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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-K

FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS PURSUANT TO

SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1934

 

(Mark One)

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For The Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2003.

OR

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.

 

Commission File Number: 000-22003

 

US UNWIRED INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Louisiana   72-1457316

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or Organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

    70601
    (Zip code)

901 Lakeshore Drive

Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(337) 436-9000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 


 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None.

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Common Stock, par value $.01 per share

Title of Each Class

 

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 and 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  ¨

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K 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 amendment to this Form 10-K.  ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act.  Yes  x  No  ¨

 

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant computed by reference to the closing sales price on the OTC Bulletin Board on June 30, 2003, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $38,445,956. (For purposes of determination of the foregoing amount, only our directors, executive officers and 10% shareholders have been deemed affiliates).

 

There were 128,831,535 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, outstanding at February 15, 2004.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

1. Portions of the US Unwired Inc. Proxy Statement of Registrant for its 2004 annual meeting of shareholders.

 



Table of Contents

US UNWIRED INC.

 

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

     PART I     

ITEM 1.

   Business    1

ITEM 2.

   Properties    41

ITEM 3.

   Legal Proceedings    41

ITEM 4.

   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders    41
     PART II     

ITEM 5.

   Market For Registrant’s Common Equity And Related Stockholder Matters    42

ITEM 6.

   Selected Financial Data    43

ITEM 7.

   Management’s Discussion And Analysis Of Financial Condition And Results Of Operations    43

ITEM 7A.

   Quantitative And Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk    60

ITEM 8.

   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data    60

ITEM 9.

   Changes In And Disagreements With Accountants On Accounting And Financial Disclosure    60

ITEM 9A.

   Controls and Procedures    60
     PART III     

ITEM 10.

   Directors And Executive Officers Of The Registrant    61

ITEM 11.

   Executive Compensation    62

ITEM 12.

   Security Ownership Of Certain Beneficial Owners And Management and Related Stockholder Matters    62

ITEM 13.

   Certain Relationships And Related Transactions    62

ITEM 14.

   Principal Accounting Fees and Services    62
     PART IV     

ITEM 15.

   Exhibits, Financial Statements, Schedules, and Reports On Form 8-K    63

Signatures

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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This report contains forward-looking statements, which are statements about future business strategy, operations and capabilities, construction plans, construction schedules, financial projections, plans and objectives of management, expected actions of third parties and other matters. Forward-looking statements often include words like believes, belief, expects, plans, anticipates, intends, projects, estimates, may, might, would or similar words. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different. In addition to the risk factors described elsewhere, specific factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to (i) our ability to finance future growth opportunities; (ii) our dependence on Sprint PCS; (iii) our ability to expand our Sprint PCS network or to upgrade the Sprint PCS network to accommodate new technologies; (iv) limited operating history in the PCS market and anticipation of future losses; (v) potential fluctuations in operating results; (vi) changes or advances in technology; (vii) changes in law or government regulation; (viii) competition in the industry and markets in which we operate; (ix) future acquisitions; (x) our ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; (xi) our dependence on contractor and consultant services, network implementation and information technology support; (xii) our potential inability to expand the services and related products we provide in the event of substantial increases in demand in excess of supply for network and handset equipment and related services and products; (xiii) the availability at acceptable terms of sufficient funds to pay for our business plans; (xiv) changes in labor, equipment and capital costs; (xv) any inability to comply with the indentures that govern our senior notes or credit agreements; (xvi) changes in management; and (xvii) general economic and business conditions.

 

You should not rely too heavily on any forward-looking statement. We cannot assure you that our forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. We have no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statement based on new information, future events or otherwise. For a discussion of some of the factors discussed above as well as additional factors, see “RISK FACTORS” contained in this document.

 

PART I

 

ITEM 1. Business

 

General

 

Through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Louisiana Unwired, LLC (“Louisiana Unwired”) and IWO Holdings, Inc. (“IWO”), we provide wireless personal communication services, commonly referred to as PCS, in eastern Texas, southern Oklahoma, southern Arkansas, the Florida panhandle, southern Tennessee, upstate New York, New Hampshire (other than the Nashua market) and Vermont; significant portions of Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi; and portions of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. We are a network partner of Sprint PCS, the personal communications services group of Sprint Corporation. Sprint PCS, directly and through network partners like us, provides wireless services in more than 4,000 cities and communities across the country. We have the exclusive right to provide PCS services under the Sprint® and Sprint PCS® brand names in service areas that had approximately 17.6 million residents as of December 31, 2003. Our combined service areas are among the largest in population and subscribers of the Sprint PCS network partners and are contiguous with Sprint PCS’s launched markets of Houston, Dallas, Little Rock, New Orleans, Birmingham, Jacksonville, Memphis, Atlanta, New York and Boston.

 

At December 31, 2003, we were providing PCS service to approximately 617,800 subscribers and network coverage to approximately 12.8 million residents or 73% out of approximately 17.6 million total residents. The number of residents in our service area does not represent the number of Sprint PCS subscribers that we expect to have in our service area.

 

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Recent Developments

 

For a discussion of recent developments in 2003 including our operating results, liquidity and relationship with Sprint PCS, please refer to Recent Developments in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition And Results of Operations.

 

Our Affiliation with Sprint PCS

 

Sprint PCS adopted a strategy to extend its 100% digital, 100% PCS network by entering into agreements with independent wireless companies such as us, which we refer to as affiliates, to construct and manage Sprint PCS markets and market Sprint PCS services. Through these affiliations, Sprint PCS services are available in key cities contiguous to current and future Sprint PCS markets.

 

Under our agreements with Sprint PCS, we market Sprint PCS products and services in our service area using licenses that Sprint PCS acquired from the FCC in 1994 and 1996. We are the only provider of Sprint PCS products and services in our service area. Some key points about these agreements are:

 

  Each agreement lasts up to 50 years with an initial period of 20 years and three successive 10-year renewal periods.

 

  Each agreement requires revenue sharing of 8% to Sprint PCS and 92% to US Unwired, except that US Unwired retains 100% of the revenues from non-US Unwired Sprint PCS subscribers traveling in our service area, merchandise sales and other revenues as defined in the Sprint PCS Management Agreement.

 

  If we terminate or breach the agreements, we may be required to sell our PCS business and network to Sprint PCS or to purchase the Sprint PCS licenses from Sprint PCS.

 

  If Sprint PCS terminates or breaches the agreements, we may be able to sell our PCS business and network to Sprint PCS or to purchase the Sprint PCS licenses from Sprint PCS.

 

In addition, through services agreements, we pay Sprint PCS service fees for certain ‘back office’ functions performed by Sprint PCS for us. We pay service fees to Sprint PCS for new subscribers activations as well recurring monthly fees for services performed for existing subscribers such as billing and customer service.

 

We also purchase other goods and services, such as handsets, from Sprint PCS where Sprint PCS has contracted with third party vendors. Sprint PCS has entered into agreements with national retailers that sell handsets and service to new subscribers in our markets. Sprint PCS pays these national retailers a new subscriber commission and provides handsets to them below cost. For new subscribers added in our markets by these national retailers, Sprint PCS passes the costs of commissions and handset subsidies to us.

 

We believe that our service area is important to the Sprint PCS network. To date, Sprint PCS has made considerable investments in the licenses covering our service area.

 

Our Service Area

 

Our Sprint PCS service area includes all or portions of 68 markets spanning over 237,000 square miles with a population of approximately 17.6 million people in eastern Texas, southern Oklahoma, southern Arkansas, the Florida panhandle, southern Tennessee, upstate New York, New Hampshire (other than the Nashua market) and Vermont; significant portions of Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi; and portions of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as a network partner of Sprint PCS. The number of residents in our service area does not represent the number of Sprint PCS subscribers that we expect to have in our service area.

 

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PCS Services and Features

 

We offer Sprint PCS products and services in our service area. Our products and services are designed to mirror those of Sprint PCS and to be a part of the Sprint PCS nationwide network. Sprint PCS subscribers in our service area may use Sprint PCS services throughout our contiguous markets and seamlessly throughout the Sprint PCS network.

 

We support Sprint PCS’s newest technology, PCS Vision, throughout our service area. PCS Vision allows subscribers that purchase handsets with the appropriate features the ability to access the Internet, receive and send email, download pictures and sounds, and take digital pictures either with a built-in or attachable camera.

 

We offer Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) handsets that weigh 2.7 to 7.0 ounces and can offer up to 16 days of standby time and up to 3.8 hours of talk time. Many of these models are dual-mode handsets that allow subscribers to make and receive calls on both PCS and cellular frequency bands. All handsets are equipped with preprogrammed features and are sold under the Sprint PCS brand name.

 

We provide roaming service to both Sprint PCS subscribers that are traveling through our service area as well as certain non-Sprint PCS subscribers traveling through our service area. Sprint PCS and other affiliates provide a similar service to our subscribers traveling outside of our market area. Roaming allows a person to make a phone call outside the service area where they purchased the service.

 

PCS Marketing Strategy

 

We benefit from the recognizable Sprint PCS brand names and logos and from Sprint PCS’s technological developments. We enhance the national effort with local marketing managers and coordinators who develop strategies specifically tailored to our local markets. They assist the sales force in driving traffic to the stores through promotions, contests and community relations programs and assist the outside sales force in targeting business sales.

 

Pricing

 

We use the Sprint PCS pricing strategy to offer our subscribers a menu of service plans typically structured with monthly recurring charges, large local calling areas, bundles of minutes and options and features such as voicemail, enhanced caller identification, call waiting, three-way calling and PCS Vision web. In order to meet the competitive needs of our specific local markets, we occasionally alter Sprint PCS’s pricing plans. In addition, we offer a pre-paid service called Chat Pak in certain markets where we believe that it will provide a competitive advantage.

 

Advertising

 

We capitalize on the Sprint PCS name and reputation to attract subscribers. We benefit from Sprint PCS’s national advertising campaign at no additional cost. Sprint PCS also runs numerous promotional campaigns that provide subscribers with benefits such as additional features at the same rate or free ancillary services. We direct our media and promotional efforts at the community level by advertising Sprint PCS’s products and services through radio, print, outdoor, billing inserts, direct mail and promotional displays in our retail stores.

 

Sponsorships

 

Sprint PCS sponsors numerous national and regional events. These sponsorships provide Sprint PCS with brand name and product awareness. Our regional marketing teams sponsor local events, teams and projects to increase consumer awareness of the Sprint PCS brand in the local community and to provide occasions to develop positive community relationships in our markets.

 

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Sales and Distribution

 

We target a broad range of consumer and business markets through a sales and distribution plan. We use traditional sales channels, like our retail stores, mass merchandisers and other national retail outlets, independent agents and an outside sales force. We also use lower-cost methods like direct marketing and a corporate website.

 

Retail stores

 

At December 31, 2003, we had 54 retail outlets. Our retail outlets are located in principal retail districts in each market, designed in accordance with Sprint PCS specifications and branded as Sprint stores. We use our stores for the distribution and sale of our handsets and services. Sales representatives in these outlets receive in-depth training that allows them to explain our service in an informed manner. We believe that these representatives foster effective and enduring customer relationships.

 

Mass merchandisers and outlets

 

We target subscribers through our mass-market retail outlets through Sprint PCS negotiated distribution agreements with national and regional mass merchandisers and consumer electronic retailers, including Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Office Depot and, at December 31, 2003, had a presence in over 600 national retail outlet locations in our service area.

 

Independent agents

 

We have a contracted network of independent agents that creates additional opportunities for local distribution. Most of these businesses are family-owned consumer electronics dealers and wireless telecommunication retailers. At December 31, 2003, we had approximately 300 independent agents under contract.

 

Other Sprint PCS initiatives

 

We participate in Sprint PCS’s national accounts program, which targets Fortune 1000 companies. This allows us to take advantage of Sprint PCS’s inbound telemarketing sales program and Sprint PCS’s internet site that allows subscribers in our service area who purchase products and services over the Sprint PCS internet site become subscribers of our PCS network.

 

Resellers

 

Effective July 2002, we agreed to participate in a reseller program in our service area through Sprint PCS as part of the partnership between Sprint PCS and Virgin Mobile USA, LLC (“Virgin”). The agreement allows Virgin to sell prepaid wireless services and pay us for use of our network on a per minute basis. Virgin targets the 15- to 30-year-old consumer market to purchase pay-as-you-go wireless communications services while eliminating the responsibilities of monthly bills and credit requirements.

 

No single manufacturer has accounted for more than 10% of our sales in the current reporting period or in the past three years.

 

Suppliers and Equipment Vendors

 

We do not manufacture any of the handsets that we use in our operations. We purchase our handsets directly from Sprint PCS and our accessories from certain other third party vendors.

 

Competition

 

We face significant competition in our service area from a number of competitors. There are five other national mobile telephony operators that offer service in at least some portion of our service area—AT&T

 

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Wireless, Verizon, Cingular, Nextel and T-Mobile. In addition, there are many local and regional carriers that offer PCS and cellular services in our service area. According to the FCC’s Eighth Annual Commercial Mobile Services Competition (“CDMR”) Report, released July 14, 2003, “…270 million people, or 95% of the total population, have three or more different operators offering mobile telephone service in the counties in which they live.”

 

Wireless local number portability (“WLNP”) was introduced in a portion of our markets in November 2003. WNLP allows customers to retain existing telephone numbers when switching from one wireless carrier to another. The introduction of WLNP in all of our markets in May 2004 may result in higher customer turnover, lower revenues and increased operating costs. We are closely monitoring the effects of WNLP but cannot state with any certainty the impact that it will have on our future operations.

 

In order to attract new subscribers, we offer discounts on handsets and service plans that include more minutes and/or more anytime minutes and other enhancements such as complimentary periods of free data usage. Based upon increased competition, we anticipate that market prices for two-way wireless services will continue to decline in the future. We compete to attract and retain subscribers principally on the basis of services and features, the size and location of our service areas, network coverage and reliability, customer care and pricing. Our ability to compete successfully depends, in part, 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 discount pricing strategies by competitors.

 

We believe that our ability to compete effectively with other PCS providers will depend on:

 

  the continued expansion and improvement of the Sprint PCS network, customer care system and telephone handset options.

 

  the continued success of CDMA technology in providing better call quality and clarity than other systems.

 

  our competitive pricing with various options suiting individual subscribers calling needs.

 

The main wireless technologies used in the United States are: Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”), Global System Mobile Communications (“GSM”) and Time Division Multiple Access (“TDMA”).

 

Sprint PCS has chosen CDMA technology, which we believe offers significant advantages in the marketplace.

 

CDMA offers superior call quality and clarity. CDMA also offers the highest capacity of the three standards. This means that more simultaneous calls can be handled on a CDMA network than on equivalent TDMA or GSM networks. CDMA also offers a high level of security, giving subscribers confidence that their calls remain private. CDMA offers many advanced features such as short text messaging, Internet access, call waiting, call forwarding and three way calling. Several providers in the United States, including Sprint PCS and Verizon use CDMA technology.

 

TDMA is generally less expensive to deploy if a carrier seeks to overlay an analog network, like a cellular carrier would be required to do. TDMA also offers increased call security and advanced features like those available on a CDMA network. Several providers in the United States, including AT&T and Cingular use TDMA but have announced intentions to overlay their existing TDMA networks with GSM technology.

 

GSM is the most widely adopted standard around the world. It originated in Europe, where it continues to be the dominant standard. It has been widely deployed for over ten years, which means that economies of scale for network and handset equipment have been achieved. This has lowered the cost of purchasing the equipment for a GSM system. GSM also offers increased call security and advanced features like those available on a CDMA network. T-Mobile uses GSM technology.

 

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We do not currently face significant competition from resellers on our facilities and believe our relationship with Virgin compliments our other distribution channels. We expect to continue to be subject to the FCC rule that requires cellular and PCS licensees to permit resale of carrier service.

 

Network Operations

 

We have completed the initial network build out plan for all of our markets, except for certain IWO markets. The Sprint PCS Management Agreement requires us to provide network coverage to 65% of the resident population in our service area.

 

We have met this requirement in all of our service areas except for IWO’s service area, and it is unlikely that IWO will have sufficient liquidity to complete the build-out in the IWO service area. Should we be unable to complete the IWO build-out, Sprint PCS has the right to place the IWO Sprint PCS management agreement in default and take actions up to and including termination of the IWO Sprint PCS Management Agreement.

 

We believe that our inability to complete the build-out of the IWO service area will have no effect on the non-IWO service area. We are continuing to expand our service by selectively upgrading network equipment and adding cell sites in only certain markets that we believe will help us provide increased subscriber growth or enhanced coverage that we believe will reduce subscriber turnover.

 

Cell sites

 

Our preference is to selectively add cell sites through co-location, which is leasing available space on a tower owned by another company. When we co-locate, we generally have lower construction costs, and it is likely that any zoning difficulties have been resolved. As of December 31, 2003, we had 1,878 PCS cell sites, of which approximately 94% were co-locations and 6% owned with network coverage of approximately 12.8 million residents out of approximately 17.6 million total residents. The number of people in our service area does not represent the number of Sprint PCS subscribers that we expect to have in our service area.

 

Microwave relocation

 

Fixed microwave operators previously used the frequencies that are now allocated for PCS licenses. The FCC has established procedures for PCS licensees to relocate these existing microwave paths, generally at the PCS licensee’s expense. We have paid our share of those reported cost for relocation that have been triggered by our current site build out. We do not expect any substantial relocation cost for additional planned build out of sites.

 

Switching centers

 

We own or lease property for our eight switching centers for our service area. These centers are located in Albany, New York, Londonderry, New Hampshire, Shreveport, Louisiana, Macon, Georgia, Jackson, Mississippi and Montgomery, Alabama. Each switching center serves several purposes, including subscriber validation, call routing, managing call hand off and managing access to landlines and access to Sprint PCS national platforms.

 

Interconnection

 

We connect our digital PCS network to the landline telephone system through interconnection agreements with local exchange carriers. Through our agreements with Sprint PCS, we benefit from the interconnection agreements that Sprint PCS negotiates.

 

Network monitoring systems

 

We use Sprint PCS’s Network Operations Control to provide monitoring and maintenance of our entire network, including the constant monitoring for blocked or dropped calls, call clarity and signs of tampering, cloning or fraud, the recording of network traffic statistics and the overseeing of customer usage, data collected at switch facilities and billing.

 

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Government Regulation

 

The FCC and other federal, state and local regulatory agencies regulate our PCS system.

 

Licensing of PCS systems

 

A broadband PCS system operates under a service area license granted by the FCC for a particular market. These licenses operate on one of six frequency blocks allocated for broadband PCS service. Narrowband PCS is for non-voice applications such as paging and data service and is separately licensed. The FCC awards all PCS licenses by auction.

 

All PCS licenses have a 10-year term and must be renewed at the end of this term. The FCC generally will renew a PCS license if the licensee provided substantial service during the past license term and substantially complied with applicable law. The FCC may revoke a license for serious violations of FCC rules. All PCS licensees must satisfy coverage requirements. Licensees that fail to meet the coverage requirements may lose the service area that is not covered, or the license.

 

For up to five years after a PCS license is granted, the licensee must share spectrum with existing licensees that operate fixed microwave systems within its license area. To operate our PCS systems efficiently and with adequate population coverage, we must relocate many of these existing licensees. The FCC has adopted a transition plan to relocate microwave operators and a cost-sharing plan for relocation that benefits more than one PCS licensee. These plans expire on April 4, 2005.

 

Other regulatory requirements

 

The Communications Act preempts state and local regulation of the entry of, or the rates charged by, any provider of private mobile radio service or of commercial mobile radio service (“CMRS”), which includes PCS and cellular service. The FCC does not regulate CMRS or private mobile radio service rates. However, CMRS providers are common carriers and are required under the Communications Act to offer their services to the public without unreasonable discrimination.

 

The FCC imposes additional regulatory requirements on all CMRS, operators, which include PCS and cellular systems as well as some specialized mobile radio systems. These requirements may change. Some of the current requirements include:

 

  Roaming. CMRS carriers must provide service to all subscribers of a compatible CMRS service in another geographic region.

 

  Number portability. CMRS carriers are required to allow their subscribers to take their phone numbers with them if they change to a competitive service and must be able to deliver calls to carried numbers.

 

  Enhanced 911. CMRS carriers must transmit 911 calls from any qualified handset without credit check or validation, must provide 911 service to individuals with speech or hearing disabilities, and must provide the approximate location of the 911 caller.

 

  Wiretaps. CMRS carriers must provide law enforcement personnel with sufficient capacity to enable wiretaps on the CMRS network.

 

  Customer information. The FCC has rules that protect the customer against the use of customer proprietary information for marketing purposes.

 

  Interconnection. All telecommunications carriers, including CMRS carriers, must interconnect directly or indirectly with other telecommunications carriers.

 

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  Universal service and other fees. The FCC imposes universal service support fees on telecommunications carriers, including CMRS carriers. The FCC imposes additional fees for telecommunications relay service, number portability and the cost of FCC regulation.

 

  Tower Construction, Marking and Lighting. The FCC and FAA regulate the location, height, and marking of proposed towers.

 

Transfers and assignments of PCS licenses

 

The FCC must approve the assignment or transfer of control of a license for a PCS system. In addition, the FCC requires licensees who transfer control of a PCS license within the first three years of their license term to disclose the total consideration received for the transfer. FCC approval is not required for the sale of an interest that does not transfer control of a license. Any acquisition or sale of a PCS interest may also require the prior approval of the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice and state or local regulatory authorities.

 

State and Local Regulation

 

State governments can regulate other terms and conditions of wireless service. Several states have imposed, or have proposed legislation that will impose, various consumer protection regulations on the wireless industry. States also may impose their own universal service support fees on wireless carriers, similar to the requirements that have been established by the FCC. At the local level, wireless facilities typically are subject to zoning and land use regulation, although the Communications Act preempts both state and local governments from categorically prohibiting the construction of wireless facilities in any community or unreasonably discriminating against a carrier. Numerous state and local jurisdictions have considered imposing conditions on a driver’s use of wireless technology while operating a motor vehicle, and a few have actually done so.

 

Foreign ownership

 

The Communications Act of 1934 limits the non-U.S. ownership of licensees. If foreign ownership exceeds the permitted level, the FCC may revoke the PCS licenses or require an ownership restructuring.

 

Additional spectrum

 

From time to time, the FCC conducts auctions of additional spectrum. We have no way of knowing whether the new spectrum in our service area will be used to compete with our PCS systems.

 

Intellectual Property

 

The Sprint® and Sprint PCS® brand names and logos are registered service trademarks owned by Sprint. We have license agreements with Sprint that allow us to use, without payment and only in our service area, the Sprint design logo and diamond symbol and other Sprint service trademarks, like PCS Vision. We can use some of Sprint’s licensed trademarks on some wireless telephone handsets. The license agreements have many restrictions on our use of their licensed trademarks. We are the only person entitled to market Sprint PCS products and services in our service area, except for the Sprint PCS national marketing programs.

 

Employees

 

As of December 31, 2003, we had approximately 939 employees. No union represents our employees. We believe that we have good relations with our employees.

 

Seasonality

 

Like the wireless communications industry in general, our subscribers increase in the fourth quarter due to the holiday season. A greater number of phones sold at holiday promotional prices increases our losses on

 

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merchandise sales. Our sales and marketing expenses increase also with holiday promotional activities. We generally have the most use and revenue per subscriber in the summer because of an increase in revenues from fees charged to non-US Unwired, non-Sprint PCS subscribers who use our network while traveling in our service area. We believe that the increased traffic in our service area comes from people traveling during summer vacation. We expect these trends to continue based on historical operating results.

 

RISK FACTORS

 

OUR SECURITY HOLDERS AND PERSONS WHO ARE CONSIDERING AN INVESTMENT IN OUR SECURITIES SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THESE RISK FACTORS, IN ADDITION TO THE FACTORS DESCRIBED ELSEWHERE.

 

The risk factors described below are qualified and supplemented in their entirety by the discussions in Note 2 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included herein and in Item 7 (Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations) under the captions “Overview” and “Liquidity.” These items contain important disclosures related to our and IWO Holdings, Inc.’s current liquidity, debt, relationship with Sprint PCS and constraints on our business in the current environment. An adequate understanding of near term risks facing us requires consideration of the referenced discussions.

 

Introduction

 

In this section, unless the context indicates otherwise, “we” and “our” and “combined company” refer collectively to US Unwired and all of its subsidiaries. We use “US Unwired” to refer just to our parent company without reference to its subsidiaries. “LA Unwired” refers collectively to our subsidiaries Louisiana Unwired, LLC, Texas Unwired general partnership, and Georgia PCS Management, L.L.C. (“Georgia PCS”), unless the context of the reference indicates otherwise.

 

An extremely brief overview introduces each of the subsections below. We think the overview captures the gist of the subsection, but it is not a substitute for reading the entire subsection.

 

Risks Related to Our Stock Price

 

Overview of this subsection:

 

Our stock price has not been stable. Many additional shares have become freely tradeable in the public market. This may have caused our stock price to fluctuate greatly. Our common stock was delisted from the Nasdaq National Market effective May 8, 2003 and since then it has been traded on the Over the Counter (“OTC”) Bulletin Board.

 

The stock price of US Unwired may continue to be unstable or depressed.

 

The market price of our common stock has been significantly depressed and could be subject to fluctuations in response to factors such as the following, some of which are beyond our control:

 

  quarterly variations in our operating results;

 

  operating results that vary from the expectations of securities analysts and investors;

 

  changes in expectations as to our future financial performance, including financial estimates by securities analysts and investors;

 

  changes in our liquidity that may impact our ability to meet the financial covenants of our senior bank credit facility and repay our debts;

 

  changes in our relationship with IWO that may include being forced to seek bankruptcy protection for IWO and that may possibly include having no involvement with IWO at all;

 

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  possible significant increases in subscriber turnover with the introduction of wireless portability that affected a significant portion of our markets beginning in November 2003 for metro markets and May 2004 for all other markets;

 

  changes in our relationship and that of other Sprint PCS affiliates with Sprint PCS;

 

  announcements by Sprint PCS or Sprint PCS affiliates concerning developments or changes in its business, financial condition or results of operations, or in its expectations as to future financial performance;

 

  actual or potential defaults in bank covenants by Sprint PCS or Sprint PCS affiliates, which may result in a perception that we are unable to comply with our bank covenants;

 

  announcements of technological innovations or new products and services by Sprint PCS or our competitors;

 

  changes in results of operations, market valuations and investor perceptions of Sprint PCS, Sprint PCS affiliates or of other companies in the telecommunications industry in general and the wireless industry in particular, including our competitors;

 

  departures of key personnel;

 

  changes in laws and regulations;

 

  significant claims or lawsuits;

 

  the large number of US Unwired shares that can freely be sold in the public market, as described under the following italicized heading;

 

  announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments; and

 

  general economic and competitive conditions.

 

The number of shares of our common stock that is freely tradeable in the public market increased substantially after November 22, 2002. Sales of unusually large numbers of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could further depress our stock price.

 

We issued approximately 44,400,000 additional shares of our common stock when we acquired Georgia PCS and IWO in March and April 2002 through two mergers, and we agreed to issue about another 6,900,000 shares upon the exercise of warrants and options that we assumed from IWO. Before November 22, 2002, most of these shares were not freely tradeable in the public market because of the combined effect of restrictions under federal securities laws and of agreements, called lock up agreements, that we obtained from the holders not to sell shares before specified dates. The restrictions imposed by federal securities laws on sales of these shares terminated on November 22, 2002, which was the effective date of the registration statement that we were required to file to register certain of those shares for resale. On March 28, 2003, all remaining shares that were then still subject to the lock up agreements, equal to about 1,080,000 shares became freely tradeable.

 

The market price of our common stock could continue to be depressed if the holders of shares that have become freely tradeable sell them or if the market perceives that they intend to sell them. We cannot predict whether future sales of our common stock or the availability of our common stock for sale will adversely affect the market price for our common stock.

 

We rely on Sprint PCS for a substantial amount of our financial information. If that information is not accurate, the investment community could lose confidence in us.

 

Under our agreements with Sprint PCS, it performs our billing, manages our accounts receivable and provides a substantial amount of financial data about our accounts. We use that information to calculate our financial results and to prepare our financial statements. If we later find errors in that information, we may be

 

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required to restate our financial statements. If that occurs with respect to us or any other Sprint PCS affiliate, investors and securities analysts may lose confidence in us. In fact, we and Sprint PCS have discovered billing and other errors or inaccuracies that have been material to us. If we are required to make adjustments to our financial statements as a result of these inaccuracies, that could negatively affect the investment community’s perception of us. For more information about these inaccuracies, please see the section of these Risk Factors entitled “Risks Particular to the Our Relationship with Sprint PCS.”

 

Our common stock was delisted from the Nasdaq National Market effective May 8, 2003 and is now quoted on the Over the Counter (“OTC”) Bulletin Board.

 

Our common stock was delisted from the Nasdaq National Market effective May 8, 2003 and is now quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board. The stock was delisted because we did not meet Nasdaq’s requirements for continued listing related to our stock price and stockholders’ equity. Since then, it has become more difficult to buy and sell our shares and securities analysts and news media have lost much of their interest in us. Additionally, we may become subject to SEC rules that affect “penny stocks,” which are stocks priced below $5.00 per share that are not quoted on a Nasdaq market. These rules would make it more difficult for brokers to find buyers for our shares and could lower the net sales prices that our stockholders are able to obtain.

 

If our common stock price remains low, we may not be willing or able to raise equity capital.

 

Our business is capital intensive, and we may contemplate raising equity capital in the future. A low stock price may frustrate our doing so, for two reasons:

 

  We may be unwilling to sell our shares at such prices.

 

  Investors may not be interested in a company whose shares are priced so low.

 

Risks Related to the Our Business, Strategy and Operations

 

Overview of this subsection:

 

None of our operating subsidiaries has ever operated profitably or achieved consistent positive cash flow. If that doesn’t change, we will not have enough cash to run our business, as more fully discussed in the Management’s Discussion section of this report. Timely expansion or completion of the PCS networks of our operating subsidiaries is a key to our success, but we face numerous challenges in doing that. Revenues we receive from travelers in our territories will likely not meet our expectations.

 

Our operating subsidiaries have not yet operated their PCS businesses profitably or achieved consistent positive cash flow.

 

We expect to continue to incur significant operating losses and we expect IWO to continue to generate negative cash flow while we complete and/or expand our PCS networks and build our customer base. Our ultimate profitability will depend upon many factors, including our ability to market our services successfully and operate our networks efficiently, in addition to numerous other factors that are described in this “Risk Factors” section. If we fail to achieve at least consistent positive cash flow within a reasonable period of time, we may not be able to service our debt and an investment in our securities may not have much value.

 

If our business strategies are not implemented or are unsuccessful, our business could be adversely affected.

 

Our strategies seek to (1) limit capital expenditures to required technical upgrades and only adding cell site coverage in areas that are expected to produce positive cash returns, (2) sell certain assets that are not part of our core PCS business, (3) reduce the number of our employees and our corporate overhead and close retail outlets that do not meet minimum internal rates of return, (4) evaluate, and in certain cases renegotiate, certain expenses, (5) reduce customer turnover or churn rate and improve customer service and credit quality, (6) improve US Unwired’s relationship with Sprint PCS and (7) increase our market share among higher credit quality customers

 

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and initiate pre-payment and deposit programs for certain high credit risk subscribers. We have implemented all of these strategies, except for improving our relationship with Sprint PCS, but it is still too early to determine whether these strategies will have any positive or negative long-term effect on our business. In particular:

 

  Because technology in our business continually evolves, we may be required to spend significant amounts of money on capital expenditures or risk obsolescence.

 

  We may lose customers if they are not satisfied with our coverage.

 

  Although we have divested our cellular business and certain PCS licenses and we have agreed to sell approximately 90 cell site towers, the amounts realized will not be significant to our overall cash flow requirements.

 

  Our reduced workforce may not be sufficient and our service may suffer because of it.

 

  We may not be able to improve our cost structure because we cannot control the outcome of negotiations with counter parties, including Sprint PCS.

 

  Our relationship with Sprint PCS could deteriorate further as a result of the lawsuits we have filed against Sprint and Sprint PCS and that Sprint and Sprint PCS have filed against us.

 

  We may not be able to reduce customer churn, and the introduction of wireless number portability in a significant portion of our markets beginning in November 2003 may cause it to increase.

 

  We may not be able to improve customer quality without restricting overall subscriber growth.

 

Potential loss of management fees from IWO would result in material loss of revenue and income and have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.

 

US Unwired currently receives management fees from IWO, which amounted to $8.4 million in 2003. There is a risk that this arrangement could be terminated due to the uncertainties surrounding IWO. This result could occur if IWO were to file for bankruptcy and elect to terminate this arrangement. Moreover, IWO’s lenders are entitled to designate a manager for the IWO business and may not choose us. In addition, we believe our equity position in IWO currently has negligible value.

 

We will not receive as much Sprint PCS net travel, or roaming, revenue as we anticipated.

 

We are paid a fee from Sprint PCS for every minute that a Sprint PCS subscriber based outside of our markets uses the Sprint PCS network in our markets. Similarly, we pay a fee to Sprint PCS for every minute that a Sprint PCS subscriber based in our markets uses the Sprint PCS network outside our markets. Sprint PCS subscribers from our markets may spend more time in other Sprint PCS coverage areas than we anticipate and Sprint PCS subscribers from outside our markets may spend less time in our markets or may use our services less than we anticipate. As a result, we may receive less Sprint PCS travel revenue than we anticipate or we may have to pay more Sprint PCS travel fees than the travel revenue we collect.

 

Under our agreements with Sprint PCS, we believe that Sprint PCS can change the fee, called a travel rate, within certain limitations, that we receive and pay for each Sprint PCS travel minute. Sprint PCS changed the reciprocal travel rate for Louisiana Unwired from $0.20 per minute in 2002 to $0.058 per minute in 2003 and for IWO, Georgia PCS and Texas Unwired from $0.10 per minute in 2002 to $0.058 per minute in 2003. Sprint PCS notified us that the rate will further decrease for all of our markets from $0.058 per minute to $.041 per minute in 2004. We have notified Sprint and Sprint PCS that we believe these particular reductions are not in accordance with our agreements with Sprint PCS, and we have included these reductions among our claims in our lawsuit against Sprint and Sprint PCS that is discussed in more detail below under the caption “Risks Particular to Our Relationship with Sprint PCS.” However, our recourse against Sprint PCS for these reductions may be limited. Currently the revenues we receive for subscribers of Sprint PCS and its other network partners using our networks exceed the expenses that we pay for our subscribers using their networks. The change in the travel rate

 

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will further materially decrease our revenues, expenses and our net travel position, which is the difference between travel revenue and travel expense, and will further materially decrease our cash flow from operations. For 2003, the reduction in the travel rate caused a $133.4 million decrease to our revenues, a $107.4 million decrease to our expenses and a reduction in cash flow of $26.0 million.

 

If we do not successfully manage our operations and expected growth, our operating performance may be adversely impacted.

 

Our operating subsidiaries have limited operating histories as Sprint PCS affiliates. Louisiana Unwired began operations as a Sprint PCS affiliate on June 8, 1998, IWO on January 5, 2000, Texas Unwired on January 7, 2000 and Georgia PCS on June 8, 1998. The combined company’s ability to achieve and sustain operating profitability will depend upon many factors, including our operating subsidiaries’ abilities to effectively market Sprint PCS services and manage customer turnover rates in their respective markets. In addition, a key factor the combined company’s operational performance will depend upon is our ability to manage growth of the combined company through the expansion or completion of IWO’s network build-out, which appears unlikely at present. To be successful, our operating subsidiaries will require continued development, construction, testing, deployment and operation of their respective networks. These activities are expected to place demands on our managerial, operational and financial resources.

 

The failure of any of our operating subsidiaries to timely expand or complete the build-out of its network, or to obtain the equipment needed for completion on a timely basis, may result in a decrease in the number of expected new PCS subscribers and adversely affect its and the combined company’s results of operations or, in the case of IWO, result in a breach of its agreements with Sprint PCS or, in the case of LA Unwired, result in the loss of the FCC licenses that it owns.

 

LA Unwired has completed the network build-out that is required by its agreements with Sprint PCS. Nevertheless, we may decide from time to time to build out additional portions of its markets to increase the population that is covered by its Sprint PCS service or we may acquire additional territory to be built out by acquiring additional markets from Sprint PCS or by acquiring other Sprint PCS network partners that have not completed their build-out requirements. Due to liquidity issues as described in Note 2 above, IWO has not yet completed its required build-out and has determined to abandon the construction of cell sites that do not provide a sufficient level of enhanced coverage. In 2003, IWO recorded an asset abandonment charge of $12.1 million for the cell sites and related property leases of these abandoned cell sites. Included in this asset abandonment are cell sites that IWO is required to construct to meet the build out requirements under the IWO Sprint Management Agreement. Failure to complete the build-out of the IWO service area may place IWO in default of its Sprint PCS Management Agreement, and Sprint PCS may take actions up to and including termination of the Management Agreement. We estimate that IWO will need to spend approximately $11.4 million to complete the construction of the cell sites it plans to complete and make those sites operational.

 

In order to expand or complete network build-outs, our operating subsidiaries must successfully lease or otherwise retain rights to a sufficient number of radio communications and network control sites, complete the purchase and installation of equipment, build-out the physical infrastructure and test the network. The applicable company must also meet all requirements of its agreements with Sprint PCS and all FCC requirements. One of these FCC requirements is that our networks not interfere with microwave radio systems. Compliance with that requirement could delay or impede expansion or build-out of our networks. Regulatory changes, engineering design changes and required technological upgrades could affect the number and location of our operating subsidiaries’ towers as well as their ability to obtain sufficient rights to meet their network build-out expansion goals or requirements. Some of the radio communications and network control sites required for IWO to complete its required build-out are likely to require zoning variances or other local governmental or third party approvals. The local governmental authorities in various locations in IWO’s markets have, at times, placed moratoriums on the construction of additional cell sites. The expansion of our networks or the completion of

 

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IWO’s build-out could also be impaired by changes Sprint PCS may make in its technology or network. Any failure by IWO to complete its network build-out on a timely basis may limit its network capacity and/or reduce the number of its expected new PCS subscribers, either of which could adversely affect our or IWO’s results of operations and financial condition or result in IWO’s breach of its agreements with Sprint PCS. Any failure by LA Unwired to expand its network on a timely basis may limit its network capacity and/or reduce the number of its expected new PCS subscribers, either of which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition or result in a loss of LA Unwired’s licenses.

 

The foregoing expansion, as well as maintenance, capacity enhancements and coverage improvements, could require additional capital expenditures that we may not be able to fund. Additional funds could be required for a variety of reasons, including unanticipated expenses or operating losses. We may face significant limitations on our ability to obtain additional funds. Even if those funds are available, we may not be able to obtain them on a timely basis, or on terms acceptable to us or within limitations permitted by our debt agreements. Failure to obtain additional funds, should the need for them develop, would result in the delay or abandonment of our development and expansion plans.

 

Our liquidity situation has forced us to sell assets without any certainty of improvement in our long-term financial condition.

 

Because our cash flow from operations may be insufficient in the long term to fund our capital requirements and our access to capital markets may be limited, we have sold certain assets that we consider non-core to our business consisting of our cellular business and certain non-essential PCS licenses. We have also entered into a sale and leaseback agreement for approximately 90 cell site towers with a minimum aggregate purchase commitment of $10 million, with the possibility of selling the remaining towers at a later date. Although we have divested certain non-core assets, the amounts realized will not be significant to our overall cash flow requirements because the holders of the US Unwired senior bank credit facility are requiring us to use a significant portion of the net proceeds from the non-core asset sales to repay existing bank debt.

 

Our ability to sell core assets is subject to several restrictions under the Sprint PCS agreement. Our operating subsidiaries are subject to a prohibition on the sale of certain of its assets to competitors of Sprint or Sprint PCS. Also, Sprint PCS has the right of first refusal on certain sales of our operating subsidiaries’ operating assets to a third party, and under certain circumstances Sprint PCS could purchase our operating subsidiaries’ operating assets at a discount. See “Risks Particular to Our Relationship with Sprint PCS.” These and other restrictions may limit our ability to sell core assets and may also reduce the value a buyer would be willing to pay for such core assets. Also, we cannot assure you that our core assets will be sold quickly enough or for sufficient amounts to enable us to meet our obligations.

 

Sales of core assets may lead to loss of revenues generated by these core assets and/or an increase in operating expenses and may materially reduce our capacity to generate cash flows. This, in turn, may adversely impact our ability to satisfy financial covenants and to service our outstanding obligations as they become due. If we fail to satisfy our financial covenants under our senior secured credit facility, our lenders would be permitted to declare a default and accelerate payments due under the loan which would in turn give rise to an event of default under our senior notes.

 

We may not be able to obtain the communications equipment that we need to expand our network.

 

From time to time, there is considerable demand for the communications equipment that our operating subsidiaries need to expand or complete their networks, and manufacturers of this equipment could have substantial backlogs of orders. Competitors who purchase large quantities of communications equipment may receive priority in the delivery of this equipment. If our operating subsidiaries cannot get this equipment, they may fail to expand or construct their networks timely.

 

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We obtain most of our network equipment from two suppliers. This equipment is not interchangeable, and we would be materially adversely affected if we could not obtain this network equipment timely or at all.

 

Our PCS networks are either Lucent networks, meaning that the network equipment is supplied by Lucent, or Nortel networks, meaning that the network equipment is supplied by Nortel. If additional equipment is needed for expansion or repair of a network, it must come from Lucent, if the network is a Lucent network, or Nortel, if the network is a Nortel network, for compatibility with our existing network equipment. If either of these suppliers should cease or delay to supply its equipment, we would be prevented or delayed in expanding or repairing the affected network or completing the IWO build-out.

 

Any inability to expand our networks, or to keep them repaired or to complete the IWO build-out, could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Our territory has limited amounts of licensed spectrum, which may adversely affect the quality of our service and our results of operations.

 

We have sold eight non-core PCS licenses. LA Unwired still owns five PCS licenses for 10 MHz of spectrum. Sprint PCS has licenses for 10 to 30 MHz of spectrum in all of our territories, which we have an agreement to use. In the future, as the number of subscribers in our territories increases, this limited amount of licensed spectrum may not be able to accommodate increases in call volume, may lead to increased dropped or blocked calls and may limit our ability to offer enhanced services, all of which could result in increased customer turnover and adversely affect the combined company’s results of operations and financial condition.

 

If any of our operating subsidiaries loses the right to install its equipment on wireless towers or is unable to renew expiring leases for wireless towers on favorable terms or at all, our business and results of operations could be adversely impacted and we may not comply with our agreements with Sprint PCS.

 

Substantially all of the cell sites of our operating subsidiaries are installed on leased tower facilities that are shared with one or more other wireless service providers. In addition, a large portion of these leased tower sites are owned by a few tower companies. If a master agreement with one of these tower companies were to terminate, or if one of these tower companies were unable to support use of its tower sites by any of our operating subsidiaries, the affected subsidiaries would have to find new sites or may be required to rebuild the affected portion of their networks. In addition, the concentration of our operating subsidiaries’ cell sites with a few tower companies could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition if any of our operating subsidiaries is unable