UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
x | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011
or
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 1-04721
SPRINT NEXTEL CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
KANSAS | 48-0457967 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
6200 Sprint Parkway, Overland Park, Kansas | 66251 |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (800) 829-0965
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Name of each exchange on which registered | |
Series 1 common stock, $2.00 par value | New York Stock Exchange | |
Guarantees of Sprint Capital Corporation 6.875% Notes due 2028 | New York Stock Exchange | |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No x
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 x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendments to this Form 10-K. x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | x | Accelerated filer | o |
Non-accelerated filer (Do not check if smaller reporting company) | o | Smaller reporting company | 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 x
Aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common stock equity held by non-affiliates at June 30, 2011 was $16,112,904,505
COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING AT FEBRUARY 20, 2012:
VOTING COMMON STOCK | ||
Series 1 | 2,997,386,429 | |
Documents incorporated by reference
Portions of the registrant's definitive proxy statement filed under Regulation 14A promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which definitive proxy statement is to be filed within 120 days after the end of registrant's fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, are incorporated by reference in Part III hereof.
SPRINT NEXTEL CORPORATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Reference | ||
Item | PART I | |
1. | ||
1A. | ||
1B. | ||
2. | ||
3. | ||
4. | ||
PART II | ||
5. | ||
6. | ||
7. | ||
7A. | ||
8. | ||
9. | ||
9A. | ||
9B. | ||
PART III | ||
10. | ||
11. | ||
12. | ||
13. | ||
14. | ||
PART IV | ||
15. | ||
SPRINT NEXTEL CORPORATION
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
PART I
Item 1. | Business |
OVERVIEW
Sprint Nextel Corporation, incorporated in 1938 under the laws of Kansas, is mainly a holding company, with its operations primarily conducted by its subsidiaries. Our Series 1 voting common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “S.” Sprint Nextel Corporation and its subsidiaries (“Sprint,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) is a communications company offering a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications products and services that are designed to meet the needs of individual consumers, businesses, government subscribers and resellers. Our operations are organized to meet the needs of our targeted subscriber groups through focused communications solutions that incorporate the capabilities of our wireless and wireline services. We are the third largest wireless communications company in the United States based on wireless revenue, one of the largest providers of wireline long distance services, and one of the largest carriers of Internet traffic in the nation. Our services are provided through our ownership of extensive wireless networks, an all-digital global long distance network and a Tier 1 Internet backbone.
We offer wireless and wireline voice and data transmission services to subscribers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands under the Sprint corporate brand, which includes our retail brands of Sprint®, Nextel®, Boost Mobile®, Virgin Mobile®, and Assurance Wireless™ on networks that utilize third generation (3G) code division multiple access (CDMA), integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), or Internet protocol (IP) technologies. We also offer fourth generation (4G) services utilizing Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) technology through our mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) wholesale relationship with Clearwire Corporation and its subsidiary Clearwire Communications LLC (together "Clearwire") and, in October 2011, we announced our intention to deploy Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology as part of our network modernization plan, Network Vision. We utilize these networks to offer our wireless and wireline subscribers differentiated products and services whether through the use of a single network or a combination of these networks.
Our Business Segments
We operate two reportable segments: Wireless and Wireline. For information regarding our segments, see “Part II, Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and also refer to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Wireless
We offer wireless services on a postpaid and prepaid payment basis to retail subscribers and also on a wholesale and affiliate basis, which includes the sale of wireless services that utilize the Sprint network but are sold under the wholesaler's brand. We support the open development of applications, content, and devices on our network platforms through products and services such as Google Voice™, which allows for functionality such as one phone number for all devices (home, wireless, office, etc), routing calls between devices, and in-call options to switch between devices during a call and Google Wallet™, which provides the ability to store loyalty, gift and credit cards, and to tap and pay while you shop using your wireless device. We have also launched multiple Sprint ID packs that download applications, widgets and other content related to a person's interest at the push of a button. In addition, we enable a variety of business and consumer third-party relationships, through our portfolio of machine-to-machine solutions, which we offer on a retail postpaid and wholesale basis. Our machine-to-machine solutions portfolio provides a secure, real-time and reliable wireless two-way data connection across a broad range of connected devices including original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices and after-market in-vehicle connectivity and electric vehicle charging stations, point-of-sale systems, kiosks and vending machines, asset tracking, digital signage, security, smartgrid utilities, medical equipment and a variety of other consumer electronics and appliances.
We have reduced confusion over consumer pricing plans and complex bills with our Simply Everything® and Everything Data plans and our Any Mobile AnytimeSM feature. We also offer price plans tailored to business
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subscribers such as Business AdvantageSM, which allows for the flexibility to mix and match plans that include voice, voice and messaging, or voice, messaging and data to meet individual business needs and which also includes our Any Mobile Anytime feature with certain plans.
Our prepaid portfolio currently includes multiple brands, each designed to appeal to specific subscriber segments. Boost Mobile serves subscribers who are voice and text messaging-centric with its popular Monthly Unlimited plan with Shrinkage service where bills are reduced after six on-time payments. Virgin Mobile serves subscribers who are device and data-oriented with Beyond Talk™ plans and our broadband plan, Broadband2Go, that offer subscribers control, flexibility and connectivity through various communication vehicles. Assurance Wireless provides eligible subscribers, who meet income requirements or are receiving government assistance, with a free wireless phone and 250 free minutes of local and long distance monthly service.
Services and Products
Data & Voice Services
Wireless data communications services include mobile productivity applications, such as Internet access, messaging and email services; wireless photo and video offerings; location-based capabilities, including asset and fleet management, dispatch services and navigation tools; and mobile entertainment applications, including the ability to view live television, listen to satellite radio, download and listen to music, and game play with full-color graphics and polyphonic and real-music sounds from a wireless handset.
Wireless voice communications services include basic local and long distance wireless voice services throughout the United States, as well as voicemail, call waiting, three-way calling, caller identification, directory assistance and call forwarding. We also provide voice and data services to areas in numerous countries outside of the United States through roaming arrangements. We offer customized design, development, implementation and support for wireless services provided to large companies and government agencies.
Products
Our services are provided using a wide variety of multi-functional devices including smartphones, mobile broadband devices such as aircards and hotspots, and embedded tablets and laptops manufactured by various suppliers for use with our voice and data services. We generally sell these devices at prices below our cost in response to competition to attract new subscribers and as retention inducements for existing subscribers. We sell accessories, such as carrying cases, hands-free devices, batteries, battery chargers and other items to subscribers, and we sell devices and accessories to agents and other third-party distributors for resale.
Wireless Network Technologies
We deliver wireless services to subscribers primarily through our existing networks or as a reseller of 4G services through our MVNO wholesale relationship with Clearwire.
Our current Sprint platform, an all-digital wireless network with spectrum licenses that allow us to provide service in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, uses a single frequency band and a digital spread-spectrum wireless technology, known as CDMA, that allows a large number of users to access the band by assigning a code to all voice and data bits, sending a scrambled transmission of the encoded bits over the air and reassembling the voice and data into its original format. We provide nationwide service through a combination of operating our own digital network in both major and smaller U.S. metropolitan areas and rural connecting routes, affiliations under commercial arrangements with third-party affiliates (Affiliates) and roaming on other providers' networks.
In 2009, our Sprint platform subscribers in certain markets began to have access to Clearwire's 4G WiMAX network through an MVNO wholesale arrangement that enables us to resell Clearwire's 4G wireless services under the Sprint brand name. The services supported by 4G give subscribers with compatible devices high-speed access to the Internet.
In December 2010, we announced Network Vision, a multi-year network infrastructure initiative intended to provide subscribers with an enhanced network experience on our Sprint platform by improving voice quality, coverage, and data speeds, while enhancing network flexibility, reducing operating costs, and improving environmental sustainability through the utilization of multiple spectrum bands onto a single multi-mode base station. In addition to implementing these multi-mode base stations, this plan encompasses next-generation push-to-talk technology (known as Sprint Direct Connect®) with broadband capabilities and the integration of multi-mode
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chipsets into smartphones, tablets and other broadband devices, including machine-to-machine products. Through the successful deployment of Network Vision, we expect to migrate to a single nationwide network allowing for the consolidation and optimization of our 800 megahertz (MHz), 1.9 gigahertz (GHz) as well as other spectrum owned by third-parties into multi-mode stations allowing us to repurpose spectrum to enhance coverage, particularly around the in-building experience. The multi-mode technology also utilizes software-based solutions with interchangeable hardware to provide greater network flexibility, which also allows for the deployment of LTE.
Our Nextel platform, which we plan to decommission during 2012 and 2013, is an all-digital packet data network based on iDEN wireless technology provided by Motorola Solutions, Inc. We are the only national wireless service provider in the United States that utilizes this technology. Generally, Nextel platform devices that we currently offer are not enabled to roam on wireless networks that do not utilize iDEN technology. As a result of our plan to decommission our Nextel platform, we will continue to target the retention of these customers through competitive offerings on the Sprint platform.
Sales, Marketing and Customer Care
We focus the marketing and sales of wireless services on targeted groups of retail subscribers: individual consumers, businesses and government.
We use a variety of sales channels to attract new subscribers of wireless services, including:
• | direct sales representatives whose efforts are focused on marketing and selling wireless services primarily to mid-sized to large businesses and government agencies; |
• | retail outlets owned and operated by us, that focus on sales to the consumer market as well as third-party retailers; |
• | indirect sales agents that primarily consist of local and national non-affiliated dealers and independent contractors that market and sell services to businesses and the consumer market, and are generally paid through commissions; and |
• | subscriber-convenient channels, including web sales and telesales. |
We market our postpaid services under the Sprint® and Nextel® brands. We offer these services on a contract basis typically for one or two-year periods, with services billed on a monthly basis according to the applicable pricing plan. As we deploy Network Vision, our efforts will continue to focus on growing the Sprint platform postpaid subscriber base including the migration of existing Nextel platform subscribers to other offerings on our Sprint platform, which includes future offerings on our multi-mode network, such as Sprint Direct Connect. We market our prepaid services under the Boost Mobile®, Virgin Mobile®, and Assurance Wireless brands as a means to provide value-driven prepaid service plans to particular markets. Our wholesale customers are resellers of our wireless services rather than end-use subscribers and market their products and services using their brands.
Although we market our services using traditional print and television advertising, we also provide exposure to our brand names and wireless services through various sponsorships, including the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR®) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). The goal of these marketing initiatives is to increase brand awareness and sales.
Our customer management organization works to improve our customers' experience, with the goal of retaining subscribers of our wireless services. Customer service call centers, some of which are operated by us and some of which are operated by unrelated parties subject to Sprint standards of operation, receive and resolve inquiries from subscribers and proactively address subscriber needs.
Competition
We believe that the market for wireless services has been and will continue to be characterized by intense competition on the basis of price, the types of services and devices offered and quality of service. We compete with a number of wireless carriers, including three other national wireless companies: AT&T, Verizon Wireless (Verizon) and T-Mobile. Our primary competitors offer voice, high-speed data, entertainment and location-based services and push-to-talk-type features that are designed to compete with our products and services. Other competitors offer or have announced plans to introduce similar services. AT&T and Verizon also offer competitive wireless services packaged with local and long distance voice, high-speed Internet services and video. Our prepaid services compete with a number of carriers and resellers including Metro PCS Communications, Inc., Leap Wireless International, Inc. and TracFone Wireless, which offer competitively-priced calling plans that include unlimited local calling.
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Additionally, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon also offer competitive prepaid services and wholesale services to resellers. Competition will increase to the extent that new firms enter the market as a result of the introduction of other technologies such as LTE, the availability of previously unavailable spectrum bands, such as the 700 MHz spectrum band and the potential introduction of new services using unlicensed spectrum. Wholesale services and products also contribute to increased competition. In some instances, resellers that use our network and offer like services compete against our offerings.
Most markets in which we operate have high rates of penetration for wireless services, thereby limiting the growth of subscribers of wireless services. As the wireless market has matured, it has become increasingly important to retain existing subscribers in addition to attracting new subscribers, particularly in less saturated growth markets such as those with non-traditional data demands. Wireless carriers are addressing the growth in non-traditional data needs by working with OEMs to develop connected devices such as after-market in-vehicle connectivity and electric vehicle charging stations, point-of-sale systems, kiosks and vending machines, asset tracking, digital signage, security, smartgrid utilities, medical equipment and a variety of other consumer electronics and appliances, which utilize wireless networks to increase consumer and business mobility. In addition, we and our competitors continue to offer more service plans that combine voice and data offerings, plans that allow users to add additional mobile devices to their plans at attractive rates, plans with a higher number of bundled minutes included in the fixed monthly charge for the plan, plans that offer the ability to share minutes among a group of related subscribers, or combinations of these features. Consumers respond to these plans by migrating to those they deem most attractive. In addition, wireless carriers also try to appeal to subscribers by offering devices at prices lower than their acquisition cost. We may offer higher cost devices at greater discounts than our competitors, with the expectation that the loss incurred on the cost of the device will be offset by future service revenue. As a result, we and our competitors recognize point-of-sale losses that are not expected to be recovered until future periods when services are provided. Our ability to effectively compete in the wireless business is dependent upon our ability to retain existing and attract new subscribers in an increasingly competitive marketplace. See Item 1A, “Risk Factors—If we are not able to retain and attract wireless subscribers, our financial performance will be impaired.”
Wireline
We provide a broad suite of wireline voice and data communications services to other communications companies and targeted business and consumer subscribers. In addition, we provide voice, data and IP communication services to our Wireless segment, and IP and other services to cable Multiple System Operators (MSOs). Cable MSOs resell our local and long distance services and use our back office systems and network assets in support of their telephone service provided over cable facilities primarily to residential end-user subscribers. We are one of the nation's largest providers of long distance services and operate all-digital global long distance and Tier 1 IP networks.
Services and Products
Our services and products include domestic and international data communications using various protocols such as multiprotocol label switching technologies (MPLS), IP, managed network services, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) and traditional voice services. Our IP services can also be combined with wireless services. Such services include our Sprint Mobile Integration service, which enables a wireless handset to operate as part of a subscriber's wireline voice network, and our DataLinkSM service, which uses our wireless networks to connect a subscriber location into their primarily wireline wide-area IP/MPLS data network, making it easy for businesses to adapt their network to changing business requirements. In addition to providing services to our business customers, the wireline network is carrying increasing amounts of voice and data traffic for our Wireless segment as a result of growing usage by our wireless subscribers.
We continue to assess the portfolio of services provided by our Wireline business and are focusing our efforts on IP-based services and de-emphasizing stand-alone voice services and non-IP-based data services. We also provide wholesale voice local and long distance services to cable MSOs, which they offer as part of their bundled service offerings, as well as traditional voice and data services for their enterprise use. However, the digital voice services we provide to some of our cable MSOs have become large enough in scale that they have decided to in-source these services. We also continue to provide voice services to residential consumers. Our Wireline segment markets and sells its services primarily through direct sales representatives.
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Competition
Our Wireline segment competes with AT&T, Verizon Communications, CenturyLink, Level 3 Communications, Inc., other major local incumbent operating companies, and cable operators as well as a host of smaller competitors in the provision of wireline services. Over the past few years, our long distance voice services have experienced an industry-wide trend of lower revenue from lower prices and increased competition from other wireline and wireless communications companies, as well as cable MSOs and Internet service providers.
Some competitors are targeting the high-end data market and are offering deeply discounted rates in exchange for high-volume traffic as they attempt to utilize excess capacity in their networks. In addition, we face increasing competition from other wireless and IP-based service providers. Many carriers are competing in the residential and small business markets by offering bundled packages of both local and long distance services. Competition in long distance is based on price and pricing plans, the types of services offered, customer service, and communications quality, reliability and availability. Our ability to compete successfully will depend on our ability to anticipate and respond to various competitive factors affecting the industry, including new services that may be introduced, changes in consumer preferences, demographic trends, economic conditions and pricing strategies. See Item 1A, “Risk Factors—Consolidation and competition in the wholesale market for wireline services, as well as consolidation of our roaming partners and access providers used for wireless services, could adversely affect our revenues and profitability” and “—The blurring of the traditional dividing lines among long distance, local, wireless, video and Internet services contributes to increased competition.”
Legislative and Regulatory Developments
Overview
Communications services are subject to regulation at the federal level by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and in certain states by public utilities commissions (PUCs). The Communications Act of 1934 (Communications Act) preempts states from regulating the rates or entry of commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers, such as those in our Wireless segment, and imposes licensing and technical requirements, including provisions related to the acquisition, assignment or transfer of radio licenses. Depending upon state law, CMRS providers can be subject to state regulation of other terms and conditions of service. Our Wireline segment also is subject to federal and state regulation.
The following is a summary of the regulatory environment in which we operate and does not describe all present and proposed federal, state and local legislation and regulations affecting the communications industry. Some legislation and regulations are the subject of judicial proceedings, legislative hearings and administrative proceedings that could change the way our industry operates. We cannot predict the outcome of any of these matters or their potential impact on our business. See Item 1A, “Risk Factors—Government regulation could adversely affect our prospects and results of operations; the FCC and state regulatory commissions may adopt new regulations or take other actions that could adversely affect our business prospects, future growth or results of operations.” Regulation in the communications industry is subject to change, which could adversely affect us in the future. The following discussion describes some of the significant communications-related regulations that affect us, but numerous other substantive areas of regulation not discussed here may also influence our business.
Regulation and Wireless Operations
The FCC regulates the licensing, construction, operation, acquisition and sale of our wireless operations and wireless spectrum holdings. FCC requirements impose operating and other restrictions on our wireless operations that increase our costs. The FCC does not currently regulate rates for services offered by CMRS providers, and states are legally preempted from regulating such rates and entry into any market, although states may regulate other terms and conditions. The Communications Act and FCC rules also require the FCC's prior approval of the assignment or transfer of control of an FCC license, although the FCC's rules permit spectrum lease arrangements for a range of wireless radio service licenses, including our licenses, with FCC oversight. Approval from the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, as well as state or local regulatory authorities, also may be required if we sell or acquire spectrum interests. The FCC sets rules, regulations and policies to, among other things:
• | grant licenses in the 800 MHz band, 900 MHz band, 1.9 GHz personal communications services (PCS) band, and license renewals; |
• | rule on assignments and transfers of control of FCC licenses, and leases covering our use of FCC |
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licenses held by other persons and organizations;
• | govern the interconnection of our networks with other wireless and wireline carriers; |
• | establish access and universal service funding provisions; |
• | impose rules related to unauthorized use of and access to customer information; |
• | impose fines and forfeitures for violations of FCC rules; |
• | regulate the technical standards governing wireless services; and |
• | impose other obligations that it determines to be in the public interest |
We hold 1.9 GHz, 800 MHz, and 900 MHz FCC licenses authorizing the use of radio frequency spectrum to deploy our wireless services. We also hold FCC licenses that are not yet placed in service but that we intend to use in accordance with FCC requirements.
1.9 GHz PCS License Conditions
All PCS licenses are granted for ten-year terms. For purposes of issuing PCS licenses, the FCC utilizes major trading areas (MTAs) and basic trading areas (BTAs) with several BTAs making up each MTA. Each license is subject to build-out requirements which we have met in all of our MTA and BTA markets.
If applicable build-out conditions are met, these licenses may be renewed for additional ten-year terms. Renewal applications are not subject to auctions. If a renewal application is challenged, the FCC grants a preference commonly referred to as a license renewal expectancy to the applicant if the applicant can demonstrate that it has provided “substantial service” during the past license term and has substantially complied with applicable FCC rules and policies and the Communications Act. The licenses for the 10 MHz of spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band that we received as part of the FCC's Report and Order, described below, have ten-year terms and are not subject to specific build-out conditions, but are subject to renewal requirements that are similar to those for our PCS licenses.
800 MHz and 900 MHz License Conditions
Spectrum in our 800 MHz and 900 MHz bands originally was licensed in small groups of channels, therefore we hold thousands of these licenses, which together allow us to provide coverage across much of the continental United States. Our 800 MHz and 900 MHz licenses are subject to requirements that we meet population coverage benchmarks tied to the initial license grant dates. To date, we have met all of the construction requirements applicable to these licenses, except in the case of licenses that are not material to our business. Our 800 MHz and 900 MHz licenses have ten-year terms, at the end of which each license is subject to renewal requirements that are similar to those for our 1.9 GHz licenses.
Spectrum Reconfiguration Obligations
In 2004, the FCC adopted a Report and Order that included new rules regarding interference in the 800 MHz band and a comprehensive plan to reconfigure the 800 MHz band (the “Report and Order”). The Report and Order provides for the exchange of a portion of our 800 MHz FCC spectrum licenses, and requires us to fund the cost incurred by public safety systems and other incumbent licensees to reconfigure the 800 MHz spectrum band. Also, in exchange, we received licenses for 10 MHz of nationwide spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band; however, we were required to relocate and reimburse the incumbent licensees in this band for their costs of relocation to another band designated by the FCC.
Our minimum cash obligation is approximately $2.8 billion under the Report and Order. We are, however, obligated to pay the full amount of the costs relating to the reconfiguration plan, even if those costs exceed $2.8 billion. As required under the terms of the Report and Order, a letter of credit has been secured to provide assurance that funds will be available to pay the relocation costs of the incumbent users of the 800 MHz spectrum. We submit the qualified 800 MHz relocation costs to the FCC for review for potential letter of credit reductions on a periodic basis. As a result of these reviews, our letter of credit was reduced from $2.5 billion at the start of the project to $1 billion as of December 31, 2011, as approved by the FCC.
Completion of the 800 MHz band reconfiguration was initially required by June 26, 2008. The FCC continues to grant 800 MHz public safety licensees additional time to complete their band reconfigurations which, in turn, delays our access to some of our 800 MHz replacement channels. Accordingly, we will continue to transition to our 800 MHz replacement channels consistent with public safety licensees' reconfiguration progress; however, we anticipate that continuing reconfiguration progress will be sufficient to support the 800 MHz portion of our Network
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Vision rollout. We completed all our of 1.9 GHz incumbent relocation and reimbursement obligations in the second half of 2010.
New Spectrum Opportunities and Spectrum Auctions
Several FCC proceedings and initiatives are underway that may affect the availability of spectrum used or useful in the provision of commercial wireless services, which may allow new competitors to enter the wireless market. We cannot predict when or whether the FCC will conduct any spectrum auctions or if it will release additional spectrum that might be useful to wireless carriers, including us, in the future.
911 Services
Pursuant to FCC rules, CMRS providers, including us, are required to provide enhanced 911 (E911) services in a two-tiered manner. Specifically, wireless carriers are required to transmit to a requesting public safety answering point (PSAP) both the 911 caller's telephone number and (a) the location of the cell site from which the call is being made, or (b) the location of the subscriber's handset using latitude and longitude, depending upon the capability of the PSAP. Implementation of E911 service must be completed within six months of a PSAP request for service in its area, or longer, based on the agreement between the individual PSAP and carrier. The FCC has imposed increased location accuracy requirements on CMRS providers and we believe we will be able to continue to comply with those obligations.
National Security
National security and disaster recovery issues continue to receive attention at the federal, state and local levels. For example, Congress is considering cyber security legislation to increase the security and resiliency of the Nation's digital infrastructure. We cannot predict the cost impact of such legislation. Moreover, the FCC has re-chartered the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council, which consists of communications companies, public safety agencies and non-profit consumer and community organizations to recommend to the FCC ways to ensure optimal security, reliability, and interoperability of communications systems. We are a member of the council. In addition, the FCC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency/Department of Homeland Security are likely to continue to focus on disaster preparedness and communications among first responders. We have voluntarily agreed to provide wireless emergency alerts over our Sprint platform. Although under the time line developed by the FCC, the provision of such alerts is to begin no later than April 2012, we launched the wireless emergency alerting system on our network in November 2011. Our subscribers with mobile phones equipped with the necessary software who live, work or visit New York City are able to receive wireless emergency alerts.
Tower Siting
Wireless systems must comply with various federal, state and local regulations that govern the siting, lighting and construction of transmitter towers and antennas, including requirements imposed by the FCC and the Federal Aviation Administration. FCC rules subject certain cell site locations to extensive zoning, environmental and historic preservation requirements and mandate consultation with various parties, including State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices. The FCC rules govern historic preservation review of projects, which can make it more difficult and expensive to deploy antenna facilities. The FCC has imposed a tower siting “shot clock” that requires local authorities to address tower applications within a specific timeframe, which can assist carriers in more rapid deployment of towers. Any changes to environmental protection and tower construction rules, however, would likely serve to delay construction and deployment of wireless systems, including Network Vision. The FCC is assessing its antenna structure registration process in order to help address public notice requirements when plans are made for construction of, or modification to, antenna structures required to be registered with the FCC. To the extent governmental agencies impose additional requirements like this on the tower siting process, the time and cost to construct cell towers could be negatively impacted.
State and Local Regulation
While the Communications Act generally preempts state and local governments from regulating entry of, or the rates charged by, wireless carriers, certain state PUCs and local governments regulate customer billing, termination of service arrangements, advertising, certification of operation, use of handsets when driving, service quality, sales practices, management of customer call records and protected information and many other areas. Also, some state attorneys general have become more active in bringing lawsuits related to the sales practices and services of wireless carriers. Varying practices among the states may make it more difficult for us to implement national sales
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and marketing programs. States also may impose their own universal service support requirements on wireless and other communications carriers, similar to the contribution requirements that have been established by the FCC, and some states are requiring wireless carriers to help fund additional programs, including the implementation of E911 and the provision of intrastate relay services for consumers who are hearing impaired. We anticipate that these trends will continue to require us to devote legal and other resources to work with the states to respond to their concerns while attempting to minimize any new regulation and enforcement actions that could increase our costs of doing business.
Regulation and Wireline Operations
Competitive Local Service
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Telecom Act), which was the first comprehensive update of the Communications Act, was designed to promote competition, and it eliminated legal and regulatory barriers for entry into local and long distance communications markets. It also required incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) to allow resale of specified local services at wholesale rates, negotiate interconnection agreements, provide nondiscriminatory access to certain unbundled network elements and allow co-location of interconnection equipment by competitors. The rules implementing the Telecom Act remain subject to legal challenges. Thus, the scope of future local competition remains uncertain. These local competition rules impact us because we provide wholesale services to cable television companies that wish to compete in the local voice telephony market. Our communications and back-office services enable the cable companies to provide competitive local and long distance telephone services primarily in a VoIP format to their end-user customers.
Voice over Internet Protocol
We offer VoIP-based services to business subscribers and transport VoIP-originated traffic for various cable companies. The FCC issued an order late last year reforming, among other things, its regulatory structure governing intercarrier compensation and again declined to classify VoIP services as either telecommunications services or information services. However, it prescribed the rates applicable to the exchange of traffic between a VoIP provider and a local exchange carrier providing service on the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The rate for toll VoIP-PSTN traffic will be the interstate access rate applicable to non-VoIP traffic regardless of whether the traffic is interstate or intrastate. The rate for non-toll VoIP-PSTN traffic will be the applicable reciprocal compensation rate. These rates will be reduced over the next several years as the industry transitions to bill-and-keep methodology for the exchange of all traffic. Providers of interconnected VoIP will continue to be required to contribute to the federal Universal Service Fund (USF), offer E911 emergency calling capabilities to their subscribers, and comply with the electronic surveillance obligations set forth in the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). Because we provide VoIP services and transport VoIP-originated traffic, the FCC's rate prescription decision is expected to reduce our costs for such traffic over time as well as reduce disputes between carriers that often result in litigation.
International Regulation
The wireline services we provide outside the United States are subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of foreign governments and international bodies. In general, we are required to obtain licenses to provide wireline services and comply with certain government requirements.
Other Regulations
Network Neutrality
On December 22, 2010, the FCC adopted so-called net neutrality rules. The FCC rules for fixed broadband Internet access services consist of: (a) an obligation to provide transparency to consumers regarding network management practices, performance characteristics, and commercial terms of service; (b) a prohibition on blocking access to lawful content, applications, services and devices; and (c) a prohibition on unreasonable discrimination. The FCC acknowledged, however, that mobile broadband is in its early stages of development and is rapidly changing and accordingly adopted lesser obligations for mobile providers. Mobile providers must: (a) provide transparency to consumers in the same manner as fixed providers; and (b) not block access to lawful websites and applications that compete with the provider's own voice or video telephony services. Other rules applicable to fixed broadband, including no blocking of other applications, services or devices, and the prohibition on "unreasonable discrimination," do not apply to mobile providers. Because the net neutrality rules applicable to
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mobile broadband are relatively narrow and because we have deployed open mobile operating platforms on our devices, such as the Android platform created in conjunction with Google and the Open Handset Alliance, the rules should not adversely affect the operation of our broadband networks or significantly constrain our ability to manage the networks and protect our users from harm caused by other users and devices.
Truth in Billing and Consumer Protection
The FCC's Truth in Billing rules generally require both wireline and wireless telecommunications carriers, such as us, to provide full and fair disclosure of all charges on their bills, including brief, clear, and non-misleading plain language descriptions of the services provided. In response to a petition from the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, the FCC found that state regulation of CMRS rates, including line items on consumer bills, is preempted by federal statute. This decision was overturned by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court denied further appeal. As a consequence, states may attempt to impose various regulations on the billing practices of wireless carriers. In addition, the FCC has opened several proceedings to address issues of consumer protection, including the use of early termination fees, the FCC has opened an investigation into “bill shock” concerning overage charges for voice, data and text usage, and the FCC has proposed new rules to address cramming. Although the FCC has not imposed significant regulation in this area, the wireless industry has proactively addressed many of these consumer issues by adopting industry best practices such as the addition of free notifications for voice, data, messaging and international roaming to address the FCC's bill shock proceeding. If these FCC proceedings or individual state proceedings create changes in the Truth in Billing rules, our billing and customer service costs could increase.
Access Charge Reform
ILECs and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) impose access charges for the origination and termination of long distance calls upon wireless and long distance carriers, including our Wireless and Wireline segments. Also, interconnected local carriers, including our Wireless segment, pay to each other reciprocal compensation fees for terminating interconnected local calls. In addition, ILECs and CLECs charge other carriers special access charges for access to dedicated facilities that are paid by both our Wireless and Wireline segments. These fees and charges are a significant cost for our Wireless and Wireline segments. In November 2011, the FCC adopted comprehensive intercarrier compensation reforms, including a multi-year transition to a system of bill-and-keep for terminating switched access charges. These reforms are expected to decrease our terminating switched access expense over time.
In the November 2011 order, the FCC also adopted new rules requiring local exchange carriers (LECs) to lower their rates when they meet certain traffic pumping “triggers.” Traffic pumping occurs predominantly in rural exchanges that have very high access charges. Under traffic pumping arrangements, the LECs partner with other entities to offer “free” or almost free services (such as conference calling and chat lines) to end users; these services (and payments to the LECs' partners) are financed through the assessment of high access charges on the end user's long distance or wireless carrier. As a major wireless and wireline carrier, we have been assessed millions of dollars in access charges for “pumped” traffic. The FCC's new rules are expected to help limit our exposure to these traffic pumping costs.
The FCC's special access rate proceeding remains open. In the fall of 2011, a trade association asked the DC Court of Appeals to direct the FCC to complete its special access investigation within six months. The FCC opposed this request, noting that it had asked for additional information on special access rates, terms, and conditions in September 2011. We continue to advocate for special access reform but cannot predict when these proceedings will be completed or the outcome of these proceedings.
Universal Service Reform
Communications carriers contribute to and receive support from various USFs established by the FCC and many states. The federal USF program funds services provided in high-cost areas, reduced-rate services to low-income consumers, and discounted communications and Internet services for schools, libraries and rural health care facilities. The USF is funded from assessments on communications providers, including our Wireless and Wireline segments, based on FCC-prescribed contribution factors applicable to our interstate and international end-user revenues from telecommunications services and interconnected VoIP services. Similarly, many states have established their own USFs to which we contribute. The FCC is considering changing its USF contribution methodology, and may replace the interstate telecommunications revenue-based assessment with one based on either
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connections (telephone numbers or connections to the public network) or by expanding the revenue base to include data revenues. The latter approach in particular could impact the amount of our assessments. The FCC is expected to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on USF reform in the near future, but final action on the contribution methodology is not expected in the first half of 2012. As permitted, we assess subscribers a fee to recover our USF contributions.
In November 2011, the FCC adopted rules reforming high-cost USF support and transitioning from existing mechanisms to new funds which are focused on broadband deployment. We are evaluating the relative costs and benefits of seeking support from the new “Mobility Fund” or “Connect America Fund” broadband USF programs.
In 2011, Sprint received approximately $31 million in high-cost USF support as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC). Pursuant to the FCC order authorizing the initial Clearwire transaction, Sprint is required to phase out its high-cost USF support to zero by 2013, and that process is currently being implemented on a state-by-state basis.
Virgin Mobile is designated as a Lifeline-only ETC in 31 jurisdictions, providing service under our Assurance Wireless brand, and has ETC applications pending or planned in other jurisdictions as well. Virgin Mobile's Federal Lifeline USF receipts increased substantially in 2011 and we anticipate them to continue to increase in 2012. The growth in the Lifeline program has caused some regulators and legislators to question the structure of the current program and the FCC is continuing to review the growth of the program. Changes in the Lifeline program as a result of the ongoing FCC proceeding or other legislation or regulations could negatively impact growth in the Assurance Wireless™ and wholesale subscriber base and/or the profitability of the Assurance Wireless™ and wholesale business overall.
Electronic Surveillance Obligations
The CALEA requires telecommunications carriers, including us, to modify equipment, facilities and services to allow for authorized electronic surveillance based on either industry or FCC standards. Our CALEA obligations have been extended to data and VoIP networks, and we are in compliance with these requirements. Certain laws and regulations require that we assist various government agencies with electronic surveillance of communications and provide records concerning those communications. We are a defendant in four purported class action lawsuits that allege that we participated in a program of intelligence gathering activities for the federal government following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 that violated federal and state law. Relief sought in these cases includes injunctive relief, statutory and punitive damages, and attorneys' fees. We believe these suits have no merit, and they were dismissed by the district court. The district court's decision was unanimously affirmed by a three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit. We do not disclose customer information to the government or assist government agencies in electronic surveillance unless we have been provided a lawful request for such information.
Environmental Compliance
Our environmental compliance and remediation obligations relate primarily to the operation of standby power generators, batteries and fuel storage for our telecommunications equipment. These obligations require compliance with storage and related standards, obtaining of permits and occasional remediation. Although we cannot assess with certainty the impact of any future compliance and remediation obligations, we do not believe that any such expenditures will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Patents, Trademarks and Licenses
We own numerous patents, patent applications, service marks, trademarks and other intellectual property in the United States and other countries, including “Sprint®,” “Nextel®,” “Direct Connect®,” and “Boost Mobile®.” Our services often use the intellectual property of others, such as licensed software, and we often license copyrights, patents and trademarks of others, like “Virgin Mobile.” In total, these licenses and our copyrights, patents, trademarks and service marks are of material importance to our business. Generally, our trademarks and service marks endure and are enforceable so long as they continue to be used. Our patents and licensed patents have remaining terms generally ranging from one to 19 years.
We occasionally license our intellectual property to others, including licenses to others to use the trademarks “Sprint” and “Nextel.”
We have received claims in the past, and may in the future receive claims, that we, or third parties from
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whom we license or purchase goods or services, have infringed on the intellectual property of others. These claims can be time-consuming and costly to defend, and divert management resources. If these claims are successful, we could be forced to pay significant damages or stop selling certain products or services or stop using certain trademarks. We, or third parties from whom we license or purchase goods or services, also could enter into licenses with unfavorable terms, including royalty payments, which could adversely affect our business.
Access to Public Filings and Board Committee Charters
Important information is routinely posted on our website at www.sprint.com. Public access is provided to our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These documents may be accessed free of charge on our website at the following address: http://investors.sprint.com. These documents are available as soon as reasonably practicable after filing with the SEC and may also be found at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Information contained on or accessible through our website or the SEC's website is not part of this annual report on Form 10-K.
Public access is provided to our Code of Ethics, entitled the Sprint Nextel Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct), our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters of the following committees of our board of directors: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Executive Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Code of Conduct, corporate governance guidelines and committee charters may be accessed free of charge on our website at the following address: www.sprint.com/governance. Copies of any of these documents can be obtained free of charge by writing to: Sprint Nextel Shareholder Relations, 6200 Sprint Parkway, Mailstop KSOPHF0302-3B424, Overland Park, Kansas 66251 or by email at shareholder.relations@sprint.com. If a provision of the Code of Conduct required under the NYSE corporate governance standards is materially modified, or if a waiver of the Code of Conduct is granted to a director or executive officer, a notice of such action will be posted on our website at the following address: www.sprint.com/governance. Only the Audit Committee may consider a waiver of the Code of Conduct for an executive officer or director.
Employee Relations
As of December 31, 2011, we employed approximately 40,000 personnel.
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Executive Officers of the Registrant
The following people are serving as our executive officers as of February 24, 2012. These executive officers were elected to serve until their successors have been elected. There is no familial relationship between any of our executive officers and directors.
Name | Business Experience | Current Position Held Since | Age | ||||
Daniel R. Hesse | Chief Executive Officer and President. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer, President and a member of the Board of Directors on December 17, 2007. He served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Embarq Corporation from May 2006 to December 2007. He served as President of our local telecommunications business from June 2005 to May 2006. He served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Terabeam Corporation, a Seattle-based communications company, from March 2000 to June 2004. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Wireless Services, a division of AT&T, from 1997 to 2000. | 2007 | 58 | ||||
Joseph J. Euteneuer | Chief Financial Officer. He was appointed Chief Financial Officer in April 2011. Mr. Euteneuer served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Qwest, a wireline telecom company, from September 12, 2008 until April 2011. Previously, Mr. Euteneuer served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., a satellite radio provider, from 2002 until September 2008 after it merged with SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Inc. Prior to joining XM, Mr. Euteneuer held various management positions at Comcast Corporation and its subsidiary, Broadnet Europe. | 2011 | 56 | ||||
Keith O. Cowan | President - Strategic Planning and Corporate Initiatives. He was appointed President - Strategic Planning and Corporate Initiatives in July 2007. He also served as Acting President - CDMA from November 2008 to May 2009. He served as Executive Vice President of Genuine Parts Company from January 2007 to July 2007. He held several key positions with BellSouth Corporation from 1996 to January 2007, including Chief Planning and Development Officer, Chief Field Operations Officer, President - Marketing and Product Management and President - Interconnection Services. He was previously an associate and partner at the law firm of Alston & Bird LLC. | 2007 | 55 | ||||
Robert L. Johnson | Chief Service and Information Technology Officer. He has served as Chief Service Officer since October 2007 and his role was expanded to Chief Service and Information Technology Officer in August 2011. He served as President - Northeast Region from September 2006 to October 2007. He served as Senior Vice President - Consumer Sales, Service and Repair from August 2005 to August 2006. He served as Senior Vice President - National Field Operations of Nextel from February 2002 to July 2005. | 2011 | 53 | ||||
Paget L. Alves | Chief Sales Officer. He has served as Chief Sales Officer since January 2012. Prior to that, he served as President - Business Markets from February 2009 through January 2012. He served as President - Sales and Distribution from March 2008 through February 2009, and as Regional President from September 2006 through March 2008. He served as Senior Vice President, Enterprise Markets from January 2006 through September 2006. He served as our President, Strategic Market from November 2003 through January 2006. | 2012 | 57 | ||||
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Name | Business Experience | Current Position Held Since | Age | ||||
William M. Malloy | Chief Marketing Officer. Mr. Malloy has served as Chief Marketing Officer since September 2011. Mr. Malloy has more than 30 years of experience in senior operating roles with marketing, media and wireless companies ranging from start-up ventures to large corporate entities. Prior to joining Sprint, he was a venture partner with Ignition Partners, a venture capital firm based in Seattle. He joined Ignition in 2002 and was a member of the firm's wireless communications team. In addition to working on early-stage investments, he represented the firm from 2004 through 2009 as chairman and CEO of Sparkplug Communications, a company created from within Ignition that later merged with Airband Communications. Prior to Ignition, he served as CEO of two Internet companies, Peapod and Worldstream Communications, and served in different capacities at various cellular providers. | 2011 | 58 | ||||
Charles R. Wunsch | Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. He was appointed Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in October 2008. He served as our Vice President for corporate transactions and business law and has served in various legal positions at the Company since 1990. He was previously an associate and partner at the law firm Watson, Ess, Marshall, and Enggas. | 2008 | 56 | ||||
Steven L. Elfman | President - Network Operations and Wholesale. He was appointed President - Network Operations and Wholesale in May 2008. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Motricity, a mobile data technology company, from January 2008 to May 2008 and as Executive Vice President of Infospace Mobile (currently Motricity) from July 2003 to December 2007. He was an independent consultant working with Accenture Ltd., a consulting company, from May 2003 to July 2003. He served as Executive Vice President of Operations of Terabeam Corporation, a Seattle-based communications company, from May 2000 to May 2003, and he served as Chief Information Officer of AT&T Wireless from June 1997 to May 2000. | 2008 | 56 | ||||
Matthew Carter | President -Wholesale and Emerging Solutions. He was appointed President - 4G in January 2010 and his role has changed to include Wholesale and Emerging Solutions. He served as Senior Vice President, Boost Mobile from April 2008 until January 2010 and as Senior Vice President, Base Management from December 2006 until April 2008. Prior to joining Sprint, he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at PNC Financial Services. | 2010 | 51 | ||||
Ryan H. Siurek | Vice President - Controller. He was appointed Vice President, Controller in November 2009. He served as Vice President and Assistant Controller from January 2009 to November 2009. Prior to joining Sprint, he worked for LyondellBasell Industries, a chemical manufacturing company, from January 2004 through January 2009, where he held various executive level finance and accounting positions, including Controller - European Operations. | 2009 | 40 | ||||
Daniel L. Bowman | President - Integrated Solutions Group. He was appointed President - Integrated Solutions Group in September 2009. He served as President - iDEN from June 2008 to August 2009. He served in various executive positions including Product Development and Management, Sales, Marketing and General Management since 1997. | 2009 | 46 | ||||
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Item 1A. | Risk Factors |
In addition to the other information contained in this Form 10-K, the following risk factors should be considered carefully in evaluating us. Our business, financial condition, liquidity or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks.
If we are not able to retain and attract wireless subscribers, our financial performance will be impaired.
We are in the business of selling communications services to subscribers, and our economic success is based on our ability to retain current subscribers and attract new subscribers. If we are unable to retain and attract wireless subscribers, our financial performance will be impaired, and we could fail to meet our financial obligations, which could result in several outcomes, including controlling investments by third parties, takeover bids, liquidation of assets or insolvency. Beginning in 2008 through 2011, we experienced decreases in our total retail postpaid subscriber base of approximately 8.6 million subscribers (excluding the impact of our 2009 acquisitions), while our two largest competitors increased their subscribers during that period. In addition, our average postpaid churn rate was 1.86% and 1.95% for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, while our two largest competitors had churn rates that were substantially lower. Although we have begun to see a reduction in our net loss of postpaid subscribers, if this trend does not continue our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.
Our ability to retain our existing subscribers and to compete successfully for new subscribers and reduce our rate of churn depends on:
• | our successful execution of marketing and sales strategies, including the acceptance of our value proposition; service delivery and customer care activities, including new account set up and billing; and our credit and collection policies; |
• | Clearwire's ability to successfully obtain additional financing for the continued operation and build-out of its 4G networks; |
• | our ability to access Clearwire's spectrum; |
• | the successful deployment and completion of our network modernization plan, Network Vision, including a multi-mode network infrastructure, successful LTE implementation and deployment, and push-to-talk capabilities of comparable quality to our existing Nextel platform push-to-talk capabilities; |
• | our ability to mitigate churn as we migrate Nextel platform push-to-talk subscribers to other offerings on our Sprint platform, which include future offerings on our multi-mode network, such as Sprint Direct Connect®; |
• | actual or perceived quality and coverage of our networks, including Clearwire's 4G network; |
• | public perception about our brands; |
• | our ability to anticipate and develop new or enhanced technologies, products and services that are attractive to existing or potential subscribers; |
• | our ability to access additional spectrum, including through spectrum hosting arrangements; |
• | our ability to anticipate and respond to various competitive factors affecting the industry, including new technologies, products and services that may be introduced by our competitors, changes in consumer preferences, demographic trends, economic conditions, and discount pricing and other strategies that may be implemented by our competitors; and |
• | our ability to maintain our current MVNOs and to enter into new arrangements with MVNOs. |
Our recent success in attracting more postpaid subscribers and reducing postpaid churn may also not be sustainable. Our ability to retain subscribers may be negatively affected by industry trends related to subscriber contracts. For example, we and our competitors no longer require subscribers to renew their contracts when making changes to their pricing plans. These types of changes could negatively affect our ability to retain subscribers and could lead to an increase in our churn rates if we are not successful in providing an attractive product and service mix.
Moreover, service providers frequently offer wireless equipment, such as devices, below acquisition cost as a method to retain and attract subscribers that enter into wireless service agreements for periods usually extending
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12 to 24 months. Equipment cost in excess of the revenue generated from equipment sales is referred to in the industry as equipment net subsidy and is generally recognized when title of the device passes to the dealer or end-user subscriber. The cost of multi-functional devices, such as smartphones, including the iPhone, has increased significantly in recent years as a result of enhanced capabilities and functionality. At the same time, wireless service providers continue to compete on the basis of price, including the price of devices offered to subscribers, which has resulted in increased equipment net subsidy. We have entered into a purchase commitment with Apple, Inc. that increases the average equipment net subsidy for postpaid devices resulting in a reduction to consolidated results from operations and reduced cash flow from operations associated with initiation of service for these devices until such time that retail service revenues associated with customers acquiring these devices exceeds such costs.
We expect to incur expenses to attract new subscribers, improve subscriber retention and reduce churn, but there can be no assurance that our efforts will result in new subscribers or a lower rate of subscriber churn. Subscriber losses and a high rate of churn adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations because they result in lost revenues and cash flow. Although attracting new subscribers and retention of existing subscribers are important to the financial viability of our business, there is an added focus on retention because the cost of adding a new subscriber is higher than the cost associated with retention of an existing subscriber.
As the wireless market matures, we must increasingly seek to attract subscribers from competitors and face increased credit risk from new postpaid wireless subscribers.
We and our competitors increasingly must seek to attract a greater proportion of new subscribers from each other's existing subscriber bases rather than from first-time purchasers of wireless services. Beginning in 2008 through 2011, we experienced decreases in our total retail postpaid subscriber base of approximately 8.6 million subscribers (excluding the impact of our 2009 acquisitions), while our two largest competitors increased their subscribers over the same period.
In addition, the higher market penetration also means that subscribers purchasing postpaid wireless services for the first time, on average, have lower credit scores than existing wireless subscribers, and the number of these subscribers we are willing to accept is dependent on our credit policies, which are less stringent than our investment grade competitors. To the extent we cannot compete effectively for new subscribers or if they are not creditworthy, our revenues and results of operations will be adversely affected.
Competition and technological changes in the market for wireless services could negatively affect our average revenue per subscriber, subscriber churn, operating costs and our ability to attract new subscribers, resulting in adverse effects on our revenues, future cash flows, growth and profitability.
We compete with a number of other wireless service providers in each of the markets in which we provide wireless services, and we expect competition may increase if additional spectrum is made available for commercial wireless services and as new technologies are developed and launched. As competition among wireless communications providers has increased, we have created certain unlimited pricing plans that may result in increased usage of data on our network. Competition in pricing and service and product offerings may also adversely impact subscriber retention and our ability to attract new subscribers, with adverse effects on our results of operations. A decline in the average revenue per subscriber coupled with a decline in the number of subscribers would negatively impact our revenues, future cash flows, growth and overall profitability, which, in turn, could impact our ability to meet our financial obligations.
The wireless communications industry is experiencing significant technological change, including improvements in the capacity and quality of digital technology and the deployment of unlicensed spectrum devices. This change causes uncertainty about future subscriber demand for our wireless services and the prices that we will be able to charge for these services. Spending by our competitors on new wireless services and network improvements could enable our competitors to obtain a competitive advantage with new technologies or enhancements that we do not offer. Rapid change in technology may lead to the development of wireless communications technologies, products or alternative services that are superior to our technologies, products, or services or that consumers prefer over ours. If we are unable to meet future advances in competing technologies on a timely basis, or at an acceptable cost, we may not be able to compete effectively and could lose subscribers to our competitors.
Some competitors and new entrants may be able to offer subscribers network features or products and services not offered by us, coverage in areas not served by our wireless networks or pricing plans that are lower than
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those offered by us, all of which would negatively affect our average revenue per subscriber, subscriber churn, ability to attract new subscribers, and operating costs. For example, our prepaid services compete with several carriers, including Metro PCS and Leap Wireless, which offer competitively-priced prepaid calling plans that include unlimited long distance, texting and, in some cases, unlimited data (including 4G). In addition, we may lose subscribers of our higher priced plans to our prepaid offerings.
The success of our network modernization plan, Network Vision, will depend on the timing, extent and cost of implementation; the performance of third-parties and related parties; upgrade requirements; and the availability and reliability of the various technologies required to provide such modernization.
We must continually invest in our wireless network in order to continually improve our wireless service to meet the increasing demand for usage of our data and other non-voice services and remain competitive. Improvements in our service depend on many factors, including continued access to and deployment of adequate spectrum. We must maintain and expand our network capacity and coverage as well as the associated wireline network needed to transport voice and data between cell sites. If we are unable to obtain access to additional spectrum to increase capacity or to deploy the services subscribers desire on a timely basis or at acceptable costs while maintaining network quality levels, our ability to retain and attract subscribers could be materially adversely affected, which would negatively impact our operating margins.
We are implementing Network Vision, which is a multi-year infrastructure initiative intended to reduce operating costs and provide subscribers with an enhanced network experience by improving voice quality, coverage and data speeds, while enhancing network flexibility and improving environmental sustainability. The focus of the plan is on upgrading the existing Sprint platform and providing flexibility for new 4G technologies, including LTE. If Network Vision does not provide a competitive LTE network, an enhanced network experience, or is unable to provide Sprint platform push-to-talk capabilities of comparable quality to the push-to-talk capabilities of our existing Nextel platform or our competitors' similar services, our ability to provide enhanced wireless services to our subscribers, to retain and attract subscribers, and to maintain and grow our subscriber revenues could be adversely affected.
Using a new and sophisticated technology on a very large scale entails risks. For example, deployment of new technology, including LTE, may adversely affect the performance of existing services on our networks. Should implementation of our upgraded network be delayed or costs exceed expected amounts, our margins would be adversely affected and such effects could be material. Should the delivery of services expected to be deployed on our upgraded network be delayed due to technological constraints, performance of third-party suppliers, zoning and leasing restrictions or permit issues, or other reasons, the cost of providing such services could become higher than expected, which could result in higher costs to customers, potentially resulting in decisions to purchase services from our competitors which would adversely affect our revenues, profitability and cash flow from operations.
We plan to migrate existing Nextel platform subscribers to other offerings on our Sprint platform, including future offerings on our multi-mode network, such as Sprint Direct Connect®. The successful deployment and market acceptance of Network Vision is expected to result in incremental charges during the period of implementation including, but not limited to, an increase in depreciation and amortization associated with existing assets, due to changes in our estimates of the remaining useful lives of long-lived assets, and the expected timing of asset retirement obligations. Our ability to transition subscribers from the Nextel platform to offerings on the Sprint platform is dependent, in part, upon the success of Sprint Direct Connect® and subscriber satisfaction with this technology.
Failure to complete development, testing and deployment of new technology that supports new services, including LTE, could affect our ability to compete in the industry. The deployment of new technology and new service offerings could result in network degradation or the loss of subscribers. In addition, the technology we currently use, including WiMAX, may place us at a competitive disadvantage.
We develop, test and deploy various new technologies and support systems intended to enhance our competitiveness by both supporting new services and features and reducing the costs associated with providing those services. Successful development and implementation of technology upgrades depend, in part, on the willingness of third parties to develop new applications or devices in a timely manner. We may not successfully complete the development and rollout of new technology and related features or services in a timely manner, and they may not be widely accepted by our subscribers or may not be profitable, in which case we could not recover our investment in
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the technology. Deployment of technology supporting new service offerings may also adversely affect the performance or reliability of our networks with respect to both the new and existing services and may require us to take action like curtailing new subscribers in certain markets. Any resulting subscriber dissatisfaction could affect our ability to retain subscribers and have an adverse effect on our results of operations and growth prospects.
Our wireless networks currently provide services utilizing CDMA and iDEN technologies. Wireless subscribers served by these two technologies represent a smaller portion of global wireless subscribers than the subscribers served by wireless networks that utilize Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology. As a result, our costs with respect to both CDMA and iDEN network equipment and devices may continue to be higher than the comparable costs incurred by our competitors who use GSM technology, which places us at a competitive disadvantage. See “The success of our network modernization plan, Network Vision, will depend on the timing, extent and cost of implementation; the performance of third-parties and related parties; upgrade requirements; and the availability and reliability of the various technologies required to provide such modernization.”
We have expended significant resources and made substantial investments to deploy a 4G mobile broadband network through our equity method investment in Clearwire using WiMAX technology. As part of Network Vision, we announced that we currently intend to continue selling WiMAX devices through 2012 and that we expect to continue to support such devices for a period of time after that, as we transition to LTE. The failure to successfully design, build and deploy our LTE network, or a loss of or inability to access Clearwire's spectrum could increase subscriber losses, increase our costs of providing services or increase our churn. Other competing technologies may have advantages over our current or planned technology and operators of other networks based on those competing technologies may be able to deploy these alternative technologies at a lower cost and more quickly than the cost and speed with which Clearwire provides 4G MVNO services to us or with which we deploy our LTE network, which may allow those operators to compete more effectively or may require us and Clearwire to deploy additional technologies. See “Risks Related to our Investment in Clearwire” below for additional risks related to our investment in Clearwire and the operation of its 4G network.
Current economic and market conditions, our recent financial performance, our high debt levels, and our debt ratings could negatively impact our access to the capital markets resulting in less growth than planned or failure to satisfy financial covenants under our existing debt agreements.
We expect to incur additional debt in the future for a variety of reasons, such as Network Vision and working capital needs, including equipment net subsidies, future investments or acquisitions. Our ability to arrange additional financing will depend on, among other factors, current economic and market conditions, our financial performance, our high debt levels, and our debt ratings. Some of these factors are beyond our control, and we may not be able to arrange additional financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. Failure to obtain suitable financing when needed could, among other things, result in our inability to continue to expand our businesses and meet competitive challenges, including implementation of Network Vision on our current timeline.
The continued instability in the global financial markets has resulted in periodic volatility in the credit, equity and fixed income markets. This volatility could limit our access to the credit markets, leading to higher borrowing costs or, in some cases, the inability to obtain financing on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all.
We have incurred substantial amounts of indebtedness to finance operations and other general corporate purposes. We expect to incur additional amounts of indebtedness in the future, which may be substantial. At December 31, 2011, the carrying value of our total debt was approximately $20.3 billion. As a result, we are highly leveraged and will continue to be highly leveraged. Accordingly, our debt service requirements are significant in relation to our revenues and cash flow. This leverage exposes us to risk in the event of downturns in our businesses (whether through competitive pressures or otherwise), in our industry or in the economy generally, and may impair our operating flexibility and our ability to compete effectively, particularly with respect to competitors that are less leveraged.
The debt ratings for our notes are currently below the "investment grade" category, which results in higher borrowing costs than investment grade debt as well as reduced marketability of our debt. Our debt ratings could be further downgraded for various reasons, including if we incur significant additional indebtedness, or if we do not generate sufficient cash from our operations, which would likely increase our future borrowing costs and could adversely affect our ability to obtain additional capital.
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Our credit facility, which expires in October 2013, requires that we maintain a ratio of total indebtedness to trailing four quarters earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and certain other non-recurring items as defined by the credit facility (adjusted EBITDA), of no more than 4.5 to 1.0, as of any fiscal quarter ending on or before March 31, 2012. The ratio will be reduced to 4.25 to 1.0 after March 31, 2012, and further reduced to 4.0 to 1.0 after December 31, 2012. As of December 31, 2011, the ratio was 3.7 to 1.0. If we do not continue to satisfy this ratio, we will be in default under our credit facility, which would trigger defaults under our other debt obligations, which in turn could result in the maturities of certain debt obligations being accelerated. While we recently amended our credit facility to redefine adjusted EBITDA by adding back certain net equipment costs, there can be no assurance that we will continue to comply with the covenant as modified or that, if needed, we can obtain amendments or waivers in the future. We also have an unsecured loan agreement with Export Development Canada (EDC), which has terms similar to those of our credit facility.
In addition to the covenants in our credit facility and the EDC loan, certain indentures, governing our notes limit, among other things, our ability to incur additional debt, pay dividends, create liens and sell, transfer, lease or dispose of assets. Such restrictions could adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets or engage in certain transactions.
The trading price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile and may not reflect our actual operations and performance.
Market and industry factors may seriously harm the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operations and performance. Stock price volatility and sustained decreases in our share price could subject our shareholders to losses and us to takeover bids or lead to action by the NYSE. The trading price of our common stock has been, and may continue to be, subject to fluctuations in price in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including, but not limited to:
• | quarterly announcements and variations in our results of operations or those of our competitors, either alone or in comparison to analysts expectations or prior company estimates, including announcements of subscriber counts, rates of churn, and operating margins that would result in downward pressure on our stock price; |
• | the cost and availability or perceived availability of additional capital and market perceptions relating to our access to this capital; |
• | seasonality or other variations in our subscriber base, including our rate of churn; |
• | announcements by us or our competitors of acquisitions, new products, technologies, significant contracts, commercial relationships or capital commitments; |
• | the performance of Clearwire and Clearwire's Class A common stock or speculation about the possibility of future actions we or other significant shareholders may take in connection with Clearwire; |
• | disruption to our operations or those of other companies critical to our network operations; |
• | market speculation or announcements by us regarding the entering into, or termination of, material transactions; |
• | our ability to develop and market new and enhanced technologies, products and services on a timely and cost-effective basis, including implementation of Network Vision and our networks; |
• | recommendations by securities analysts or changes in their estimates concerning us; |
• | the incurrence of additional debt, dilutive issuances of our stock, short sales or hedging of, and other derivative transactions, in our common stock; |
• | any significant change in our board of directors or management; |
• | litigation; |
• | changes in governmental regulations or approvals; and |
• | perceptions of general market conditions in the technology and communications industries, the U.S. economy and global market conditions. |
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Consolidation and competition in the wholesale market for wireline services, as well as consolidation of our roaming partners and access providers used for wireless services, could adversely affect our revenues and profitability.
Our Wireline segment competes with AT&T, Verizon Communications, CenturyLink, Level 3 Communications Inc., other major local incumbent operating companies, and cable operators, as well as a host of smaller competitors. Some of these companies have high-capacity, IP-based fiber-optic networks capable of supporting large amounts of voice and data traffic. Some of these companies claim certain cost structure advantages that, among other factors, may allow them to offer services at lower prices than we can. In addition, consolidation by these companies could lead to fewer companies controlling access to more cell sites, enabling them to control usage and rates, which could negatively affect our revenues and profitability.
We provide wholesale services under long-term contracts to cable television operators which enable these operators to provide consumer and business digital telephone services. These contracts may not be renewed as they expire. Increased competition and the significant increase in capacity resulting from new technologies and networks may drive already low prices down further. AT&T and Verizon Communications continue to be our two largest competitors in the domestic long distance communications market. We and other long distance carriers depend heavily on local access facilities obtained from ILECs to serve our long distance subscribers, and payments to ILECs for these facilities are a significant cost of service for our Wireline segment. The long distance operations of AT&T and Verizon Communications have cost and operational advantages with respect to these access facilities because those carriers serve significant geographic areas, including many large urban areas, as the ILEC.
In addition, our Wireless segment could be adversely affected by changes in rates and access fees that result from consolidation of our roaming partners and access providers, which could negatively affect our revenues and profitability.
The blurring of the traditional dividing lines among long distance, local, wireless, video and Internet services contributes to increased competition.
The traditional dividing lines among long distance, local, wireless, video and Internet services are increasingly becoming blurred. Through mergers, joint ventures and various service expansion strategies, major providers are striving to provide integrated services in many of the markets we serve. This trend is also reflected in changes in the regulatory environment that have encouraged competition and the offering of integrated services.
We expect competition to intensify as a result of the entrance of new competitors or the expansion of services offered by existing competitors, and the rapid development of new technologies, products and services. We cannot predict which of many possible future technologies, products, or services will be important to maintain our competitive position or what expenditures we will be required to make in order to develop and provide these technologies, products or services. To the extent we do not keep pace with technological advances or fail to timely respond to changes in the competitive environment affecting our industry, we could lose market share or experience a decline in revenue, cash flows and net income. As a result of the financial strength and benefits of scale enjoyed by some of our competitors, they may be able to offer services at lower prices than we can, thereby adversely affecting our revenues, growth and profitability.
If we are unable to improve our results of operations, we face the possibility of additional charges for impairments of long-lived assets. Further, our future operating results will be impacted by our share of Clearwire's net loss, which will likely negatively affect our results of operations. The carrying value of our investment in Clearwire may be subject to further impairment.
We review our long-lived assets for impairment whenever changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. If we continue to have operational challenges, including obtaining and retaining subscribers, our future cash flows may not be sufficient to recover the carrying value of our long-lived assets, and we could record asset impairments that are material to our consolidated results of operations and financial condition. If we continue to have challenges retaining subscribers and as we assess the deployment of Network Vision, management may conclude, in future periods, that certain equipment assets will never be either deployed or redeployed, in which case additional cash and/or non-cash charges that could be material to our consolidated financial statements would be recognized.
We account for our investment in Clearwire using the equity method of accounting and, as a result, we record our share of Clearwire's net income or net loss, which could adversely affect our consolidated results of
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operations. Clearwire reported that it will need substantial additional capital over the intermediate and long-term. Clearwire's ability, however, to raise sufficient additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all, remains uncertain. In addition, Clearwire reported that if it fails to obtain additional capital, its business prospects, financial condition and results of operations will likely be materially and adversely affected, and it will be forced to consider all available alternatives. Additional declines in the value of Clearwire may require us to evaluate the decline in relation to the carrying value of our investment in Clearwire. A conclusion by us that additional declines in the value of Clearwire are other than temporary could result in an additional impairment, which could be material.
We have entered into agreements with unrelated parties for certain business operations. Any difficulties experienced in these arrangements could result in additional expense, loss of subscribers and revenue, interruption of our services or a delay in the roll-out of new technology.
We have entered into agreements with unrelated parties for the day-to-day execution of services, provisioning and maintenance for our wireless and wireline networks, for the implementation of Network Vision, and for the development and maintenance of certain software systems necessary for the operation of our business. We also have agreements with unrelated parties to provide customer service and related support to our wireless subscribers and outsourced aspects of our wireline network and back office functions to unrelated parties. In addition, we have sublease agreements with unrelated parties for space on communications towers. As a result, we must rely on unrelated parties to perform certain of our operations and, in certain circumstances, interface with our subscribers. If these unrelated parties were unable to perform to our requirements, we would have to pursue alternative strategies to provide these services and that could result in delays, interruptions, additional expenses and loss of subscribers.
The products and services utilized by us and our suppliers and service providers may infringe on intellectual property rights owned by others.
Some of our products and services use intellectual property that we own. We also purchase products from suppliers, including device suppliers, and outsource services to service providers, including billing and customer care functions, that incorporate or utilize intellectual property. We and some of our suppliers and service providers have received, and may receive in the future, assertions and claims from third parties that the products or software utilized by us or our suppliers and service providers infringe on the patents or other intellectual property rights of these third parties. These claims could require us or an infringing supplier or service provider to cease certain activities or to cease selling the relevant products and services. These claims can be time-consuming and costly to defend, and divert management resources. If these claims are successful, we could be forced to pay significant damages or stop selling certain products or services or stop using certain trademarks, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Government regulation could adversely affect our prospects and results of operations; the FCC and state regulatory commissions may adopt new regulations or take other actions that could adversely affect our business prospects, future growth or results of operations.
The FCC and other federal, state and local, as well as international, governmental authorities have jurisdiction over our business and could adopt regulations or take other actions that would adversely affect our business prospects or results of operations.
The licensing, construction, operation, sale and interconnection arrangements of wireless telecommunications systems are regulated by the FCC and, depending on the jurisdiction, international, state and local regulatory agencies. In particular, the FCC imposes significant regulation on licensees of wireless spectrum with respect to how radio spectrum is used by licensees, the nature of the services that licensees may offer and how the services may be offered, and resolution of issues of interference between spectrum bands.
The FCC grants wireless licenses for terms of generally ten years that are subject to renewal and revocation. There is no guarantee that our licenses will be renewed. Failure to comply with FCC requirements in a given license area could result in revocation of the license for that license area.
Depending on their outcome, the FCC's proceedings regarding regulation of special access rates could affect the rates paid by our Wireless and Wireline segments for special access services in the future. Similarly, depending on their outcome, the FCC's proceedings on the regulatory classification of VoIP services could affect the intercarrier compensation rates and the level of USF contributions paid by us.
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Various states are considering regulations over terms and conditions of service, including certain billing practices and consumer-related issues that may not be pre-empted by federal law. If imposed, these regulations could make it more difficult and expensive to implement national sales and marketing programs and could increase the costs of our wireless operations.
Degradation in network performance caused by compliance with government regulation, such as "net neutrality," loss of spectrum or additional rules associated with the use of spectrum in any market could result in an inability to attract new subscribers or higher subscriber churn in that market, which could adversely affect our revenues and results of operations. In addition, additional costs or fees imposed by governmental regulation could adversely affect our revenues, future growth and results of operations.
Proposed regulatory developments regarding the use of “conflict” minerals mined from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries could affect the sourcing and availability of minerals used in the manufacture of certain products, including handsets. Although we do not buy raw materials, manufacture, or produce any electronic equipment directly, the proposed regulation may affect some of our suppliers. As a result, there may only be a limited pool of suppliers who provide conflict free metals, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain products in sufficient quantities or at competitive prices. Also, because our supply chain is complex, we may face reputational challenges with our customers and other stakeholders if we are unable to sufficiently verify the origins for all metals used in the products that we sell.
Changes to the federal Lifeline Assistance Program could negatively impact the growth of the Assurance Wireless™ and wholesale subscriber base and the profitability of the Assurance Wireless™ and wholesale business overall.
Virgin Mobile USA, L.P., our wholly owned subsidiary, offers service to low-income subscribers eligible for the federal Lifeline Assistance program under the brand Assurance Wireless Brought to You By Virgin Mobile, which we refer to as Assurance Wireless. Assurance Wireless™ provides a monthly discount to eligible subscribers in the form of a free block of minutes. Moreover, some of our wholesale customers also offer service to subscribers eligible for the federal Lifeline Assistance program. This discount is subsidized by the Low-Cost Program of the federal USF and administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company. Lifeline service is offered by both wireline and wireless companies, but more recent wireless entry, particularly by prepaid carriers with a focus on lower income consumers, has caused a rapid increase in the amount of USF support directed toward the Lifeline program. The FCC recently adopted reforms to the Low Income program to increase program effectiveness and efficiencies. More stringent eligibility and certification requirements will make it more difficult for all Lifeline service providers to sign up and retain Lifeline subscribers. The growth in the Lifeline program has caused some regulators and legislators to question the structure of the current program and the FCC is continuing to review the growth of the program. Changes in the Lifeline program as a result of the ongoing FCC proceeding or other legislation could negatively impact growth in the Assurance Wireless™ and wholesale subscriber base and/or the profitability of the Assurance Wireless™ and wholesale business overall.
If our business partners and subscribers fail to meet their contractual obligations it could negatively affect our results of operations.
The current economic environment has made it difficult for businesses and consumers to obtain credit, which could cause our suppliers, distributors and subscribers to have problems meeting their contractual obligations with us. If our suppliers are unable to fulfill our orders or meet their contractual obligations with us, we may not have the services or devices available to meet the needs of our current and future subscribers, which could cause us to lose current and potential subscribers to other carriers. In addition, if our distributors are unable to stay in business, we could lose distribution points, which could negatively affect our business and results of operations. Finally, if our subscribers are unable to pay their bills or potential subscribers feel they are unable to take on additional financial obligations, they may be forced to forgo our services, which could negatively affect our results of operations.
Our reputation and business may be harmed and we may be subject to legal claims if there is loss, disclosure or misappropriation of or access to our subscribers' or our own information or other breaches of our information security.
We make extensive use of online services and centralized data processing, including through third-party
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service providers. The secure maintenance and transmission of customer information is an important element of our operations. Our information technology and other systems that maintain and transmit customer information, or those of service providers, may be compromised by a malicious third-party penetration of our network security, or that of a third-party service provider, or impacted by advertent or inadvertent actions or inactions by our employees, or those of a third-party service provider. As a result, our subscribers' information may be lost, disclosed, accessed or taken without the subscribers' consent.
In addition, we, and third-party service providers process and maintain our proprietary business information and data related to our business-to-business customers or suppliers. Our information technology and other systems that maintain and transmit this information, or those of service providers, may also be compromised by a malicious third-party penetration of our network security or that of a third-party service provider, or impacted by advertent or inadvertent actions or inactions by our employees or those of a third-party service provider. As a result, our business information, or subscriber or supplier data may be lost, disclosed, accessed or taken without consent.
Any loss, disclosure or misappropriation of, or access to, subscribers' information or other breach of our information security can result in legal claims or proceedings, including regulatory investigations and actions, may have an adverse impact on our reputation and may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our business could be negatively impacted by threats and other disruptions.
Major equipment failures, natural disasters, including severe weather, terrorist acts or other breaches of network or information technology security that affect our wireline and wireless networks, including transport facilities, communications switches, routers, microwave links, cell sites or other equipment or third-party owned local and long-distance networks on which we rely, could have a material adverse effect on our operations.
These events could disrupt our operations, require significant resources, result in a loss of subscribers or impair our ability to attract new subscribers, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Concerns about health risks associated with wireless equipment may reduce the demand for our services.
Portable communications devices have been alleged to have adverse health affects, due to radio frequency emissions from these devices. The actual or perceived risk of using mobile communications devices could adversely affect us through a reduction in subscribers, reduced network usage per subscriber or reduced financing available to the mobile communications industry. Although the FDA and FCC have both noted that the weight of the scientific evidence does not link cell phone use to cancer or any health problems, further research and studies are ongoing; we have no reason to expect those studies to reach a different conclusion, but we cannot guarantee that additional studies will not demonstrate a link between radio frequency emissions and health concerns.
Risks Related to our Investment in Clearwire
We are a major shareholder of Clearwire, a term we use to refer to the consolidated entity of Clearwire Corporation and its subsidiary Clearwire Communications LLC. Under this section, we have included certain important risk factors with respect to our investment in Clearwire. For more discussion of Clearwire and the risks affecting Clearwire, you should refer to Clearwire's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The contents of Clearwire's SEC filings are expressly not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.
Our investment in Clearwire exposes us to risks because we do not control the board, determine the strategies, manage operations or control management, including decisions relating to the operation and build-out of its 4G networks, and the value of our investment in Clearwire or our financial performance may be adversely affected by decisions made by Clearwire or other large investors in Clearwire that are adverse to our interests.
We do not control Clearwire's board, nor do we manage the operations of Clearwire or control management. Clearwire has a group of investors that are represented on Clearwire's board of directors. These investors may have interests that diverge from ours or Clearwire's. Differences in views among the large investors could result in delayed decisions by Clearwire's board of directors or failure to agree on major issues. Any such delay or failure to agree with respect to the operation of Clearwire could have a material adverse effect on the value
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of our investment in Clearwire or, because some of our subscribers use Clearwire's 4G network, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
In addition, the corporate opportunity provisions in Clearwire's certificate of incorporation provide that unless a director is an employee of Clearwire, the person does not have a duty to present to Clearwire a corporate opportunity of which the director becomes aware, except where the corporate opportunity is expressly offered to the director in his or her capacity as a director of Clearwire. This could enable certain Clearwire shareholders to benefit from opportunities that may otherwise be available to Clearwire, which could adversely affect Clearwire's business and our investment in Clearwire.
Clearwire's certificate of incorporation also expressly provides that certain shareholders and their affiliates may, and have no duty not to, engage in any businesses that are similar to or competitive with those of Clearwire, do business with Clearwire's competitors, subscribers and suppliers, and employ Clearwire's employees or officers. These shareholders or their affiliates may deploy competing wireless broadband networks or purchase broadband services from other providers. Any such actions could have a material adverse effect on Clearwire's business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects and the value of our investment in Clearwire.
Moreover, although as part of Network Vision we expect to launch our own LTE network beginning in 2012, we currently rely on Clearwire to operate its WiMAX 4G network. In addition, Clearwire has recently announced its intention to build a 4G LTE network. Clearwire's success could be affected by, among other things, its deployment of new technology, ability to offer a competitive cost structure and its ability to obtain additional financing in the amounts and on terms that enable it to continue to operate its 4G network. Clearwire's failure to operate or upgrade its 4G network may negatively affect our ability to generate future revenues, cash flows or overall profitability from 4G services. See “Failure to complete development, testing and deployment of new technology that supports new services, including LTE, could affect our ability to compete in the industry. The deployment of new technology and new service offerings could result in network degradation or the loss of subscribers. In addition, the technology we currently use, including WiMAX, may place us at a competitive disadvantage.”
If Clearwire fails to obtain additional capital on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, its business prospects, financial condition and results of operations will likely be materially and adversely affected, and it has stated that it will be forced to consider all available alternatives. In addition, Clearwire has indicated that due to its current funding constraints, it may not be able to maintain or make improvements necessary to add capacity to its 4G network. If Clearwire is unable to add significant subscriber capacity, or maintain the quality and operations of its 4G network, we could experience subscriber dissatisfaction or loss, which would have a material adverse effect on our revenues, profitability and cash flow from operations.
We may be unable to sell some or all of our investment in Clearwire quickly or at all.
Clearwire's publicly traded Class A common stock is volatile. In addition, the daily trading volume of Clearwire's Class A common stock is lower than the number of shares of Class A common stock we would hold if we exchanged all of our Clearwire Class B common stock and interests. If we should decide to sell some or all of our equity securities of Clearwire, there may not be purchasers available for any or all of our Clearwire stock, or we may be forced to sell at a price that is below the then current trading price or over a significant period of time. We are also subject to certain restrictions with respect to the sale of our equity securities of Clearwire.
Item 1B. | Unresolved Staff Comments |
None.
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Item 2. | Properties |
Our corporate headquarters are located in Overland Park, Kansas and consists of about 3,853,000 square feet. Our gross property, plant and equipment at December 31, 2011 totaled $46.7 billion, as follows:
2011 | |||
(in billions) | |||
Wireless | $ | 39.7 | |
Wireline | 4.5 | ||
Corporate and other | 2.5 | ||
Total | $ | 46.7 | |
Properties utilized by our Wireless segment generally consist of base transceiver stations, switching equipment and towers, as well as leased and owned general office facilities and retail stores. We lease space for base station towers and switch sites for our wireless network.
Properties utilized by our Wireline segment generally consist of land, buildings, switching equipment, digital fiber optic network and other transport facilities. We have been granted easements, rights-of-way and rights-of-occupancy by railroads and other private landowners for our fiber optic network.
Item 3. | Legal Proceedings |
On January 6, 2011, the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas denied our motion to dismiss a shareholder lawsuit, Bennett v. Sprint Nextel Corp., that alleges that the Company and three of our former officers violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 by failing adequately to disclose certain alleged operational difficulties subsequent to the Sprint-Nextel merger, and by purportedly issuing false and misleading statements regarding the write-down of goodwill. The complaint was originally filed in March 2009 and is brought on behalf of alleged purchasers of company stock from October 26, 2006 to February 27, 2008. Our motion to certify the January 6, 2011 order for an interlocutory (or interim) appeal was denied, and discovery has begun. We believe the complaint is without merit and intend to defend the matter vigorously. We do not expect the resolution of this matter to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.
Five related shareholder derivative suits were filed against the Company and certain of our present and/or former officers and directors. The first, Murphy v. Forsee, was filed in state court in Kansas in April 2009, was removed to federal court, and was stayed by the court pending resolution of the motion to dismiss the Bennett case. The second, Randolph v. Forsee, was filed in July 2010 in state court in Kansas, was removed to federal court, and was remanded back to state court. The third, Ross-Williams v. Bennett, et al., was filed in state court in Kansas on February 1, 2011; the fourth suit, Price v. Forsee, et al., was filed in state court in Kansas on April 15, 2011; and the fifth suit, Hartleib v. Forsee, et. al., was filed in federal court in Kansas on July 14, 2011. These cases are essentially stayed while we proceed with discovery in the Bennett case. We do not expect the resolution of these matters to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.
Various other suits, proceedings and claims, either asserted or unasserted, including purported class actions typical for a large business enterprise, are possible or pending against us or our subsidiaries. If our interpretation of certain laws or regulations, including those related to various state matters such as sales, use or property taxes, were found to be mistaken, it could result in payments by us. While it is not possible to determine the ultimate disposition of each of these proceedings and whether they will be resolved consistent with our beliefs, we expect that the outcome of such proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations. We are involved in certain legal proceedings that are described in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K. During the quarter ended December 31, 2011, there were no material developments in the status of any of these legal proceedings.
Item 4. | Mine Safety Disclosures |
None.
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PART II
Item 5. | Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities. |
Common Share Data
The principal trading market for our Series 1 common stock is the NYSE. We currently have no Series 2 common stock or non-voting common stock outstanding. The high and low Sprint Series 1 common stock prices, as reported on the NYSE composite, are as follows:
2011 Market Price | 2010 Market Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||
High | Low | End of Period | High | Low | End of Period | ||||||||||||||||||
Series 1 common stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||
First quarter | $ | 5.26 | $ | 4.12 | $ | 4.64 | $ | 4.23 | $ | 3.10 | $ | 3.80 | |||||||||||
Second quarter | 6.45 | 4.54 | 5.39 | 5.31 | 3.81 | 4.24 | |||||||||||||||||
Third quarter | 5.75 | 2.95 | 3.04 | 5.08 | 3.82 | 4.63 | |||||||||||||||||
Fourth quarter | 3.39 | 2.10 | 2.34 | 4.88 | 3.70 | 4.23 | |||||||||||||||||
Number of Shareholders of Record
As of February 20, 2012, we had about 46,000 Series 1 common stock record holders.
Dividends
We did not declare any dividends on our common shares in 2010 or 2011. We are currently restricted from paying cash dividends by the terms of our revolving bank credit facility as described under Item 7 “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources - Capital Resources.”
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
None.
Performance Graph
The graph below compares the yearly change in the cumulative total shareholder return for our Series 1 common stock with the S&P® 500 Stock Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Telecommunications Index for the five-year period from December 31, 2006 to December 31, 2011. The graph assumes an initial investment of $100 on December 31, 2006 and reinvestment of all dividends.
5-Year Total Return
Value of $100 Invested on December 31, 2006
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||
Sprint Nextel | $ | 100.00 | $ | 69.82 | $ | 9.73 | $ | 19.46 | $ | 22.49 | $ | 12.44 | |||||||||||
S&P 500 | $ | 100.00 | $ | 105.49 | $ | 66.46 | $ | 84.05 | $ | 96.71 | $ | 98.76 | |||||||||||
Dow Jones U.S. Telecom Index | $ | 100.00 | $ | 110.04 | $ | 73.80 | $ | 81.07 | $ | 95.46 | $ | 99.24 | |||||||||||
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Item 6. | Selected Financial Data |
The selected financial data presented below is not comparable for all periods presented primarily as a result of transactions such as the acquisitions of Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. (Virgin Mobile) in 2009 and Affiliates in 2007 and 2009, as well as the November 2008 contribution of our next generation wireless network to Clearwire. The acquired companies' results of operations subsequent to their acquisition dates are included in our consolidated financial statements. The primary reason for the increase in net operating revenues for 2011 as compared to the prior year was an increase in postpaid average revenue per subscriber and total retail wireless subscribers net additions of 2.4 million. The 2010 increase in net operating revenues as compared to the prior year was primarily related to the total retail wireless subscribers net additions of 783,000 and the additional subscribers obtained in our 2009 acquisitions. We lost approximately 1.0 million retail wireless subscribers in 2009 and 5.1 million in 2008, which caused the majority of the reduction in net operating revenues in those periods.
Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | |||||||||||||||
(in millions, except per share amounts) | |||||||||||||||||||
Results of Operations | |||||||||||||||||||
Net operating revenues | $ | 33,679 | $ | 32,563 | $ | 32,260 | $ | 35,635 | $ | 40,146 | |||||||||
Goodwill impairment | — | — | — | 963 | 29,649 | ||||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 4,858 | 6,248 | 7,416 | 8,407 | 8,933 | ||||||||||||||
Operating income (loss)(1) | 108 | (595 | ) | (1,398 | ) | (2,642 | ) | (28,740 | ) | ||||||||||
Net loss(1)(2) | (2,890 | ) | (3,465 | ) | (2,436 | ) | (2,796 | ) | (29,444 | ) | |||||||||
Loss per Share and Dividends | |||||||||||||||||||
Basic and diluted loss per common share(1)(2) | $ | (0.96 | ) | $ | (1.16 | ) | $ | (0.84 | ) | $ | (0.98 | ) | $ | (10.24 | ) | ||||
Dividends per common share(3) | — | — | — | — | 0.10 | ||||||||||||||
Financial Position | |||||||||||||||||||
Total assets | $ | 49,383 | $ | 51,654 | $ | 55,424 | $ | 58,550 | $ | 64,295 | |||||||||
Property, plant and equipment, net | 14,009 | 15,214 | 18,280 | 22,373 | 26,636 | ||||||||||||||
Intangible assets, net | 22,428 | 22,704 | 23,462 | 22,886 | 28,139 | ||||||||||||||
Total debt, capital lease and financing obligations (including equity unit notes) | 20,274 | 20,191 | 21,061 | 21,610 | 22,130 | ||||||||||||||
Shareholders' equity | 11,427 | 14,546 | 18,095 | 19,915 | 22,445 | ||||||||||||||
Cash Flow Data | |||||||||||||||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 3,691 | $ | 4,815 | $ | 4,891 | $ | 6,179 | $ | 9,245 | |||||||||
Capital expenditures | 3,130 | 1,935 | 1,603 | 3,882 | 6,322 | ||||||||||||||
_______________
(1) | In 2011, operating income improved $703 million primarily due to the increase in net operating revenues of $1.1 billion, as well as decreases in depreciation and amortization associated with a reduction in the replacement rate of assets in 2009 through 2011, and definite lived intangible assets becoming fully amortized, offset by increases in operating expenses of $413 million as a result of increases in wireless cost of services associated with 4G MVNO roaming due to higher data usage and increased wireless cost of products primarily related to higher cost of postpaid and prepaid devices. In 2010, operating loss improved $803 million primarily due to the increase in net operating revenues of $303 million in addition to decreases in operating expenses of $500 million as a result of our cost cutting initiatives in prior periods. In 2009, we recognized net charges of $389 million ($248 million after tax) primarily related to severance and exit costs and asset impairments other than goodwill. In 2008, we recognized net charges of $936 million ($586 million after tax) primarily related to asset impairments other than goodwill, severance and exit costs, and merger and integration costs. In 2007, we recognized net charges of $956 million ($590 million after tax) primarily related to merger and integration costs, asset impairments other than goodwill, and severance and exit costs. |
(2) | During 2011 and 2010, the Company did not recognize significant tax benefits associated with federal and state net operating losses generated during the periods due to its history of consecutive annual losses. As a result, the Company recognized an increase in the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets affecting the income tax provision by approximately $1.2 billion, $1.4 billion, and $281 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. |
(3) | We did not declare any dividends on our common shares in 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008. In each quarter of 2007, the dividend was $0.025 per share. |
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Item 7. | Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
OVERVIEW
Business Strategies and Key Priorities
Sprint is a communications company offering a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications products and services that are designed to meet the needs of individual consumers, businesses, government subscribers and resellers. The communications industry has been and will continue to be highly competitive on the basis of the quality of service, the types of services and devices offered, and price. As discussed below in “Effects on our Wireless Business of Postpaid Subscriber Losses,” the Company has experienced significant losses of subscribers in the critical postpaid wireless market since the third quarter 2006, but, as a result of steps taken to retain and attract such subscribers, has reduced annual postpaid net subscriber losses beginning in 2009.
Our business strategy is to be responsive to changing customer mobility demands by being innovative and differentiated in the marketplace. Our future growth plans and strategy revolve around achieving the following three key priorities:
• | Improve the customer experience; |
• | Strengthen our brands; and |
• | Generate operating cash flow. |
We have reduced confusion over pricing plans and complex bills with our Simply Everything® and Everything Data plans and our Any Mobile Anytime feature. We also offer price plans tailored to business subscribers such as Business Advantage, which allows for the flexibility to mix and match plans that include voice, voice and messaging, or voice, messaging and data to meet individual business needs and also allows the Any Mobile Anytime feature with certain plans. To simplify and improve the customer experience, we continue to offer Ready Now, which trains our customers before they leave the store on how to use their mobile devices. For our business customers, we aim to increase their productivity by providing differentiated services that utilize the advantages of combining IP networks with wireless technology. This differentiation enables us to retain and acquire both wireline, wireless and combined wireline-wireless subscribers on our networks. We have also continued to focus on further improving customer care. We implemented initiatives that are designed to improve call center processes and procedures, and standardized our performance measures through various metrics, including customer satisfaction ratings with respect to customer care, first call resolution, and calls per subscriber.
Our product strategy is to provide our customers with a broad array of device selections and applications and services that run on these devices to meet the growing needs of customer mobility. Our multi-functional device portfolio includes many cutting edge devices from various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Our mobile broadband portfolio consists of devices such as hotspots, which allow the connection of multiple WiFi enabled devices. Our networks can also be accessed through our portfolio of embedded tablets and laptop devices.
We support the open development of applications, content and devices on our network platforms through products and services such as Google Voice™ as well as Google Wallet™, which is an application using near field communication technology to enable smartphones to make purchases at select merchants. We have also launched multiple Sprint ID packs that download applications, widgets and other content related to a person's interests at the push of a button. In addition, we enable a variety of business and consumer third-party relationships through our portfolio of machine-to-machine solutions, which we offer on a retail postpaid and wholesale basis. The machine-to-machine solutions portfolio provides a secure, real-time and reliable wireless two-way data connection across a broad range of connected devices including OEM devices and after-market in-vehicle connectivity and electric vehicle charging stations, point-of-sale systems, kiosks and vending machines, asset tracking, digital signage, security, smartgrid utilities, medical equipment, and a variety of other consumer electronics and appliances.
Our prepaid portfolio includes multiple brands, each designed to appeal to specific customer segments. Boost Mobile serves subscribers who are voice and text messaging-centric with its popular Monthly Unlimited plan with Shrinkage service where bills are reduced after six on-time payments. Virgin Mobile serves subscribers who are device and data-oriented with Beyond Talk™ plans and our broadband plan, Broadband2Go, that offer consumers control, flexibility, and connectivity through various communication vehicles. Assurance Wireless provides eligible subscribers, who meet income requirements or are receiving government assistance, with a free wireless phone and
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250 free minutes of national, local, and long-distance monthly service.
We have focused our wholesale business to enable our diverse network of customers to successfully grow their business by providing them with an array of network, product, and device solutions. This allows our customers to customize this full suite of value-added solutions to meet the growing demands of their business.
In addition to our brand and customer-oriented goals, we continue to focus on generating increased operating cash flow through competitive rate plans for postpaid and prepaid subscribers, multi-branded strategies, and effectively managing our cost structure to align with reduced revenues from fewer postpaid subscribers. Certain of our strategic decisions, such as Network Vision and the introduction of the iPhone®, which on average carries a higher equipment net subsidy, will result in a reduction in cash flows from operations in the near term. However, we believe these actions will generate long-term benefits, including growth in valuable postpaid subscribers, a reduction in variable cost of service per unit and long-term accretion to cash flows from operations. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.
Network Vision
In December 2010, we announced Network Vision, a multi-year network infrastructure initiative intended to provide subscribers with an enhanced network experience by improving voice quality, coverage, and data speeds, while enhancing network flexibility, reducing operating costs, and improving environmental sustainability through the utilization of multiple spectrum bands onto a single multi-mode base station. In addition to implementing these multi-mode base stations, this plan encompasses next-generation push-to-talk technology with broadband capabilities and the integration of multi-mode chipsets into smartphones, tablets and other broadband devices, including machine-to-machine products. Through the successful deployment of Network Vision, we expect to migrate to a single nationwide network allowing for the consolidation and optimization of our 800 megahertz (MHz) and 1.9 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum, as well as other spectrum owned by third-parties, into multi-mode stations allowing us to repurpose spectrum to enhance coverage, particularly around the in-building experience. The multi-mode technology also utilizes software-based solutions with interchangeable hardware to provide greater network flexibility, which also allows for the deployment of LTE.
The first stages of equipment testing began in the first quarter of 2011, and we have achieved our initial technical milestones. Deployment has begun on approximately 38,000 cell sites, and we powered on our first multi-mode base station on December 6, 2011. We expect to commercially launch this new technology in certain markets by mid-year 2012. On October 2, 2011, we launched Sprint Direct Connect®, which is the next generation of push-to-talk technology. Further deployments of Network Vision technology, including enhancements of Sprint Direct Connect®, are expected to continue through early 2014. We expect the plan to bring financial benefit to the Company through migration to one common network, which is expected to reduce network maintenance and operating costs through capital efficiencies, reduced energy costs, lower roaming expenses, backhaul savings, and the eventual reduction in total cell sites.
The successful deployment related to these changes in technology will result in incremental charges during the period of implementation including, but not limited to, an increase in depreciation and amortization associated with existing assets, both Nextel and Sprint platform related, due to changes in our estimates of the remaining useful lives of long-lived assets, and the expected timing of asset retirement obligations, which we expect will have a material impact on our results of operations. We recorded a charge of $78 million related to network equipment, which has not been placed into service and that is no longer necessary for management's strategic plans. In the first quarter of 2012, we formalized our plans to decommission roughly one-third of our total Nextel platform, or 9,600 towers, by the end of 2012. We also expect to be completed with our transition of customers from the Nextel platform to our Sprint platform by the end of 2013, which should allow us to decommission the remainder of our Nextel platform sites. As a result, in the first quarter 2012, we revised our estimates of the expected useful lives of certain Nextel platform assets and asset retirement obligations through the end of 2013. Accordingly, approximately $2 billion of the remaining $3.6 billion net book value of Nextel platform assets is expected to be accelerated through depreciation expense, of which a disproportionate amount is expected to be recognized during 2012. The exact timing of the acceleration is dependent upon when the assets are expected to be phased out of service. These estimates are derived from our internal decommissioning plan, which is still evolving. We estimate the incremental effect of accelerated depreciation related to Nextel platform assets in our 2012 results to be in the range of approximately $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion.
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In addition, we are experiencing increased data usage by subscribers, which has required additional capital expenditures of data capacity equipment on our current Sprint platform. As we deploy Network Vision, we intend to maximize the use of previously deployed data capacity equipment when possible; however, based on our capacity needs during the implementation period of Network Vision, we expect additional data capacity expenditures that will not be compatible with the deployment of Network Vision's multi-mode technology. As a result, the estimated useful lives of such equipment will be shortened, as compared to similar prior capital expenditures, through the date in which Network Vision equipment is deployed and in-service.
Spectrum Hosting
Our Network Vision multi-mode network technology is designed to utilize a single base station capable of handling various spectrum bands, including our 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz spectrum as well as spectrum bands owned or accessed by other parties. In June 2011, we entered into a 15-year arrangement with LightSquared LP and LightSquared Inc. (collectively, “LightSquared”). Under the terms of the arrangement, and in conjunction with our Network Vision deployment, we agreed to deploy and operate an LTE network capable of utilizing the 1.6 GHz spectrum licensed to or available to LightSquared during the term of the arrangement, a service we refer to as “spectrum hosting.” The arrangement contains contingencies related to possible interference issues with LightSquared's spectrum, including the right of Sprint to terminate the arrangement if certain conditions are not met by LightSquared. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had received $310 million of advanced payments from LightSquared for future services to be performed under the spectrum hosting agreement.
Beginning in December 2011, through a series of amendments, the arrangement was modified to, among other things, extend the date in which Sprint has the right to terminate the arrangement and suspend Sprint's obligation to incur any further cost or expense related to performance under the original agreement. Under the amended arrangement, Sprint, for any reason, including but not limited to FCC action or inaction, or no reason at all, may terminate the agreement after March 15, 2012 and before April 30, 2012. If LightSquared secures lender's consent for modifications to the agreement, Sprint's right to terminate will be deferred until June 25, 2012 and will continue through December 31, 2012. In addition, the parties definitively agreed that approximately $236 million of the total $310 million of advanced payments made by LightSquared represent payment for incremental costs or obligations incurred by Sprint under the original agreement in support of LightSquared. The parties agreed that this amount is irrevocably and unconditionally paid and will not be subject to dispute or claim by LightSquared. Accordingly, Sprint will refund up to approximately $74 million of Lightsquared's initial prepayments, of which $65 million will be paid on the earlier of LightSquared's lender's consent or March 15, 2012, and the remaining $9 million will remain subject to the termination and unwind provisions of the original agreement and will be returned to LightSquared upon termination, less any additional incremental cost or obligations incurred by Sprint in support of LightSquared. In the event the arrangement is terminated for LightSquared's material breach, non-payment or insolvency, Sprint maintains a second lien on certain of LightSquared's assets, including spectrum assets.
The $236 million, which has been recorded as a current liability, will be recognized as other operating income, net of the associated costs, in the event of termination assuming all other uncertainties have been resolved. Alternatively, should Sprint and LightSquared agree to proceed with the hosting arrangement, the $236 million will be recognized as revenue as the hosting services are performed.
Effects on our Wireless Business of Postpaid Subscriber Losses
The following table shows annual net additions/(losses) of postpaid subscribers by platform for the past five years, excluding subscribers obtained through business combinations.
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | ||||||||||
( in thousands) | ||||||||||||||
Sprint platform net additions/(losses) | 1,283 | 734 | (1,191 | ) | (437 | ) | 3,131 | |||||||
Nextel platform net losses | (1,381 | ) | (1,589 | ) | (2,355 | ) | (3,636 | ) | (4,355 | ) | ||||
Total net losses of postpaid subscribers | (98 | ) | (855 | ) | (3,546 | ) | (4,073 | ) | (1,224 | ) | ||||
As shown by the table below under “Results of Operations,” Wireless segment earnings represented approximately 84% of our total consolidated segment earnings in 2011. The wireless industry is subject to competition to retain and acquire subscribers of wireless services. Most markets in which we operate have high rates
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of penetration for wireless services. Wireless carriers accordingly must attract a greater proportion of new subscribers from competitors rather than from first time subscribers. Within the Wireless segment, postpaid wireless services represent the most significant contributors to earnings, and are driven by the number of postpaid subscribers to our services, as well as the average revenue per subscriber or user (ARPU).
To address and reduce net postpaid subscriber losses, we have taken initiatives to strengthen the Sprint brand and continue to increase market awareness of the improvements that have been achieved in the customer experience, including the speed and dependability of our networks. We have also introduced new devices, including the iPhone in the fourth quarter of 2011, improving our overall lineup and providing a competitive portfolio for customer selection, as well as competitive rate plans providing simplicity and value.
The Company has significantly improved net postpaid subscriber results subsequent to the first quarter 2009 as a result of actions taken to improve customer service, device selection and value-oriented service offerings. In conjunction with Network Vision, the Company continues to focus on the growth of the Sprint platform while simultaneously targeting retention of Nextel platform customers through competitive offerings on the Sprint platform, which includes Sprint Direct Connect. As a result of our plans, we expect that customer churn on the Nextel platform, both postpaid and prepaid, will increase as we progress toward the decommissioning of the Nextel platform as well as increased competition for these subscribers. Although the Company continues to experience net losses of Nextel platform postpaid subscribers, these subscribers generally have a lower ARPU and have been partially offset by net additions of Sprint platform postpaid subscribers which, on average, carry a higher ARPU.
For the year ended December 31, 2011, net postpaid subscriber losses of 98,000 represent an improvement of 757,000, or 89% compared to the same period one year ago and net prepaid subscriber additions of 2.5 million represent an improvement of 874,000, or 53% compared to the same period one year ago. Wireless retail service revenue has begun to grow primarily due to the increased service revenue associated with our prepaid wireless offerings and increased postpaid ARPU due primarily to the $10 premium data add-on charge associated with smartphones. If our trend of improved postpaid subscriber results does not continue, it could have a material negative impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity in 2012 and beyond. The Company believes the actions that have been taken, as described above, and that continue to be taken in marketing, customer service, device offerings, and network quality, should continue to improve net postpaid subscriber results.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
2011 | 2010 | 2009 | |||||||||
(in millions) | |||||||||||
Wireless segment earnings | $ | 4,267 | $ | 4,531 | $ | 5,198 | |||||
Wireline segment earnings | 800 | 1,090 | 1,221 | ||||||||
Corporate, other and eliminations | 5 | 12 | (12 | ) | |||||||
Consolidated segment earnings | 5,072 | 5,633 | 6,407 | ||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | (4,858 | ) | (6,248 | ) | (7,416 | ) | |||||
Other, net | (106 | ) | 20 | (389 | ) | ||||||
Operating income (loss) | 108 | (595 | ) | (1,398 | ) | ||||||
Interest expense | (1,011 | ) | (1,464 | ) | (1,450 | ) | |||||
Equity in losses of unconsolidated investments, net | (1,730 | ) | (1,286 | ) | (803 | ) | |||||
Other (expense) income, net | (3 | ) | 46 | 157 | |||||||
Income tax (expense) benefit | (254 | ) | (166 | ) | 1,058 | ||||||
Net loss | $ | (2,890 | ) | $ | (3,465 | ) | $ | (2,436 | ) | ||
Consolidated segment earnings decreased $561 million, or 10%, in 2011 compared to 2010 and $774 million, or 12%, in 2010 compared to 2009. Consolidated segment earnings consist of our Wireless and Wireline segments, which are discussed below, and Corporate, other and eliminations.
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Depreciation and Amortization Expense
During 2011, Sprint completed studies of the estimated useful lives of depreciable assets, which reflects a reduction in the replacement rate of capital additions and was a primary factor for a decrease to depreciation expense of $619 million, or 12%, in 2011 compared to 2010. This decline is partially offset by an increase due to assets placed in service as a result of capital expenditures related to capacity to support increased data usage by our subscribers. As a result of expected increased capital expenditures related to Network Vision, we expect depreciation expense to increase over the next several years as those assets are placed in service. In addition, the successful deployment related to the changes in technology as a result of Network Vision is expected to result in incremental charges during the period of implementation including, but not limited to, an increase in depreciation and amortization associated with existing assets, both Nextel and Sprint platform related, due to changes in our estimates of the remaining useful lives of long-lived assets, and the expected timing of asset retirement obligations, which we expect to have a material impact on our results of operations. Depreciation expense decreased $753 million, or 13%, in 2010 compared to 2009 primarily due to a reduction in the replacement rate of capital additions resulting from reduced capital spending associated with our cost control actions beginning in 2008. The average annual capital expenditures for the three years ended 2007 were approximately $6.3 billion as compared to average annual capital expenditures of $2.5 billion for the three years ended 2010.
Amortization expense declined $771 million, or 66%, in 2011 compared to 2010 primarily due to the absence of amortization for customer relationship intangible assets related to the 2005 acquisition of Nextel, which became fully amortized in the second quarter 2010. In addition, customer relationship intangible assets related to the acquisition of Nextel Partners, Inc. in 2006 and Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. (Virgin Mobile) in the fourth quarter 2009 became fully amortized in the second quarter 2011. Amortization expense declined $415 million, or 26%, in 2010 as compared to 2009, primarily due to the absence of amortization for customer relationship intangible assets related to the 2005 acquisition of Nextel which became fully amortized in the second quarter 2010. These reductions were partially offset by an increase in amortization related to customer relationship intangible assets acquired in connection with the iPCS, Inc. (iPCS) and Virgin Mobile acquisitions in the fourth quarter 2009. Customer relationships are amortized using the sum-of-the-years'-digits method, resulting in higher amortization rates in early periods that decline over time.
Other, net
The following table provides additional information of items included in “Other, net” for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009.
Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
2011 | 2010 | 2009 | |||||||||
(in millions) | |||||||||||
Severance and exit costs | $ | (28 | ) | $ | (8 | ) | $ | (400 | ) | ||
Asset impairments | (78 | ) | (125 | ) | (47 | ) | |||||
Gains from asset dispositions and exchanges | — | 69 | 68 | ||||||||
Other | — | 84 | (10 | ) | |||||||
Total | $ | (106 | ) | $ | 20 | $ | (389 | ) | |||
Other, net changed $126 million, or 630%, in 2011 compared to 2010 and $409 million, or 105%, in 2010 compared to 2009. During 2011 we recognized severance and exit costs of $28 million associated with actions in the fourth quarter of 2011. During 2010 we recognized $8 million of severance and exit costs primarily related to exit costs incurred in the second and fourth quarter 2010 associated with vacating certain office space which is no longer being utilized. We recognized $400 million in 2009 of severance and exit costs related to the separation of employees and organizational realignment initiatives. Asset impairments decreased by $47 million, or 38%, in 2011 compared to 2010 and increased $78 million, or 166%, in 2010 compared to 2009. Asset impairments primarily relate to assets that are no longer necessary for management's strategic plans. In 2011, 2010, and 2009 these impairments were primarily related to network asset equipment. Gains from asset dispositions and exchanges for 2010 and 2009 are primarily related to spectrum exchange transactions. Other changed $94 million in 2010 as compared to 2009 primarily due to an increase in benefits resulting from favorable developments relating to access cost disputes with certain exchange carriers.
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Interest Expense
Interest expense decreased $453 million, or 31%, in 2011 as compared to 2010, primarily due to a $400 million increase in the amount of interest capitalized. The increase in capitalized interest is related to our plan to deploy certain spectrum licenses as part of Network Vision that were not previously utilized. The reduction in interest expense also includes a decrease of $115 million as a result of the repayment of $1.65 billion of Sprint Capital Corporation 7.625% senior notes in January 2011. The decrease was partially offset by increases in interest expense of $54 million as a result of the November 2011 Sprint Nextel Corporation issuance of $1 billion in principal of 11.50% senior notes due 2021 and $3 billion in principal of 9.00% guaranteed notes due 2018. Interest expense increased $14 million, or 1%, in 2010 as compared to 2009. This increase was primarily due to higher effective interest rates on our average long-term debt balances and increased costs on our revolving credit facilities, which include the accelerated amortization of previously unamortized debt issuance costs from the retirement of our former credit facility in May 2010 partially offset by reductions in interest expense previously recorded as a result of favorable tax outcomes. The effective interest rate, which includes capitalized interest, on the weighted average long-term debt balance of $19.1 billion, $20.6 billion, and $21.4 billion was 7.4%, 7.2%, and 6.8% for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information on the Company's financing activities.
Equity in Losses of Unconsolidated Investments, net
Clearwire owns and operates a next generation mobile broadband network that provides high-speed residential and mobile Internet access services and residential voice services in communities throughout the country. Clearwire is an early stage company, and as such, heavily invested in building its network and acquiring other assets necessary to expand its WiMAX business during 2009 and 2010, which resulted in increased operating losses and reduced liquidity. In August 2011, Clearwire announced its intention to deploy an LTE network subject to the availability of additional funding. In December 2011, Clearwire issued additional equity and raised net proceeds of approximately $716 million. Additionally, in January 2012, Clearwire issued additional indebtedness and raised net proceeds of approximately $295 million. We expect Clearwire to continue to generate net losses in the near term as it executes its business plan, including the deployment of an LTE network. Our intent to hold our investment in Clearwire is based, in part, on our growing subscriber base of 4G WiMAX subscribers that utilize Clearwire's network and our intent to sell 4G WiMAX devices through 2012.
Equity in losses of unconsolidated investments primarily consists of our proportionate share of losses from our equity method investments. Equity losses associated with our investment in Clearwire consists of Sprint's share of Clearwire's net loss and other adjustments such as gains or losses associated with the dilution of Sprint's ownership interest resulting from Clearwire's equity issuances and other items recognized by Clearwire Corporation that do not effect Sprint's economic interest. Equity in losses from Clearwire were $1.7 billion, $1.3 billion, and $803 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Equity in losses from Clearwire for 2011 and 2010 include charges of approximately $361 million and $97 million respectively, which are associated with Clearwire's write-off of certain network and other assets that no longer meet their strategic plans. The year ended December 31, 2011 also includes a $135 million pre-tax impairment reflecting the reduction of our investment in Clearwire to its estimated fair value and a dilution loss of approximately $27 million associated with the fourth quarter reduction of our non-controlling economic interest related to Clearwire's equity issuance. The 2009 equity in losses of Clearwire include a pre-tax dilution loss of $154 million recognized in the first quarter 2009, representing the finalization of ownership percentages associated with the formation of Clearwire, which was subject to change based on the trading price of Clearwire stock during the 90 days subsequent to the November 2008 closing. Additional declines in the value of Clearwire may require us to evaluate the decline in relation to the carrying value of our investment in Clearwire. A conclusion by us that additional declines in the value of Clearwire are other than temporary could result in an additional impairment, which could be material.
On November 30, 2011, Sprint entered into new agreements with Clearwire that established long-term pricing terms for 4G services, both WiMAX and LTE. Under terms of the agreements, Sprint is required to pay Clearwire $926 million in total over the course of 2012 and 2013 in exchange for unlimited WiMAX services during those years. The agreements also establish long-term usage-based pricing for LTE services in 2012 and beyond and WiMAX services in 2014 and beyond. Under the terms Sprint may also make a series of refundable prepayments up to $350 million for LTE services, if Clearwire achieves certain build-out targets and network specifications by June 2013 or obtains purchase commitments for LTE services from other customers. These payments, beginning in 2013,
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will be applied towards LTE usage over the remaining term of the contract. In addition, the agreements provided improved terms and competitive pricing for re-wholesaling of WiMAX services by Sprint beginning in 2012. Lastly, as part of the agreements, on January 2, 2012, Sprint provided $150 million to Clearwire in exchange for a promissory note with a stated interest rate of 11.5% that matures in two installments of $75 million plus accrued interest in January 2013 and in January 2014. Sprint, at its sole discretion, can choose to offset any amounts payable by Clearwire under this promissory note against amounts owed by Sprint under the MVNO agreement.
Other (expense) income, net
The following table provides additional information of items included in “Other (expense) income, net” for each of the three years ended December 31, 2011.
Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
2011 | 2010 | 2009 | |||||||||
(in millions) | |||||||||||
Interest income | $ | 36 | $ | 35 | $ | 34 | |||||
Realized loss from investments | (6 | ) | (3 | ) | (29 | ) | |||||
Gain on previously held non-controlling interest in Virgin Mobile | — | — | 151 | ||||||||
Loss on early retirement of debt | (33 | ) | — | — | |||||||
Other | — | 14 | 1 | ||||||||
Total | $ | (3 | ) | $ | 46 | $ | 157 | ||||
Interest income remained relatively stable for each of the periods presented. Realized loss from investments was consistent in 2011, as compared to 2010, and decreased $26 million, or 90%, in 2010 as compared to 2009 primarily due to fewer sales of marketable securities. As a result of the acquisition of Virgin Mobile, a non-cash gain of $151 million ($92 million after tax) was recognized in the fourth quarter 2009 related to the estimated fair value over net carrying value of our previously held non-controlling interest in Virgin Mobile. The loss on early retirement of debt in 2011 was due to the redemption of all of our outstanding $2.0 billion Sprint Capital Corporation 8.375% senior notes due March 2012.
Income Tax (Expense) Benefit
The consolidated effective tax rate was an expense of approximately 10% and 5% in 2011 and 2010, respectively, and a benefit of approximately 30% in 2009. The income tax expense for 2011 and 2010 and the benefit for 2009 include a $1.2 billion, $1.4 billion, and $281 million net increase to the valuation allowance for federal and state deferred tax assets primarily related to net operating loss carryforwards generated during the respective periods. The 2011 increase to the valuation allowance was also inclusive of $21 million associated with federal income tax effects of recently enacted changes in corporate state income tax laws, and resulted in a total charge to income tax expense of $59 million. We do not expect to record significant tax benefits on future net operating losses until our circumstances justify the recognition of such benefits. Additional information related to items impacting the effective tax rates can be found in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Segment Earnings - Wireless
Wireless segment earnings are primarily a function of wireless service revenue, costs to acquire subscribers, network and interconnection costs to serve those subscribers and other Wireless segment operating expenses. The costs to acquire our subscribers include the net cost at which we sell our devices, referred to as equipment net subsidies, as well as the marketing and sales costs incurred to attract those subscribers. Network costs primarily represent switch and cell site costs and interconnection costs, which generally consist of per-minute usage fees and roaming fees paid to other carriers. The remaining costs associated with operating the Wireless segment include the costs to operate our customer care organization and administrative support. Wireless service revenue, costs to acquire subscribers, and variable network and interconnection costs fluctuate with the changes in our subscriber base and their related usage, but some cost elements do not fluctuate in the short term with these changes.
Wireless segment earnings have declined consecutively for each of the annual periods ending December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Wireless segment earnings were approximately $4.3 billion, $4.5 billion and $5.2 billion for each of the twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. As discussed in the section “Effects on our Wireless Business of Postpaid Subscriber Losses”, the Company has significantly reduced the net postpaid subscriber losses occurring since 2009 and increased subscriber net additions within prepaid, wholesale and affiliates. During 2011, the Company entered into a purchase commitment with Apple, Inc. to purchase a minimum number of smartphones, which on average, is expected to carry a higher subsidy per unit than other smartphones we sell. In addition, during 2012, we expect to make further progress on Network Vision, including certain costs associated with the ongoing decommissioning efforts of the Nextel platform. As a result, we expect that wireless segment earnings will decline in 2012 as compared to 2011 until we benefit from Network Vision, through reduced network and operating costs, and begin to see further increases in retail service revenue through improved total retail postpaid net additions sufficient to recover these increased equipment net subsidy and acquisition costs.
The following table provides an overview of the results of operations of our Wireless segment for each of the three years ended December 31, 2011.
Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
Wireless Earnings | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | ||||||||
(in millions) | |||||||||||
Sprint platform | $ | 20,052 | $ | 18,339 | $ | 18,264 | |||||
Nextel platform | 2,582 | 3,582 | 4,941 | ||||||||
Total postpaid | 22,634 | 21,921 | 23,205 | ||||||||
Sprint platform | 3,325 | 1,617 | 358 | ||||||||
Nextel platform | 1,170 | 2,139 | 1,723 | ||||||||
Total prepaid | 4,495 | 3,756 | 2,081 | ||||||||
Retail service revenue | 27,129 | 25,677 | 25,286 | ||||||||
Wholesale, affiliate and other revenue | 261 | 217 | 546 | ||||||||
Total service revenue | 27,390 | 25,894 | 25,832 | ||||||||
Cost of services (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) | (8,907 | ) | (8,288 | ) | (8,384 | ) | |||||
Service gross margin | 18,483 | 17,606 | 17,448 | ||||||||
Service gross margin percentage | 67 | % | 68 | % | 68 | % | |||||
Equipment revenue | 2,911 | 2,703 | 1,954 | ||||||||
Cost of products | (8,057 | ) | (6,965 | ) | (5,545 | ) | |||||
Equipment net subsidy | (5,146 | ) | (4,262 | ) | (3,591 | ) | |||||
Equipment net subsidy percentage | (177 | )% | (158 | )% | (184 | )% | |||||
Selling, general and administrative expense | (9,070 | ) | (8,813 | ) | (8,659 | ) | |||||
Wireless segment earnings | $ | 4,267 | $ | 4,531 | $ | 5,198 | |||||
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Service Revenue
Our Wireless segment generates revenues from the sale of wireless services, the sale of wireless devices and accessories and the sale of wholesale and other services. Service revenue consists of fixed monthly recurring charges, variable usage charges and miscellaneous fees such as activation fees, directory assistance, roaming, equipment protection, late payment and early termination charges and certain regulatory related fees, net of service credits. The ability of our Wireless segment to generate service revenues is primarily a function of:
• | revenue generated from each subscriber, which in turn is a function of the types and amount of services utilized by each subscriber and the rates charged for those services; and |
• | the number of subscribers that we serve, which in turn is a function of our ability to retain existing and acquire new subscribers. |
Retail comprises those subscribers to whom Sprint directly provides wireless services, whether those services are provided on a postpaid or a prepaid basis. Retail service revenue increased $1.5 billion, or 6%, in 2011 as compared to 2010 and increased $391 million, or 2% in 2010 as compared to 2009. The increase in retail service revenue in 2011 as compared to 2010 reflects an increase in postpaid service revenue related to our $10 premium data add-on charge required for all smartphones and greater popularity of unlimited and bundled plans, combined with other fee increases including an increase in our handset protection plan. The increase was also driven by attracting more subscribers to our Boost and Virgin Mobile prepaid brands who are choosing higher rate plans to take advantage of international offerings as well as the increased availability of smartphones and increased subscribers from new market launches for our Assurance Wireless brand. The majority of the increase in 2010 as compared to 2009 was primarily driven by attracting subscribers to the Company's National Boost Monthly Unlimited prepaid plan in addition to service revenue related to the subscribers acquired through our fourth quarter 2009 acquisitions of Virgin Mobile and iPCS. This increase in retail service revenue was partially offset by a decrease in postpaid service revenue driven by a reduction in the Company's average number of postpaid subscribers of approximately 1.4 million, or 4%, in 2010 as compared to 2009.
Wholesale and affiliates are those subscribers who are served through 3G MVNO and affiliate relationships and other arrangements through which wireless services are sold by Sprint to other companies that resell those services to subscribers. Wholesale, affiliate and other revenues increased $44 million, or 20%, for 2011 as compared to 2010, and decreased $329 million, or 60%, for 2010 as compared to 2009. The majority of the increase in 2011 as compared to 2010 was primarily a result of growth in our 3G MVNO relationships. Specifically, growth in subscribers on the Lifeline program offered through our MVNO's reselling prepaid services, which is similar to our Assurance Wireless offering, contributed to revenue growth. The majority of the decrease in 2010 as compared to 2009 was due to the transfer of 5.4 million subscribers from wholesale and affiliates into postpaid and prepaid classifications as a result of the fourth quarter 2009 acquisitions of Virgin Mobile and iPCS. The remaining decline in 2010 as compared to 2009 was primarily due to losses from two of our large MVNOs throughout 2009 in addition to lower revenues received from services provided through our machine-to-machine initiative. Approximately 29% of our wholesale and affiliate subscribers represent a growing number of connected devices. These devices generate revenue from usage which varies depending on the solution being utilized. Average revenue per connected device is generally significantly lower than revenue from other wholesale and affiliate subscribers; however, the cost to service these customers is also lower resulting in a higher profit margin as a percent of revenue.
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Average Monthly Service Revenue per Subscriber and Subscriber Trends
The table below summarizes average number of retail subscribers and ARPU for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009. Additional information about the number of subscribers, net additions to subscribers, ARPU, and average rates of monthly postpaid and prepaid subscriber churn for each quarter since the first quarter 2009 may be found in the tables on the following pages.
Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
2011 | 2010 | 2009 | |||||||||
(subscribers in thousands) | |||||||||||
Average postpaid subscribers | 32,935 | 33,249 | 34,640 | ||||||||
Average prepaid subscribers | 13,672 | 11,272 | 5,313 | ||||||||
Average retail subscribers | 46,607 | 44,521 | 39,953 | ||||||||
ARPU(1): | |||||||||||
Postpaid | $ | 57.27 | $ | 54.94 | $ | 55.83 | |||||
Prepaid | $ | 27.40 | $ | 27.76 | $ | 32.64 | |||||
Average retail | $ | 48.51 | $ | 48.06 | $ | 52.74 | |||||
________
(1) | ARPU is calculated by dividing service revenue by the sum of the average number of subscribers in the applicable service category. Changes in average monthly service revenue reflect subscribers for either the postpaid or prepaid service category who change rate plans, the level of voice and data usage, the amount of service credits which are offered to subscribers, plus the net effect of average monthly revenue generated by new subscribers and deactivating subscribers. |
Postpaid ARPU for 2011 increased as compared to 2010 primarily due to increased revenues from the $10 premium data add-on charges for all smartphones and fee increases in our handset protection plan. Postpaid ARPU for 2010 declined slightly as compared to 2009 due to declines in overage revenues resulting from the increased popularity of fixed-rate bundled plans including the Any Mobile AnytimeSM feature.
Prepaid ARPU for 2011 declined slightly compared to 2010 primarily as a result of net additions of our Assurance Wireless brand whose subscribers carry a lower ARPU, partially offset by an increase in ARPU for the remaining prepaid brands as subscribers are choosing higher priced plans to take advantage of international offerings and the increased availability of smartphones. Prepaid ARPU decreased during 2010 as compared to 2009 due to prepaid subscribers acquired in our fourth quarter 2009 business combination of Virgin Mobile as well as net subscriber additions under our Assurance Wireless brand launched in early 2010, which carry a lower average revenue per subscriber compared to Sprint's other prepaid subscribers. Average retail ARPU increased slightly for 2011 compared to 2010 primarily as a result of the increased postpaid ARPU which was partially offset by an increased weighting of average prepaid subscribers to total subscribers which carry a lower ARPU. The lower prepaid ARPU and the increased weighting of average prepaid subscribers to total subscribers resulted in a decline in our average retail ARPU for 2010 compared to 2009.
36
The following table shows (a) net additions (losses) of wireless subscribers and (b) our total subscribers as of the end of each quarterly period for the past twelve quarters.
Quarter Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
March 31, 2009 | June 30, 2009 | September 30, 2009 | December 31, 2009 | March 31, 2010 | June 30, 2010 | September 30, 2010 | December 31, 2010 | March 31, 2011 | June 30, 2011 | September 30, 2011 | December 31, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net additions (losses) (in thousands)(1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sprint platform: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postpaid(2) | (530 | ) | (393 | ) | (271 | ) | 3 | (131 | ) | 136 | 276 | 453 | 253 | 226 | 265 | 539 | |||||||||||||||||||
Prepaid(3) | (90 | ) | (161 | ) | (135 | ) | (48 | ) | 392 | 638 | 1,171 | 1,414 | 1,406 | 1,149 | 839 | 899 | |||||||||||||||||||
Wholesale and affiliates | 394 | (43 | ) | (410 | ) | (79 | ) | 155 | 166 | 280 | 393 | 389 | 519 | 835 | 954 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total Sprint platform | (226 | ) | (597 | ) | (816 | ) | (124 | ) | 416 | 940 | 1,727 | 2,260 | 2,048 | 1,894 | 1,939 | 2,392 | |||||||||||||||||||
Nextel platform: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postpaid | (720 | ) | (598 | ) | (530 | ) | (507 | ) | (447 | ) | (364 | ) | (383 | ) | (395 | ) | (367 | ) | (327 | ) | (309 | ) | (378 | ) | |||||||||||
Prepaid(3) | 764 | 938 | 801 | 483 | (44 | ) | (465 | ) | (700 | ) | (768 | ) | (560 | ) | (475 | ) | (354 | ) | (392 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Total Nextel platform | 44 | 340 | 271 | (24 | ) | (491 | ) | (829 | ) | (1,083 | ) | (1,163 | ) | (927 | ) | (802 | ) | (663 | ) | (770 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Total retail postpaid net additions | (1,250 | ) | (991 | ) | (801 | ) | (504 | ) | (578 | ) | (228 | ) | (107 | ) | 58 | (114 | ) | (101 | ) | (44 | ) | 161 | |||||||||||||
Total retail prepaid net additions | 674 | 777 | 666 | 435 | 348 | 173 | 471 | 646 | 846 | 674 | 485 | 507 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total wholesale and affiliate net additions | 394 | (43 | ) | (410 | ) | (79 | ) | 155 | 166 | 280 | 393 | 389 | 519 | 835 | 954 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total Wireless | (182 | ) | (257 | ) | (545 | ) | (148 | ) | (75 | ) | 111 | 644 | 1,097 | 1,121 | 1,092 | 1,276 | 1,622 | ||||||||||||||||||
End of period subscribers (in thousands)(1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sprint platform(4): | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postpaid(2)(6) | 26,538 | 26,145 | 25,874 | 26,712 | 26,581 | 26,717 | 26,993 | 27,446 | 27,699 | 27,925 | 28,190 | 28,729 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Prepaid | 774 | 613 | 478 | 4,969 | 5,361 | 5,999 | 7,121 | 8,535 | 9,941 | 11,090 | 11,929 | 12,828 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Wholesale and affiliates(5)(6) | 9,384 | 9,341 | 8,931 | 3,478 | 3,633 | 3,799 | 4,128 | 4,521 | 4,910 | 5,429 | 6,264 | 7,218 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Sprint platform | 36,696 | 36,099 | 35,283 | 35,159 | 35,575 | 36,515 | 38,242 | 40,502 | 42,550 | 44,444 | 46,383 | 48,775 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Nextel platform: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postpaid | 8,890 | 8,292 | 7,762 | 7,255 | 6,808 | 6,444 | 6,061 | 5,666 | 5,299 | 4,972 | 4,663 | 4,285 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Prepaid | 3,497 | 4,435 | 5,236 | 5,719 | 5,675 | 5,210 | 4,510 | 3,742 | 3,182 | 2,707 | 2,353 | 1,961 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Nextel platform | 12,387 | 12,727 | 12,998 | 12,974 | 12,483 | 11,654 | 10,571 | 9,408 | 8,481 | 7,679 | 7,016 | 6,246 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total retail postpaid end of period subscribers(6) | 35,428 | 34,437 | 33,636 | 33,967 | 33,389 | 33,161 | 33,054 | 33,112 | 32,998 | 32,897 | 32,853 | 33,014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total retail prepaid end of period subscribers | 4,271 | 5,048 | 5,714 | 10,688 | 11,036 | 11,209 | 11,631 | 12,277 | 13,123 | 13,797 | 14,282 | 14,789 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total wholesale and affiliates end of period subscribers(6) | 9,384 | 9,341 | 8,931 | 3,478 | 3,633 | 3,799 | 4,128 | 4,521 | 4,910 | 5,429 | 6,264 | 7,218 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Wireless | 49,083 | 48,826 | 48,281 | 48,133 | 48,058 | 48,169 | 48,813 | 49,910 | 51,031 | 52,123 | 53,399 | 55,021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
________
(1) | Subscribers that transfer from their original service category classification to another platform, or another service line within the same platform, are reflected as a net loss to the original service category and a net addition to their new service category. There is no net effect for such subscriber changes to the total wireless net additions (losses) or end of period subscribers. |
(2) | Includes subscribers with PowerSource devices, which operate seamlessly between our networks. |
(3) | In the first quarter 2009, Boost Monthly Unlimited was launched on the Nextel platform. In the first quarter 2010, Boost Monthly Unlimited was launched on the Sprint platform. |
(4) | Reflects the transfer of 4,539,000 prepaid and 835,000 postpaid subscribers from wholesale and affiliates as a result of the business combinations completed in the fourth quarter 2009 as well as the third quarter 2010 transfer of 49,000 Wholesale and affiliates subscribers from prepaid as a result of a sale and transfer of customers to an affiliate. |
(5) | Subscribers through some of our MVNO relationships have inactivity either in voice usage or primarily as a result of the nature of the device, where activity only occurs when data retrieval is initiated by the end-user and may occur infrequently. Although we continue to provide these customers access to our network through our MVNO relationships, approximately 1.7 million subscribers through these MVNO relationships have been inactive for at least six months, with no associated revenue as of December 31, 2011. |
(6) | End of period connected devices are included in total retail postpaid or wholesale and affiliates end of period subscriber totals for all periods presented. |
37
The following table shows (a) our postpaid and prepaid ARPU and (b) our average rates of monthly postpaid and prepaid subscriber churn as of the end of each quarterly period for the past twelve quarters.
Quarter Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
March 31, 2009 | June 30, 2009 | September 30, 2009 | December 31, 2009 | March 31, 2010 | June 30, 2010 | September 30, 2010 | December 31, 2010 | March 31, 2011 | June 30, 2011 | September 30, 2011 | December 31, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ARPU | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sprint platform: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postpaid | $ | 58.28 | $ | 58.44 | $ | 57.84 | $ | 56.90 | $ | 56.88 | $ | 56.84 | $ | 56.80 | $ | 57.53 | $ | 58.52 | $ | 59.07 | $ | 60.20 | $ | 61.22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Prepaid | $ | 44.42 | $ | 40.29 | $ | 36.60 | $ | 17.90 | $ | 18.30 | $ | 20.38 | $ | 22.37 | $ | 24.16 | $ | 25.76 | $ | 25.53 | $ | 25.35 | $ | 25.16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Nextel platform: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postpaid | $ | 49.66 | $ | 49.97 | $ | 49.41 | $ | 48.33 | $ | 47.34 | $ | 46.88 | $ | 46.08 | $ | 44.74 | $ | 44.35 | $ | 43.68 | $ | 42.78 | $ | 41.91 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Prepaid | $ | 27.71 | $ | 32.38 | $ | 34.47 | $ | 35.98 | $ | 35.67 | $ | 35.85 | $ | 34.54 | $ | 35.07 | $ | 35.46 | $ | 34.63 | $ | 35.62 | $ | 34.91 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total retail postpaid | $ | 56.07 | $ | 56.36 | $ | 55.85 | $ | 54.99 | $ | 54.89 | $ | 54.85 | $ | 54.78 | $ | 55.26 | $ | 56.17 | $ | 56.67 | $ | 57.65 | $ | 58.59 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total retail prepaid | $ | 31.34 | $ | 33.54 | $ | 34.69 | $ | 31.24 | $ | 27.49 | $ | 27.98 | $ | 27.62 | $ | 27.95 | $ | 28.39 | $ | 27.53 | $ | 27.19 | $ | 26.62 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Monthly subscriber churn rate(1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sprint platform: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postpaid | 2.07 | % | 1.90 | % | 2.11 | % | 2.07 | % | 2.14 | % | 1.82 | % | 1.91 | % | 1.84 | % | 1.78 | % | 1.72 | % | 1.91 | % | 1.99 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Prepaid | 6.21 | % | 9.02 | % | 9.10 | % | 5.89 | % | 5.07 | % | 4.81 | % | 4.06 | % | 3.63 | % | 3.41 | % | 3.25 | % | 3.43 | % | 3.07 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Nextel platform: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postpaid | 2.81 | % | 2.52 | % | 2.38 | % | 2.25 | % | 2.21 | % | 1.97 | % | 2.00 | % | 1.93 | % | 1.95 | % | 1.92 | % | 1.91 | % | 1.89 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Prepaid | 7.04 | % | 5.93 | % | 6.37 | % | 5.44 | % | 6.34 | % | 6.43 | % | 6.97 | % | 7.37 | % | 6.94 | % | 7.29 | % | 7.02 | % | 7.18 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total retail postpaid | 2.25 | % | 2.05 | % | 2.17 | % | 2.11 | % | 2.15 | % | 1.85 | % | 1.93 | % | 1.86 | % | 1.81 | % | 1.75 | % | 1.91 | % | 1.98 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total retail prepaid | 6.86 | % | 6.38 | % | 6.65 | % | 5.56 | % | 5.74 | % | 5.61 | % | 5.32 | % | 4.93 | % | 4.36 | % | 4.14 | % | 4.07 | % | 3.68 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
________
(1) | Churn is calculated by dividing net subscriber deactivations for the quarter by the sum of the average number of subscribers for each month in the quarter. For postpaid accounts comprising multiple subscribers, such as family plans and enterprise accounts, net deactivations are defined as deactivations in excess of customer activations in a particular account within 30 days. Postpaid and prepaid churn consist of both voluntary churn, where the subscriber makes his or her own determination to cease being a customer, and involuntary churn, where the customer's service is terminated due to a lack of payment or other reasons. |
38
Retail Postpaid Subscribers—We lost 98,000 net postpaid subscribers during 2011 as compared to losing 855,000 and 3.5 million net postpaid subscribers during 2010 and 2009, respectively. Net postpaid subscriber losses improved by 757,000, or 89%, during 2011 as compared to 2010 and 2.7 million, or 76% during 2010 as compared to 2009. Of the 33 million total subscribers included in postpaid, approximately 2% represent connected devices. Net additions of co