Restructuring and Severance

Liabilities have been established for employee separations, lease abandonment and contract terminations. A summary of activity in the restructuring and severance liability is shown below:



(dollars in millions)	Employee Separation			Lease Abandonment			Other			Total
Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	3.0		$	1.8		$	0.1		$	4.9
Charges	3.3			0.3			2.4			6.0
Utilizations	(6.1		)	(1.3		)	(2.4		)	(9.8		)
Balance as of December 31, 2015	0.2			0.8			0.1			1.1
Charges/(Reversals)	12.5			(0.5		)	(0.1		)	11.9
Utilizations	(1.7		)	(0.1		)	—			(1.8		)
Balance as of December 31, 2016	11.0			0.2			—			11.2
Charges	32.7			—			—			32.7
Utilizations	(29.3		)	(0.1		)	—			(29.4		)
Balance as of December 31, 2017	$	14.4		$	0.1		$	—		$	14.5

In 2017, the Company initiated reorganizations within both segments of the business in order to more appropriately align the Company for future growth. In addition, during 2017 the Company finalized a voluntary severance program for certain bargained employees related to an initiative to reduce field and network costs within our legacy copper network which resulted in headcount reductions. In 2016, employee severance costs were associated with initiatives to reduce costs associated with our legacy copper network, including a voluntary severance program for certain management employees. Employee severance costs were also incurred as a result of increased in-sourcing of IT professionals by our customers which resulted in headcount reductions in our IT Services and Hardware segment. In 2015, employee severance charges were associated with discontinuing our cyber-security product offering and integrating each of our segments' business markets.

Lease abandonment costs represent future minimum lease obligations, net of expected sublease income, for abandoned facilities. Lease payments on abandoned facilities will continue through 2019.

Other charges in 2015 represent project related expenses as we identified opportunities to integrate the business markets within our Entertainment and Communications and IT Services & Hardware segments.

A summary of restructuring activity by business segment is presented below:



(dollars in millions)	Entertainment and Communications			IT Services and Hardware			Corporate			Total
Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	3.9		$	0.3		$	0.7		$	4.9
Charges	1.6			2.8			1.6			6.0
Utilizations	(4.7		)	(2.8		)	(2.3		)	(9.8		)
Balance as of December 31, 2015	0.8			0.3			—			1.1
Charges	7.7			3.3			0.9			11.9
Utilizations	(1.0		)	(0.6		)	(0.2		)	(1.8		)
Balance as of December 31, 2016	7.5			3.0			0.7			11.2
Charges	27.9			4.8			—			32.7
Utilizations	(23.1		)	(5.6		)	(0.7		)	(29.4		)
Balance as of December 31, 2017	$	12.3		$	2.2		$	—		$	14.5

At December 31, 2017 and 2016, $12.0 million and $7.4 million, respectively, of the restructuring liabilities were included in “Other current liabilities.” At December 31, 2017 and 2016, $2.5 million and $3.8 million was included in "Other noncurrent liabilities," respectively.