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Towerstream Reports Third Quarter 2011 Results

MIDDLETOWN, R.I., November 14, 2011 – Towerstream Corporation (NASDAQ: TWER), a leading 4G service provider and Wi-Fi network operator, announced results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011.

Third Quarter Operating Highlights

 
·
Signed the first Wi-Fi agreement with Boingo Wireless, Inc. giving Towerstream an anchor tenant for our Wi-Fi networks
 
·
Entered into a definitive agreement with Color Broadband Communications Inc. to acquire certain business assets in the Los Angeles area
 
·
Towerstream to launch Smart-Fi Wi-Fi service by end of Q4 2011
 
·
Revenues increased 3% to $6.8 million during the third quarter 2011 compared to the second quarter 2011 and increased 33% compared to the third quarter 2010
 
·
Adjusted EBITDA profitability, excluding non-recurring expenses and costs associated with the Wi-Fi network investment, remained stable at  $1.1 million for both the second  and third quarters 2011 and increased compared to $0.4 million for the third quarter 2010
 
·
Customer churn improved to 1.27% compared to 1.56% for the second quarter 2011 and 1.60% for the third quarter 2010
 
·
ARPU for the new customers increased to $625 compared to $607 for the second quarter 2011 and $543 for the third quarter 2010

Management Comments

"We are excited to get our first Wi-Fi customer this quarter as the investment in our Wi-Fi network begins to bear fruit," noted Jeff Thompson, Chief Executive Officer.  "With a solid, high margin core business, an active acquisition program and the launch of our Wi-Fi network, Towerstream is well positioned for continued growth."

“We are pleased to announce our fourth acquisition in 18 months and our largest transaction to date,” stated Joseph Hernon, Chief Financial Officer.  “The Los Angeles area will become the largest market for our core Internet access service once the Color Broadband acquisition closes.”

 
Page 1 of 10

 

Selected Financial Data and Key Operating Metrics
(All dollars are in thousands except ARPU)
 
   
(Unaudited)
 
   
Three months ended
 
   
9/30/2011
   
6/30/2011
   
9/30/2010
 
Selected Financial Data
                 
Revenues
  $ 6,776     $ 6,581     $ 5,080  
Gross margin
    67 %     72 %     75 %
Adjusted gross margin excluding Wi-Fi network expenses
    73 %     74 %     75 %
Depreciation and amortization
    2,299       2,213       1,557  
Core operating expenses (1)( 2)
    4,875       4,379       3,681  
Operating loss (1)
    (2,629 )     (1,857 )     (1,409 )
Gain on business acquisition
    -       564       -  
Net loss (1)
    (2,620 )     (1,294 )     (1,387 )
Adjusted EBITDA (2)
    96       536       382  
Non-recurring expenses
    112       135       32  
Wi-Fi network expenses
    880       404       -  
Adjusted EBITDA excluding non-recurring and Wi-Fi network expenses(2)
     1,088        1,075       414  
Capital expenditures
                       
Wireless broadband
  $ 2,627     $ 2,077     $ 1,051  
Wi-Fi network
    1,663       1,827       -  
                         
Key Operating Metrics
                       
Churn rate (2)
    1.27 %     1.56 %     1.60 %
ARPU (2)
  $ 709     $ 703     $ 669  
ARPU of new customers (2)
    625       607       543  
(1) Includes stock-based compensation of $415, $141 and $220, respectively.
(2) See Non-GAAP Measures below for a definition and reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA, and definitions of Core Operating Expenses, Churn, ARPU and ARPU of new customers.

Operating Outlook and Guidance

 
·
Revenues for the fourth quarter 2011 are expected to range between $7.0 million to $7.1 million.

 
·
Adjusted EBITDA profitability is expected to range between $1.0 million to $1.2 million.

 
Page 2 of 10

 

 
Non-GAAP Measures

The terms “Adjusted EBITDA,” “Churn,” “Churn rate,” ”ARPU,” and “Market Cash Flow” are measurements used by Towerstream to monitor business performance and are not recognized measures under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).  Accordingly, investors are cautioned in using or relying upon these measures as alternatives to recognized GAAP measures.  Our methods of calculating these measures may differ from other issuers and, accordingly, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

We focus on Adjusted EBITDA as a principal indicator of the operating performance of our business.  EBITDA represents net income (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization.  We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization expenses, excluding, when applicable, stock-based compensation, other non-operating income or expenses as well as gain or loss on (i) disposal of property and equipment, (ii) nonmonetary transactions, and (iii) business acquisitions.  Adjusted Market EBITDA also excludes corporate overhead expenses and other centralized costs.  We believe that Adjusted Market EBITDA trends are insightful indicators of our markets’ relative performance, and whether our markets are able to produce sufficient market cash flow to fund working capital and capital expenditure needs.
 
The term “Core Operating Expenses” includes customer support services, sales and marketing, and general and administrative expenses, and excludes cost of revenues, depreciation and amortization.

The terms “Churn” and “Churn rate” refer to the percent of revenue lost on a monthly basis from customers disconnecting from our network or reducing the amount of their bandwidth.  The term “ARPU” refers to the monthly average revenue per user, or customer, being generated from those customers under contract at the end of each indicated period.  We calculate ARPU by dividing our monthly recurring revenue (“MRR”) at the end of a period by the number of customers generating that MRR.  ARPU of new customers is calculated in the same manner but only includes new customers who entered into contracts during the indicated period. Market Cash Flow represents the amount of cash generated in a market after deducting a market’s direct operating expenses from that market’s revenues.  Market Cash Flow does not include (i) centralized costs which support all markets collectively or (ii) any network related capital expenditures incurred in a market.

The Non-GAAP measure, Adjusted EBITDA, excluding non-recurring expenses and Wi-Fi network expenses, has been reconciled to Net loss as follows:

(All dollars are in thousands)

   
Three months ended
 
   
9/30/2011
   
6/30/2011
   
9/30/2010
 
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP to GAAP:
                 
Adjusted EBITDA, excluding non-recurring expenses and Wi-Fi network expenses
  $ 1,088     $ 1,075     $ 414  
Depreciation and amortization
    (2,299 )     (2,213 )     (1,557 )
Non-recurring expenses, primarily acquisition-related
    (112 )     (135 )     (32 )
Wi-Fi network expenses
    (880 )     (404 )     -  
Stock-based compensation
    (415 )     (141 )     (220 )
Loss on property and equipment
    (1 )     (30 )     (14 )
Loss on nonmonetary transactions
    (10 )     (9 )     -  
Interest expense
    (9 )     (2 )     -  
Gain on business acquisition
    -       564       -  
Other income (expense), net
    (4 )     (3 )     21  
Interest income
    22       4       1  
Net loss
  $ (2,620 )   $ (1,294 )   $ (1,387 )

 
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Summary Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(All dollars are in thousands except per share amounts)

Statement of Operations
 
(Unaudited)
   
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
Three months ended September 30,
   
Nine months ended September 30,
 
   
2011
   
2010
    2011     2010  
                         
Revenues
  $ 6,776     $ 5,080     $ 19,310     $ 14,193  
                                 
Operating Expenses
                               
Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation)
    2,231       1,251       5,583       3,533  
Depreciation and amortization
    2,299       1,557       6,487       4,112  
Customer support services
    870       637       2,374       1,887  
Sales and marketing
    1,348       1,286       4,069       3,833  
General and administrative
    2,657       1,758       6,797       5,474  
Total Operating Expenses
    9,405       6,489       25,310       18,839  
Operating Loss
    (2,629 )     (1,409 )     (6,000 )     (4,646 )
Other Income (Expense)
                               
Gain on business acquisition
    -       -       564       356  
Interest income
    22       1       32       2  
Interest expense
    (9 )     -       (14 )     -  
Other income (expense), net
    (4 )     21       (9 )     63  
Total Other Income (Expense)
    9       22       573       421  
Net Loss
  $ (2,620 )   $ (1,387 )   $ (5,427 )   $ (4,225 )
                                 
Net loss per common share
  $ (0.05 )   $ (0.04 )   $ (0.12 )   $ (0.12 )
Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic and diluted
    51,599       35,005       45,517       34,864  

Analysis of Third Quarter Results of Operations

Revenues for the third quarter 2011 increased 3% from the second quarter 2011 and increased 33% compared to the third quarter 2010. The year-over-year increase was driven by a 24% growth in our customer base from approximately 2,600 customers at the end of the third quarter 2010 to approximately 3,200 at the end of the third quarter 2011.

ARPU of new customers increased 3% in the third quarter 2011 compared to the second quarter 2011 and increased 15% compared to the third quarter 2010. New higher ARPU point-to-point customers continued to increase in the third quarter 2011. ARPU of all customers in the third quarter 2011 increased 1% compared to the second quarter 2011 and increased 6% compared to the third quarter 2010.

 
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Customer churn improved to 1.27% compared to 1.56% for the second quarter 2011 and 1.60% for the third quarter 2010. Our churn rate is below our targeted range of 1.4% to 1.7% and industry averages.

Depreciation expense increased 15% in the third quarter 2011 compared to the second quarter 2011 and increased 39% compared to the third quarter 2010. The base of depreciable assets was 10% higher at the end of the third quarter 2011 as compared to the second quarter 2011 and 46% higher compared to the third quarter of 2010. The increased depreciable base reflects continued growth in the core business as well as spending on the Wi-Fi network.

Amortization expense decreased 19% in the third quarter 2011 compared to the second quarter 2011 and increased 81% compared to the third quarter 2010.  The year-over-year increase relates to customer based intangible assets recorded in connection with the acquisitions of Pipeline Wireless in the fourth quarter 2010 and One Velocity in the second quarter 2011. The customer based intangible assets recorded in connection with the acquisition of Sparkplug Chicago were fully amortized as of June 30, 2011.

Customer support expenses increased 19% in the third quarter 2011 compared to the second quarter 2011 and increased 37% compared to the third quarter 2010. The year-over-year increase reflects staffing additions and other costs incurred to support a customer base which increased 24% over the one year period.

Sales and marketing expenses decreased 2% in the third quarter 2011 compared to the second quarter 2011 and increased 5% compared to the third quarter 2010. The increase related to higher commissions earned.

General and administrative expenses increased 17% in the third quarter 2011 compared to the second quarter 2011 and increased 51% compared to the third quarter 2010. Costs associated with the Wi-Fi network totaled approximately $309,000 in the third quarter 2011 compared to approximately $231,000 in the second quarter 2011 and zero in the third quarter 2010. The year-over-year increase reflects higher professional fees and employee stock-based compensation.

Capital expenditures totaled $4.3 million for the third quarter 2011 as compared to $3.9 million for the second quarter 2011 and $1.1 million for the third quarter 2010. The Company spent $1.7 million in the third quarter 2011 related to the construction of a Wi-Fi network, primarily in New York City, and  $1.8 million in the second quarter 2011 and zero in the third quarter 2010.

 
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Balance Sheet
     
   
(Unaudited)
September 30,
2011
   
(Audited)
December 31,
2010
 
Assets
           
Current Assets
           
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 51,587     $ 23,173  
Other
    847       856  
Total Current Assets
    52,434       24,029  
                 
Property and equipment, net
    23,414       15,266  
                 
Other assets
    6,426       5,295  
                 
Total Assets
    82,274       44,590  
                 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
               
Current Liabilities
               
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
    3,339       2,506  
Deferred revenues and other
    1,781       1,339  
Total Current Liabilities
    5,120       3,845  
                 
Long-Term Liabilities
    605       724  
Total Liabilities
    5,725       4,569  
                 
Stockholders’ Equity
               
Common stock
    53       42  
Additional paid-in-capital
    117,277       75,333  
Accumulated deficit
    (40,781 )     (35,354 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity
    76,549       40,021  
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
  $ 82,274     $ 44,590  
 
Statement of Cash Flows  (Unaudited)
 
Nine months ended September 30,
 
   
2011
   
2010
 
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
           
Net loss
  $ (5,427 )   $ (4,225 )
Non-cash adjustments:
               
Depreciation & amortization
    6,487       4,112  
Stock-based compensation
    661       678  
Gain on business acquisition
    (564 )     (356 )
Other
    202       94  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
    18       (563 )
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Operating Activities
    1,377       (260 )
                 
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
               
Acquisitions of property and equipment
    (10,359 )     (4,203 )
Acquisition of businesses
    (1,600 )     (1,170 )
Other
    (51 )     (3 )
Net Cash Used In Investing Activities
    (12,010 )     (5,376 )
                 
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
               
Payments on capital leases
    (97 )     -  
Proceeds from stock issuances
    309       -  
Net proceeds from sale of common stock
    38,835       -  
Net Cash Provided By Financing Activities
    39,047       -  
                 
Net Decrease In Cash and Cash Equivalents
    28,414       (5,636 )
Cash and Cash Equivalents – Beginning
    23,173       14,041  
Cash and Cash Equivalents – Ending
  $ 51,587     $ 8,405  

 
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Market data for the three months ended September 30, 2011
(All dollars are in thousands)
Market
 
Revenues
   
Cost of
Revenues(1)
   
Gross Margin(1)
   
Operating
Costs
   
Adjusted
Market
EBITDA
 
Boston
  $ 1,695     $ 390     $ 1,305       77 %   $ 224     $ 1,081  
New York
    1,533       708       825       54 %     341       484  
Los Angeles
    1,087       223       864       79 %     263       601  
Chicago
    870       266       604       69 %     151       453  
San Francisco
    370       67       303       82 %     92       211  
Las Vegas-Reno
    409       180       229       56 %     44       185  
Miami
    365       81       284       78 %     100       184  
Providence-Newport
    120       51       69       58 %     24       45  
Seattle
    125       55       70       56 %     27       43  
Dallas-Fort Worth
    166       85       81       49 %     80       1  
Nashville
    13       1       12       92 %     11       1  
Philadelphia
    23       15       8       35 %     28       (20 )
Total
  $ 6,776     $ 2,122     $ 4,654       69 %   $ 1,385     $ 3,269  
 
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure to GAAP Financial Measure
     
       
Adjusted market EBITDA
  $ 3,269  
Centralized costs (1)
    (942 )
Corporate expenses
    (2,242 )
Depreciation and amortization
    (2,299 )
Stock-based compensation
    (415 )
Other income (expense)
    9  
Net loss
  $ (2,620 )

Market data for the three months ended September 30, 2010
(All dollars are in thousands)
Market
 
Revenues
   
Cost of
Revenues(1)
   
Gross Margin(1)
   
Operating
Costs
   
Adjusted Market EBITDA
 
New York
  $ 1,436     $ 281     $ 1,155       80 %   $ 271     $ 884  
Boston
    1,130       174       956       85 %     167       789  
Los Angeles
    840       158       682       81 %     294       388  
Chicago
    749       227       522       70 %     181       341  
San Francisco
    285       61       224       79 %     92       132  
Miami
    243       84       159       65 %     81       78  
Providence-Newport
    121       39       82       68 %     23       59  
Seattle
    125       54       71       57 %     32       39  
Nashville
    18       8       10       56 %     4       6  
Dallas-Fort Worth
    128       87       41       32 %     59       (18 )
Philadelphia
    5       13       (8 )     0 %     40       (48 )
Total
  $ 5,080     $ 1,186     $ 3,894       77 %   $ 1,244     $ 2,650  
 
 
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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure to GAAP Financial Measure
 
       
Adjusted market EBITDA
  $ 2,650  
Centralized costs (1)
    (744 )
Corporate expenses
    (1,538 )
Depreciation and amortization
    (1,557 )
Stock-based compensation
    (220 )
Other income (expense)
    22  
Net loss
  $ (1,387 )

Market data for the nine months ended September 30, 2011
(All dollars are in thousands)

Market
 
Revenues
   
Cost of
Revenues(1)
   
Gross Margin(1)
   
Operating
Costs
   
Adjusted Market EBITDA
 
Boston
  $ 5,054     $ 1,183     $ 3,871       77 %   $ 722     $ 3,149  
New York
    4,484       1,512       2,972       66 %     997       1,975  
Los Angeles
    3,085       589       2,496       81 %     799       1,697  
Chicago
    2,604       788       1,816       70 %     499       1,317  
San Francisco
    1,105       199       906       82 %     283       623  
Miami
    1,008       229       779       77 %     295       484  
Las Vegas-Reno
    598       257       341       57 %     52       289  
Seattle
    400       163       237       59 %     90       147  
Providence-Newport
    351       134       217       62 %     75       142  
Dallas-Fort Worth
    490       245       245       50 %     215       30  
Nashville
    44       21       23       52 %     34       (11 )
Philadelphia
    87       46       41       47 %     84       (43 )
Total
  $ 19,310     $ 5,366     $ 13,944       72 %   $ 4,145     $ 9,799  
 
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure to GAAP Financial Measure
     
       
Adjusted market EBITDA
  $ 9,799  
Centralized costs (1)
    (2,516 )
Corporate expenses
    (6,135 )
Depreciation and amortization
    (6,487 )
Stock-based compensation
    (661 )
Other income (expense)
    573  
Net loss
  $ (5,427 )

 
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Market data for the nine months ended September 30, 2010
(All dollars are in thousands)
Market
 
 Revenues
   
Cost of
Revenues(1)
   
Gross Margin(1)
   
Operating
Costs
   
Adjusted
Market
EBITDA
 
New York
  $ 4,289     $ 838     $ 3,451       80 %   $ 914     $ 2,537  
Boston
    3,266       520       2,746       84 %     505       2,241  
Los Angeles
    2,269       428       1,841       81 %     841       1,000  
Chicago
    1,691       542       1,149       68 %     431       718  
San Francisco
    830       178       652       79 %     239       413  
Miami
    697       238       459       66 %     257       202  
Providence-Newport
    374       122       252       67 %     85       167  
Seattle
    378       164       214       57 %     94       120  
Nashville
    40       22       18       45 %     12       6  
Dallas-Fort Worth
    352       252       100       28 %     174       (74 )
Philadelphia
    7       41       (34 )     0 %     146       (180 )
Total
  $ 14,193     $ 3,345     $ 10,848       76 %   $ 3,698     $ 7,150  
 
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure to GAAP Financial Measure
     
       
Adjusted market EBITDA
  $ 7,150  
Centralized costs (1)
    (2,210 )
Corporate expenses
    (4,796 )
Depreciation and amortization
    (4,112 )
Stock-based compensation
    (678 )
Other income (expense)
    421  
Net loss
  $ (4,225 )

 
(1)
Certain expenses are reported as Cost of Revenues for financial statement purposes but are included in Centralized costs in the Market Data table because they are not specific to any market.  These costs totaled $109 and $65 respectively for the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 and $218 and $188 for nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010.

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call led by President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Thompson, and Chief Financial Officer, Joseph Hernon, will be held on November 14, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. ET to review our financial results and provide an update on current business developments.

Interested parties may participate in the conference by dialing 877-755-7423 or 678-894-3069 (for international callers). A telephonic replay of the conference may be accessed approximately two hours after the call through November 21, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. ET by dialing 855-859-2056 or 404-537-3406 (for international callers) using pass code 23554995.

The call will also be webcast and can be accessed in a listen-only mode on the Company’s website at http://ir.towerstream.com/eventdetail.cfm?eventid=104887 .

About Towerstream Corporation

Towerstream is a leading 4G service provider in the U.S., delivering high-speed wireless Internet access to businesses. Founded in 2000, the Company has established networks in over 12 markets including New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay area, Miami, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth, Nashville, Las Vegas-Reno and the greater Providence area where the Company is based. In 2011, Towerstream launched its Manhattan Wi-Fi network geared towards mobile operators, retail/daily deal providers and Wi-Fi operators. For more information, visit our website at www.towerstream.com or follow us on Twitter @Towerstream.

 
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The Towerstream Corporation logo is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6570.

Towerstream’s wireless broadband solution network delivers high-speed Internet access supporting VoIP, bandwidth on demand, wireless redundancy, VPNs, disaster recovery, bundled data, and video services, and can be delivered in days.  Unlike cable Internet and DSL, Towerstream connections are symmetrical, which means that the upload and download speeds are identical.  This creates a more stable connection, suitable for VoIP and web hosting, as well as many other business applications. Companies utilizing multiple appliances simultaneously, such as streaming video and VoIP, can prioritize their bandwidth to secure mission-critical activities.  All of Towerstream’s products are backed by its Service Level Agreement (SLA) and have the ability to be up and running within a week.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable federal securities laws, including, without limitation, anything relating or referring to future financial results and plans for future business development activities, and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified based on current expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, risk related to our ability to deploy and expand a Wi-Fi network in the New York City and other key markets. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Consequently, future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

INVESTOR CONTACT:
Terry McGovern
Vision Advisors
415-902-3001
mcgovern@visionadvisors.net

MEDIA CONTACT:
Todd Barrish
Indicate Media
646-396-6038
todd@indicatemedia.com

 
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