UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2004

OR

For the transition period from ______ to ______.

Commission file number 000-28167

ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.

600 Telephone Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99503
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)    (Zip Code)

(907) 297-3000
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Not Applicable
(Former name, former address and former three months, if changed since last report)

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.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY
PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PRECEDING FIVE YEARS:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.

APPLICABLE ONLY TO CORPORATE ISSUERS:

     The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s Common Stock, as of May 10, 2004 was 29,598,576.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.

1.

DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

     Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the “Company” or “ACS Group”), a Delaware corporation, is engaged principally in providing local telephone, wireless, Internet, interexchange network and other services to its retail consumer and business customers and wholesale customers in the State of Alaska through its telecommunications subsidiaries. The Company was formed in October of 1998 for the purpose of acquiring and operating telecommunications properties.

     The financial statements for the Company represent the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows principally of the following entities:

	•		Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc.
	•		Alaska Communications Systems Holdings, Inc. (“ACS Holdings”)
	•		ACS of Alaska, Inc. (“ACSAK”)
	•		ACS of the Northland, Inc. (“ACSN”)
	•		ACS of Fairbanks, Inc. (“ACSF”)
	•		ACS of Anchorage, Inc. (“ACSA”)
	•		ACS Wireless, Inc. (“ACSW”)
	•		ACS Long Distance, Inc. (“ACSLD”)
	•		ACS Internet, Inc. (“ACSI”)

     On May 8, 2003, the Company completed the sale of a majority interest (87.42%) in the newly formed ACS Media LLC (the “Directories Business”). Subsequently, on August 27, 2003, the Company sold substantially all of its remaining interest in the Directories Business. As a result of this transaction, the Company now owns less than 0.1% of the Directories Business.

     Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, the Company believes the disclosures which are made are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. The consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003. Certain reclassifications have been made to the 2003 financial statements to make them conform to the current presentation.

     In the opinion of management, the financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows for all periods presented. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations which might be expected for the entire year or any other interim periods.

Revenue Recognition

     Access revenue is recognized when earned. The Company participates in acess revenue pools with other telephone companies. Such pools are funded by toll revenue and/or access charges regulated by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (“RCA”) within the intrastate jurisdiction and the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) within the interstate jurisdiction. Much of the interstate access revenue is initially recorded based on estimates. These estimates are derived from interim financial statements, available separations studies and the most recent information available about achieved rates of return. These estimates are subject to adjustment in future accounting periods as additional operational information becomes available. To the extent that disputes arise over revenue settlements, the Company’s policy is to defer revenue collected until settlement methodologies are resolved and finalized. At March 31, 2004 and 2003, the Company had liabilities of $13,053 and $17,532, respectively, related to its estimate of refundable access revenue.

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ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued
(Unaudited, In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)

1.

DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Regulatory Accounting and Regulation

     The local telephone exchange operations of the Company account for costs in accordance with the accounting principles for regulated enterprises prescribed by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 71, Accounting for the Effects of Certain Types of Regulation. This accounting recognizes the economic effects of rate regulation by recording cost and a return on investment as such amounts are recovered through rates authorized by regulatory authorities. Accordingly, under SFAS No. 71, plant and equipment is depreciated over lives approved by regulators and certain costs and obligations are deferred based upon approvals received from regulators to permit recovery of such amounts in future years.

     The Company implemented, effective January 1, 2003, higher depreciation rates for its regulated telephone plant for the interstate jurisdiction, which management believes approximate the economically useful lives of the underlying plant. As a result, the Company has recorded a regulatory asset under SFAS No. 71 of $21,850 and $2,418 as of March 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively, related to depreciation of the regulated telephone plant allocable to its intrastate and local jurisdictions. The Company has also deferred as a regulatory asset $894 of costs incurred in connection with regulatory rate making proceedings, which is being amortized over three years starting in 2003. The balance of this regulatory asset was $521 at March 31, 2004. If the Company were not following SFAS No. 71, these costs would have been charged to expense as incurred. The Company also has a regulatory liability of $51,730 at March 31, 2004 related to accumulated removal costs. If the Company were not following SFAS No. 71, it would have followed SFAS No. 143 for asset retirement obligations. Non-regulated revenues and costs incurred by the local telephone exchange operations and non-regulated operations of the Company are not accounted for under SFAS No. 71 principles.

Stock Incentive Plans

     The Company applies Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, in accounting for its stock incentive plans. Accordingly, no compensation cost has been recognized for options with exercise prices equal to or greater than fair value on the date of grant. No compensation costs were charged to operations for the three months ended March 31, 2004 or 2003. If compensation costs had been determined consistent with SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, the Company’s net loss and net loss per share on a pro forma basis for the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003 would have been as follows:

     The fair value for these options was estimated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions for grants:

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ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued
(Unaudited, In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)

2.

NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

     On August 15, 2001, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS No. 143, Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations. This statement is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2002. SFAS No. 143 addresses financial accounting and reporting obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets and the associated asset retirement costs. This standard generally applies to legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets that result from the acquisition, construction, development and/or the normal operation of a long-lived asset. Under the new accounting method, asset retirement obligations are recognized in the period in which they are incurred if a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. When the liability is initially recorded, the cost is capitalized and increases the carrying value of the related long-lived asset. The liability is then accreted to its present value each period and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the estimated useful life of the related asset. At the settlement date, the obligation is settled for its recorded amount or a gain or loss is recognized upon settlement.

     In accordance with federal and state regulations, depreciation expense for the Company’s local exchange carriers regulated operations have historically included an additional provision for cost of removal. Under SFAS No. 143, the additional cost of removal provision would no longer be included in depreciation expense, because it does not meet the recognition and measurement principles of an asset retirement obligation. On December 20, 2002, the FCC notified local exchange carriers that they should not adopt the provisions of SFAS No. 143 unless specifically required by the FCC in the future. As a result of the FCC ruling, the Company will continue to record depreciation expense for cost of removal for its local exchange carrier subsidiaries that follow SFAS No. 71 accounting. Prior to SFAS No. 143, asset removal costs that qualified and did not qualify for asset retirement obligations were recorded in Accumulated depreciation. In accordance with SFAS No. 143 and SFAS No. 71, the accumulated asset retirement removal costs were reclassified as regulatory liabilities in 2003. Accumulated retirement removal costs in Other deferred credits and long-term liabilities not qualifying for asset retirement obligations were $51,730 at March 31, 2004.

     The Company applied the provisions of SFAS No. 143 to its nonregulated subsidiaries effective January 1, 2003. The Company’s wireless segment has entered into cell site operating leases, which are subject to the provisions of this statement. Cell site lease agreements may contain clauses requiring restoration of the leased site at the end of the lease term, creating an asset retirement obligation. Landlords may choose not to exercise these rights as cell sites may be considered useful improvements. The Company’s initial adoption of this statement did not have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

     In December 2003, the FASB reissued SFAS No. 132, Employers’ Disclosure about Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits. This revised statement requires expanded disclosures with respect to pension plan assets, benefit obligations, cash flows, benefit costs and other relevant information. However this revised statement does not change the measurement and recognition provisions of previous FASB statements related to pensions and other postretirement benefits. The Company was required to adopt this revised statement for 2003. The Company’s adoption of this revised statement did not have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. The expanded disclosures required by this statement are included in Note 5, Retirement Plans.

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ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued
(Unaudited, In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)

2. NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS (Continued)

     In January 2003, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 46 (“FIN 46”), Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities (revised December 2003). FIN 46 addresses when a company should include in its financial statements the assets, liabilities and activities of a variable interest entity. FIN 46 defines variable interest entities as those entities with a business purpose that either do not have any equity investors with voting rights or have equity investors that do not provide sufficient financial resources for the entity to support its activities. FIN 46 also requires disclosures about variable interest entities that a company is not required to consolidate, but in which it has a significant variable interest. FIN 46 consolidation requirements are effective for all variable interest entities created after January 31, 2003, and to pre-existing entities in the first fiscal year or interim period ending after December 15, 2003. Certain disclosure requirements are effective for financial statements issued after January 31, 2003. The adoption of FIN 46 has no effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

3.

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

     On March 30, 2002, the Company approved a plan to sell its wireless cable television service segment. As a result of this decision, the operating revenue and expense of this segment has been classified as discontinued operations under SFAS No. 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. The Company completed its disposal of its wireless cable television segment as of March 31, 2003.

     The following discloses the results of the discontinued operations for the three months ended March 31, 2003:

4.

STOCK INCENTIVE PLANS

     Under various plans, ACS Group, through the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, may grant stock options, stock appreciation rights and other awards to officers, employees and non-employee directors. At March 31, 2004, ACS Group has reserved a total of 6,060 shares of authorized common stock for issuance under the plans. In general, options under the plans vest ratably over three, four or five years and the plans terminate in approximately 10 years.

Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. 1999 Stock Incentive Plan

     ACS Group has reserved 4,910 shares under this plan, which was adopted by the Company in November 1999. At March 31, 2004, 6,710 options have been granted, 2,712 have been forfeited, 441 have been exercised, and 912 shares are available for grant under the plan.

10

ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued
(Unaudited, In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)

4.

STOCK INCENTIVE PLANS (Continued)

ACS Group, Inc. 1999 Non-Employee Director Stock Compensation Plan

     The non-employee director stock compensation plan was adopted by ACS Group in November 1999. ACS Group has reserved 150 shares under this plan. At March 31, 2004, 117 shares have been awarded and 33 shares are available for grant under the plan. For 2004, directors are required to receive not less than 25% of their annual retainer in the form of ACS Group’s stock and may have elected to receive up to 100% of their annual retainer in the form of ACS Group’s stock. In 2003, directors did not have the option of receiving stock and received their entire annual retainer and meeting fees in cash, therefore no shares were awarded from this plan during 2003. On March 31, 2004, seven shares under the plan were awarded to directors, of which five were elected to be deferred until termination of service by the directors.

Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. 1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

     This plan was also adopted by ACS Group in November 1999. ACS Group has reserved 1,000 shares under this plan. At March 31, 2004, 502 shares are available for issuance and sale. The plan will terminate on December 31, 2009. All ACS Group employees and all of the employees of designated subsidiaries generally will be eligible to participate in the purchase plan, other than employees whose customary employment is 20 hours or less per week or is for not more than five months in a calendar year, or who are ineligible to participate due to restrictions under the Internal Revenue Code.

5.

RETIREMENT PLANS

     Pension benefits for substantially all of the Company’s employees are provided through the Alaska Electrical Pension Plan (“AEPP”). The Company pays a contractual hourly amount based on employee classification or base compensation. As a multi-employer defined contribution plan, the accumulated benefits and plan assets are not determined for or allocated separately to the individual employer. The Company also provides a 401(k) retirement savings plan covering substantially all of its employees.

     The Company also has a separate defined benefit plan that covers certain employees previously employed by Century Telephone Enterprise, Inc. (“CenturyTel Plan”). This plan was transferred to the Company in connection with the acquisition of CenturyTel’s Alaska Properties. Existing plan assets and liabilities of the CenturyTel Plan were transferred to the ACS Retirement Plan on September 1, 1999. Accrued benefits under the ACS Retirement Plan were determined in accordance with the provisions of the CenturyTel Plan. Upon completion of the transfer to the Company, covered employees ceased to accrue benefits under the plan. On November 1, 2000, the ACS Retirement Plan was amended to conform early retirement reduction factors and various other terms to those provided by the AEPP. As a result of this amendment, prior service cost of $1,992 was recorded and will be amortized over the expected service life of the plan participants at the date of the amendment. The Company uses the traditional unit credit method for the determination of pension cost for financial reporting and funding purposes and complies with the funding requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for the plan.

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ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS GROUP, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued
(Unaudited, In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)

5.

RETIREMENT PLANS (Continued)

     The following table represents the net periodic pension expense for the ACS Retirement Plan for the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003:

     The Company also has a separate executive post retirement health benefit plan. The Alaska Communications Systems Executive Retiree Health Benefit Plan (“The ACS Health Plan”) was adopted by the Company in November 2001 and amended in October 2002. The ACS Health Plan covers a select group of management or highly compensated employees. The group of eligible employees is selected by a committee appointed by the Compensation Committee of ACS Group’s Board of Directors. Each eligible employee must complete 10 years of service and be employed by the Company in the capacity of an executive officer for a minimum of 36 consecutive months immediately preceding retirement. The ACS Health Plan provides a graded subsidy for medical, dental, and vision coverage. The amendment revised the premium subsidy, added a premium subsidy cap and suspends retirees’ benefits from the ACS Health Plan during any period the retiree has access to employer health benefits. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors decided to terminate the ACS Health Plan in January 2004. The three people already qualified under the plan will receive future benefits, but the plan is closed to future participants. The Company uses the projected unit credit method for the determination of post retirement health cost for financial reporting and funding purposes and complies with the funding requirements under ERISA. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for the plan.

     The following represents the net periodic postretirement benefit expense for the ACS Health Plan for the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003: