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Description of Business and Accounting Policies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Description of Business and Accounting Policies

1.    Description of Business and Accounting Policies

Organization — On March 13, 2020, the Company (as defined below), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Red Fiber Parent LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Parent”), and RF Merger Sub Inc., an Ohio corporation and directly wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”). On September 7, 2021 (the “Closing Date” or “Merger Date”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Ohio General Corporation Law (the “OGCL”), Merger Sub merged with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation (the “Merger”). At the effective time of the Merger (the “Effective Time”), the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub ceased, and the Company survived the Merger as a wholly owned private subsidiary of Parent. As of the date of this filing, the Company has ceased to be a registrant, however due to contractual terms in certain indentures, the Company is required to voluntarily file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

As a result of the Merger, for accounting purposes, Parent is the acquirer and Cincinnati Bell Inc. is the acquiree and accounting predecessor. The financial statement presentation includes the financial statements of historical Cincinnati Bell Inc. as “Predecessor” for periods prior to the Closing Date and of the Company as “Successor” for the periods after the Closing Date. In connection with the Merger and the related accounting determination, the Company has elected to apply push-down accounting and reflect in its financial statements the fair value of its assets and liabilities. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and footnotes include a black line division between the columns titled "Predecessor" and "Successor" to signify that the amounts shown for the periods prior to and following the Merger are not comparable. The Company has elected to record all expenses that were contingent on the closing of the Merger in the Predecessor period. See Note 2 for additional information on the Merger.

Description of Business — Cincinnati Bell Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries ("Cincinnati Bell," "we," "our," "us" or the "Company") provide diversified telecommunications and technology services. For ease of reference, the terms “Cincinnati Bell,” “we,” “our Company,” “the Company,” “us,” or “our” as used in this report refer to both the Predecessor and the Successor and their respective subsidiaries. The Company generates a large portion of its revenue by serving customers in Cincinnati, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio and the islands of Hawaii. An economic downturn or natural disaster occurring in these, or a portion of these, limited operating territories could have a disproportionate effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows compared to similar companies of a national scope and similar companies operating in different geographic areas.

 

The Company had receivables with one customer, Verizon Communications Inc. (“Verizon”), which made up 26% of the outstanding accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2021. No customers exceeded 10% of outstanding accounts receivable at June 30, 2022. Revenue derived from foreign operations was approximately 7% of consolidated revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022. Revenue derived from foreign operations was approximately 6% of consolidated revenue for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021. 

Basis of Presentation — The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC and, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations, other comprehensive income, financial position and cash flows for each period presented.

The adjustments referred to above are of a normal and recurring nature. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to SEC rules and regulations for interim reporting.

The Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021 was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Business Combinations — In accounting for business combinations, we apply the accounting requirements of Accounting Standards Codification 805 (“ASC 805”), “Business Combinations,” which requires the recording of net assets of acquired businesses at fair value. In developing fair value estimates for acquired assets and assumed liabilities, management analyzes a variety of factors including market data, estimated future cash flows of the acquired operations, industry growth rates, current replacement cost for fixed assets, and market rate assumptions for contractual obligations. Such a valuation requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions, particularly with respect to the intangible assets. In addition, any contingent consideration is presented at fair value at the date of acquisition, and transaction costs are expensed as incurred. The Company reports in its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements provisional amounts for the items for which accounting is incomplete. Goodwill is adjusted for any changes to provisional amounts made within the measurement period. See Note 2 for disclosures related to mergers and acquisitions.

 


 

Use of Estimates — Preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to various regulatory and tax proceedings, lawsuits, claims and other matters. The Company believes adequate provision has been made for all such asserted and unasserted claims in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Such matters are subject to many uncertainties and outcomes that are not predictable with assurance.

Accounting Policies The complete summary of significant accounting policies is included in the notes to the consolidated financial statements as presented in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. The Company’s accounting policies in the Successor Period are consistent with the accounting policies in the Predecessor Period.  

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash — Cash consists of funds held in bank accounts. Cash equivalents consist of short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Restricted cash consists of funds held in an escrow account related to a cost method investment. Restricted cash is included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. A reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash to the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets follows:

 

(dollars in millions)

June 30, 2022

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

6.7

 

 

$

5.6

 

Restricted cash included in Other noncurrent assets

 

0.8

 

 

 

0.5

 

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash per Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

$

7.5

 

 

$

6.1

 

 

Goodwill — Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price consideration over the fair value of net assets acquired and recorded in connection with business acquisitions. Goodwill is allocated at the business segment level. Goodwill is tested for impairment on an annual basis or when events or changes in circumstances indicate that such assets may be impaired. If the net book value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized. An impairment loss is measured as the excess of the carrying value of goodwill of a reporting unit over its fair value.

Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets — Intangible assets represent purchased assets that lack physical substance but can be separately distinguished from goodwill because of contractual or legal rights, or because the asset is capable of being separately sold or exchanged. Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") licenses for wireless spectrum represent indefinite-lived intangible assets. The Company may renew the wireless licenses in a routine manner every ten years for a nominal fee, provided the Company continues to meet the service and geographic coverage provisions required by the FCC. Intangible assets not subject to amortization are tested for impairment annually, or when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired.  

Long-Lived Assets — Management reviews the carrying value of property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets, including intangible assets with definite lives, when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized when the estimated future undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use of an asset (or group of assets) and its eventual disposition is less than its carrying amount. An impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the asset’s carrying value exceeds its estimated fair value. Long-lived intangible assets are amortized based on the estimated economic value generated by the asset in future years.  

Income and Operating Taxes

Income taxes — In accordance with ASC 740-270, the Company’s income tax provision for interim periods is determined through the use of an estimated annual effective tax rate applied to year-to-date ordinary income/loss plus or minus the tax effects of discrete items. The Company’s estimated annual effective tax rate benefit is higher than the U.S. federal statutory rate due to state income taxes, offset in part by the effect of permanent items such as the GILTI inclusion and entertainment expenses that are not fully deductible for tax.

Operating taxes — Certain operating taxes such as property, sales, use, and gross receipts taxes are reported as expenses in operating income primarily within cost of services. These taxes are not included in income tax expense because the amounts to be paid are not dependent on our level of income. Liabilities for audit exposures are established based on management's assessment of the probability of payment. The provision for such liabilities is recognized as either property, plant and equipment, operating tax expense, or depreciation expense depending on the nature of the audit exposure. Upon resolution of an audit, any remaining liability not paid is released against the account in which it was originally recorded. Certain telecommunication taxes and surcharges that are collected from customers are also recorded as revenue; however, in accordance with ASC 606, revenue associated with these charges is excluded from the transaction price. 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments — The Company accounts for derivative financial instruments by recognizing derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value and recognizing the resulting gains or losses as adjustments to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations or “Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income.” The Company does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

 

 

For derivative instruments that hedge the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows that are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges, the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is reported as a component of "Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income" in stockholder's equity and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. To receive hedge accounting treatment, cash flow hedges must be highly effective in offsetting changes to expected future cash flows on hedged transactions. Derivatives that do not qualify as hedges are adjusted to fair value through earnings in the current period. All cash flows associated with the Company’s derivative instruments are classified as operating activities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standard-setting bodies that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements upon adoption.