Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Introduction
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes in Part II, Item 8, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, the following discussion also contains forward-looking statements that include risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those set forth under the heading ‘‘Risk Factors’’ in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This section generally discusses the results of our operations for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, please refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Business Overview
Frontier Communications Parent, Inc. is a leading communications and technology provider offering broadband services to approximately 3.1 million broadband customers, with approximately 13,000 employees, operating in 25 states as of December 31, 2024. We are building critical infrastructure across the country with our fiber-optic network and cloud-based solutions, enabling secure high-speed connections. Driven by our purpose of Building Gigabit America TM , we are focused on supporting a digital society, closing the digital divide, and working toward a more sustainable environment.
In 2020, we began the expansion and transformation of our fiber network to meet the rapidly increasing demand for data from our consumer and business customers. We believe that a fiber network has competitive advantages to be able to meet this growing demand, including faster download speeds, faster upload speeds, and lower latency levels than alternative broadband services.
In August 2021, we announced our plan to pass 10 million total locations with fiber. We are prioritizing our activities to locations that we believe will provide the highest investment returns. Over time, we expect our business mix will shift significantly, with a larger percentage of revenue coming from fiber as we implement our expansion plan.
Our strategy focuses on four strategic priorities : fiber deployment, fiber penetration, operational efficiency, and improving the customer experience. We accomplished the following objectives in 2024:
We added approximately 1.3 million fiber passings. As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately 7.8 million total locations passed with fiber.
We added 385,000 fiber broadband customer net additions, resulting in fiber broadband customer growth of 19% as compared to the prior year. In our base fiber footprint of 3.2 million locations, we reached broadband penetration of 46.2%.
Fiber broadband customer net additions continued to outpace copper broadband customer net losses, resulting in 151,000 total broadband customer net additions.
Revenue growth of 3% year-over-year, as fiber revenue growth of 14% offset copper revenue declines of 8%.
We improved our liquidity and cost of capital through the issuance of $750 million low-cost fiber securitization notes, the addition of a $1.5 billion delayed draw term loan facility, and the refinancing and repricing of our $1.02 billion term loan. These transactions reduced the ongoing cost of funding our fiber upgrade program.
We achieved our annualized gross run rate cost savings target of $500 million at the end of 2023 – double our initial goal of $250 million. As of December 31, 2024, we had realized $597 million of gross annualized cost savings since 2021.
On September 4, 2024 we entered into the Merger Agreement with Verizon, pursuant to which, subject to certain terms and conditions therein, Verizon will acquire Frontier for $38.50 per share in cash, representing a premium of 43.7% to Frontier’s 90-Day volume-weighted average share price (VWAP) on September 3, 2024, the last full trading day prior to published market speculation regarding a potential sale of Frontier. Subject to receipt of certain required regulatory approvals and other customary conditions specified in the Merger Agreement, we currently expect the Merger to close by the first quarter of 2026. See Note 2 - ‘‘Merger Agreement’’ to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II of this Annual Report for more detail.
Our fiber build plans include significant expenditures which could be adversely impacted by supply chain delays, actual or perceived inflation, tight labor markets, increased fuel and electricity costs, increases in the cost of borrowing, and other risks. In addition to higher costs, the availability of building materials and other supply chain risks could negatively impact our ability to achieve the fiber build plans we are executing against. We continue to closely monitor and evaluate the impact these and other factors may have on our business, including demand for our products and services, our ability to execute on our strategic priorities and our financial condition and results of operations.
Financial Overview – Operating Income
We reported operating income of $353 million and $492 million, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, a decrease of $139 million.
Operating income decreased primarily due to decreases in revenue from voice and video services and increases in selling, general and administrative expenses, and in depreciation and amortization expense. These factors were partially offset by an increase in data and internet services revenue, as well as decreases in cost of service as compared to 2023.
Presentation of Results of Operations
The sections below include tables that present customer counts, average monthly consumer revenue per customer (“ARPC”), average monthly revenue per unit (“ARPU”), and consumer customer churn. We define churn as the number of consumer customer deactivations during the month divided by the number of consumer customers at the beginning of the month and utilize the average of each monthly churn in the period. Management believes that consumer customer counts, ARPC, ARPU, and consumer customer churn are important factors in evaluating our consumer customer trends. Among the key services we provide to consumer customers are voice service, data service and video service. We continue to explore the potential to provide additional services to our customer base, with the objective of meeting our customers’ communications needs.
(a) Results of Operations
Customer Trends
As of or for the year ended December 31,
(Customer, Subscriber, and Employee Metrics in thousands)
% Change
Broadband Customer Metrics
Fiber Broadband
Consumer customers
Business and wholesale customers
Consumer net customer additions
Consumer customer churn
Consumer customer ARPU
Copper Broadband
Consumer customers
Business and wholesale customers
Consumer net customer losses
Consumer customer churn
Consumer customer ARPU
Consumer Customer Metrics
Customers
Net customer additions / (losses)
ARPC
Customer Churn
Other Metrics
Employees
We provide service and product options in our consumer and business offerings in each of our markets.
Fiber Broadband Customers
Our investment strategy is focused on expanding our fiber network. In conjunction with this strategy, we are also working to improve our product positioning in both existing and new fiber markets.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we added approximately 371,000 consumer fiber broadband customers compared to approximately 303,000 in 202 3. Customers who migrated from our copper base constituted a minor portion of these consumer fiber broadband customer net additions in 2024.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we added approximately 14,000 business and wholesale fiber broadband customers compared to approximately 15,000 in 2023.
Our focus on expanding and improving our fiber network has contributed to healthy customer retention. Our average monthly consumer fiber broadband churn was 1.36% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 1.32% in 2023. These consistent results were driven by our continued focus on key customer touchpoints such as installation and first bill and reflect retention activities associated with inflation-related pricing actions and the end of certain promotion pricing periods.
o The average monthly consumer fiber broadband revenue per customer (“consumer ARPU”) increased $2.15, or 3%, to
$65.54 in 2024, compared to $63.39 in 2023.
o The increase in consumer ARPU for the year ended December 31, 2024 was due to higher intake pricing, customer shifts
to higher broadband speeds, customers rolling off promotional pricing, and lower gift card redemptions, all partially offset by increased retention activity and autopay take rates.
Copper Broadband Customers
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we lost approximately 210,000 consumer copper broadband customers compared to a loss of approximately 221,000 in 2023.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we lost approximately 24,000 business and wholesale copper broadband customers compared to a loss of approximately 22,000 in 2023.
Our average monthly consumer copper broadband churn was 2.22% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 1.90% in 2023. The increase in consumer copper broadband churn was driven by the impact of inflationary price increases and changes to our copper broadband go to market approach which impacted gross add volume.
Consumer Customers
We experienced an increase in consumer customers of 2% as of December 31, 2024, as compared to December 31, 2023.
Consumer customer gains were driven by net additions of fiber broadband customers, partially offset by reductions in our copper broadband and stand-alone voice customers. Customer preferences as well as our fiber investment initiatives resulted in an increase in the number of our consumer broadband customers and a migration of our copper customers to fiber.
We gained approximately 64,000 consumer customers for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a loss of approximately 4,000 consumer customers for the year ended December 31, 2023, driven by growth in fiber broadband customers and partially offset by losses in copper broadband, voice and video customers.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we experienced a net gain of consumer broadband customers of approximately 161,000 as compared to a net gain of approximately 82,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023.
o The average monthly consumer revenue per customer (“consumer ARPC”) increased $1.00, or 1%, to $83.53 for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the prior year period. The slight increase was driven primarily by growth in fiber data and value-added services along with price increases, partially offset by declines in voice and video services. We have de-emphasized the sale of low margin video products, which has historically been a material part of the overall ARPC. Going forward, we expect moderate movements in ARPC as our customer mix becomes more weighted towards broadband services.
Financial Results
For the year ended
For the year ended
December 31,
December 31,
( $ in millions )
Data and Internet services
Voice services
Video services
Other
Revenue from contracts with customers
Subsidy and other revenue
Revenue
Operating expenses:
Cost of service
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Restructuring costs and other charges
Total operating expenses
Operating income
Consumer
Business and wholesale
Revenue from contracts with customers
Fiber revenue
Copper revenue
Revenue from contracts with customers
REVENUE
The table below presents our revenue by technology for the periods indicated:
For the year ended
For the year ended
December 31,
December 31,
$ Increase
% Increase
( $ in millions )
(Decrease)
(Decrease)
Fiber
Copper
Revenue from contracts with customers (1)
Subsidy revenue
Total revenue
(1) Includes $52 million and $62 million of lease revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Our revenue streams are primarily a result of recurring data, voice, and video services delivered over our fiber and copper network. Revenues are considered fiber or copper based on the “last-mile” technology used to connect the customer location. With our investment strategy to expand and improve our fiber network and the corresponding fiber focus of our sales and marketing efforts, we are experiencing growth in fiber broadband revenue and a decline in copper revenue. We expect this trend to continue and accelerate due to strong fiber demand and the migration of customers from copper to fiber as we expand our fiber network.
The table below presents our revenue for our consumer and business and wholesale customers for the periods indicated:
For the year ended
For the year ended
December 31,
December 31,
$ Increase
% Increase
( $ in millions )
(Decrease)
(Decrease)
Consumer
Business and wholesale
Revenue from contracts with customers (1)
Subsidy revenue
Total revenue
(1) Includes $52 million and $62 million of lease revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
We conduct business with a range of consumer, business, and wholesale customers, and we generate both recurring and non-recurring revenues. Recurring revenues are primarily billed at fixed recurring rates, with some services billed based on usage. Revenue recognition is not dependent upon significant judgments by management, with the exception of a determination of the provision for expected credit losses.
Consumer
For the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023:
Consumer revenues increased approximately 2% for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The revenue growth was the result of growth in fiber data and value added service revenues along with inflationary price increases, offset by declines in voice, video, and copper broadband.
o We experienced a 23% improvement in consumer fiber broadband revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.
o This improvement is a result of higher consumer fiber broadband ARPU as well as increase net adds of consumer fiber broadband customers due to our expanded fiber footprint and continued focus on product positioning in both new and existing markets.
We experienced a decline of approximately 13% in consumer copper broadband revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. As our copper footprint transitions to fiber, we expect fewer copper sales opportunities, and will proactively migrate certain existing broadband customers from copper to fiber, both of which will reduce our copper net adds.
Business and Wholesale
For the year ended December 31, 2024, our business and wholesale revenues increased 5%, as compared to the prior year. This increase was driven by increases in fiber broadband and network access services, partially offset by decreases in voice revenue predominantly in business. The increase in fiber broadband was due to continued growth of our customer base, and a shift towards higher broadband speeds. The increase in network access services is due primarily to price adjustments as well as install and upgrade activity.
The table below presents our revenue by product and service type for the periods indicated :
For the year ended
For the year ended
December 31,
December 31,
$ Increase
% Increase
( $ in millions )
(Decrease)
(Decrease)
Data and Internet services
Voice services
Video services
Other
Revenue from contracts with customers (1)
Subsidy revenue
Total revenue
(1) Includes $52 million and $62 million of lease revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
We categorize our products, services, and other revenues into the following five categories:
Data and Internet Services
We provide data and Internet services to our consumer, business, and wholesale customers. Data and Internet services consist of fiber broadband services, copper broadband services, and network access revenues (data transmission services and dedicated high-capacity circuits including data services to wireless providers commonly called wireless backhaul). Network access services are provided primarily to our business and wholesale customers, while fiber and copper broadband are provided to all customer segments.
Our fiber expansion strategy is expected to positively impact data and Internet services. This network expansion is designed to provide faster, symmetrical broadband speeds and provide customer and revenue growth opportunities for fiber broadband and certain network access products like ethernet. We believe this initiative will create opportunities for us to provide more fiber-based services to our customers.
($ in millions)
Data and Internet services revenue, December 31, 2023
Change in fiber broadband revenue
Change in copper broadband revenue
Change in other data and internet services
Data and Internet services revenue, December 31, 2024
Data and internet services revenue increased $429 million, or 12%, to $3,963 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the prior year. The increase was driven by growth in the fiber broadband and network access revenues, partly offset by declines in copper broadband revenue.
Voice services
We provide voice services consisting of traditional local and long-distance service and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service provided over our fiber and copper broadband products. It also includes enhanced features such as call waiting, caller identification, and voice messaging services.
Voice services revenue declined $142 million, or 10%, to $1,231 million, for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the prior year. The decline was primarily due to net losses in business and consumer customers in addition to fewer customers bundling voice services with broadband as compared to the prior year period, all partially offset by higher voice services ARPU.
Video services
Video services include revenues generated from traditional television (TV) services provided directly to consumer customers as well as satellite TV services provided through various satellite providers . Video services also includes pay-per-view revenues, video on demand, equipment rentals, and video advertising. We have made the strategic decision to limit sales of new traditional TV services, focusing on our broadband products and OTT video options. We are partnering with OTT video providers and expect this to grow as OTT options are offered with our broadband products.
Video services revenue declined $86 million, or 20%, to $344 million, for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the prior year. The decline was primarily driven by traditional video customer losses, partially offset by price increases as compared to the prior year.
Other
Other customer revenue includes non-recurring equipment sales, network facility rental income, ancillary customer fees, directory listing services and switched access revenue. Switched access revenue includes revenue derived from allowing other carriers to use our network to originate and/or terminate their local and long-distance voice traffic. These switched access services are primarily billed on a minutes-of-use basis applying tariffed rates filed with the FCC or state agencies.
Other customer revenue decreased $4 million, or 1%, to $335 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the prior year period driven by decreases in rent, switched access and equipment sales, partially offset by higher other fees.
Subsidy and other revenue
Subsidy and other revenue decreased $11 million, or 15%, to $64 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the prior year, primarily due to decreases in federal and state subsidies.
OPERATING EXPENSES
The table below presents our operating expenses for the periods indicated:
For the year ended
For the year ended
($ in millions)
December 31,
December 31,
Variance
Operating expenses:
Cost of Service
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Restructuring costs and other charges
Total operating expenses
Cost of Service
Cost of service expenses include access charges and other third-party costs directly attributable to connecting customer locations to our network and video content costs. Such access charges and other third-party costs exclude depreciation and amortization, and employee related expenses.
Cost of service decreased $15 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the prior year. The decrease in cost of service expense was driven by lower video content costs as a result of declines in video customers, non-renewal of certain content agreements, and decreased CPE costs. These decreases more than offset higher energy and outside service rate increases resulting from higher inflation.
Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general, and administrative expenses (“SG&A expenses”) include the salaries, wages and related benefits and costs of corporate and sales personnel, travel, insurance, non-network related rent, advertising, and other administrative expenses.
SG&A expenses increased by $79 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the prior year. This increase was primarily a result of increases in marketing costs, third party commissions, property taxes, and a settled dispute with the Chief Executive Officer of Frontier’s predecessor company, partially offset by lower compensation and other fees.
Pension and Other post-employment benefits (“OPEB”) costs
We allocate certain pension/OPEB expense to cost of service and SG&A expenses. Total pension and OPEB service costs were as follows :
For the year ended
For the year ended
December 31,
December 31,
($ in millions)
Total pension/OPEB expenses
Less: costs capitalized into capital expenditures
Net pension/OPEB expense
Depreciation and Amortization
For the year ended December 31, 2024, the increased depreciation and amortization expense was driven by higher depreciation expense as a result of higher property, plant and equipment in service.
Restructuring costs and other charges
Restructuring costs and other charges consist of consulting and advisory fees, workforce reductions, transformation initiatives, and other restructuring expenses.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, restructuring costs and other charges increased $51 million, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to higher pension/OPEB special termination benefit enhancement costs related to a voluntary severance program, costs associated with the Verizon merger and other restructuring activities, slightly offset by lower severance and employee costs.
OTHER NON-OPERATING INCOME AND EXPENSE
For the year ended
For the year ended
( $ in millions )
December 31,
December 31,
% Increase
(Decrease)
Investment and other income, net
Interest expense
Income tax expense (benefit)
Investment and other income, net
Investment and other income, net decreased by $173 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This decrease was primarily driven by a remeasurement loss to our pension plan of $45 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a remeasurement gain of $202 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, partially offset by a remeasurement gain to our postretirement benefit plan of $35 million, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a remeasurement loss of $3 million, for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Interest expense
For the year ended December 31, 2024, interest expense increased $151 million, as compared to 2023. The increase in interest expense was primarily driven by a higher debt balance.
Income tax expense (benefit)
During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded an income tax benefit of $24 million on pre-tax loss of $346 million. Our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 7.0%.
(b) Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2024, we had liquidity of approximately $2,910 million, comprised of cash and cash equivalents of $750 million, the available capacity on our delayed draw term loan facility of $1,500 million and undrawn revolving credit facility of $660 million.
On December 31, 2024, our subsidiaries Frontier Tampa Bay FL Fiber 1 LLC (“Borrower”) and Frontier SPE FL Guarantor LLC (“Guarantor”) entered into a credit agreement (the “Warehouse Credit Agreement”) with certain lenders that established and governs certain credit facilities (the “Warehouse Facilities”) including (i) a delayed draw term loan facility (the “DDTL Facility”) of $1.5 billion, less commitments reserved for letters of credit, and (ii) an incremental term loan facility under which the subsidiary borrower has the right to increase the commitments under the DDTL Facility by up to $750 million.
In connection with the establishment of the DDTL Facility, Frontier Issuer LLC canceled its agreement relating to the potential issuance of a $500 million Secured Fiber Network Revenue Variable Funding Notes, Series 2023-2, Class A-1 facility.
On July 1, 2024, Frontier Issuer LLC amended its Secured Fiber Network Revenue Variable Funding Notes, Series 2023-2, Class A-1 facility (the “VFN Amendment”) to reduce the available Variable Funding Notes commitment amount to $0, with the ability to increase the commitment amount up to $500 million in the future upon the satisfaction of certain conditions, and to extend the maturity date to June 2028.
Analysis of Cash Flows
As of December 31, 2024, we had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents aggregating $750 million. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we used cash flow from operations, cash on hand, and cash from borrowings principally to fund our cash investing and financing activities, which were primarily capital expenditures.
As of December 31, 2024 , we had a working capital deficit of $ 1,029 million compared to a $506 million surplus at December 31, 2023. The primary drivers for the change to the working capital deficit at December 31, 2024 were a decrease in short-term investments of $1,075 million, a decrease of $375 million in cash and cash equivalents, a decrease to vendor financing payables of $247 million and a decrease in accounts receivable of $67 million, partially offset by an increase of $82 million in other current liabilities as compared to the period ended December 31, 2023.
Cash Flows provided from Operating Activities
Cash flows provided from operating activities increased $277 million to $1,621 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to 2023. The overall increase in operating cash flows was primarily the result of changes in working capital.
We received $10 million in net cash taxes during the year ended December 31, 2024, and we paid less than $1 million in net cash taxes during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Cash Flows used by Investing Activities
Cash flows used by investing activities were $1,681 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to cash flows used by investing activities of $2,556 million in 2023, due to a decrease of $428 million in capital expenditures and an increase from the activity of purchases and sales of short-term investments as compared to the prior year period.
Capital Expenditures
For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, our capital expenditures were $2,783 million and $3,211 million, respectively. The decrease in capital expenditures is due to a greater proportion of capital payments classified as a financing activity in the cash flows for vendor financing in 2024 when compared to the prior year period.
Cash Flows used by Financing Activities
Cash flows used by financing activities decreased $2,397 million to $268 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in financing activities was primarily driven by the decrease in net proceeds from long-term debt borrowings, an increase in long-term debt principal payments and an increase in vendor financing payments in 2024.
Capital Resources
Our primary anticipated uses of liquidity are to fund the costs of operations, working capital and capital expenditures and to fund interest payments on our long-term debt. Our primary sources of liquidity are cash flows from operations, cash on hand and borrowing capacity under our $1,500 million DDTL Facility and $925 million Revolving Facility (as reduced by $265 million of revolver Letters of Credit).
We have negotiated payment terms with certain of our vendors, (referred to as vendor financing), which are excluded from capital expenditures and reported as financing activities. As of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 we had $16 million and $263 million, respectively, of vendor financing liabilities included in “Other current liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheet. Capital expenditures for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $2,783 million, and when including $463 million cash paid for vendor financing, capital investment was $3,246 million.
We have assessed our current and expected funding requirements and our current and expected sources of liquidity, and have determined, based on our forecasted financial results and financial condition as of December 31, 2024, that our operating cash flows, existing cash balances and capacity under our DDTL and Revolving Credit Facilities, will be adequate to finance our working capital requirements, fund capital expenditures, make required debt interest and principal payments, pay taxes and make other payments over the next twelve months. A number of factors, including, but not limited to, loss of customers, pricing pressure from increased competition, lower subsidy and switched access revenues, and the impact of economic conditions, may negatively affect our cash generated from operations.
Credit Facilities and Term Loans
Revolving Facility
On May 22, 2024, Frontier Communications Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Frontier (“Frontier Holdings”), entered into an amendment (the “2024 Credit Agreement Amendment”) to its existing credit agreement that governs its senior secured credit facility with certain revolving credit lenders (the “Revolving Facility”) which, among other things, (i) increased the aggregate amount of certain additional obligations permitted to be outstanding, including first lien debt, and securitization and receivables facilities, and non-loan party debt, from $2,500 million to $5,500 million; provided that at least 40% of the net available cash from the first $1,915 million in securitization and receivables facilities received after May 22, 2024 (excluding net available cash received from drawings with respect to $500 million of commitments of Variable Funding Notes) is applied to prepay Frontier Holdings’ existing term loans and other applicable indebtedness, and 100% of the net available cash from securitization and receivables facilities in excess thereof (up to the cap of $5,500 million) shall be applied to prepay Frontier Holdings’ existing term loans and other applicable indebtedness; (ii) limited future securitizations and receivables facilities to assets located in Texas and/or Florida; and (iii) amended the financial maintenance covenant for the benefit of the Revolving Facility by, commencing with the period ending June 30, 2024, (a) including outstanding securitization and receivables facilities in the calculation of indebtedness and (b) increasing the maximum financial maintenance covenant leverage ratio thereunder to 5.25:1.00, with a step-down to 4.75:1.00 commencing with the period ending March 31, 2027, and continuing thereafter. The 2024 Credit Agreement Amendment became effective on July 1, 2024, when $402 million of net available cash from the securitization closing on such date was applied to prepay existing term loans.
On July 30, 2024, Frontier Holdings entered into a further amendment to its existing credit agreement that governs its Revolving Facility, pursuant to which $50 million of revolving credit commitments of a terminating lender were replaced by $75 million of commitments from a new lender, increasing overall capacity from $900 million to $925 million. The maturity date of the Revolving Facility will be the earliest of (a) April 30, 2028, (b) 91 days prior to the maturity of the term loan facility, (c) unless such notes have been repaid and/or redeemed in full, the date that is 91 days prior to the stated maturity date of our 5.875% First Lien Notes due
2027, and (d) unless such notes have been repaid and/or redeemed in full, the date that is 91 days prior to the stated maturity date of our 5.000% First Lien Notes due 2028.
Term Loan Facility
On January 14, 2025, Frontier Holdings entered into an amendment to its existing Term Loan Facility, which, among other things, (x) further lowered the margin over adjusted Term SOFR with respect to the Term Loan from 3.50% to 2.50% and (y) further lowered the margin over the alternative base rate with respect to the Term loan from 2.50% to 1.50%. On July 1, 2024, Frontier Holdings entered into an amendment to the Term Loan Facility which, among other things, extended the maturity date of $1.025 billion of the Term Loan to July 1, 2031 and eliminated the credit spread adjustment previously applicable to the Term Loan.
Fiber Network Revenue Term Notes
On July 1, 2024, Frontier Issuer LLC (“Frontier Issuer”), the Company’s limited-purpose, bankruptcy remote, subsidiary completed the issuance of $750 million aggregate principal amount of secured fiber network revenue term notes consisting of $530 million 6.19% Series 2024-1, Class A-2 term notes, $73 million 7.02% Series 2024-1, Class B term notes and $147 million 11.16% Series 2024-1, Class C term notes, each with an anticipated repayment term of seven years (collectively, the “Fiber Term Notes”). The Fiber Term Notes have a weighted average yield of approximately 7.4%. The Fiber Term Notes are secured by certain of Frontier’s fiber assets and associated customer contracts in the North Texas Area, in addition to those in the Dallas Metropolitan Area contributed in the Series 2023-1 Notes offering.
Warehouse Facilities
On December 31, 2024 (the “Warehouse Effective Date”), Frontier Tampa Bay FL Fiber 1 LLC (the “Warehouse Borrower”) and Frontier SPE FL Guarantor LLC, as guarantor (the “Warehouse Guarantor”), each a subsidiary of the Company, entered into a credit agreement (the “Warehouse Credit Agreement”) with certain lenders that establishes and governs certain credit facilities (the “Warehouse Facilities”). The Warehouse Facilities include:
A delayed draw term loan facility (the “DDTL Facility”) of $1.5 billion, less commitments reserved for letters of credit (the “Maximum DDTL Amount”). The DDTL Facility is available from the Warehouse Effective Date until the earlier of the full draw of the Maximum DDTL Amount or the third anniversary of the Warehouse Effective Date (such earlier date, the “DDTL Commitment Expiration Date”). To draw amounts under the DDTL Facility, the Warehouse Borrower must comply with a total leverage ratio of no more than 6.75:1.00 and a debt service coverage ratio of at least 2.00:1.00. Additionally, no defaults or other specified conditions may be continuing, and all conditions precedent for each extension of credit must be satisfied. The Warehouse Borrower must repay all outstanding amounts under the DDTL Facility due on the fifth anniversary of the Warehouse Effective Date. The interest rate for the DDTL Facility is either, at the sole discretion of the Warehouse Borrower, for Base Rate Loans, (a) the highest of (i) the “U.S. Prime Lending Rate” published by the Wall Street Journal, (ii) the Federal Funds Effective Rate (as agreed to in good faith by the parties to the Warehouse Credit Agreement) plus 0.50%, and (iii) one-month Term SOFR plus 1.00% per annum, plus (b) 0.75%, with step-ups from and after the third anniversary, or, for SOFR Loans, Term SOFR plus 1.75%, with step-ups from and after the third anniversary. Optional prepayments are allowed without fees or penalties, subject to notice requirements. A portion of the DDTL Facility, up to $200 million, is reserved as a letter of credit sublimit.
An incremental term loan facility (the “Incremental Term Loan”) under which the Warehouse Borrower has the right to increase the commitments under the DDTL Facility by up to $750 million after the DDTL Commitment Expiration Date. No lender is required to increase its commitment. The Warehouse Borrower must comply with all representations and warranties, and the terms of any Incremental Term Loan must be identical to those of the DDTL Facilities, including maturity, priority of liens, prepayment terms, and pricing.
In the event of default, an additional 2.00% per annum will be applied to overdue amounts. Fees include commitment fees on undrawn portions, letter of credit fees, and fronting fees. The Warehouse Facilities are secured by first-priority pledges of equity interests and security interests in substantially all owned tangible and intangible assets of the Warehouse Borrower and its guarantors, which consist of the Warehouse Borrower’s fiber network assets and associated customer contracts in certain neighborhoods in the Tampa, Florida area.
Debt Covenants and Borrowing Capacity
Credit Agreement
Our Amended and Restated Credit Agreement includes usual and customary negative covenants for loan agreements of this type, including covenants limiting us and our restricted subsidiaries’ (other than certain covenants therein which are limited to subsidiary guarantors) ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, create liens on assets, make investments, loans or advances, engage in mergers, consolidations, sales of assets and acquisitions, pay dividends and distributions and make payments in respect of certain material subordinated indebtedness, in each case subject to customary exceptions for loan agreements of this type.
Our Amended and Restated Credit Agreement also contains a “financial covenant” which provides that, commencing with the period ending June 30, 2024, our financial maintenance covenant leverage ratio shall not exceed as of the last day of each fiscal quarter 5.25:1.00, with a step-down to 4.75:1.00 commencing with the period ending March 31, 2027, and continuing thereafter.
This financial covenant is only applicable for the benefit of the Revolving Lenders (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) thereunder and failure to comply with the financial covenant would not cause an Event of Default with respect to any loans pursuant to our term loan facility unless and until the Required Revolving Lenders (as defined in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) have declared all amounts outstanding under the revolving facility to be immediately due and payable and all outstanding commitments under the revolving facility to be immediately terminated.
First Lien Notes and Second Lien Notes
The indentures governing our First Lien Notes and Second Lien Notes also include usual and customary negative covenants for debt securities of this type, including covenants limiting us and our restricted subsidiaries’ (other than certain covenants therein which are limited to subsidiary guarantors) ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, create liens on assets, make investments, loans or advances, engage in mergers, consolidations, sales of assets and acquisitions, pay dividends and distributions and make payments in respect of certain material subordinated indebtedness, in each case subject to customary exceptions for debt securities of this type.
The indentures governing the outstanding subsidiary debentures include covenants that limit such subsidiary’s ability to create liens and/or merge or consolidate with other companies. These covenants are subject to important exceptions and qualifications.
Fiber Term Notes
The indenture governing Frontier Issuer’s Fiber Term Notes includes covenants and restrictions customary for transactions of this type. These covenants and restrictions include the maintenance of a liquidity reserve account to be used to make required payments in respect of the Fiber Term Notes, provisions relating to prepayments, required indemnification payments in certain circumstances. The Fiber Term Notes are also subject to rapid amortization in the event of a failure to maintain a stated debt service coverage ratio. A rapid amortization may be cured if the debt service coverage ratio exceeds a certain threshold for a certain period of time, upon which cure, regular amortization, if any, will resume. The Fiber Term Notes are also subject to certain customary events of default, including events relating to non-payment of required interest, principal or other amounts due on or with respect to the Fiber Term Notes, failure to comply with covenants within certain time frames, certain bankruptcy events, breaches of specified representations and warranties, failure of security interests to be effective and certain judgments.
The Fiber Term Notes are subject to covenants and restrictions customary for transactions of this type, including (i) that the Issuer maintains specified reserve accounts to be used to make required payments in respect of the Fiber Term Notes and pay certain reserved fixed costs of the fiber networks, (ii) provisions relating to optional and mandatory prepayments of the Fiber Term Notes and the related payment of specified amounts, including specified make-whole payments in the case of prepayments of the Fiber Term Notes under certain circumstances, (iii) certain indemnification payments in the event, among other things, the assets pledged as collateral for the Fiber Term Notes are in stated ways defective or ineffective, and (iv) covenants relating to recordkeeping, access to information and similar matters. In addition, the terms of the indenture governing the Fiber Term Notes provide that a larger portion of Frontier Issuer’s available funds will be used towards the repayment of the Fiber Term Notes during a cash sweep period, which period would result from, among other things, the failure to maintain a certain debt service coverage ratio or a certain minimum penetration rate in the markets that were securitized at closing. The Fiber Term Notes are also subject to customary rapid amortization events provided for in the Indenture, including events tied to failure to maintain stated debt service coverage ratios, the acceleration of the maturity of the Fiber Term Notes following the occurrence of an event of default and the failure to repay or refinance on the applicable Anticipated Repayment Date (“ARD”).
The customary events of default to which the Fiber Term Notes are subject include events relating to non-payment of required interest, principal or other amounts due on or with respect to the Fiber Term Notes, failure to comply with covenants within certain time frames, certain bankruptcy events, breaches of specified representations and warranties, failure of security interests to be effective and certain judgments. In addition, the Indenture and the related management agreement contain various covenants that limit the ability of the Company’s securitized subsidiaries to engage in specified types of transactions, subject to certain exceptions, including, for example, to incur or guarantee additional indebtedness, sell certain assets, create or incur liens on certain assets to secure indebtedness or consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of their assets.
As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under our existing indentures and the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement.
Warehouse Facilities
The Warehouse Credit Agreement includes covenants and restrictions customary for transactions of this type. The DDTL Facility contains a financial covenant which provides that the subsidiary borrower must comply with a total leverage ratio of no more than 6:75:1.00 and a debt service coverage ratio of at least 2:00:1:00, in addition to other customary conditions.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not maintain any off-balance sheet arrangements, transactions, obligations or other relationships with unconsolidated entities that would be expected to have a material current or future effect upon our financial statements.
Future Contractual Obligations and Commitments
A summary of our future contractual obligations and commercial commitments as of December 31, 2024 is as follows:
Payments due by period
($ in millions)
Total
Thereafter
Long-term debt obligations, excluding interest
Interest on long-term debt
Lease obligations
Purchase obligations
Total
Our outstanding performance letters of credit increased from $181 million to $185 million during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Future Commitments
See “Regulatory Developments” immediately below for information regarding Frontier’s known and potential future commitments related to our participation in the FCC’s CAF Phase II program, NTIA BEAD program, and RDOF Phase I auction.
Regulatory Developments
Connect America Fund (“CAF”)/ Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (“RDOF”): In 2015, Frontier accepted the FCC’s CAF Phase II offer, which provided $313 million in annual support through 2021 in return for the Company’s commitment to make broadband available to households within the CAF II areas in our existing 25 states. The Company was required to complete the CAF II deployment by December 31, 2021. Thereafter, USAC and the FCC have been reviewing carriers’ CAF II program completion data, and should USAC or the FCC determine that the Company did not satisfy certain applicable CAF Phase II requirements, Frontier could be required to return a portion of the funds previously received and may be subject to certain other fines, requirements and obligations.
On January 30, 2020, the FCC adopted an order establishing the RDOF competitive reverse auction to provide support to serve high-cost areas. Frontier was awarded approximately $371 million over ten years to build gigabit-capable broadband over a fiber-to-the-premises network to approximately 127,000 locations in eight states (California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia). We began receiving RDOF funding in the second quarter of 2022 and we will be required to complete the buildout to the awarded locations by December 31, 2028, with interim target milestones over this period. To the extent that Frontier is unable to fulfill the RDOF requirements, meet the milestones or construct to all locations by the required deadlines, funding to us could be discontinued and Frontier could be required to return a portion of funds previously received and may be subject to certain fines, requirements and obligations. Fines and penalties could also be assessed to the extent Frontier were ever to decide to surrender RDOF locations previously awarded.
In November 2021, Congress passed the IIJA which provides $65 billion to fund broadband connectivity programs, including broadband deployment to unserved and underserved locations. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is administering the principal last mile infrastructure funding program in the amount of $42.5 billion, the Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment Program (BEAD), and will distribute funding through direct grants to states, who will then award the funds based on competitive grant programs. The NTIA has allocated approximately $25.5 billion to states in Frontier’s footprint. We are closely tracking implementation of the BEAD program, including state determinations regarding subsidy award criteria. We are actively pursuing awards of these stimulus funds, however, we continue to evaluate our opportunities as the process is complex and any awards that we ultimately receive under the IIJA may require significant up-front capital expenditures or other costs.
On January 27, 2025, the federal Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued a memorandum to the heads of all executive departments and agencies directing them to pause the disbursement of certain federal financial assistance. On January 28, 2025, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a temporary stay of the OMB directive and which the OMB subsequently rescinded. It is uncertain if the OMB will seek to further pause or otherwise limit future federal disbursements, or if any such changes would impact the funding Frontier receives under federal programs, including USF, RDOF and other federal broadband grants including BEAD. We are closely tracking developments in this area. Significant decreases in available funding, or the imposition of significant requirements on the receipt of such funding, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Privacy: Our businesses are subject to federal and state laws and regulations that impose various restrictions and obligations related to privacy and the handling of customers’ personal information. Privacy-related legislation has been adopted in a number of states in which we operate. Certain state requirements give consumers increased rights including the right to know what personal information is being collected about them and obtain a copy of such information, opt-out of the sale of personal information or sharing of personal information for purposes of certain targeted advertising, and to request the correction or deletion of this information. Complying with such laws, as well as other legislative and regulatory action related to privacy, could result in increased costs of compliance, claims
against the Company or investigations related to compliance, and increased uncertainty in the use and availability of certain consumer data.
Video Programming: Federal, state, and local governments extensively regulate the video services industry. Our linear video services are subject to, among other things: subscriber privacy regulations; requirements that we carry a local broadcast station or obtain consent to carry a local or distant broadcast station; rules for franchise renewals and transfers; the manner in which program packages are marketed to subscribers; and program access requirements.
We provide video programming in some of our markets including California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, and Texas pursuant to franchises, permits and similar authorizations issued by state and local franchising authorities. Most franchises require payment of a franchise fee as a requirement to the granting of authority.
Many franchises establish facilities and service requirements, as well as specific customer service standards and monetary penalties for non-compliance. We believe that we are meeting all material standards and requirements. Franchises are generally granted for fixed terms and must be periodically renewed.
Environmental Regulation: The local exchange carrier subsidiaries we operate are subject to federal, state, and local laws, and regulations governing the use, storage, disposal of, and exposure to hazardous materials, the release of pollutants into the environment and the remediation of contamination. As an owner and former owner of property, we are subject to environmental laws that could impose liability for the entire cost of cleanup at contaminated sites, including sites formerly owned by us or our predecessors, regardless of fault or the lawfulness of the activity that resulted in contamination. We believe that our operations are in substantial compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of our financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions. There are inherent uncertainties with respect to such estimates and assumptions; accordingly, it is possible that actual results could differ from those estimates and changes to estimates could occur in the near term. These critical accounting estimates have been reviewed with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. For a discussion of these and other accounting policies, see Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts based on our estimate of our ability to collect accounts receivable. Our estimates are based on assumptions and other considerations, including payment history, customer financial performance, carrier billing disputes and aging analysis. Our estimation process includes general and specific reserves and varies by customer category. In 2024 and 2023, we had no “critical estimates” related to bankruptcies of communications companies or any other significant customers. See Notes 1 and 6 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
Depreciation
The calculation of depreciation expense is based upon the estimated useful lives of the underlying property, plant and equipment. Depreciation expense is principally based on the composite group method for substantially all of our property, plant, and equipment assets. The estimates for remaining lives of the various asset categories are determined annually, based on an independent study. Among other considerations, these studies include models that consider actual usage, replacement history and assumptions about technology evolution for each category of asset. The latest study was completed in the fourth quarter of 2024 and did not result in any significant changes in remaining lives for any of our asset categories. A one-year decrease in the estimated useful lives of our property, plant, and equipment would result in an increase of approximately $156 million to depreciation expense.
See Note 6 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
Asset Impairments
We review long-lived assets to be held and used, including customer lists, finite-lived intangible assets, and long-lived assets to be disposed of for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. When triggering events are identified, recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the asset to the future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. Recoverability of assets held for sale is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the assets to their estimated fair market value. If any assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value. Also, we periodically reassess the useful lives of our tangible and intangible assets to determine whether any changes are required.
We considered whether the carrying values of finite-lived intangible assets, and property plant and equipment may not be recoverable or whether the carrying value of certain finite-lived intangible assets were impaired, noting no impairment was present as of or for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
We sponsor a defined benefit pension plan covering a significant number of our current and former employees as well as other postretirement benefit plans that provide medical, dental, life insurance and other benefits for covered retired employees and their beneficiaries and covered dependents. As of December 31, 2024, the unfunded benefit obligation for these plans recorded on our consolidated balance sheet was $630 million. During 2024, we contributed $171 million to these plans in cash and recorded $54
million of operating expense before capitalization, and $13 million of net non-operating income. Pension and other postretirement benefit costs and obligations are dependent upon various actuarial assumptions, the most significant of which are the discount rate and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets.
Our discount rate assumption is determined annually with assistance from our actuaries based on the pattern of expected future benefit payments and the prevailing rates available on long-term, high quality corporate bonds with durations approximate to that of our benefit obligation. As of December 31, 2024, and 2023, we utilized an estimation technique that is based upon a settlement model (Bond:Link) that permits us to closely match cash flows to the expected payments to participants. This rate can change from year-to-year based on market conditions that affect corporate bond yields.
We are utilizing a discount rate of 5.60% as of December 31, 2024, for our qualified pension plan, compared to rates of 5.20% and 5.50% in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The discount rate for postretirement plans as of December 31, 2024, was 5.70% compared to 5.20% in 2023 and 5.50% in 2022.
In the following table, we show the estimated sensitivity of our pension and other postretirement benefit plan liabilities to a 25 basis point change in the discount rate as of December 31, 2024:
($ in millions)
Increase in Discount Rate of 25 bps
Decrease in Discount Rate of 25 bps
Pension plans
Projected benefit obligation
Other postretirement plans
Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation
In developing the expected long-term rate of return assumption, we considered published surveys of expected market returns, 10 and 20 year actual returns of various major indices, and our own historical 5-year, 10-year and 20-year investment returns. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is based on an asset allocation assumption of 65% in long-duration fixed income securities, and 35% in equity securities and other investments. We review our asset allocation at least annually and make changes when considered appropriate. Our asset return assumption is made at the beginning of our fiscal year. In 2023 and 2022, our expected long-term rate of return on plan assets was 7.50%. For the period January 1, 2024 – September 30, 2024, our expected long-term rate of return on plan assets was 7.50%. For the period October 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, our expected long-term rate of return on plan assets was 6.65%. Our actual return on plan assets for the year ended December 31, 2024, was a gain of 5%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, was a gain of 15% and for the year ended December 31, 2022, was a loss of 20%. For 2025, we expect to assume a rate of return of 6.65%. Our pension plan assets are valued at fair value as of the measurement date .
For additional information regarding our pension and other postretirement benefits (see Note 18 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).
Income Taxes
We file a consolidated federal income tax return. We utilize the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the asset and liability method, deferred income taxes are recorded for the tax effect of temporary differences between the financial statement basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities using tax rates expected to be in effect when the temporary differences are expected to reverse. Actual income taxes could vary from these estimates due to future changes in governing law or review by taxing authorities.
We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If we determine that we are not able to realize a portion of our net deferred tax assets in the future, we would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would increase the provision for income taxes.
The tax effect of a change in tax law or rates included in income tax expense from continuing operations includes effect of changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities initially recognized through a charge or credit to other comprehensive income. The residual tax effects typically are released when the item giving rise to the tax effect is disposed of, liquidated, or terminated.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
For additional information regarding FASB Accounting Standards Updates (‘‘ASU’’s) that have been issued but not yet adopted and that may impact the Company, refer to Note 3 – ‘‘Recent Accounting Pronouncements’’ to the audited consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this annual Report on form 10-K .