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Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities

(4)   Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities

        Long-term debt, including unamortized discounts and premiums, is as follows:

 
  Interest Rates   Maturities   September 30,
2012
  December 31,
2011
 
   
   
  (Dollars in millions)

CenturyLink, Inc.

                   

Senior notes

  5.000% – 7.650%   2013 – 2042   $ 6,250     4,518

Credit facility(1)

  1.970% – 4.000%   2017     280     277

Term loan

  2.22%   2019     429    

Subsidiaries

                   

Qwest

                   

Senior notes(2)

  3.639% – 8.375%   2013 – 2052     9,718     11,460

Embarq Corporation

                   

Senior notes

  7.082% – 7.995%   2016 – 2036     2,669     4,013

First mortgage bonds

  6.875% – 8.770%   2013 – 2025     322     322

Other

  6.750% – 9.000%   2013 – 2019     200     200

Other subsidiary notes

                   

First mortgage notes

                65

Capital lease and other obligations

  Various   Various     767     712

Unamortized premiums and other, net

            71     269
                 

Total long-term debt

            20,706     21,836

Less current maturities

            (1,198)     (480)
                 

Long-term debt, excluding current maturities

          $ 19,508     21,356
                 

(1)
The information presented here illustrates the interest rates and maturity on our credit facility as amended on April 6, 2012. The outstanding amount of our Credit Facility borrowings at September 30, 2012 was $280 million with a weighted average interest rate of 2.369%.

(2)
The $750 million of Qwest Corporation Notes due 2013 are floating rate notes, with rates that reset every three months. As of the most recent measurement date of September 17, 2012, the rate for these notes was 3.639%.

New Issuances

        On June 25, 2012, QC issued $400 million aggregate principal amount of 7.00% Notes due 2052 in exchange for net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and expenses, of $387 million. The Notes are unsecured obligations and may be redeemed, in whole or in part, on or after July 1, 2017 at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount redeemed plus accrued interest.

        On April 18, 2012, CenturyLink entered into a term loan in the amount of $440 million with CoBank and several other Farm Credit System banks. This term loan is payable in 29 consecutive quarterly installments of $5.5 million in principal plus interest through April 18, 2019, when the balance will be due. We have the option of paying monthly interest based upon either London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") or the base rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus an applicable margin between 1.50% to 2.50% per annum for LIBOR loans and 0.50% to 1.50% per annum for base rate loans depending on our then current senior unsecured long-term debt rating. Our term loan is guaranteed by two of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, Embarq and Qwest Communications International Inc ("QCII"), and one of QCII's wholly-owned subsidiaries. The remaining terms and conditions of our term loan are substantially similar to those set forth in our Credit Facility, described in this Note below under "—Credit Facility."

        On April 2, 2012, QC issued $525 million aggregate principal amount of 7.00% Notes due 2052 in exchange for net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and expenses, of $508 million. The Notes are unsecured obligations and may be redeemed, in whole or in part, on or after April 1, 2017 at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount redeemed plus accrued interest.

        On March 12, 2012, CenturyLink issued (i) $650 million aggregate principal amount of 7.65% Senior Notes due 2042 in exchange for net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts, of approximately $644 million and (ii) $1.4 billion aggregate principal amount of 5.80% Senior Notes due 2022 in exchange for net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts, of approximately $1.389 billion. The Notes are unsecured obligations and may be redeemed at any time on the terms and conditions specified therein.

Repayments

        On August 29, 2012, CenturyLink paid $29 million and $30 million, respectively, to retire its outstanding Rural Utilities Service and Rural Telephone Bank.

        On August 15, 2012, CenturyLink paid at maturity the $318 million principal amount of its 7.875% Notes.

        On July 20, 2012, QC redeemed all $484 million of its 7.50% Notes due 2023, which resulted in an immaterial loss.

        On May 17, 2012, QCII redeemed $500 million of its 7.50% Notes due 2014, which resulted in an immaterial gain.

        On April 23, 2012, Embarq redeemed the remaining $200 million of its 6.738% Notes due 2013, which resulted in an immaterial loss.

        On April 18, 2012, QC completed a cash tender offer to purchase a portion of its $811 million of 8.375% Notes due 2016 and its $400 million of 7.625% Notes due 2015. With respect to its 8.375% Notes due 2016, QC received and accepted tenders of approximately $575 million aggregate principal amount of these notes, or 71%, for $722 million including a premium, fees and accrued interest. With respect to its 7.625% Notes due 2015, QC received and accepted tenders of approximately $308 million aggregate principal amount of these notes, or 77%, for $369 million including a premium, fees and accrued interest. The completion of this tender offer resulted in a loss of $46 million.

        On April 2, 2012, Embarq completed a cash tender offer to purchase a portion of its $528 million of 6.738% Notes due 2013 and its $2.0 billion of 7.082% Notes due 2016. With respect to its 6.738% Notes due 2013, Embarq received and accepted tenders of approximately $328 million aggregate principal amount of these notes, or 62%, for $360 million including a premium, fees and accrued interest. With respect to its 7.082% Notes due 2016, Embarq received and accepted tenders of approximately $816 million aggregate principal amount of these notes, or 41%, for $944 million including a premium, fees and accrued interest. The completion of these tender offers resulted in a loss of $144 million.

        On March 1, 2012, QCII redeemed $800 million of its 7.50% Notes due 2014, which resulted in an immaterial gain.

Credit Facility

        On April 6, 2012, we amended and restated our $1.7 billion revolving credit facility to increase the aggregate principal amount available to $2.0 billion and to extend the maturity date to April 2017. This amended credit facility (the "Credit Facility") has 18 lenders, with commitments ranging from $2.5 million to $181 million and allows us to obtain revolving loans and to issue up to $400 million of letters of credit, which will reduce the amount available for other extensions of credit. Interest is assessed on borrowings using either the LIBOR or the base rate (as defined in the Credit Facility) plus an applicable margin between 1.25% and 2.25% per annum for LIBOR loans and 0.25% and 1.25% per annum for base rate loans depending on our then current senior unsecured long-term debt rating. Our obligations under the Credit Facility are guaranteed by two of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, Embarq and QCII, and one of QCII's wholly-owned subsidiaries. As of September 30, 2012, there was $280 million outstanding under the Credit Facility.

Covenants

        As of September 30, 2012, we believe we were in compliance with the provisions and covenants of our debt agreements.

Subsequent Events

        On October 26, 2012, QCII redeemed all $550 million of its 8.00% Notes due 2015, which resulted in a gain of $15 million.