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LONG-TERM DEBT
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
LONG-TERM DEBT  
LONG-TERM DEBT

9. LONG-TERM DEBT

On April 10, 2019, the Company entered into a Third Amendment and Confirmation Agreement (the “2019 Credit Facility”), with CoBank, ACB and the same syndicate of lenders as the 2014 Credit Facility, as defined below. The 2019 Credit Facility provides for a $200 million revolving credit facility that includes (i) up to $75 million for standby or trade letters of credit and (ii) up to $10 million under a swingline sub-facility. Approximately $10.6 million of performance and standby letters of credit have been issued and remain outstanding and undrawn as of September 30, 2019. The 2019 Credit Facility matures on April 10, 2024.

Amounts borrowed under the 2019 Credit Facility bear interest at a rate equal to, at the Company’s option, either (i) the LIBOR (as defined in the 2019 Credit Facility) plus an applicable margin ranging between 1.25% to 2.25% or (ii) a base rate plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.25% to 1.25%. Swingline loans bear interest at the base rate plus the applicable margin for base rate loans. The base rate is equal to the higher of (i) 1.00% plus the higher of (x) the LIBOR for an interest period of one month and (y) the LIBOR for an interest period of one week; (ii) the Federal Funds Effective Rate (as defined in the 2019 Credit Facility) plus 0.50% per annum; and (iii) the Prime Rate (as defined in the 2019 Credit Facility). The applicable margin is determined based on the Total Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2019 Credit Facility). Under the terms of the 2019 Credit Facility, the Company must also pay a fee ranging from 0.150% to 0.375% of the average daily unused portion of the 2019 Credit Facility over each calendar quarter.

    

The 2019 Credit Facility contains customary representations, warranties and covenants, including a financial covenant that imposes a maximum ratio of indebtedness to EBITDA as well as covenants limiting additional indebtedness, liens, guaranties, mergers and consolidations, substantial asset sales, investments and loans, sale and leasebacks, transactions with affiliates and fundamental changes.  The Company’s investments in “unrestricted” subsidiaries and certain dividend payments to the Company’s stockholders are not limited unless the Total Net Leverage Ratio is equal to or greater than 1.75 to 1.0. The Total Net Leverage Ratio is measured each fiscal quarter and is required to be less than or equal to 2.75 to 1.0. In the event of a Qualifying Acquisition (as defined in the 2019 Credit Facility), the Total Net Leverage Ratio increases to 3.25 to 1.0 for the subsequent three fiscal quarters. 

The 2019 Credit Facility also provides for the incurrence by the Company of incremental term loan facilities, when combined with increases to revolving loan commitments, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $200 million (the “Accordion”). Amounts borrowed under the Accordion are also subject to proforma compliance with a net leverage ratio financial covenant.

As of September 30, 2019, the Company was in compliance with all of the financial covenants, had no outstanding borrowings and, net of the $10.6 million of outstanding performance letters of credit, had $189.4 million of availability under the 2019 Credit Facility.

Prior to entering into the 2019 Credit Facility, the Company had a $225 million revolving credit facility (the “2014 Credit Facility”) with CoBank, ACB and a syndicate of other lenders that provided for (i) up to $10 million for standby or trade letters of credit, (ii) up to $25 million for letters of credit that were necessary or desirable to qualify for disbursements from the FCC’s mobility fund and (iii) up to $10 million under a swingline sub-facility. The 2014 Credit Facility had a maturity date of December 31, 2019. The 2014 Credit Facility also provided for the incurrence by the

Company of incremental term loan facilities, when combined with increases to revolving loan commitments, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $200 million. 

Amounts borrowed under the 2014 Credit Facility bore interest at a rate equal to, at the Company’s option, either (i) the LIBOR plus an applicable margin ranging between 1.50% to 1.75% or (ii) a base rate plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.50% to 0.75%.  Swingline loans bore interest at the base rate plus the applicable margin for base rate loans.  The base rate was equal to the higher of (i) 1.00% plus the higher of (x) the one-week LIBOR and (y) the one-month LIBOR; (ii) the federal funds effective rate (as defined in the 2014 Credit Facility) plus 0.50% per annum; and (iii) the prime rate (as defined in the 2014 Credit Facility). The applicable margin was determined based on the ratio (as further defined in the 2014 Credit Facility) of the Company’s indebtedness to EBITDA. Under the terms of the 2014 Credit Facility, the Company also paid a fee ranging from 0.175% to 0.250% of the average daily unused portion of the 2014 Credit Facility over each calendar quarter.

 

The 2014 Credit Facility contained customary representations, warranties and covenants, including a financial covenant that imposed a maximum ratio of indebtedness to EBITDA as well as covenants limiting additional indebtedness, liens, guaranties, mergers and consolidations, substantial asset sales, investments and loans, sale and leasebacks, transactions with affiliates and fundamental changes.  The Company’s investment in “unrestricted” subsidiaries plus the aggregate amount of certain dividend payments to the Company’s stockholders was limited to $400 million.  Amounts borrowed under the Accordion were also subject to pro-forma compliance with a net leverage ratio financial covenant. 

 

Viya Debt

The Company, and certain of its subsidiaries, have entered into a $60.0 million loan agreement (the “Viya Debt”) with Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative (“RTFC”). The Viya Debt agreement contains customary representations, warranties and affirmative and negative covenants (including limitations on additional debt, guaranties, sale of assets and liens) and a financial covenant that limits the maximum ratio of indebtedness to annual operating cash flow to 3.5 to 1.0 (the “Net Leverage Ratio”).  This covenant is tested on an annual basis at the end of each fiscal year.  Interest is paid quarterly at a fixed rate of 4.0% and principal repayment is not required until maturity on July 1, 2026.  Prepayment of the Viya Debt may be subject to a fee under certain circumstances.  The debt is secured by certain assets of the Company’s Viya subsidiaries and is guaranteed by the Company.   With RTFC’s consent, the Company funded the restoration of Viya’s network, following the Hurricanes, through an intercompany loan arrangement with a $75.0 million limit. The Company was not in compliance with the Net Leverage Ratio covenant for the year ending December 31, 2018 and received a waiver from the RTFC on February 25, 2019.

The Company paid a fee of $0.9 million in 2016 to lock the interest rate at 4% per annum over the term of the Viya Debt.  The fee was recorded as a reduction to the Viya Debt carrying amount and is being amortized over the life of the loan. 

As of September 30, 2019, $60.0 million of the Viya Debt remained outstanding and $0.6 million of the rate lock fee was unamortized.

One Communications Debt

The Company has an outstanding loan from HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited (the “One Communications Debt”) which is scheduled to mature on May 22, 2022 and bears interest at the one-month LIBOR plus a margin ranging between 2.5% to 2.75% paid quarterly.

The One Communications Debt contains customary representations, warranties and affirmative and negative covenants (including limitations on additional debt, guaranties, sale of assets and liens) and financial covenants, tested annually, that limit the ratio of tangible net worth to long term debt and total net debt to EBITDA and require a minimum debt service coverage ratio (as defined in the One Communications Debt agreement).   The Company was in compliance with its covenants as of December 31, 2018.

 

As a condition of the One Communications Debt, the Company was required to enter into a hedging arrangement with a notional amount equal to at least 30% of the outstanding loan balance and a term corresponding to the term of the One Communications Debt.  As such, the Company entered into an amortizing interest rate swap that has been designated as a cash flow hedge, which had an original notional amount of $11.0 million, has an interest rate of 1.874%, and expires in March 2022.  As of September 30, 2019, the swap has an unamortized notional amount of $8.7 million.

  

The Company capitalized $0.3 million of fees associated with the One Communications Debt which are being amortized over the life of the debt and are recorded as a reduction to the debt carrying amount.   

 

As of September 30, 2019, $29.1 million of the One Communications Debt was outstanding and $0.2 million of the capitalized fees remained unamortized.

Ahana Debt

On November 6, 2018, the Company consummated the US Solar Transaction which included the transfer of the Ahana Debt to the purchaser. Prior to the US Solar Transaction, the Company’s US solar operations issued $20.6 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.427% senior notes due in 2029 (the “Series A Notes”) and $45.2 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.327% senior notes due in 2031 (the “Series B Notes”).  These operations also issued a note to Public Service Electricity and Gas which bore interest at 11.3% due in 2027 (the “PSE&G Loan” and collectively with the Series A Notes and Series B Notes, the “Ahana Debt”).

For the Series A Notes and Series B Notes, interest and principal were payable semi-annually, until their respective maturity dates, and were secured by certain US solar assets and guaranteed by certain subsidiaries.

Repayment of the PSE&G Loan could have been made in either cash or Solar Renewable Energy Credits (“SRECs”) at the Company’s discretion, with the value of the SRECs being fixed at the time of the loan’s closing.  Prior to the US Solar Transaction, the Company made all repayments of the PSE&G Loan using SRECs.

 

The Company capitalized $2.8 million of fees associated with the Ahana Debt which were recorded as a reduction to the debt carrying amount and amortized over the life of the notes.