Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments

Stand-by Letters of Credit

We have stand-by letters of credit totaling $1,528 and $1,516, as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

End-User Commitments

We are obligated to provide telephone services to our registered end-users. The costs related to the potential utilization of minutes sold are expensed as incurred. Our obligation to provide this service is dependent on the proper functioning of systems controlled by third-party service providers. We do not have a contractual service relationship with some of these providers.

Vendor Commitments

We have several commitments primarily commitments to vendors who will provide local inbound services, provide carrier operation, provide data center with technical supports, provide networks and telephone related services, provide marketing infrastructure and services, provide customer caller ID, provide hardware and software supports, provide web hosting service, provide electricity to our office, provide software maintenance service, and license patents to us. In certain cases, we may terminate these arrangements early upon payment of specified fees. These commitments total $94,196 as of December 31, 2019. Of this total amount, we expect to purchase $41,807 in 2020, $26,952 in 2021, $21,892 in 2022, and $3,545 in 2023, respectively. During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company executed a contract with a vendor related to co-location and infrastructure services over the next three years which comprises a large portion of the Company's purchase commitments as of December 31, 2019. These amounts do not represent our entire anticipated purchases in the future, but represent only those items for which we are contractually committed. We also purchase products and services as needed with no firm commitment. For this reason, the amounts presented do not provide a reliable indicator of our expected future cash outflows or changes in our expected cash position.

Contingencies

From time to time, in addition to those identified below, we are subject to legal proceedings, claims, investigations, and proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including claims of alleged infringement of third-party patents and other intellectual property rights, commercial, employment, and other matters. From time to time, we receive letters or other communications from third parties inviting us to obtain patent licenses that might be relevant to our business or alleging that our services infringe upon third party patents or other intellectual property. In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, we make a provision for a liability when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. These provisions, if any, are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to reflect the impacts of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel, and other information and events pertaining to a particular case. Litigation is inherently unpredictable. We believe that we have valid defenses with respect to the legal matters pending against us and are vigorously defending these matters. Given the uncertainty surrounding litigation and our inability to assess the likelihood of a favorable or unfavorable outcome in the matters noted below and our inability to reasonably estimate the amount of loss or range of loss, it is possible that the resolution of one or more of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our condensed consolidated financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

Regulation

Telephony services are subject to a broad spectrum of state, federal and foreign regulations. Because of the uncertainty over whether VoIP should be treated as a telecommunications or information service, we have been involved in a substantial amount of state and federal regulatory activity. Implementation and interpretation of the existing laws and regulations is ongoing and is subject to litigation by various federal and state agencies and courts. Due to the uncertainty over the regulatory classification of VoIP service, there can be no assurance that we will not be subject to new regulations or existing regulations under new interpretations, and that such change would not introduce material additional costs to our business. The Company continues to monitor federal regulations relating to net neutrality, rural call completion issues, number slamming, 911 access, access to telecommunication equipment and services by persons with disabilities, caller ID services, number portability, unwanted calls to reassigned numbers, and robocalling. As we continue to expand globally, these types of regulations are likely to be similarly enacted and enforced by the local regulatory authorities.    

State and Municipal Taxes

In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, we make a provision for a liability for taxes when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability or range of liability can be reasonably estimated. These provisions are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to reflect the impacts of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel, and other information and events pertaining to a particular case. From time to time, we have received inquiries from a number of states and local taxing agencies with respect to the remittance of sales, use, telecommunications, and excise taxes. Several jurisdictions are currently conducting tax audits of the Company's records. While the Company collects or has accrued for taxes that it believes are required to be remitted, it has reviewed its positions in those various jurisdictions as well as other regulatory fees and has established appropriate reserves. As such, we have a reserve of $3,175 as of December 31, 2019 as our best estimate of the potential tax exposure for any retroactive assessment.