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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Estimated annual commitments under contractual obligations, excluding those related to long-term debt and operating and finance leases, are as follows at December 31, 2019 (amounts in millions):

 
Network Supply(1)
 
 
Other(2)
2020
$
485.9

 
 
$
11.8

2021
320.0

 
 
6.4

2022
251.3

 
 
3.9

2023
28.2

 
 
2.9

2024
24.2

 
 
2.4

2025 and beyond
53.6

 
 
7.2

 
$
1,163.2

 
 
$
34.6

(1) Excludes contracts where the initial term has expired and currently in month-to-month status.
(2) Primarily consists of vendor contracts associated with network monitoring and maintenance services.


Refer to Note 9 - Debt for the aggregate contractual maturities of long-term debt (excluding unamortized debt issuance costs and unamortized original issuance discounts and premiums) at December 31, 2019 and refer to Note 14 - Leases for the aggregate contractual maturities of operating leases and finance leases at December 31, 2019.

Network Supply Agreements
 
As of December 31, 2019, the Company had purchase obligations of $1,163.2 million associated with the telecommunications services that the Company has contracted to purchase from its suppliers. The Company’s supplier agreements fall into two key categories: the Company's core IP backbone and client specific locations (also referred to as 'last mile' locations). Supplier agreements associated with the Company's core IP backbone are typically contracted on a one-year term and do not relate to any specific underlying client commitments. The short-term duration allows the Company to take advantage of favorable pricing trends.    

Supplier agreements associated with the Company's client specific locations, which represent the substantial majority of the Company's network spending, are typically contracted so the terms and conditions in both the vendor and client contracts are substantially the same in terms of duration and capacity. The back-to-back nature of the Company’s contracts means that its network supplier obligations are generally mirrored by its clients' commitments to purchase the services associated with those obligations.

Legal Proceedings
 
From time to time, the Company is a party to legal proceedings arising in the normal course of its business. Except as disclosed below, the Company does not believe that it is a party to any current or pending legal action that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations and cash flow. 

On July 30, 2019, a purported class action complaint was filed against the Company and certain of its current and former officers and directors in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Case No. 1:19-cv-00982) on behalf of certain GTT stockholders. The complaint alleges that defendants made false or misleading statements and omissions of purportedly material fact, in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, in connection with disclosures relating to GTT's acquisition and integration of Interoute Communications Holdings S.A. The complaint seeks unspecified damages. The Company believes that the claims in this lawsuit are without merit and intends to defend against them vigorously. The lawsuit is in the early stages and, at this time, no assessment can be made as to its likely outcome or whether the outcome will be material to the Company.

On October 16, 2019, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed by a GTT stockholder against certain of the Company's present and former directors and officers in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 19-cv-1961). The Company was named as a nominal defendant. The complaint asserts various causes of action against the individual defendants related to the alleged false or misleading statements and omissions at issue in the securities litigation described above. The complaint seeks damages, costs and fees, including attorney's fees, and equitable relief. Defendants intend to file a motion to dismiss the complaint. The Company believes that the claims in this lawsuit are without merit and intends to defend against them vigorously. On December 10, 2019, the US District Court for the District of Delaware dismissed this case.