RETIREMENT PLANS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

RETIREMENT PLANS

RETIREMENT PLANS

10. RETIREMENT PLANS

Multi-employer Defined Benefit Plan

Pension benefits for substantially all of the Company’s Alaska-based employees are provided through the Alaska Electrical Pension Fund (“AEPF”). The Company pays a contractual hourly amount based on employee classification or base compensation to the AEPF. As a multi-employer defined benefit plan, the accumulated benefits and plan assets are not determined for, or allocated separately to, the individual employer. This plan was not in endangered or critical status during the plan year.

Defined Benefit Plan

The Company has noncontributory defined benefit pension and noncontributory defined medical, dental, vision, and life benefit plans for eligible employees in its International Telecom segment who meet certain eligibility criteria. As part of the Alaska Transaction, the Company acquired a defined benefit pension plan and a post-retirement medical plan covering certain employees. The pension plan had a projected benefit obligation of $15.4 million and plan assets of $12.1 million on July 22, 2021. The post-retirement medical plan is unfunded and had a projected benefit obligation of $0.4 million on July 22, 2021.

The Company recorded the net periodic benefit cost identified below (in thousands):

	Three months ended
	March 31, 2022				March 31, 2021
	Pension benefits		Postretirement benefits		Pension benefits		Postretirement benefits
Operating expense
Service cost	$	57	$	36	$	54	$	35
Non-operating expense
Interest cost		565		33		572		41
Expected return on plan assets		(925)		—		(687)		—
Actuarial (gain)/ loss		—		—		—		—
Net periodic pension expense (benefit)	$	(303)	$	69	$	(61)	$	76

The Company was not required to make contributions to its pension plans during the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021. However, the Company periodically evaluates whether to make discretionary contributions. The Company funds its postretirement benefit plans as claims are made and did not make contributions to its pension plans during the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021.