controlled rollout of GSM products, which we believe will eventually improve customer retention. At September 30, 2005, approximately 35% of our total customers were equipped with next generation products as compared to 25% at June 30, 2005.

Beginning in 2004, we implemented a new data processing and billing system with Amdocs. In June 2005, our agreement with Amdocs was mutually terminated based upon our determination that the proposed system would not meet our requirements. Subsequently, we entered into an agreement with VeriSign to be the wireless billing provider for our GSM subscribers. We began implementation of a VeriSign data processing and billing system in October 2005. In October 2005, we transitioned our GSM customers previously on the Amdocs system over to the VeriSign platform.

Roaming Revenue. The 40.5% increase in roaming revenue during the three months ended September 30, 2005 primarily reflects a 65% increase in outcollect minutes partially offset by a decline in outcollect yield. Our outcollect yield for the three months ended September 30, 2005 was approximately $0.13 per minute as compared to $0.16 per minute in the three months ended September 30, 2004. Declines in TDMA outcollect minutes were offset by increases in next generation GSM and CDMA outcollect minutes. GSM and CDMA outcollect minutes accounted for approximately 85% of our total outcollect minutes during the three months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to 40% during the three months ended September 30, 2004.

For the three months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004, Cingular, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile accounted for approximately 92% and 87%, respectively, of our total outcollect roaming minutes.

We have national roaming agreements in our markets with Cingular (effective through December 2009) and Verizon (effective through December 2007). Under these agreements, we are able to attain preferred roaming status by overlaying our existing TDMA networks in our South, Northeast and Northwest networks with GSM/GPRS/EDGE technology and our Midwest region network with CDMA/2000/1XRTT technology. We expect to have these technology conversions substantially completed during 2005. We also have various agreements with T-Mobile, which are effective through December 2007.

Equipment Revenue. Equipment revenue increased 47.1% to $8.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to $5.6 million during the three months ended September 30, 2004. Contributing to equipment revenue this quarter were gross postpaid customer additions of approximately 41,000 and customer migrations of approximately 46,000. During the three months ended September 30, 2004, gross postpaid customer additions and migrations were approximately 40,000 and 32,800, respectively.

Operating Expenses


	Three months ended September 30,
(In thousands)					$ Increase			% Increase
	2005		2004		(Decrease)			(Decresae)

Network cost
Incollect cost	$	12,137	$	12,322	$	(185	)		(1.5	)%
Other network cost		20,748		15,446		5,302			34.3	%

		32,885		27,768		5,117			18.4	%
Cost of equipment sales		13,738		10,035		3,703			36.9	%
Selling, general and administrative		40,868		34,988		5,880			16.8	%
Depreciation and amortization		24,549		19,474		5,075			26.1	%
Stock based compensation		321		—		321			—

Total operating expenses	$	112,361	$	92,265	$	20,096			21.8	%

Network Cost. Network cost, as a percentage of total revenues, increased to 22.2% in the three months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to 21.0% in the three months ended September 30, 2004. This increase reflects additional costs of operating multiple networks (analog, TDMA and 2.5G networks), increased incollect usage by 2.5G customers, and additional cell site costs related to our network improvement and expansion. Per minute incollect cost for the three months ended September 30, 2005 was approximately $0.11 per minute as compared to $0.13 per minute in three months ended September 30, 2004.

Cost of Equipment Sales. Cost of equipment sales increased 36.9% to $13.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2005, reflecting the cost of increased customer migration to next generation handsets together with increases in gross customer additions. As a percentage of revenue, cost of equipment sales for the three months ended September 30, 2005 increased to 9.3% as compared to 7.6% in the three months ended September 30, 2004. We migrated approximately 46,000 customers to primarily next generation handsets during the three months ended September 30, 2005. During the three months ended September 30, 2004, we migrated approximately 32,800 customers to upgraded handsets. Postpaid gross customer additions in the three months ended September 30, 2005 and September 30, 2004 were approximately 41,000 and 40,000, respectively.

Selling, General and Administrative. As a percentage of revenue, SG&A increased to 27.6% in the three months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to 26.4% during the three months ended September 30, 2004. Contributing to the increase in SG&A were increases in customer service contract labor related to our roll out of next generation products and billing system conversion and severance costs related to the reorganization announced in August 2005. Sales and marketing costs increased reflecting the market launch of next-generation technology products. The increase in bad debt expense results from the increase in customer churn together with a resource realignment of our customer service departments to focus on customer service calls.

Components of SG&A are as follows:


(in thousands)	Three months ended September 30,
	2005		2004		$ Increase		% Increase

General and administrative	$	19,259	$	15,270	$	3,989		26.1	%
Sales and marketing		14,244		13,864		380		2.7	%
Bad debt		3,854		2,485		1,369		55.1	%
Regulatory pass-through fees		3,511		3,369		142		4.2	%

	$	40,868	$	34,988	$	5,880		16.8	%

Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense increased 26.1% during the three months ended September 30, 2005 to $24.6 million as compared to $19.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2004. This increase primarily reflects the accelerated depreciation of our 2.0G TDMA networks and depreciation on the recently activated 2.5G networks in our Northeast and Northwest territories. We expect 2.5G networks to eventually replace 2.0G networks. With our South territory launch of its 2.5G network in May 2005, all of our four territories are operating both 2.0G and 2.5G networks. At September 30, 2005, substantially all of our 974 cell sites were equipped with next-generation technology.

Other Income (Expense)

Interest Expense. Interest expense for the three months ended September 30, 2005, increased 24.6% to $43.8 million as compared to $35.1 million in the three months ended September 30, 2004. The increase in interest expense for the three months ended September 30, 2005 primarily reflects a 98.2% decrease in gains on repurchase and exchange of senior exchangeable preferred stock from the three months ended September 30, 2004.


Components of Interest Expense	Three months ended
(in thousands)	September 30,
	2005			2004

Interest expense on credit agreement	$	—		$	—
Interest expense on senior secured notes		10,531			9,564
Interest expense on senior notes		8,023			8,023
Interest expense on senior subordinated notes		10,320			10,320
Amortization of debt issuance costs		1,170			1,148
Write-off of debt issuance costs		92			269
Senior and junior preferred stock dividends		13,969			13,331
Effect of derivative instruments		(172	)		(172	)
Gain on repurchase and exchange of senior exchangeable preferred stock		(131	)		(7,296	)
Other		(26	)		(58	)

	$	43,776		$	35,129

Gain on repurchase of senior exchangeable preferred stock. During the three months ended September 30, 2005, we did not repurchase shares of senior exchangeable preferred stock. During the three months ended September 30, 2004, we repurchased 22,750 shares of our senior exchangeable preferred stock for $19.0 million. These shares had accrued $3.5 million in unpaid dividends. The corresponding $7.3 million gain on repurchase of preferred shares was recorded as a reduction of interest expense.

Gain on exchange of senior exchangeable preferred stock for common stock. During the three months ended September 30, 2005, we exchanged an aggregate of 9,535 shares of our senior exchangeable preferred stock for an aggregate of 1,070,190 shares of our Class A common stock in negotiated transactions. The shares were issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided in Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These transactions resulted in a gain of $131,000, which reduced interest expense.

Preferred Stock Dividends

Preferred stock dividends for the three months ended September 30, 2005 increased by 8.6% to $3.5 million as compared to $3.3 million in the three months ended September 30, 2004. The increase in preferred stock dividends reflects the compounding effect of the accrual of past dividends.

Nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004

Revenue

Operating Revenue:


	Nine months ended September 30,
(In thousands)	2005		2004		$ Increase		% Increase

Service	$	291,847	$	280,657	$	11,190		4.0	%
Roaming		86,519		81,745		4,774		5.8	%
Equipment		26,694		16,450		10,244		62.3	%

Total operating revenue	$	405,060	$	378,852	$	26,208		6.9	%

Service Revenue. Service revenue growth for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 primarily reflects LSR increasing to $50 for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 compared to $46 for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, partially offset by declining customers. Driving the higher LSR were increased access and features revenue together with increased USF payments. Contributing to the increase in LSR was approximately $1 in increased billing to our customers, with the remainder being related to the increase in USF payments.

Service Revenue


	Nine months ended September 30,
(In thousands)					$ Increase			% Increase
	2005		2004		(Decrease)			(Decrease)

Local service	$	224,420	$	223,940	$	480			0.2	%
USF support		30,295		19,081		11,214			58.8	%
Regulatory pass through		10,551		7,981		2,570			32.2	%
Other		26,581		29,655		(3,074	)		(10.4	)%

Total service revenue	$	291,847	$	280,657	$	11,190			4.0	%

Reflecting the increase in USF qualified service areas, USF support payments increased to $30.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to $19.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004.

Service revenue was negatively impacted by a decrease in customers resulting from AT&T Wireless (“AWE”) property exchange completed on March 1, 2004 and customers lost due to the transition of our TDMA networks to 2.5G technology. As part of the AWE property exchange, on March 1, 2004, we transferred approximately 35,000 Oregon RSA 4 customers to AWE. We received from AWE operations in Alabama and Mississippi, including approximately 14,000 customers.

Customers. Primarily reflecting customer retention declining to 97.3% for the nine months ended September 30, 2005, our total customers decreased to 704,605 at September 30, 2005 as compared to 739,563 at September 30, 2004. Our decline in customer retention reflects a multitude of technology related issues, including increased customer care needs (which we encountered during the commercial introduction of our GSM networks), GSM billing system changes, and the transitional stage of our networks. Customer postpaid gross customer adds and migrations and for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 were 122,341 and 146,641, respectively. We expect to continue a more moderate and controlled rollout of GSM products, which we believe will eventually improve customer retention. Customer postpaid gross customer adds and migrations and for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 were 117,950 and 95,331, respectively.

Roaming Revenue. The 5.8% increase in roaming revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 primarily reflects a decline in roaming yield that was more than offset with increased outcollect minutes. Our outcollect yield for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 was $0.14 per minute as compared to $0.17 per minute in the nine months ended September 30, 2004. Declines in TDMA outcollect minutes were offset by increases in next generation GSM and CDMA outcollect minutes. Partially offsetting the increase in roaming revenue was the transfer of our Oregon RSA 4 service area to AWE on March 1, 2004.

Also impacting roaming revenue primarily during the first and second quarters of 2005 was the accelerated transition by our national roaming partners to 2.5G technology handsets. Because these partners converted their customer base to this new technology before we had completed our network overlays, we did not capture a portion of available roaming revenue. At September 30, 2005, substantially all of our 974 cell sites were equipped with next-generation technology. During the nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004, 2.5G outcollect minutes accounted for 76% and 32%, respectively, of our total outcollect minutes. For the nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004, Cingular, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile accounted for approximately 91% and 85%, respectively, of our total outcollect roaming minutes.

Equipment Revenue. Equipment revenue increased 62.3% to $26.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to $16.5 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2004. Contributing to equipment revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 were gross postpaid customer additions increasing to approximately 122,341 as compared to approximately 117,950 during the nine months ended September 30, 2004. Also contributing to equipment revenue were customer migrations of approximately 146,641, during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to approximately 95,331 during the nine months ended September 30, 2004.

Operating Expenses


	Nine months ended September 30,
(In thousands)	2005		2004		$ Increase		% Increase

Network cost
Incollect cost	$	35,409	$	34,103	$	1,306		3.8	%
Other network cost		52,968		42,970		9,998		23.3	%

		88,377		77,073		11,304		14.7	%

Cost of equipment sales		42,747		30,627		12,120		39.6	%
Selling, general and administrative		114,234		98,485		15,749		16.0	%
Depreciation and amortization		71,475		55,389		16,086		29.0	%
Stock-based compensation		429		—		429		—
Impairment of assets		7,020		—		7,020		—

Total operating expenses	$	324,282	$	261,574	$	62,708		24.0	%

Network Cost. Network cost, as a percentage of total revenues, increased to 21.8% in the nine months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to 20.3% in the nine months ended September 30, 2004. This increase reflects additional costs of operating multiple networks (analog, TDMA and 2.5G networks), increased incollect usage by 2.5G customers, and additional cell site costs related to our network improvement and expansion. Per minute incollect cost for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 was approximately $0.11 per minute as compared to $0.13 in nine months ended September 30, 2004.

Cost of Equipment Sales. Cost of equipment sales increased 39.6% to $42.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005, reflecting the cost of increased customer migration to next generation handsets together with increases in gross customer additions. As a percentage of revenue, cost of equipment sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 increased to 10.6% as compared to 8.1% in the nine months ended September 30, 2004. We migrated approximately 146,641 customers to primarily next generation handsets during the nine months ended September 30, 2005. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, we migrated approximately 95,331 customers to upgraded handsets. Postpaid gross customer additions in the nine months ended September 30, 2005 were approximately 122,340 as compared to approximately 118,114 in the nine months ended September 30, 2004.

Selling, General and Administrative. As a percentage of revenue, SG&A increased to 28.2% in the nine months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to 26.0% during the nine months ended September 30, 2004. Contributing to the increase in SG&A were increases in customer service contract labor related to our roll out of next generation products and billing system conversion and severance costs related to the reorganization announced in August 2005. Sales and marketing costs increased reflecting the market launch of next-generation technology products. The increase in bad debt expense reflects increased customer churn together with a resource realignment of our customer service departments to focus on customer service calls. Regulatory pass-through fees increased to $10.7 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2005 as compared to $8.3 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2004, reflecting a change in federally managed rates.

Components of SG&A are as follows:


(in thousands)	Nine months ended September 30,
	2005		2004		$ Increase		% Increase

General and administrative	$	50,025	$	44,313	$	5,712		12.9	%
Sales and marketing		44,220		39,124		5,096		13.0	%
Bad debt		9,301		6,789		2,512		37.0	%
Regulatory pass-through fees		10,688		8,259		2,429		29.4	%

	$	114,234	$	98,485	$	15,749		16.0	%

Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense increased 29.0% during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 to $71.5 million as compared to $55.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004. This increase primarily reflects the accelerated depreciation of our 2.0G TDMA networks and depreciation on the recently activated 2.5G networks in our Northeast and Northwest territories. With our South territory launch of its 2.5G network in May 2005, all four of our territories are operating both 2.0G and 2.5G networks. At September 30, 2005, substantially all of our 974 cell sites were equipped with next-generation technology.

Impairment of Assets. Effective June 28, 2005, our agreement with Amdocs was mutually terminated. Reflecting the termination of the agreement, we recorded a charge to operations during the three months ended June 30, 2005 of $7.0 million, reflecting the write down of certain development costs previously capitalized.

Other Income (Expense)

Interest Expense. Interest expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2005, increased 1.8% to $124.1 million as compared to $121.9 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2004. The increase primarily reflects the $11.0 million increase in interest on the senior secured notes and a 74.8% decrease in gain on repurchase and exchange of senior exchangeable preferred stock to $5.7 million as compared to $22.6 million in the previous year. Partially offsetting the increase in interest expense was $12.6 million in write-off of debt issuance costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2004.


	Nine months ended
(in thousands)	September 30,
	2005			2004


Interest expense on credit agreement	$	—		$	4,884
Interest expense on senior secured notes		30,865			19,878
Interest expense on senior notes		24,070			24,070
Interest expense on senior subordinated notes		30,961			30,961
Amortization of debt issuance costs		3,510			3,518
Write-off of debt issuance costs		243			12,605
Senior and junior preferred stock dividends		41,639			42,111
Effect of derivative instruments		(515	)		5,380
Gain on repurchase and exchange of senior exchangeable preferred stock		(5,685	)		(22,572	)
Other		(984	)		1,049

	$	124,104		$	121,884

Gain on repurchase of Senior Exchangeable preferred stock. During the nine months ended September 30, 2005 and September 30, 2004, we repurchased 14,932 and 80,500 shares of senior exchangeable preferred stock for $13.4 million and $68.4 million, respectively. The corresponding $5.6 million and $22.6 million gains, not including transaction commissions and other related fees, were recorded as a reduction of interest expense within the condensed statement of operations.

Gain on exchange of Senior Exchangeable Preferred Stock for Class A Common Stock. During the nine months ended September 30, 2005, we repurchased an aggregate of 9,535 shares of our senior exchangeable preferred stock in exchange for an aggregate of 1,070,190 shares of our Class A common stock in negotiated transactions resulting in a gain of $131,000. The shares were issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided in Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Preferred Stock Dividends

Preferred stock dividends for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 increased by 7.5% to $10.3 million as compared to $9.6 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2004 reflecting the compounding effect of the accrual of past dividends.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

We need cash primarily for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service, customer growth, and purchases of additional spectrum. We began a 2.5G technology network overlay process in late 2003, which we expect to be substantially complete in 2005. We have made commitments to our roaming partners and to equipment vendors to substantially complete our 2.5G networks by the end of 2005. At September 30, 2005, substantially all of our 974 cell sites were equipped with next-generation technology. We are also pursuing a strategy of expanding our network coverage in all of our territories, which will result in an increase in the number of our cell sites and an increase in total marketed POPs. We believe our network overlay and expansion efforts will improve our ability to attract customers in addition to providing our roaming partners greater access to our networks. Including the cost of our anticipated overlays, our total capital expenditures for 2005 and 2006 are expected to be approximately $150 million, of which we had spent approximately $77.5 million through September 30, 2005. We expect to fund these capital expenditures primarily from cash on hand and operating cash flow.

Liquidity. RCC’s cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2005 declined to $35.8 million as compared to $85.3 million at December 31, 2004.

Until August 2003, we paid the dividends on our senior exchangeable preferred stock by issuing additional shares of exchangeable preferred stock and until February 15, 2005, we paid the dividends on our junior exchangeable preferred stock by issuing additional shares of junior preferred stock. Because we had failed to pay six or more quarterly dividends on our senior exchangeable preferred stock, a “Voting Rights Triggering Event,” as defined in the terms of our senior preferred stock, existed as of November 15, 2004. Accordingly, the holders of senior exchangeable preferred stock exercised their right to elect two directors. Additionally, while a “Voting Rights Triggering Event” exists, certain terms of our senior preferred stock, if enforceable, may prohibit incurrence of additional indebtedness, including borrowings under our revolving credit facility.

Beginning in May 2005 our junior exchangeable preferred stock dividends are to be paid in cash. We did not declare or pay the quarterly dividends payable in May or August 2005 on the junior exchangeable preferred stock. If we elect not to pay the required cash dividends on our junior exchangeable preferred stock for six or more quarters, the holders will have right to elect directors.

Total accrued dividends in arrears for both the junior and senior exchangeable preferred securities, through September 30, 2005, were approximately $68.8 million.

On October 26, 2005, we paid four quarterly dividends on our outstanding senior exchangeable preferred stock. These quarterly dividends totaled $118.69 per share, including accrued interest. The aggregate total dividends of approximately $17.8 million were paid from existing cash. As of September 30, 2005, we would have been able to make a total of $90.0 million in restricted payments, which amount was reduced by the dividend payment. The payment of these dividends reduced the number of unpaid quarterly dividends to five and eliminated the “Voting Rights Triggering Event” and any uncertainty regarding our ability to incur indebtedness, including under the revolving credit facility. Management does not anticipate paying additional dividends in the foreseeable future.

Although we have paid sufficient dividends to remedy the Voting Rights Triggering Event under the senior exchangeable preferred stock, the holders of the senior exchangeable preferred stock will continue to have the right to elect directors until all of the dividends in arrears have been paid. We do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our senior exchangeable preferred stock in the foreseeable future.

Cash interest payments during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 were $103.3 million as compared to $93.5 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2004.

We do not have any off-balance sheet financing arrangements or liabilities. We do not have any majority-owned subsidiaries or any interests in, or relationships with, any material special-purpose entities that are not included in the consolidated financial statements.

Credit Agreement. As of September 30, 2005, we had $60 million in undrawn availability under our revolving credit agreement. The credit agreement is subject to various covenants, including the ratio of senior secured indebtedness to annualized operating cash flow (as defined in the credit agreement), the ratio of total indebtedness to annualized operating cash flow, and the ratio of annualized operating cash flow to interest expense.

Our borrowings under the revolving credit facility bear interest at rates based on, at our option, either (i) the one, two, three, six, or, if made available by the lender, nine or twelve month Eurodollar rate, which is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO rate, or (ii) the Alternate Base Rate, which is the higher of the prime lending rate on page 5 of the Telerate Service and the Federal Funds Effective Rate plus 1/2 of 1 percent. In each case, we are required to pay an additional margin of interest above the Eurodollar rate or the Alternate Base Rate. The margin is based on the ratio of our senior secured debt to our adjusted cashflow. The margin above the Alternate Base Rate ranges from 1.50% to 2.00%. The margin above the Eurodollar rate fluctuates from 2.50% to 3.00%.

On November 3, 2005, we borrowed $58.0 million against the revolving credit facility. Accordingly, we expect to fund our anticipated cash requirements primarily from cash on hand and operating cash flow and anticipate that we will be in compliance with our revolving credit facility covenants. We were in compliance with the covenants as of November 3, 2005.

See Note 9, “Events Subsequent to September 30, 2005,” for information regarding our payment in October 2005 of four quarterly dividends on our outstanding 11 ⅜% senior exchangeable preferred stock and our draw of $58.0 million against our revolving credit facility on November 3, 2005.

Effective October 18, 2005, we received approval from a majority of the banks who are lenders under the revolving credit agreement to exclude $17.8 million of senior exchangeable preferred dividends paid on October 26, 2005, from the interest coverage covenant calculation.

Cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2005, compared with the nine months ended September 30, 2004


	September 30,			September 30,
	2005			2004			Change
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	40,810		$	74,473		$	(33,663	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(77,528	)		(47,971	)		(29,557	)
Net cash used in financing activities		(12,855	)		(105,622	)		92,767

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents		(49,573	)		(79,120	)		29,547

Cash and cash equivalents, at beginning of year		85,339			142,547			(57,208	)

Cash and cash equivalents, at end of period	$	35,766		$	63,427		$	(27,661	)

Net cash provided by operating activities was $40.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. Adjustments to the $42.3 million net loss to reconcile to net cash provided by operating activities include $71.5 million in depreciation and amortization, a $7.0 million impairment of assets, and a $37.8 million increase in accrued preferred stock dividends. Partially offsetting these items were increases of $13.9 million in accounts receivable and $19.4 million in accrued interest.

Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 was $77.5 million for purchases of property and equipment. The majority of property and equipment purchases are related to our 2.5G network overlay.

Net cash used in financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 was $12.9 million, primarily reflecting the repurchase of shares of senior exchangeable preferred stock.

Under the documents governing our indebtedness, we are able to make limited restricted payments, including the repurchase of senior subordinated notes or preferred stock and the payment of dividends to holders of our equity securities. As of September 30, 2005, we had approximately $90.0 million of restricted payments capacity. Giving effect to the 11 ⅜% senior exchangeable preferred stock dividend payment of $17.8 million in October 2005, our restricted payment basket was approximately $72 million.

Based upon existing market conditions and our present capital structure, we believe that cash flows from operations and funds from currently available credit facilities will be sufficient to enable us to meet required cash commitments through the next twelve-month period.

Supplemental Disclosure of Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Information


	Nine months ended
(in thousands)	September 30,
	2005		2004

Cash paid for:
Interest	$	103,343	$	93,487

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements herein are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although RCC believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. A number of factors could cause actual results, performance, achievements of RCC, or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include but are not limited to, competitive considerations, success of customer enrollment initiatives, the ability to increase wireless usage and reduce customer acquisition costs, the ability to improve customer retention, the successful integration of any acquired operations with RCC’s existing operations, the ability to negotiate favorable roaming agreements, the ability

to service debt, the completion of network upgrades, and other factors discussed in RCC’s Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties.

In addition, such forward-looking statements are necessarily dependent upon assumptions, estimates, and data that may be incorrect or imprecise and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. Accordingly, any forward-looking statements included herein do not purport to be predictions of future events or circumstances and may not be realized. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to RCC or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. RCC disclaims any obligation to update any such statements or to announce publicly the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events or developments.

Item 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Interest Rate Risk

We have used senior secured notes, senior notes, senior subordinated notes, preferred securities, and bank credit facilities as well as cash from operations to finance our capital requirements and operations. These financial instruments, to the extent they provide for variable rates of interest, expose us to interest rate risk. One percentage point of an interest rate adjustment would have changed our cash interest payments on an annual basis by approximately $1.6 million in 2005.

Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain a set of disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms. As of September 30, 2005, based on an evaluation carried out under the supervision and with the participation of RCC’s management, including the chief executive officer (CEO) and the chief financial officer (CFO), of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, the CEO and CFO have concluded that RCC’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

As noted in our Form 8-K filed on July 1, 2005, we terminated our plans to install the Amdocs Software Systems Limited billing system. Subsequently, we entered into an agreement with VeriSign to be the wireless billing provider for our GSM subscribers. We began implementation of a VeriSign data processing and billing system in October 2005 and accordingly have transitioned our GSM customers to the VeriSign system during the fourth quarter of 2005.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES

(b) Preferred Stock Dividends

11 ⅜% Senior Exchangeable Preferred Stock. We had not declared or paid the cash dividends on our senior exchangeable preferred stock through August 2005. On October 26, 2005 we paid four of the quarterly dividends on our outstanding senior exchangeable preferred stock. The dividends paid represent the quarterly dividends that were payable on November 15, 2004, February 14, 2005, May 15, 2005 and August 15, 2005, and totaled $118.69 per share, including accrued interest. The aggregate total dividends, which totaled approximately $17.8 million, were paid from existing cash. The payment of these dividends reduced the number of unpaid quarterly dividends to five and removed any uncertainty regarding our ability to incur indebtedness, including under the revolving credit facility.

Because we had, as of November 15, 2004, failed to pay six quarterly dividends on our senior exchangeable preferred stock, the holders of senior exchangeable preferred stock exercised their right to elect two directors. Accordingly, James V. Continenza and Jacques Leduc were elected to our board at our annual meeting on May 24, 2005. This right of the holders of the senior exchangeable preferred stock to elect members of the Board of Directors continues until all past due dividends are paid in full in cash. Accrued senior exchangeable preferred stock dividends in arrearage, through November 9, 2005, were approximately $29.8 million.

12¼% Junior Exchangeable Preferred Stock. Our board of directors determined not to declare or pay the quarterly cash dividends on our Junior Exchangeable Preferred Stock in May, August 2005, or November 2005. Accrued dividends in arrearage, through November 9, 2005 were approximately $23.7 million. If dividends on the outstanding junior exchangeable preferred stock are in arrears and unpaid for six or more quarterly dividend periods (whether or not consecutive), the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the junior exchangeable preferred stock, voting as a class, are entitled to elect the lesser of two directors or that number of directors constituting 25% of the members of the Board of Directors.

ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 5. Other Information

The following information is being filed with this Report on Form 10-Q in lieu of a separate Report on Form 8-K. The item numbers correspond to the item numbers in Form 8-K.

Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On November 3, 2005, the Board of Directors of the Company, upon recommendation of the compensation committee, adopted a new compensation structure for non employee directors. The new compensation structures retains the current annual cash retainer of $20,000 (payable quarterly) and per meeting fee of $1000 for each board meeting attended. The per meeting fees for committee members have been eliminated and replaced with a $10,000 annual retainer for the audit committee chair, $5,000 annual retainer for audit committee members, and $3,000 annual retainer for compensation committee members. There will be no annual retainer or meeting fees for members of the nominating committee. The current annual option grant will be replaced by an annual award of restricted share units, which will be issued under a new stock compensation plan to be submitted to shareholders at the 2006 annual meeting. These restricted share units will vest after one year and be payable six months following the director’s termination or retirement from the board. Nonemployee directors will continue to be reimbursed reasonable expenses for attending board meetings and carrying out duties as board members.

Item 2.03. Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

A. Draw under Revolving Credit Facility

On November 3, 2005, the Company borrowed $58.0 million under its revolving credit facility, leaving $1.4 million of remaining availability. This is the first draw on the facility since it was entered into on March 24, 2005. The agreement matures in March 2010.

The Company’s borrowings under the revolving credit facility bear interest at rates based on, at its option, either (i) the one, two, three, six, or, if made available by the lender, nine or twelve month Eurodollar rate, which is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO rate, or (ii) the Alternate Base Rate, which is the higher of the prime lending rate on page 5 of the Telerate Service and the Federal Funds Effective Rate plus ¹/2 of 1 percent. In each case, the Company is required to pay an additional margin of interest above the Eurodollar rate or the Alternate Base Rate. The margin is based on the ratio of its senior secured debt to its adjusted cashflow (as defined in the credit agreement). The margin above the Alternate Base Rate ranges from 1.50% to 2.00%. The margin above the Eurodollar rate fluctuates from 2.50% to 3.00%. As of October 31, 2005, the effective rate for the Company’s borrowings under the facility was 7.27%.

The credit agreement is subject to various covenants, including the ratio of senior secured indebtedness to annualized operating cash flow, (as defined in the credit agreement), the ratio of total indebtedness to annualized operating cash flow, and the ratio of annualized operating cash flow to interest expense. The Company was in compliance with all covenants on the date of the draw.

On October 18, 2005, the Company amended the revolving credit facility in connection with the payment of the dividends on its senior exchangeable preferred stock:

	•		to exclude those dividends from the calculation of cash interest expense, which is used in various financial ratio tests in the revolving credit agreement; and

	•		to permit the incurrence of up to $50.0 million senior indebtedness that matures on the same date as the Company’s senior notes (out of a total of $200.0 million of additional senior indebtedness that is permitted).

This amendment was reported under Item 1.01 in a Report on 8-K filed October 24, 2005.

The revolving credit facility was filed as Exhibit 10.1(a) to the Company’s Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2004.

B. Issuance of Senior Subordinated Floating Rate Notes due 2012

On November 7, 2005, the Company issued $175,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Subordinated Floating Rate Notes due 2012. The proceeds from these notes are being used primarily to redeem the $125,000,000 aggregate principal amount of outstanding 9 ⁵/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008, plus accrued interest of approximately $6.7 million and a prepayment premium of $2.0 million. The remaining proceeds will be used to pay the costs of the transaction and for general corporate purposes, including, without limitation, replenishing cash used for the recent payment of dividends on the Company’s senior exchangeable preferred stock and repurchasing preferred securities.

The notes, which will mature on November 1, 2012, will bear interest at the rate per annum, reset quarterly, equal to LIBOR plus 5.75%, currently an effective rate of 10.0% per annum. Interest on the notes is payable quarterly on February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1 of each year, commencing February 1, 2006. The notes may be redeemed at any time on or after November 1, 2007, in whole or in part, in cash at stated redemption prices, plus accrued and unpaid interest and liquidated damages, if any, up to and excluding the date of redemption. In addition, on or before November 1, 2007, up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes may be redeemed at a price of 100% of the principal amount plus a premium

equal to the interest rate per annum applicable on the date on which notice of redemption is given, plus accrued and unpaid interest and liquidated damages, if any, up to and excluding the date of redemption, with the proceeds of certain equity offerings within 30 days of the closing of those equity offerings. At least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of notes issued must remain outstanding after such a redemption. Upon the occurrence of specified change of control events, the Company is required to make an offer to repurchase all the notes at a purchase price of 101% of the outstanding principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase.

ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

The following exhibits are filed with this report.


*10.1		Billing Services and License Agreement between VeriSign, Inc. and Rural Cellular Corporation effective July 21, 2005
31.1		Certification of Rural Cellular Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
31.2		Certification of Rural Cellular Corporation’s Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
32.1		Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002


		*Portions of this exhibit have been omitted and filed separately with the Secretary of the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Registrant’s request for confidential treatment of such information under Rule 24b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.


	Page Number
Part I. Financial Information

Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited)

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets-As of September 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004		3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations And Comprehensive Income (Loss)-Three and nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004		5

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows-Nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004		6

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements		7

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations		24

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk		40

Item 4. Controls and Procedures		40

Part II. Other Information

Item 3. Defaults upon Senior Securities		41

Item 5. Other Information		41

Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K		43

Signatures		44
Billing Services and License Agreement
Certification of CEO Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)
Certification of CFO Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)
Certification of CEO and CEO Pursuant to Section 906


	RURAL CELLULAR CORPORATION (Registrant)
Date: November 9, 2005	/s/ Richard P. Ekstrand
	Richard P. Ekstrand
	President and Chief Executive Officer


Date: November 9, 2005	/s/ Wesley E. Schultz
	Wesley E. Schultz
	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)