As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 2, 2007

Registration No. 333-142955      

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Amendment No. 1

to

 

Form S-4

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

MetroPCS Wireless, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

8144 Walnut Hill Lane

Suite 800

Dallas, Texas 75231-4388

(214) 265-2550

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

Roger D. Linquist

Chief Executive Officer

8144 Walnut Hill Lane

Suite 800

Dallas, Texas 75231-4388

(214) 265-2550

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of agent for service)

 

Copies to:

 

Andrew M. Baker, Esq.

William D. Howell, Esq.

Baker Botts L.L.P.

2001 Ross Avenue

Dallas, Texas 75201

(214) 953-6500

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale of the securities to the public:  As soon as practicable following the effectiveness of this Registration Statement.

If the securities being registered on this Form are being offered in connection with the formation of a holding company and there is compliance with General Instruction G, check the following box.  o

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

TABLE OF CO-REGISTRANTS

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 2, 2007

 

PROSPECTUS

 

Offer to Exchange

91/4% Senior Notes due 2014

that have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933

for any and all

91/4% Senior Notes due 2014

This Exchange Offer will expire at 5:00 P.M.

New York City time, on          , 2007, unless extended.

 

MetroPCS Wireless, Inc. is offering to exchange an aggregate principal amount of $1,400,000,000 of registered 91/4% Senior Notes due 2014, or the new notes, for any and all of our original unregistered 91/4% Senior Notes due 2014, $1,000,000,000 of which were issued in a private offering on November 3, 2006, or the initial notes, and $400,000,000 of which were offered in a private offering on June 6, 2007, or the additional notes. Together, the initial notes and the additional notes are referred to herein as the old notes. MetroPCS Wireless, Inc. refers to the exchange of old notes for new notes as the exchange offer. MetroPCS Wireless, Inc. will not receive any proceeds from the exchange offer.

 

Terms of the exchange offer:

 

 

 

 

 

 

See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 17 for a discussion of risks you should consider in connection with the exchange offer.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

We may amend or supplement this prospectus from time to time by filing amendments or supplements as required. You should read this entire prospectus and related documents and any amendments or supplements to this prospectus carefully before making your investment decision.

 

The date of this prospectus is October   , 2007.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

THIS PROSPECTUS IS PART OF A REGISTRATION STATEMENT WE FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, OR SEC. IN MAKING YOUR INVESTMENT DECISION, YOU SHOULD RELY ONLY ON THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS, ANY FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS PREPARED BY US OR THE INFORMATION TO WHICH WE HAVE REFERRED YOU. WE HAVE NOT AUTHORIZED ANYONE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH ANY OTHER OR DIFFERENT INFORMATION. IF YOU RECEIVE ANY UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION, YOU MUST NOT RELY ON IT. THIS PROSPECTUS MAY ONLY BE USED WHERE IT IS LEGAL TO EXCHANGE THE OLD NOTES FOR THE NEW NOTES AND THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO EXCHANGE OR A SOLICITATION TO EXCHANGE THE OLD NOTES FOR THE NEW NOTES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE AN OFFER OR EXCHANGE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. YOU SHOULD NOT ASSUME THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS ACCURATE AS OF ANY DATE OTHER THAN THE DATE ON THE FRONT COVER OF THIS PROSPECTUS.

 

Each broker dealer that receives new notes pursuant to this exchange offer in exchange for securities acquired for its own account as a result of market making or other trading activities must acknowledge that it will deliver a prospectus in connection with any resale of such new notes. The letter of transmittal attached as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part states that by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, a broker dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act. This prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, may be used by such a broker dealer in connection with resales of such new notes. We have agreed that, starting on the date of the completion of the exchange offer to which this prospectus relates for up to 180 days following completion of the exchange offer (or such earlier date as eligible broker-dealers no longer own new notes), we will make this prospectus available to any broker dealer for use in connection with any such resale. In addition, until           (90 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in the new notes may be required to deliver a prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution.”

 

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Any statements made in this prospectus that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include information concerning any potential business combination and possible or assumed future results of operations, including statements that may relate to our plans, objectives, strategies, goals, future events, future revenues or performance, future penetration rates, planned market launches, capital expenditures, financing needs and other information that is not historical information. These forward-looking statements often include words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “suggests,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimates,” “targets,” “projects,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “may,” “will,” “continue,” “forecast,” and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are contained throughout this prospectus, including the “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Capitalization,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business.”

 

We base these forward-looking statements or projections on our current expectations, plans and assumptions that we have made in light of our experience in the industry, as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances and at such times. As you read and consider this prospectus, you should understand that these forward-looking statements or projections are not guarantees of future performance or results. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements and projections are based on reasonable assumptions at the time they are made, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual financial results, performance or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements and projections. Factors that may materially affect such forward-looking statements and projections include:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The forward-looking statements and projections speak only as to the date made and are subject to and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond our control or ability to predict and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and projections. All future written and oral forward-looking statements and projections attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are

expressly qualified in their entirety by our cautionary statements. We do not intend to, and do not undertake a duty to, update any forward-looking statement or projection in the future to reflect the occurrence of events or circumstances, except as required by law.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

Our corporate parent, MetroPCS Communications, Inc., is required to file current, quarterly and annual reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy those reports, proxy statements and other information at the public reference facility maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of this material may also be obtained from the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 at prescribed rates. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (800) 732-0330. The SEC maintains a Web site at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that make electronic filings with the SEC using its EDGAR system.

 

You may request a copy of these filings, which we will provide to you at no cost, by writing us at the following address: MetroPCS Communications, Inc., 8144 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 800, Dallas, Texas 75231-4388 or telephoning us at (214) 265-2550. Our website address is www.metropcs.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.

 

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 under the Securities Act to register with the SEC the new notes to be issued in exchange for the old notes and guarantees thereof. This prospectus is part of that registration statement. In this prospectus we refer to that registration statement, together with all amendments, exhibits and schedules to that registration statement, as “the registration statement.”

 

As is permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC, this prospectus, which is part of the registration statement, omits some information, exhibits, schedules and undertakings set forth in the registration statement. For further information with respect to us, and the securities offered by this prospectus, please refer to the registration statement.

 

MARKET AND OTHER DATA

 

Market data and other statistical information used throughout this prospectus are based on independent industry publications, government publications, reports by market research firms and other published independent sources. Some data is also based on our good faith estimates, which are derived from our review of internal surveys and independent sources, including information provided to us by the U.S. Census Bureau. Although we believe these sources are reliable as of the date of this prospectus, we have not independently verified the data or information obtained from these sources. By including such market data and information, we do not undertake a duty to provide such data or information in the future or to update such data or information when such data is updated.

	•	Our fixed price calling plans, which provide unlimited usage within a local calling area with no long-term contract;
	•	Our focus on densely populated markets, which provides significant operational efficiencies;
	•	Our leadership position as one of the lowest cost providers of wireless telephone services in the United States;
	•	Our spectrum portfolio, which covers 9 of the top 12 and 14 of the top 25 largest metropolitan areas in the United States; and
	•	Our advanced CDMA network, which is designed to provide the capacity necessary to satisfy the usage requirements of our customers.

	•	Target the underserved customer segments in our markets;
	•	Offer affordable, fixed price unlimited calling plans with no long-term service contract;
	•	Remain one of the lowest cost wireless telephone service providers in the United States; and
	•	Expand into new attractive markets.

	•	Our limited operating history;
	•	Competition from other wireline and wireless providers, many of whom have substantially greater resources than us;
	•	Our significant current debt levels of approximately $3.0 billion as of June 30, 2007, the terms of which may restrict our operational flexibility;
	•	Our need to generate significant excess cash flows to meet the requirements for the build out and launch of our Auction 66 Markets; and
	•	Increased costs which could result from higher customer churn, delays in technological developments or our inability to successfully manage our growth.

Old Notes		91/4% Senior Notes due November 1, 2014, $1.0 billion of which were issued on November 3, 2006 and $400 million of which were issued on June 6, 2007.

New Notes		91/4% Senior Notes due November 1, 2014. The terms of the new notes are substantially identical to those terms of the old notes, except that the new notes are registered under the Securities Act and are not subject to the transfer restrictions and registration rights relating to the old notes.

Exchange Offer		We are offering to exchange $1.4 billion principal amount of our new notes that have been registered under the Securities Act for an equal amount of our old notes to satisfy our obligations under the registration rights agreement. We may withdraw the exchange offer at any time.

		The new notes will evidence the same debt as the old notes, including principal and interest, and will be issued under and be entitled to the benefits of the same indenture that governs the old notes. Holders of the old notes do not have any appraisal or dissenter’s rights in connection with the exchange offer. Because the new notes will be registered, the new notes will not be subject to transfer restrictions, and holders of old notes that have tendered and had their old notes accepted in the exchange offer will have no registration rights.

Expiration Date		The exchange offer will expire at 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on          , 2007, or Expiration Date, unless we decide to extend it or terminate it early. A tender of old notes pursuant to this exchange offer may be withdrawn at any time prior to the Expiration Date if we receive a valid written withdrawal request before the expiration of the exchange offer.

Conditions to the Exchange Offer		The exchange offer is subject to customary conditions, which we may, but are not required to, waive. Please see “The Exchange Offer — Conditions to the Exchange Offer” for more information regarding the conditions to the exchange offer. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to waive any and all conditions to the exchange offer on or prior to the Expiration Date.
Procedures for Tendering Old Notes		Unless you comply with the procedures described below under “The Exchange Offer — Procedures for Tendering Old Notes — Guaranteed Delivery,” you must do one of the following procedures

		on or prior to the Expiration Date to participate in the exchange offer:
		• tender your old notes by sending the certificates evidencing your old notes, in proper form for transfer, a properly completed and duly executed letter of transmittal with the required signature guarantee, and all other documents required by the letter of transmittal, to The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as exchange agent, at the address set forth in this prospectus. Such old notes must be received by our exchange agent prior to the expiration of the exchange offer; or
		• tender your old notes by using the book-entry transfer procedures described in “The Exchange Offer — Procedures for Tendering Old Notes — Book-Entry Delivery Procedures” and transmitting a properly completed and duly executed letter of transmittal with the required signature guarantee, or an agent’s message instead of the letter of transmittal, to the exchange agent. In order for a book-entry transfer to constitute a valid tender of your old notes in the exchange offer, The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as registrar and exchange agent, must receive a confirmation of book-entry transfer of your old notes into the exchange agent’s account at The Depository Trust Company prior to the expiration of the exchange offer.
		By signing or agreeing to be bound by the letter of transmittal, you will represent to us that, among other things:
		• any new notes that you will receive will be acquired in the ordinary course of your business;
		• you have no arrangement or understanding with any person or entity to participate in the distribution of the new notes;
		• you are transferring good and marketable title to the old notes free and clear of all liens, security interests, encumbrances, or rights or interests of parties other than you;
		• if you are a broker-dealer that will receive new notes for your own account in exchange for old notes that were acquired as a result of market-making activities, that you will deliver a prospectus, as required by law, in connection with any resale of such new notes; and
		• you are not our “affiliate” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
Guaranteed Delivery Procedures		If you are a registered holder of the old notes and wish to tender your old notes in the exchange offer, but
		• the old notes are not immediately available,
		• time will not permit your old notes or other required documents to be received by our exchange agent before the expiration of the exchange offer, or
		• the procedure for book-entry transfer cannot be completed prior to the expiration of the exchange offer,

		then you may tender old notes by following the procedures described below under “The Exchange Offer — Procedures for Tendering Old Notes — Guaranteed Delivery.”
Special Procedures for Beneficial Owners		If you are a beneficial owner whose old notes are registered in the name of a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee and you wish to tender your old notes in the exchange offer, you should promptly contact the person in whose name the old notes are registered and instruct that person to tender on your behalf the old notes prior to the expiration of the exchange offer.
		If you wish to tender in the exchange offer on your own behalf, prior to completing and executing the letter of transmittal and delivering the certificates for your old notes, you must either make appropriate arrangements to register ownership of the old notes in your name or obtain a properly completed bond power from the person in whose name the old notes are registered.
Withdrawal; Non-Acceptance		You may withdraw any old notes tendered in the exchange offer at any time prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the Expiration Date, by sending our exchange agent written notice of withdrawal. Any old notes tendered on or prior to the Expiration Date that are not validly withdrawn on or prior to the Expiration Date may not be withdrawn. If we decide for any reason not to accept any old notes tendered for exchange or to withdraw the exchange offer, the old notes will be returned to the registered holder at our expense promptly after the expiration or termination of the exchange offer. In the case of old notes tendered by book-entry transfer into the exchange agent’s account at The Depository Trust Company, any withdrawn or unaccepted old notes will be credited to the tendering holder’s account at The Depository Trust Company. For further information regarding the withdrawal of tendered old notes, please see “The Exchange Offer — Withdrawal of Tenders.”
United States Federal Income Tax Considerations		The exchange of old notes for new notes in the exchange offer should not be a taxable exchange for United States federal income tax purposes. Please see “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” for more information regarding the tax consequences to you of the exchange offer.
Use of Proceeds		The issuance of the new notes will not provide us with any new proceeds. We are making this exchange offer solely to satisfy our obligations under the registration rights agreement.
Fees and Expenses		We will pay all of our expenses incident to the exchange offer. You are responsible for all expenses related to tendering your old notes to our exchange agent.
Exchange Agent		We have appointed The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. as our exchange agent for the exchange offer. You can find the address and telephone number of the exchange agent under “The Exchange Offer — Exchange Agent.”
Resales of New Notes		Based on interpretations by the staff of the SEC, as set forth in no-action letters issued to third parties, we believe that the new notes

		you receive in the exchange offer may be offered for resale, resold or otherwise transferred by you without compliance with the registration and prospectus delivery provisions of the Securities Act so long as certain conditions are met. See “The Exchange Offer — Resale of the New Notes; Plan of Distribution” for more information regarding resales.
Consequences of Not Exchanging Your Old Notes		If you do not exchange your old notes in this exchange offer, you will no longer be able to require us to register your old notes under the Securities Act pursuant to the registration rights agreement except in the limited circumstances provided under the registration rights agreement. In addition, you will not be able to resell, offer to resell or otherwise transfer your old notes unless we have registered the old notes under the Securities Act, or unless you resell, offer to resell or otherwise transfer them under an exemption from the registration requirements of, or in a transaction not subject to, the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Other than in connection with this exchange offer, or as otherwise required under certain limited circumstances pursuant to the terms of the registration rights agreement, we do not currently anticipate that we will register the old notes under the Securities Act.
		For information regarding the consequences of not tendering your old notes and our obligation to file a registration statement, please see “The Exchange Offer — Consequences of Failure to Exchange.”
Additional Documentation; Further Information; Assistance		Any questions or requests for assistance or additional documentation regarding the exchange offer may be directed to the exchange agent.
		Beneficial owners may also contact their custodian for assistance concerning the exchange offer.

Issuer		MetroPCS Wireless, Inc.
Notes Offered		$1,400,000,000 principal amount of its 91/4% Senior Notes due 2014.
Maturity Date		November 1, 2014.
Interest Rate		91/4% per year (calculated using a 360-day year).
Interest Payment Dates		May 1 and November 1 of each year, commencing November 1, 2007.
Ranking		The notes and the guarantees are the senior unsecured obligations of us and the guarantors. Accordingly, they rank:
		• equal to all of our and the guarantors’ existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness;
		• senior to all of our and the guarantors’ existing and future senior subordinated and subordinated indebtedness;
		• effectively subordinated to all of our and the guarantors’ existing and future secured indebtedness, including indebtedness under our senior secured credit facility, to the extent of the assets securing such indebtedness; and
		• structurally subordinated to all existing and any future indebtedness and liabilities, including trade payables, and other liabilities of our subsidiaries that do not guarantee the notes, to the extent of the assets of such subsidiaries. For instance, the notes will not be guaranteed by Royal Street which is consolidated in MetroPCS Communications’ financial statements.
		As of June 30, 2007, we had total indebtedness of approximately $3.0 billion, $1.4 billion of which was the notes, and approximately $1.6 billion of which was secured indebtedness to which the notes effectively were subordinated as to the value of the collateral.
Guarantees		Our obligations under the notes are jointly and severally, and fully and unconditionally, guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by MetroPCS Communications, MetroPCS, Inc. and all of our current and future domestic wholly-owned subsidiaries. The notes are not guaranteed by Royal Street which is consolidated in MetroPCS Communications’ financial statements. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources” and “Description of New Notes — Note Guarantees” and “— Certain Definitions.”
Optional Redemption		We may, at our option, redeem some or all of the notes at any time on or after November 1, 2010 at the redemption prices described in the section “Description of New Notes — Optional Redemption,” plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any.

		In addition, prior to November 1, 2009, we may, at our option, redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes with the net cash proceeds of certain sales of equity securities or certain contributions to our equity at the redemption prices described in the section “Description of New Notes — Optional Redemption,” plus accrued interest, if any. We may make the redemption only to the extent that, after the redemption, at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes remains outstanding.
		We may also, at our option, prior to November 1, 2010, redeem some or all of the notes at the “make whole” price set forth under “Description of New Notes — Optional Redemption.”
Mandatory Redemption		None.
Change of Control		If we experience specific kinds of changes in control, each holder of notes may require us to repurchase all or a portion of its notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase. See “Description of New Notes — Repurchase at the Option of Holders — Change of Control.”
Certain Covenants		The indenture governing the notes contains covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to:
		• incur more debt;
		• pay dividends and make distributions;
		• make certain investments;
		• repurchase stock;
		• create liens without also securing the notes;
		• enter into transactions with affiliates;
		• enter into agreements that restrict dividends or distributions from subsidiaries; and
		• merge, consolidate or sell, or otherwise dispose of, substantially all of our assets.
		These covenants contain important exceptions, limitations and qualifications. For more details, see “Description of New Notes — Certain Covenants.”
Absence of Established Market for the Notes		The new notes are generally freely transferable but are also new securities for which there will not initially be a market. We do not intend to apply for a listing of the new notes on any securities exchange or for their inclusion on any automated dealer quotation system. Accordingly, we cannot assure you as to the development or liquidity of any market for the new notes. We expect that the new notes will be eligible for trading in the PORTALsm Market.
Risk Factors		You should consider carefully all of the information set forth in this offering memorandum and, in particular, you should evaluate the specific factors under “Risk Factors.”

		Year Ended December 31,												Six Months Ended June 30,
		2004				2005				2006				2006				2007
		(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Statement of Operations Data:
Revenues:
Service revenues		$	616,401			$	872,100			$	1,290,947			$	583,260			$	918,857
Equipment revenues			131,849				166,328				255,916				114,395				169,005
Total revenues			748,250				1,038,428				1,546,863				697,655				1,087,862
Operating expenses:
Cost of service (excluding depreciation and amortization disclosed separately below)			200,806				283,212				445,281				199,987				307,562
Cost of equipment			222,766				300,871				476,877				212,916				306,747
Selling, general and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization disclosed separately below)			131,510				162,476				243,618				111,701				155,654
Depreciation and amortization			62,201				87,895				135,028				59,576				80,504
Loss (gain) on disposal of assets			3,209				(218,203	)			8,806				12,377				2,657
Total operating expenses			620,492				616,251				1,309,610				596,557				853,124
Income from operations			127,758				422,177				237,253				101,098				234,738
Other expense (income):
Interest expense			19,030				58,033				115,985				42,597				98,144
Accretion of put option in majority-owned subsidiary			8				252				770				360				492
Interest and other income			(2,472	)			(8,658	)			(21,543	)			(10,719	)			(21,651	)
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt			(698	)			46,448				51,518				(244	)			—
Total other expense			15,868				96,075				146,730				31,994				76,985
Income before provision for income taxes			111,890				326,102				90,523				69,104				157,753
Provision for income taxes			(47,000	)			(127,425	)			(36,717	)			(27,745	)			(63,307	)
Net income			64,890				198,677				53,806				41,359				94,446
Accrued dividends on Series D Preferred Stock			(21,006	)			(21,006	)			(21,006	)			(10,417	)			(6,499	)
Accrued dividends on Series E Preferred Stock			—				(1,019	)			(3,000	)			(1,488	)			(929	)
Accretion on Series D Preferred Stock			(473	)			(473	)			(473	)			(236	)			(148	)
Accretion on Series E Preferred Stock			—				(114	)			(339	)			(170	)			(107	)
Net income applicable to Common Stock		$	43,411			$	176,065			$	28,988			$	29,048			$	86,763
Net income per common share(1):
Basic		$	0.18			$	0.71			$	0.11			$	0.11			$	0.29
Diluted		$	0.15			$	0.62			$	0.10			$	0.10			$	0.28
Weighted average shares(1):
Basic			126,722,051				135,352,396				155,820,381				155,503,804				227,238,734
Diluted			150,633,686				153,610,589				159,696,608				159,318,289				235,898,089

		Year Ended December 31,												Six Months Ended June 30,
		2004				2005				2006				2006				2007
		(Dollars, customers and POPs in thousands)
Other Financial Data:
Net cash provided by operating activities		$	150,379			$	283,216			$	364,761			$	199,068			$	267,309
Net cash used in investment activities			(190,881	)			(905,228	)			(1,939,665	)			(203,125	)			(1,495,093	)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities			(5,433	)			712,244				1,623,693				27,939				1,294,122
Consolidated Operating Data:
Licensed POPs (at period end)(2)			28,430				64,222				65,618				64,222				66,182
Covered POPs (at period end)(2)			21,083				23,908				38,630				34,653				38,997
Customers (at period end)			1,399				1,925				2,941				2,419				3,550
Adjusted EBITDA(3)		$	203,597			$	294,465			$	395,559			$	177,020			$	329,763
Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of service revenues(4)			33.0	%			33.8	%			30.6	%			30.4	%			35.9	%
Capital Expenditures		$	250,830			$	266,499			$	550,749			$	307,296			$	347,114
Core Markets Operating Data(5):
Licensed POPs (at period end)(2)			24,686				25,433				25,881				25,433				26,111
Covered POPs (at period end)(2)			21,083				21,263				22,461				21,528				22,690
Customers (at period end)			1,399				1,872				2,301				2,119				2,542
Adjusted EBITDA(6)		$	203,597			$	316,555			$	492,773			$	236,302			$	318,191
Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of service revenues(4)			33.0	%			36.4	%			43.3	%			43.3	%			45.9	%
Capital Expenditures		$	250,830			$	171,783			$	217,215
Expansion Markets Operating Data(5):
Licensed POPs (at period end)(2)			3,744				38,789				39,737				38,789				40,071
Covered POPs (at period end)(2)			—				2,645				16,169				13,125				16,307
Customers (at period end)			—				53				640				300				1,008
Adjusted EBITDA (Deficit)(6)			—			$	(22,090	)		$	(97,214	)		$	(59,282	)		$	11,572
Capital Expenditures			—			$	90,871			$	314,308

		Year Ended December 31,												Six Months Ended June 30,
		2004				2005				2006				2006				2007
Average monthly churn(7)(8)			4.9	%			5.1	%			4.6	%			4.5	%			4.4	%
Average revenue per user (ARPU)(9)(10)		$	41.13			$	42.40			$	42.98			$	42.98			$	43.46
Cost per gross addition (CPGA)(8)(9)(11)		$	103.78			$	102.70			$	117.58			$	114.56			$	115.87
Cost per user (CPU)(9)(12)		$	18.95			$	19.57			$	19.65			$	19.93			$	18.28

		As of June 30, 2007
		(In thousands)
Balance Sheet Data:
Cash, cash equivalents & short-term investments		$	1,767,274
Property and equipment, net			1,534,402
Total assets			5,666,345
Long-term debt (including current maturities)			3,011,355
Stockholders’ equity			1,841,005

(1)		See Note 17 and Note 9 to the annual and interim consolidated financial statements, respectively, included elsewhere in this prospectus for an explanation of the calculation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per common share.
(2)		Licensed POPs represent the aggregate number of persons that reside within the areas covered by our or Royal Street’s licenses. Covered POPs represent the estimated number of POPs in our metropolitan areas that reside within the areas covered by our network.
(3)		Our senior secured credit facility calculates consolidated Adjusted EBITDA as: consolidated net income plus depreciation and amortization; gain (loss) on disposal of assets; non-cash expenses; gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt; provision for income taxes; interest expense; and certain expenses of MetroPCS Communications, Inc. minus interest and other income and non-cash items increasing consolidated net income.

		Year Ended December 31,												Six Months Ended June 30,
		2004				2005				2006				2006				2007
		(In thousands)
Calculation of Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA:
Net income		$	64,890			$	198,677			$	53,806			$	41,359			$	94,446
Adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization			62,201				87,895				135,028				59,576				80,504
Loss (gain) on disposal of assets			3,209				(218,203	)			8,806				12,377				2,657
Non-cash compensation expense(a)			10,429				2,596				14,472				3,969				11,864
Interest expense			19,030				58,033				115,985				42,597				98,144
Accretion of put option in majority-owned subsidiary(a)			8				252				770				360				492
Interest and other income			(2,472	)			(8,658	)			(21,543	)			(10,719	)			(21,651	)
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt			(698	)			46,448				51,518				(244	)			—
Provision for income taxes			47,000				127,425				36,717				27,745				63,307
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA		$	203,597			$	294,465			$	395,559			$	177,020			$	329,763

		Year Ended December 31,												Six Months Ended June 30,
		2004				2005				2006				2006				2007
		(In thousands)
Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities to Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA:
Net cash provided by operating activities		$	150,379			$	283,216			$	364,761			$	199,068			$	267,309
Adjustments:
Interest expense			19,030				58,033				115,985				42,597				98,144
Non-cash interest expense			(2,889	)			(4,285	)			(6,964	)			(776	)			(2,048	)
Interest and other income			(2,472	)			(8,658	)			(21,543	)			(10,719	)			(21,651	)
Provision for uncollectible accounts receivable			(125	)			(129	)			(31	)			(111	)			(23	)
Deferred rent expense			(3,466	)			(4,407	)			(7,464	)			(3,376	)			(4,265	)
Cost of abandoned cell sites			(1,021	)			(725	)			(3,783	)			(638	)			(3,832	)
Accretion of asset retirement obligation			(253	)			(423	)			(769	)			(298	)			(572	)
(Loss) gain on sale of investments			(576	)			190				2,385				1,268				2,241
Provision for income taxes			47,000				127,425				36,717				27,745				63,307
Deferred income taxes			(44,441	)			(125,055	)			(32,341	)			(26,496	)			(62,158	)
Changes in working capital			42,431				(30,717	)			(51,394	)			(51,244	)			(6,689	)
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA		$	203,597			$	294,465			$	395,559			$	177,020			$	329,763

(4)		Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of service revenues is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by total service revenues.

(5)		Core Markets include Atlanta, Miami, Sacramento and San Francisco. Expansion Markets include Dallas/Ft. Worth, Detroit, Tampa/Sarasota/Orlando and Los Angeles and our Auction 66 Markets. Expansion Markets licensed POPs at June 30, 2007 do not include licenses associated with our Auction 66 Markets. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Operating Segments.”

(6)		Core and Expansion Markets Adjusted EBITDA is presented in accordance with SFAS No. 131 as it is the primary financial measure utilized by management to facilitate evaluation of our ability to meet future debt service, capital expenditures and working capital requirements and to fund future growth. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Operating Segments.”
(7)		Average monthly churn represents (a) the number of customers who have been disconnected from our system during the measurement period less the number of customers who have reactivated service, divided by (b) the sum of the average monthly number of customers during such period. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Performance Measures.” A customer’s handset is disabled if the customer has failed to make payment by the due date and is disconnected from our system if the customer fails to make payment within 30 days thereafter. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Customer Recognition and Disconnect Policies.”

(8)		In the first quarter of 2006, based upon a change in the allowable return period from 7 days to 30 days, we revised our definition of gross additions to exclude customers that discontinue service in the first 30 days of service as churn. This revision has the effect of reducing deactivations and gross additions, commencing March 23, 2006, and reduces churn and increases CPGA. Churn computed under the original 7 day allowable return period would have been 5.1% for the year ended December 31, 2006.

(9)		Average revenue per user, or ARPU, cost per gross addition, or CPGA, and cost per user, or CPU, are non-GAAP financial measures utilized by our management to evaluate our operating performance. We believe these measures are important in understanding the performance of our operations from period to period, and although every company in the wireless industry does not define each of these measures in precisely the same way, we believe that these measures (which are common in the wireless industry) facilitate operating performance comparisons with other companies in the wireless industry.
(10)		ARPU — Average revenue per user, or ARPU, represents (a) service revenues less activation revenues, E-911, Federal Universal Service Fund, or FUSF, and vendor’s compensation charges for the measurement period, divided by (b) the sum of the average monthly number of customers during such period. We utilize ARPU to evaluate our per-customer service revenue realization and to assist in forecasting our future service revenues. ARPU is calculated exclusive of activation revenues, as these amounts are a component of our costs of acquiring new customers and are included in our calculation of CPGA. ARPU is also calculated exclusive of E-911, FUSF and vendor’s compensation charges, as these are generally pass through charges that we collect from our customers and remit to the appropriate government agencies.

		Average number of customers for any measurement period is determined by dividing (a) the sum of the average monthly number of customers for the measurement period by (b) the number of months in such period. Average monthly number of customers for any month represents the sum of the number of customers on the first day of the month and the last day of the month divided by two. The following table shows the calculation of ARPU for the periods indicated:

		Year Ended December 31,												Six Months Ended June 30,
		2004				2005				2006				2006				2007
		(In thousands, except average number of customers and ARPU)
Calculation of ARPU:
Service revenues		$	616,401			$	872,100			$	1,290,947			$	583,260			$	918,857
Less:
Activation revenues			(7,874	)			(6,808	)			(8,297	)			(3,903	)			(5,142	)
E-911, FUSF and vendor’s compensation charges			(12,522	)			(26,221	)			(45,640	)			(19,710	)			(45,992	)
Net service revenues		$	596,005			$	839,071			$	1,237,010			$	559,647			$	867,723
Divided by:
Average number of customers			1,207,521				1,649,208				2,398,682				2,170,180				3,328,032
ARPU		$	41.13			$	42.40			$	42.98			$	42.98			$	43.46

(11)		CPGA — Cost per gross addition, or CPGA, is determined by dividing (a) selling expenses plus the total cost of equipment associated with transactions with new customers less activation revenues and equipment revenues associated with transactions with new customers during the measurement period by (b) gross customer additions during such period. We utilize CPGA to assess the efficiency of our distribution strategy, validate the initial capital invested in our customers and determine the number of months to recover our customer acquisition costs. This measure also allows us to compare our average acquisition costs per new customer to those of other wireless broadband PCS providers. Activation revenues and equipment revenues related to new customers are deducted from selling expenses in this calculation as they represent amounts paid by customers at the time their service is activated that reduce our acquisition cost of those customers. Additionally, equipment costs associated with existing customers, net of related revenues, are excluded as this measure is intended to reflect only the acquisition costs related to new customers. The following table reconciles total costs used in the calculation of CPGA to selling expenses, which we consider to be the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to CPGA:

		Year Ended December 31,												Six Months Ended June 30,
		2004				2005				2006				2006				2007
		(In thousands, except gross customer additions and CPGA)
Calculation of CPGA:
Selling expenses		$	52,605			$	62,396			$	104,620			$	46,734			$	63,471
Less:
Activation revenues			(7,874	)			(6,809	)			(8,297	)			(3,903	)			(5,142	)
Less:
Equipment revenues			(131,849	)			(166,328	)			(255,916	)			(114,395	)			(169,005	)
Add:
Equipment revenue not associated with new customers			54,323				77,011				114,392				51,768				75,902
Add:
Cost of equipment			222,766				300,871				476,877				212,916				306,747
Less:
Equipment costs not associated with new customers			(72,200	)			(109,803	)			(155,930	)			(70,033	)			(98,964	)
Gross addition expenses		$	117,771			$	157,338			$	275,746			$	123,087			$	173,009
Divided by:
Gross customer additions			1,134,762				1,532,071				2,345,135				1,074,462				1,493,132
CPGA		$	103.78			$	102.70			$	117.58			$	114.56			$	115.87

(12)		CPU — Cost per user, or CPU, is cost of service and general and administrative costs (excluding applicable non-cash compensation expense included in cost of service and general and administrative expense) plus net loss on equipment transactions unrelated to initial customer acquisition (which includes the gain or loss on sale of handsets to existing customers and costs associated with handset replacements and repairs (other than warranty costs which are the responsibility of the handset manufacturers)), divided by the sum of the average monthly number of customers during such period. CPU does not include any depreciation and amortization expense.

		Management uses CPU as a tool to evaluate the non-selling cash expenses associated with ongoing business operations on a per customer basis, to track changes in these non-selling cash costs over time, and to help evaluate how changes in our business operations affect non-selling cash costs per customer. In addition, CPU provides management with a useful measure to compare our non-selling cash costs per customer with those of other wireless providers. We believe investors use CPU primarily as a tool to track changes in our non-selling cash costs over time and to compare our non-selling cash costs to those of other wireless providers. Other wireless carriers may calculate this measure differently. The following table reconciles total costs used in the calculation of CPU to cost of service, which we consider to be the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to CPU:

		Year Ended December 31,												Six Months Ended June 30,
		2004				2005				2006				2006				2007
		(In thousands, except average number of customers and CPU)
Calculation of CPU:
Cost of service		$	200,806			$	283,212			$	445,281			$	199,987			$	307,562
Add:
General and administrative expense			78,905				100,080				138,998				64,967				92,183
Add:
Net loss on equipment transactions unrelated to initial customer acquisition			17,877				32,791				41,538				18,265				23,062
Less:
Non-cash compensation expense included in cost of service and general and administrative expense			(10,429	)			(2,596	)			(14,472	)			(3,969	)			(11,864	)
Less:
E-911, FUSF and vendor’s compensation revenues			(12,522	)			(26,221	)			(45,640	)			(19,710	)			(45,992	)
Total costs used in the calculation of CPU		$	274,637			$	387,266			$	565,705			$	259,540			$	364,951
Divided by:
Average number of customers			1,207,521				1,649,208				2,398,682				2,170,180				3,328,032
CPU		$	18.95			$	19.57			$	19.65			$	19.93			$	18.28

 

RISK FACTORS

 

An investment in the notes involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the specific risk factors set forth below, as well as the other information set forth elsewhere in this prospectus, before deciding to participate in the exchange offer. Any of the following risks could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, which in turn could adversely affect our ability to pay interest or principal on the notes. In such case, you may lose all or part of your original investment.

 

Risks Related to the Exchange Offer

 

If you do not properly tender your old notes, you will continue to hold unregistered notes and your ability to transfer those notes will be adversely affected.

 

If you do not exchange your old notes for new notes in the exchange offer, you will continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer of your old notes described in the legend on the certificates representing your old notes. In general, you may only offer or sell the old notes if they are registered under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or offered and sold under an exemption from those requirements. Other than in connection with the exchange offer, we do not plan to register any sale of the old notes under the Securities Act unless required to do so under the limited circumstances set forth in the registration rights agreement. In addition, the issuance of the new notes may adversely affect the trading market, including the price a transferee may be willing to pay, for untendered, or tendered but unaccepted, old notes. For further information regarding the consequences of not tendering your old notes in the exchange offer, see “The Exchange Offer — Consequences of Failure to Exchange.”

 

We will only issue new notes in exchange for old notes that you timely and properly tender. Therefore, you should allow sufficient time to ensure timely delivery of the old notes and you should carefully follow the instructions on how to tender your old notes. Neither we nor the exchange agent is required to tell you of any defects or irregularities with respect to your tender of old notes. We may waive any defects or irregularities with respect to your tender of old notes, but we are not required to do so and may not do so. See “The Exchange Offer — Procedures for Tendering Old Notes” and “Description of New Notes.”

 

You may find it difficult to sell your new notes.

 

Because there is no public market for the new notes and we do not intend to apply for a listing of the new notes on any securities exchange or for their inclusion on any automated dealer quotation system, you may not be able to resell them. The new notes will be registered under the Securities Act but will constitute a new issue of securities with no established trading market. An active market may not develop for the new notes and any trading market that does develop may not be liquid. The trading market for the new notes may be adversely affected by:

 

 

Historically, the market for non-investment grade debt has been subject to substantial volatility in prices. The market for the new notes, if any, may be subject to similar volatility. Prospective investors in the new notes should be aware that they may be required to bear the financial risks of such investment for an indefinite period of time.

 

Some holders who exchange their old notes may be deemed to be underwriters.

 

If you exchange your old notes in the exchange offer for the purpose of participating in a distribution of the new notes, you may be deemed to have received restricted securities and, if so, will be required to comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any resale transaction. See “The Exchange Offer — Resale of the New Notes; Plan of Distribution.”

 

Risks Relating to the Notes

 

Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our cash flow and prevent us from fulfilling our obligations under the notes.

 

We have now, and will continue to have, a significant amount of debt. As of June 30, 2007, we had $3.0 billion of outstanding indebtedness under the senior secured credit facility and the notes.

 

Our substantial amount of debt could have important material adverse consequences to both you and us. For example, it could:

 

 

In addition, a substantial portion of our debt, including borrowings under our senior secured credit facility, incurs interest at variable rates. Although we have entered into a transaction to hedge some of our interest rate risk, if market interest rates increase, variable-rate debt will create higher debt service requirements, which could adversely affect our cash flow. While we have and may in the future enter into agreements limiting our exposure to higher interest rates, any such agreements may not offer complete protection from this risk and any portions not subject to such agreements would have full exposure to higher interest rates. We estimate the interest expense and principal repayments on our debt for the 12 months ending June 30, 2008 to be approximately $262.5 million.

 

Despite our current levels of debt, we will be able to incur substantially more debt. This could further exacerbate the risks associated with our leverage.

 

We will be able to incur additional debt in the future despite our current level of indebtedness. The terms of our senior secured credit facility and the indenture governing the notes allow us to incur substantial amounts of additional debt, subject to certain limitations. In addition, although MetroPCS Communications, MetroPCS, Inc. and all of our current and future wholly-owned restricted subsidiaries guarantee our obligations under the notes and the senior secured credit facility, there are no restrictions on MetroPCS Communications and MetroPCS, Inc. or any of their future unrestricted subsidiaries’ ability to incur additional indebtedness. Any future debt we may incur may exacerbate the risks associated with our current level of indebtedness.

Although the notes are referred to as “senior notes,” they will be effectively subordinated to our secured debt.

 

The notes, and each guarantee of the notes, are unsecured and therefore will be effectively subordinated to any secured debt we, or the relevant guarantor, may incur to the extent of the assets securing such debt. The indenture governing the notes allows us to incur a substantial amount of additional secured debt. In the event of a bankruptcy or similar proceeding involving us, MetroPCS Communications, or any guarantor of the notes and the senior secured credit facility, the assets which serve as collateral for any secured debt will be available to satisfy the obligations under the secured debt before any payments are made on the notes. As of June 30, 2007, we had $1.6 billion of secured debt outstanding. The notes will be effectively subordinated to any borrowings under our senior secured credit facility and other secured debt. See “Description of Existing Indebtedness.”

 

MetroPCS Communications may be permitted to form new subsidiaries who are not guarantors of the notes, and the assets of any non-guarantor subsidiaries, including Royal Street, may not be available to make payments on the notes.

 

MetroPCS Communications, MetroPCS, Inc., and all of our current and future wholly-owned restricted subsidiaries are guarantors of the notes. Royal Street is not a guarantor of the notes. All of our future unrestricted subsidiaries, any of MetroPCS Communications’ subsidiaries that do not guarantee any of our other debt, and Royal Street Communications and its subsidiaries will not guarantee the notes. Payments on the notes are only required to be made by us, the issuer, and the guarantors. As a result, no payments are required to be made from assets of MetroPCS Communications’ subsidiaries that do not guarantee the notes, including Royal Street, unless those assets are transferred by dividend or otherwise to the issuer or a guarantor.

 

In the event that any non-guarantor subsidiary of MetroPCS Communications becomes insolvent, liquidates, reorganizes, dissolves or otherwise winds up, holders of its debt and its trade creditors generally will be entitled to payment of their claims from the assets of that subsidiary before any of those assets are made available to the issuers or any guarantors. Consequently, your claims in respect of the notes will be effectively subordinated to all of the liabilities, including trade payables, of any future subsidiaries of MetroPCS Communications (other than the issuer) that is not a guarantor.

 

To service our debt, we will require a significant amount of cash, which may not be available to us.

 

Our ability to make payments on, or repay or refinance, our debt, including the notes, and to fund planned capital expenditures and operating losses associated with the Expansion Markets will depend largely upon current cash balances as well as our future operating performance. Our future performance is subject to certain general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. In addition, our ability to borrow funds in the future to make payments on our debt will depend on the satisfaction of the covenants in our senior secured credit facility, our financial performance, the state of the financial markets, indenture covering the notes and our other debt agreements and other agreements we may enter into in the future. Specifically, we will need to maintain specified financial ratios and satisfy financial condition tests. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available to us under our senior secured credit facility or from other sources in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay interest or principal on our debt, including the notes, or to fund our other liquidity needs.

 

The terms of our debt place restrictions on us which may limit our operating flexibility.

 

The indenture governing the notes and our senior secured credit facility impose material operating and financial restrictions on us and certain of our subsidiaries. These restrictions, subject in certain cases to

ordinary course of business and other exceptions, may limit our ability to engage in some transactions, including the following:

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, although MetroPCS Communications and its unrestricted subsidiaries have the ability to incur new indebtedness, the indenture governing the notes and the senior secured credit facility impose restrictions on our ability to incur additional debt and may limit our operating flexibility.

 

Under the senior secured credit facility, we are also subject to financial maintenance covenants with respect to our senior secured leverage and in certain circumstances total maximum consolidated leverage and certain minimum fixed charge coverage ratios.

 

These restrictions could limit our ability to obtain debt financing, repurchase stock, refinance or pay principal on our outstanding debt, complete acquisitions for cash or debt or react to changes in our operating environment. Any future debt that we incur may contain similar or more restrictive covenants.

 

The guarantees may not be enforceable because of fraudulent conveyance laws.

 

The guarantors’ guarantees of the notes may be subject to review under federal bankruptcy law or relevant state fraudulent conveyance laws if we or any guarantor files a petition for bankruptcy or our creditors file an involuntary petition for bankruptcy of us or any guarantor. Under these laws, if a court were to find that, at the time a guarantor incurred debt (including debt represented by the guarantee), such guarantor:

 

 

 

then the court could void the guarantee or subordinate the amounts owing under the guarantee to the guarantor’s presently existing or future debt or take other actions detrimental to you.

 

The measure of insolvency for purposes of the foregoing considerations will vary depending upon the law of the jurisdiction that is being applied in any such proceeding. Generally, an entity would be considered insolvent if, at the time it incurred the debt or issued the guarantee:

 

 

 

If a guarantee is voided as a fraudulent conveyance or found to be unenforceable for any other reason, you will not have a claim against that obligor and will only be our creditor or that of any guarantor whose obligation was not set aside or found to be unenforceable. In addition, the loss of a guarantee will constitute a default under the indenture, which default would cause all outstanding notes to become immediately due and payable and we may not have the ability to pay such amounts.

 

The trading prices for the notes will be directly affected by many factors, including our credit rating.

 

Credit rating agencies continually revise their ratings for companies they follow, including us. Many factors may influence a credit rating agency rating for us, including our financial performance and transactions or business combinations we may propose to undertake or actually undertake. Any ratings downgrade could adversely affect the trading price of the notes, or the trading market for the notes, to the extent a trading market for the notes develops. The condition of the financial and credit markets and prevailing interest rates have fluctuated in the past and are likely to fluctuate in the future and any fluctuation may impact the trading price of the notes.

 

Risks Relating to our Business

 

Our business strategy may not succeed in the long term.

 

A major element of our business strategy is to offer consumers a service that allows them to make unlimited local calls and, depending on the service plan selected, long distance calls, from within our service area and to receive unlimited calls from any area for a flat monthly rate without entering into a long-term service contract. This is a relatively new approach to marketing wireless services and it may not prove to be successful in the long term or deployable in geographic areas we have acquired but not launched service or in geographic areas we may acquire in the future. Some companies that have offered this type of service in the past have not been successful. From time to time, we evaluate our service offerings and the demands of our target customers and may amend, change, discontinue or adjust our service offerings or new trial service offerings as a result. These service offerings may not be successful or prove to be profitable.

 

We have limited operating history and have launched service in a limited number of metropolitan areas. Accordingly, our performance and ability to construct and launch new metropolitan areas to date may not be indicative of our future results, our ability to launch new metropolitan areas or our performance in future metropolitan areas we launch.

 

We constructed our networks in 2001 and 2002 and began offering service in certain metropolitan areas in the first quarter of 2002, and we had no revenues before that time. Consequently, we have a limited operating and financial history upon which to evaluate our financial performance, business plan execution, ability to construct and launch new metropolitan areas, and ability to succeed in the future. You should consider our prospects in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties we may encounter, including those frequently encountered by new companies competing in rapidly evolving and highly competitive markets. We and Royal Street face significant challenges in constructing and launching new metropolitan areas, including, but not limited to, negotiating and entering into agreements with third parties for distributed antenna systems, or DAS systems, leasing cell sites, constructing our network, and securing all necessary consents, permits and approvals from third parties and local and state authorities, and clearing of spectrum of incumbent users in the Auction 66 Markets. If we or Royal Street are unable to execute our or its plans, we or Royal Street may experience delays in our or its ability to construct and launch new metropolitan areas or grow our or its business, and our financial results may be materially adversely affected. Our business strategy involves expanding into new geographic areas beyond our Core Markets and these geographic areas may present competitive or other challenges different from those encountered in our Core Markets. Our financial

performance in new geographic areas, including our Expansion Markets, may not be as positive as our Core Markets.

 

We face intense competition from other wireless and wireline communications providers, and potential new entrants, which could adversely affect our operating results and hinder our ability to grow.

 

We compete directly in each of our markets with (i) other facilities-based wireless providers, such as Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel, and T-Mobile and their prepaid affiliates or brands, (ii) non-facilities based mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs, such as Virgin Mobile USA and Amp’d Mobile, (iii) incumbent local exchange carriers, such as AT&T and Verizon, as a mobile alternative to traditional landline service and (iv) competitive local exchange carriers or Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol, or VoIP, service providers, such as Vonage, Time Warner, Comcast, McLeod USA, Clearwire and XO Communications, as a mobile alternative to wired service. We also may face competition from providers of an emerging technology known as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, or WiMax, which is capable of supporting wireless transmissions suitable for mobility applications. Also, certain mobile satellite providers recently have received authority to offer ancillary terrestrial service and a coalition of companies which includes DIRECTV Group, EchoStar, Google, Inc., Intel Corp. and Yahoo! has indicated its desire to establish next generation wireless networks and technologies in the 700 MHz band. In addition, VoIP service providers have indicated that they may offer wireless services over a Wi-Fi/Cellular network to compete directly with us for the provisioning of wireless services. Many major cable television service providers, including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks, also have indicated their intention to offer suites of service, including wireless service, often referred to as the “Quadruple Play,” and are actively pursuing the acquisition of spectrum or leasing access to spectrum to implement those plans. These cable companies formed a joint venture along with Sprint Nextel, who has subsequently terminated its interest in the joint venture, called SpectrumCo LLC, or SpectrumCo, which bid on and acquired 20 MHz of advanced wireless service, or AWS, spectrum in a number of major metropolitan areas throughout the United States, including all of the major metropolitan areas which comprise our Core and Expansion Markets. Sprint Nextel has recently announced a cooperative arrangement with Clearwire to construct, operate and market a nationwide WiMax system. Many of our current and prospective competitors are, or are affiliated with, major companies that have substantially greater financial, technical, personnel and marketing resources than we have (including spectrum holdings, brands and intellectual property) and larger market share than we have, which may affect our ability to compete successfully. These competitors often have greater name and brand recognition, access to greater amounts of capital, in some cases more spectrum and established relationships with a larger base of current and potential customers and, accordingly, we may not be able to compete successfully. In some metropolitan areas, we also compete with local or regional carriers, such as Leap and Sure West Wireless, some of whom have or may develop fixed-rate unlimited service plans similar to ours. In some instances, our competitors are or are becoming or may become privately owned, which may provide them with certain advantages and increased flexibility.

 

Sprint Nextel has begun offering on a trial basis an unlimited local calling plan under its Boost brand in certain of the geographic areas in which we offer service or plan to offer service, including San Francisco, Sacramento, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Los Angeles, which could have a material adverse effect on our future financial results. In response, we have added additional select features to our existing service plans in these metropolitan areas, and we may consider additional targeted promotional activities as we evaluate the competitive environment going forward. As a result of these initiatives, we may experience lower revenues, lower ARPU, lower adjusted EBITDA and increased churn in the affected metropolitan areas. Sprint Nextel has indicated that it may expand these trials into other metropolitan areas, including metropolitan areas in which we currently operate or plan to operate. If Sprint Nextel expands its unlimited local calling plan trials into other metropolitan areas, or if other carriers institute similar service plans in our other metropolitan areas, we may consider similar changes to our service plans in additional metropolitan areas, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

We expect that increased competition will result in more competitive pricing, slower growth and increased churn of our customer base. Our ability to compete will depend, in part, on our ability to anticipate and

respond to various competitive factors and to keep our costs low. The competitive pressures of the wireless telecommunications industry have caused, and may continue to cause, other carriers to offer service plans with increasingly large bundles of minutes of use at increasingly lower prices and service plans with unlimited nights and weekends. These competitive plans could adversely affect our ability to maintain our pricing and market penetration and maintain and grow our customer base.

 

We may face additional competition from new entrants in the wireless marketplace, many of whom may have significantly more resources than we do.

 

Certain new entrants with significant financial resources participated in Auction 66 and have been granted spectrum rights in geographic areas served by us. For example, SpectrumCo acquired 20 MHz of spectrum in all of the metropolitan areas which comprise our Core and Expansion Markets. In addition, Leap offers fixed-rate unlimited service plans similar to ours and acquired spectrum which overlaps some of the metropolitan areas we serve or plan to serve. These licenses could be used to provide services in direct competition with our services.

 

The auction and licensing of new spectrum, including the spectrum recently auctioned by the FCC in Auction 66, may result in new competitors and/or allow existing competitors to acquire additional spectrum, which could allow them to offer services that we may not technologically or cost effectively be able to offer with the licenses we hold or to which we have access. The FCC has already allocated an additional 62 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band which may be used to offer services competitive with the services we offer or plan to offer. The FCC is obligated to commence the auction for the 700 MHz spectrum by January 2008 and the FCC has released an order establishing certain rules to govern this spectrum, including a band plan, service rules, construction and performance build out obligations, configuration of the 700 MHz public safety spectrum, revisions to the 700 MHz guard bands, and certain aspects of the FCC’s competitive auction bidding procedures. Furthermore, the FCC is taking steps to make additional spectrum available for wireless services in each of our metropolitan areas, which may increase the number of wireless competitors and enhance the ability of our wireless competitors to offer additional plans and services that we may be unable to successfully compete against.

 

Some of our competitors have technological or operating capabilities that we may not be able to successfully compete with in our existing markets or any new markets we may launch.

 

Some of the carriers we compete against provide wireless services using cellular frequencies in the 800 MHz band. These frequencies enjoy propagation advantages over the PCS frequencies we use, which may cause us to have to spend more capital than our competitors in certain areas to cover the same area. In addition, the FCC plans to auction additional spectrum in the 700 MHz band by no later than January 2008, which will have similar characteristics to the 800 MHz cellular frequencies. Many of the wireless carriers against whom we compete have service area footprints substantially larger than our footprint and some have substantially more spectrum. In addition, certain of our competitors are able to offer their customers roaming services over larger geographic areas and at lower rates than we can offer. Our ability to replicate these roaming service offerings at rates which will make us, or allow us to be, competitive is uncertain at this time.

 

Certain carriers we compete against, or may compete against in the future, are multi-faceted telecommunications service providers which, in addition to providing wireless services, are affiliated with companies that provide local wireline, long distance, satellite television, Internet, media, content, cable television and/or other services. These carriers are capable of bundling their wireless services with other telecommunications services and other services in a package of services that we may not be able to duplicate at competitive prices.

 

We also compete with companies that use other communications technologies, including paging and digital two-way paging, enhanced specialized mobile radio and domestic and global mobile satellite service. These technologies may have certain advantages over the technology we use and may ultimately be more attractive to our existing and potential customers. We may compete in the future with companies that offer new technologies and market other services that we do not offer or may not be able to offer. Some of our competitors do or may offer these other services together with their wireless communications service, which

may make their services more attractive to customers. Energy companies and utility companies are also expanding their services to offer communications and broadband services.

 

In addition, we compete with companies that take advantage of the unlicensed spectrum that the FCC is increasingly allocating for use. Certain technical standards are being prepared, including WiMax, which may allow carriers to offer services competitive with ours in the unlicensed spectrum. The users of this unlicensed spectrum do not have the exclusive use of licensed spectrum, but they also are not subject to the same regulatory requirements that we are and, therefore, may have certain advantages over us.

 

We may face increased competition from other fixed rate unlimited plan competitors in our existing and new markets.

 

We currently overlap with Leap and Sure West Wireless, who are fixed-rate unlimited service plan wireless carriers providing service in the Sacramento, Modesto and Merced, California basic trading areas. In Auction 66, the FCC auctioned 90 MHz of spectrum in each geographic area of the United States including the areas in which we currently hold or have access to licenses. Leap also acquired licenses in Auction 66 in some of the same geographic areas in which we currently hold or have access to licenses or in which we were granted licenses as a result of Auction 66. The FCC intends to auction 62 MHz of spectrum on the 700 MHz band no later than January 2008. In addition to Leap, other licensees who have PCS spectrum, acquired spectrum in Auction 66, or may acquire spectrum in the 700 MHz band, also may decide to offer fixed-rate unlimited wireless service offerings. In addition, Sprint Nextel recently launched a trial of an unlimited local calling plan under its Boost brand in certain of the metropolitan areas in which we offer or plan to offer service. Other national wireless carriers may also decide in the future to offer fixed-rate unlimited wireless service offerings. In addition, we may not be able to launch fixed-rate unlimited service plans ahead of our competition in our new markets. As a result, we may experience lower growth in such areas, may experience higher churn, may change our service plans in affected markets and may incur higher costs to acquire customers, which may materially and adversely affect our financial performance in the future.

 

A patent infringement suit has been filed against us by Leap which could have a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations.

 

On June 14, 2006, Leap and Cricket Communications, Inc., or collectively Leap, filed suit against us in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, Civil Action No. 2-06CV-240-TJW and amended on June 16, 2006, for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,813,497 “Method for Providing Wireless Communication Services and Network and System for Delivering of Same,” or the ’497 Patent, issued to Leap. The complaint seeks both injunctive relief and monetary damages for our alleged infringement of such patent.

 

If Leap is successful in its claim for injunctive relief, we could be enjoined from operating our business in the manner we operate currently, which could require us to redesign our current networks, to expend additional capital to change certain of our technologies and operating practices, or could prevent us from offering some or all of our services using some or all of our existing systems. In addition, if Leap is successful in its claim for monetary damage, we could be forced to pay Leap substantial damages for past infringement and/or ongoing royalties on a portion of our revenues, which could materially adversely impact our financial performance. If Leap prevails in its action, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, the actions may consume valuable management time, may be very costly to defend and may distract management attention away from our business.

 

The Department of Justice has informally stated that it would carefully scrutinize any statement by us in support of any future efforts by us to acquire divestiture assets and as a result we may have difficulty acquiring spectrum in this manner in the future.

 

We acquired the PCS spectrum for the Dallas/Ft. Worth and Detroit Expansion Markets from Cingular Wireless as a result of a consent decree entered into between Cingular Wireless, AT&T Wireless and the United States Department of Justice, or the DOJ. When we acquired the spectrum, we communicated certain expectations for our use of the spectrum to the DOJ, including expectations regarding constructing a combined

1XRTT/EV-DO network on the spectrum capable of supporting data services. Although we constructed a combined 1XRTT/EV-DO network in those markets, we expected to be able to support our services as demand increased by upgrading the networks to a EV-DO Revision A with VoIP when available. Based upon our discussions at the time with our network vendor, we anticipated that these upgrades would be available in 2006.

 

As a result of a delay in the availability of EV-DO Revision A with VoIP, we contacted the DOJ in September 2006 to inform them that we had determined that it was necessary for us to redeploy the EV-DO network assets at certain cell sites in those markets to 1XRTT in order to serve our existing customers. The DOJ responded with an informal letter, which the Company received in November 2006, expressing concern over our use of the spectrum and requesting certain information regarding our construction of our network facilities in these markets, our use of EV-DO, and the services we are providing in the Dallas/Ft. Worth and Detroit Expansion Markets. We have responded to the initial DOJ request and subsequent follow-up requests. On March 23, 2007, the DOJ sent us a letter in which they did not request any further information from us but stated that the DOJ would carefully scrutinize any statement by us in support of any future efforts by us to acquire divestiture assets. This may make it more difficult for us to acquire any spectrum in the future which may be available as a result of a divestiture required by the DOJ. This also does not preclude the DOJ from taking any further action against us with respect to this matter. We cannot predict at this time whether the DOJ will pursue this matter any further and, if they do, what actions they may take or what the outcome may be.

 

If we experience a higher rate of customer turnover than we have forecasted, our costs could increase and our revenues could decline, which would reduce our profits.

 

Our average monthly rate of customer turnover, or churn, for the year ended December 31, 2006 and the six months ended June 30, 2007, was approximately 4.6%, and 4.4%, respectively. A higher rate of churn could reduce our revenues and increase our marketing costs to attract the replacement customers required to sustain our business plan, which could reduce our profit margin. In addition, we may not be able to replace customers who leave our service profitably or at all. Our rate of customer churn may be affected by several factors, including the following:

 

 

Unlike many of our competitors, we do not require our customers to enter into long-term service contracts. As a result, our customers have the ability to cancel their service at any time without penalty, and we therefore expect our churn rate to be higher than other wireless carriers. In addition, customers could elect to switch to another carrier that has service offerings based on newer network technology. We cannot assure you that our strategies to address customer churn will be successful. If we experience a high rate of wireless customer churn, seek to prevent significant customer churn, or fail to replace lost customers, our revenues

could decline and our costs could increase which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

 

We may not have access to all the funding necessary to build and operate our Auction 66 Markets.

 

The proceeds from the sale of the initial notes in November 2006 and our borrowings under our senior secured credit facility did not include all the funds necessary to construct, launch and operate our Auction 66 Markets. In addition to the proceeds from MetroPCS Communications’ initial public offering in April 2007 and the sale of the additional notes in June 2007, we will need to generate significant excess free cash flow, which is defined as Adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures, from our operations in our current operating markets in order to construct and operate the Auction 66 Markets. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources.” If we are unable to fund the build out of our Auction 66 Markets with the proceeds from MetroPCS Communications’ initial public offering, our current cash, and excess internally generated cash flows, we may be forced to seek additional debt financing or delay our construction. The covenants under our senior secured credit facility and the indenture covering the new notes may prevent us from incurring additional debt to fund the construction and operation of the Auction 66 Markets, or may prevent us from securing such funds on suitable terms or in accordance with our preferred construction timetable. Accordingly, we may be required to continue to pay interest on the secured debt and the notes for our Auction 66 Market licenses without the ability to generate any revenue from our Auction 66 Markets.

 

If we participate in the 700 MHz auction, we may be required to borrow additional amounts.

 

The proceeds from the sale of the additional notes will be used for general corporate purposes, which could include financing participation in and acquisition of additional spectrum in the 700 MHz auction. However, if we decide to participate in the 700 MHz auction, we may decide to purchase spectrum in existing or new metropolitan areas that cost in excess of the amount of the net proceeds from the sale of the notes. We may fund such excess purchase price from excess free cash flows, from our existing cash reserves, from the sale of additional equity, or from borrowing of additional amounts. In addition, if we acquire spectrum in the 700 MHz auction and the spectrum is for metropolitan areas in which we currently do not have a network and which are outside the Auction 66 Markets that we are currently planning to construct, we may need to fund the construction and operation of the spectrum from excess free cash flows or existing cash reserves, or we may sell additional equity or borrow additional amounts. If we are unable to fund the construction of any spectrum we acquire in the 700 MHz auction in new metropolitan areas from excess internally generated cash flows, from existing cash reserves, from sales of equity, or from additional borrowings, we may be forced to delay our construction and operation of spectrum acquired in the 700 MHz auction. The covenants under our senior secured credit facility and the indenture covering the notes may prevent us from incurring additional debt to fund the construction and operation of any spectrum for new metropolitan areas acquired in the 700 MHz auction, or may prevent us from securing such funds on suitable terms or in accordance with our preferred construction timetable. Accordingly, we may be required to continue to pay interest on the portion of the notes used to purchase any spectrum in the 700 MHz auction for any new metropolitan areas, if any, without the ability to generate any revenue from any such spectrum.

 

We may utilize DAS systems to construct critical portions of our Auction 66 Markets and any delay in construction of such systems may delay a launch of our Auction 66 Markets.

 

We are reviewing and finalizing our construction plans for our Auction 66 Markets and we plan to use DAS systems in lieu of traditional cell sites to construct certain critical portions of the Auction 66 Markets, such as core downtown metropolitan areas. These DAS systems may be leased and/or licensed from a third party supplier. Although the use of DAS systems to provide service in difficult to construct areas of a metropolitan area is not new, the scope of our proposed use is new to us. In addition, in order to construct DAS systems, the DAS provider will be required to obtain necessary authority from the relevant state and local regulatory authorities where it does not presently have such authority and to secure certain agreements, such as right of way agreements where it does not already have such agreements in place, in order to construct

or operate the DAS systems. In addition, the DAS system provider may be required to construct a transport network as part of their construction of the DAS systems. The DAS system providers we plan to use have not previously constructed DAS systems in certain of our Auction 66 Markets so there may be unforeseen obstacles and delays in constructing the DAS systems in those metropolitan areas. Since the scope of the DAS systems being considered is substantial and we are considering using these systems to provide service in critical areas, any delay in the construction of these networks could delay our launch of the Auction 66 Markets. As such, we face significant challenges in constructing and launching our Auction 66 Markets, including, but not limited to, negotiating and entering into agreements with third parties for DAS systems, leasing cell sites and constructing our network and securing all necessary consents, permits and approvals from third parties and local and state regulatory authorities. Any delay in the launch of our Auction 66 Markets could have a material adverse effect on our future operations and financial results. In addition, the use of DAS systems in our Auction 66 Markets could result in an acceleration of capital expenditures compared to our traditional metropolitan builds without DAS systems.

 

We may utilize one or a few DAS providers and any financial or other inability of such providers to deliver the DAS systems could materially adversely affect our launch of the Auction 66 Markets.

 

We have executed master agreements with several DAS system providers and are in discussions with other DAS system providers relating to the construction of our Auction 66 Markets. We may decide to use only a few DAS system providers in the construction of our Auction 66 Markets. If a major DAS system provider were to experience severe financial difficulties, or file for bankruptcy, or if one of these DAS system providers were unable to support our use of its DAS systems, we could experience delays in construction of these networks which could delay our launch of the Auction 66 Markets or could require us to construct the affected area using traditional cell sites which could result in duplicate or excess costs and could result in substantial delays. Any delay in the launch of our Auction 66 Markets could have a material adverse effect on our future operations and financial results.

 

If we submit an application to participate in the 700 MHz auction, we will be subject to the FCC’s anti-collusion rule.

 

If the company submits an application to participate in the 700 MHz auction, applicable FCC rules will place certain restrictions on business communications with other applicants. For example, the FCC has indicated that discussions with other carriers regarding roaming agreements, the partitioning of markets or the disaggregation of spectrum, or the acquisition of licenses or licensees, may implicate the anti-collusion rule if both parties to the discussions are competing applicants in the auction and, in the course of the discussions, the parties exchange information pertaining to or affecting their bids, bidding strategy or the post-auction market structure. These anti-collusion restrictions may affect the normal conduct of our business by inhibiting discussions and the conclusion of beneficial transactions with other carriers during the auction, which could last 3 to 6 months, or more.

 

We may not achieve the customer penetration levels in our Core and Expansion Markets that we currently believe are possible with our business model.

 

Our ability to achieve the customer penetration levels that we currently believe are possible with our business model in our Core and Expansion Markets is subject to a number of risks, including:

 

 

 

If we are unable to achieve the aggregate levels of customer penetration that we currently believe are possible with our business model in our Core and Expansion Markets, our ability to continue to grow our customer base and revenues at the rates we currently expect may be limited. Any failure to achieve the penetration levels we currently believe are possible may have a material adverse impact on our future financial results and operations. Furthermore, any inability to increase our overall level of market penetration in our Core and Expansion Markets, as well as any inability to achieve similar customer penetration levels in other markets we launch in the future, could adversely impact the market price of our notes and, stock and our ability to repay our indebtedness.

 

We and our suppliers may be subject to claims of infringement regarding telecommunications technologies that are protected by patents and other intellectual property rights.

 

Telecommunications technologies are protected by a wide array of patents and other intellectual property rights. As a result, third parties may assert infringement claims against us or our suppliers from time to time based on our or their general business operations, the equipment, software or services we or they use or provide, or the specific operation of our wireless networks or service. We generally have indemnification agreements with the manufacturers, licensors and suppliers who provide us with the equipment, software and technology that we use in our business to protect us against possible infringement claims, but we cannot guarantee that we will be fully protected against all losses associated with an infringement claim. Our suppliers may be subject to infringement claims that if proven could preclude the supplier from supplying us with the products and services we require to run our business or offer our services, require the supplier to change the products and services they provide to us in a way which could have a material adverse effect on us, or cause the supplier to increase the charges for their products and services to us. In addition, our suppliers may be unable to pay any damages or honor their indemnification obligations to us, which may mean we may have to bear such losses. We may also have to buy equipment and services from other third party suppliers. Moreover, we may be subject to claims that products, software and services provided by different vendors which we combine to offer our services may infringe the rights of third parties and we may not have any indemnification protection from our vendors for these claims. Further, we have been, and may be, subject to further claims that certain business processes we use may infringe the rights of third parties, and we may have no indemnification rights from any of our vendors or suppliers. Whether or not an infringement claim is valid or successful, it could adversely affect our business by diverting management’s attention, involving us in costly and time-consuming litigation, requiring us to enter into royalty or licensing agreements (which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all), requiring us to pay royalties for prior periods, requiring us or our suppliers to redesign our or their business operations, processes or systems to avoid claims of infringement, or requiring us to purchase products and services from different vendors or not sell certain products or services. If a claim is found to be valid or if we or our suppliers cannot successfully negotiate a required royalty or license agreement, it could disrupt our business, prevent us from offering certain products or services and cause us to incur losses of customers or revenues, any or all of which could be material and could adversely affect our business, financial performance, operating results and the market price of our stock or notes.

 

The wireless industry is experiencing rapid technological change, and we may lose customers if we fail to keep up with these changes.

 

The wireless telecommunications industry is experiencing significant technological change. Our continued success will depend, in part, on our ability to anticipate or adapt to technological changes and to offer, on a timely basis, services that meet customer demands. We cannot assure you that we will obtain access to new technology on a timely basis, on satisfactory terms, or that we will have adequate spectrum to offer new services or implement new technologies. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. For us to keep pace with these technological changes and remain competitive, we must continue to make significant capital expenditures to our networks and to acquire additional spectrum.

Customer acceptance of the services that we offer will continually be affected by technology-based differences in our product and service offerings and those offered by our competitors.

 

The wireless telecommunications industry has been, and we believe will continue to be, characterized by several trends, including the following:

 

 

 

 

We expect competition to intensify as a result of new competitors, allocation of additional spectrum and relaxation of existing policies, and the development of new technologies, products and services. For instance, we currently do not offer certain of the high speed data applications offered by our competitors. In addition, push-to-talk has become popular as it allows subscribers to save time on dialing or connecting to a network and some of the companies that compete with us in our wireless markets offer push-to-talk. We do not offer our customers a push-to-talk service. As demand for this service continues to grow, and if we do not offer these technologies, we may have difficulty attracting and retaining subscribers, which will have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, other service providers have announced plans to develop or have announced a WiFi or WiMax enabled handset. Such a handset would permit subscribers to communicate using voice and data services with their handset using VoIP technology in any area equipped with a wireless Internet connection, or hot spot, potentially allowing more carriers to offer larger bundles of minutes while retaining low prices and the ability to offer attractive roaming rates. The number of hot spots in the U.S. is growing rapidly, with some major cities and urban areas being covered entirely. The availability of VoIP or another alternative technology to our competitor’s subscribers could increase their ability to offer competing rate plans, which would have an adverse effect on our ability to attract and retain customers.

 

We and Royal Street may incur significant costs in our build out and launch of new markets and we may incur operating losses in those markets for an undetermined period of time.

 

We and Royal Street have invested and expect to continue to invest a significant amount of capital to build systems that will adequately cover our Expansion Markets, and we and Royal Street will incur operating losses in each of these markets for an undetermined period of time. We also anticipate having to spend and invest a significant amount of capital to build systems and operate networks in the Auction 66 Markets and expect that we will also incur operating losses in each of these markets for an undetermined period of time.

Our and Royal Street’s network capacities in our existing and new markets may be insufficient to meet customer demand or to offer new services that our competitors may be able to offer.

 

We and Royal Street have licenses for only 10 MHz of spectrum in certain of our markets, which is significantly less than most of the wireless carriers with whom we and Royal Street compete. This limited spectrum may require Royal Street and us to secure more cell sites to provide equivalent service (including data services based on EV-DO technology), spend greater capital compared to Royal Street’s and our competitors, to deploy more expensive network equipment, such as six-sector antennas and EV-DO Revision A with VoIP, sooner than our competitors, require us to use DAS systems or make us more dependent on improvements in handsets, such as EVRC-B or 4G capable handsets. Royal Street’s and our limited spectrum may also limit Royal Street’s and our ability to support our growth plans without additional technology improvements and/or spectrum, and may make Royal Street and us more reliant on technology advances than our competitors. There is no guarantee we and Royal Street can secure adequate tower sites or additional spectrum, can have access to DAS systems or that expected technology improvements will be available to support Royal Street’s and our business requirements or that the cost of such technology improvements will allow Royal Street and us to remain competitive with other carriers. Competitive carriers in these markets also may take steps prior to Royal Street and us launching service to try to attract Royal Street’s and our target customers. For example, Sprint Nextel has launched a trial unlimited wireless service in Los Angeles, California. There also is no guarantee that the operations in the Royal Street metropolitan areas, which are based on a wholesale model, will be profitable or successful.

 

Most national wireless carriers have greater spectrum capacity than we do that can be used to support third generation, or 3G, and fourth generation, or 4G, services. These national wireless carriers are currently investing substantial sums of capital to deploy the necessary capital equipment to deliver 3G enhanced services. We and Royal Street have access to less spectrum than certain major competitive carriers in most of our and Royal Street’s markets. Our limited spectrum may make it difficult for us and Royal Street to simultaneously support our voice services and 3G/4G services. In addition, we and Royal Street may have to invest additional capital and/or acquire additional spectrum to support the delivery of 3G/4G services. There is no guarantee that we or Royal Street will be able to provide 3G/4G services on existing licensed spectrum, or will have access to either the spectrum or capital necessary to provide competitive 3G/4G services in our metropolitan areas, or that our vendors will provide the necessary equipment and software in a timely manner. Moreover, Royal Street’s and our deployment of 3G/4G services requires technology improvements which may not occur or may be too costly for Royal Street and us to compete.

 

We are dependent on certain network technology improvements which may not occur, or may be materially delayed.

 

The adequacy of our spectrum to serve our customers in markets where we have access to only 10 MHz of spectrum is dependent upon certain recent and ongoing technology improvements, such as EV-DO Revision A with VoIP, EVRC-B or 4G capable handsets, and intelligent antennas. There can be no assurance that (1) the additional technology improvements will be developed by our existing infrastructure provider, (2) such improvements will be delivered when needed, (3) the prices for such improvements will be cost-effective, or (4) the technology improvements will deliver our projected network efficiency improvements. If projected or anticipated technology improvements are not achieved, or are not achieved in the timeframes we need such improvements, we and Royal Street may not have adequate spectrum in certain metropolitan areas, which may limit our ability to grow our customer base, may inhibit our ability to achieve additional economies of scale, may limit our ability to offer new services offered by our competitors, may require us to spend considerably more capital and incur more operating expenses than our competitors with more spectrum, and may force us to purchase additional spectrum at a potentially material cost. If our network infrastructure vendor does not supply such improvements or materially delays the delivery of such improvements and other network equipment manufacturers are able to develop such technology, we may be at a material competitive disadvantage to our competitors and we may be required to change network infrastructure vendors, the cost of which could be material.

 

We may be unable to acquire additional spectrum in the future at a reasonable cost.

 

Because we offer unlimited calling services for a fixed fee, our customers tend, on average, to use our services more than the customers of other wireless carriers. We believe that the average amount of use our customers generate may continue to rise. We intend to meet this demand by utilizing spectrum-efficient state-of-the-art technologies, such as six-sector cell site technology, EV-DO Revision A with VoIP, EVRC-B or 4G handsets and intelligent antennas. Nevertheless, in the future we may need to acquire additional spectrum in order to maintain our quality of service and to meet increasing customer demands. However, we cannot be sure that additional spectrum will be made available by the FCC on terms and conditions that we consider to be suitable for our commercial uses on a timely basis or that we will be able to acquire additional spectrum at a reasonable cost. For example, there have been recent actions by the FCC that impose conditions on the use of certain broadband spectrum that make it less attractive to or less economical for us. If the additional spectrum is unavailable on reasonable terms and conditions when needed or unavailable at a reasonable cost, we could lose customers or revenues, which could be material, and our ability to grow our customer base may be materially adversely affected.

 

Substantially all of our network infrastructure equipment is manufactured or provided by a single infrastructure vendor and any failure by that vendor could result in a material adverse effect on us.

 

We have entered into a general purchase agreement with an initial term of three years, effective as of June 6, 2005, with Lucent Technologies, Inc., or Lucent, now known as Alcatel Lucent, as our network infrastructure supplier of PCS CDMA system products and services, including without limitation, wireless base stations, switches, power, cable and transmission equipment and services. The agreement does not cover the spectrum we recently acquired in Auction 66 or any other AWS or non-PCS spectrum we may acquire in the future, including any spectrum we may acquire in the 700 MHz band. The agreement provides for both exclusive and non-exclusive pricing for PCS CDMA products and the agreement may be renewed at our option on an annual basis for three additional years after its initial three-year term concludes. Substantially all of our PCS network infrastructure equipment is manufactured or provided by Alcatel Lucent. A substantial portion of the equipment manufactured or provided by Alcatel Lucent is proprietary, which means that equipment and software from other manufacturers may not work with Alcatel Lucent’s equipment and software, or may require the expenditure of additional capital, which may be material. If Alcatel Lucent ceases to develop, or substantially delays development of, new products or support existing equipment and software, we may be required to spend significant amounts of money to replace such equipment and software, may not be able to offer new products or service, and may not be able to compete effectively in our markets. If we fail to continue purchasing our PCS CDMA products exclusively from Alcatel Lucent, we may have to pay certain liquidated damages based on the difference in prices between exclusive and non-exclusive prices, which may be material to us.

 

Our network infrastructure vendor has merged, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Lucent announced on April 2, 2006 that it had entered into a definitive merger agreement with Alcatel, and the shareholders of each company approved the merger. Alcatel and Lucent announced on November 30, 2006 the completion of the merger and the companies began doing business on December 1, 2006 as “Alcatel Lucent.” There can be no assurance that the combined entity will continue to produce and support the products and services that we currently purchase from Alcatel Lucent. In addition, the combined entity may delay or cease developing or supplying products or services necessary to our business. If Alcatel Lucent delays or ceases to produce products or services necessary to our business and we are unable to secure replacement products and services on reasonable terms and conditions, our business could be materially adversely affected.

 

Our network infrastructure vendor may change where it manufactures equipment necessary for our network which could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

As a result of its ongoing operations, Alcatel Lucent may move the manufacturing of some of its products from its existing facilities in one country to another manufacturing facility located in another country which may be accelerated upon the completion of its merger. To the extent that products are manufactured outside

the current facilities, we may experience delays in receiving products from Alcatel Lucent and the quality of the products we receive may suffer. These delays and quality problems could cause us to experience problems in increasing capacity of our existing systems, expanding our service areas, and the construction of new markets. If these delays or quality problems occur, they could have a material adverse effect on our ability to meet our business plan and our business operations and finances may be materially adversely affected.

 

No network equipment or handsets are currently available for the AWS or 700 MHz spectrum and such network equipment or handsets may not be developed in a timely manner.

 

The AWS and 700 MHz spectrum requires modified or new equipment and handsets which are not currently available. We do not manufacture or develop our own network equipment or handsets and are dependent on third party manufacturers to design, develop and manufacture such equipment. If network equipment or handsets are not available when we need them, we may not be able to develop the Auction 66 Markets or any licenses we may acquire in the 700 MHz auction. We may, therefore, be forced to pay interest on our indebtedness which we used to fund the purchase of the licenses in Auction 66 and any licenses we may be declared as the high bidder in the 700 MHz auction without realizing any revenues from our Auction 66 Markets or 700 MHz licenses.

 

If we are unable to manage our planned growth effectively, our costs could increase and our level of service could be adversely affected.

 

We have experienced rapid growth and development in a relatively short period of time and expect to continue to experience substantial growth in the future. The management of rapid growth will require, among other things, continued development of our financial and management controls and management information systems. Historically, we have failed to adequately implement financial controls and management systems. We publicly acknowledged deficiencies in our financial reporting as early as August 2004, and controls and systems designed to address these deficiencies are not yet fully implemented. The costs of implementing these controls and systems will affect the near-term financial results of the business and the lack of these controls and systems may materially adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets.

 

Our expected growth also will require stringent control of costs, diligent management of our network infrastructure and our growth, increased capital requirements, increased costs associated with marketing activities, the ability to attract and retain qualified management, technical and sales personnel and the training and management of new personnel. Our growth will challenge the capacity and abilities of existing employees and future employees at all levels of our business. Failure to successfully manage our expected growth and development could have a material adverse effect on our business, increase our costs and adversely affect our level of service. Additionally, the costs of acquiring new customers could adversely affect our near-term profitability.

 

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting in the past. We will incur significant time and expense enhancing, documenting, testing and certifying our internal control over financial reporting and our business may be adversely affected if we have other material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future.

 

In connection with the preparation of our quarterly financial statements for the three months ended June 30, 2004, we determined that previously disclosed financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2004 understated service revenues and net income. Additionally, in connection with their evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures with respect to the filing in May 2006 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that certain material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting existed as of December 31, 2004. The material weaknesses related to deficiencies in our information technology and accounting control environments, insufficient “tone at the top,” deficiencies in our accounting for income taxes, and a lack of automation in our revenue reporting process. In connection with their review of our material weaknesses, our management and audit committee concluded that our previously reported

consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2003 should be restated to correct accounting errors resulting from these material weaknesses.

 

We have identified, developed and implemented a number of measures to strengthen our internal control over financial reporting and address the material weaknesses that we identified in 2004. Although, there were no reported material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006, our management did identify significant deficiencies relating to the accrual of equipment and services and the accounting for distributed antenna system agreements. There can be no assurance that we will not have significant deficiencies in the future or that such conditions will not rise to the level of a material weakness. The existence of one or more material weaknesses or significant deficiencies could result in errors in our financial statements or delays in the filing of our periodic reports required by the SEC. Any failure by us to timely file our periodic reports could result in a breach of the indenture covering the notes and our senior secured credit facility, potentially accelerating payment under both agreements. We may not have the ability to pay, or borrow any amounts necessary to pay, any accelerated payment due under our senior secured credit facility or the indenture covering the senior notes. We may also incur substantial costs and resources to rectify any internal control deficiencies.

 

As a public company we will incur significant legal, accounting, insurance and other expenses. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as compliance with other SEC and exchange listing rules, will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time-consuming and costly. Furthermore, SEC rules require that our chief executive officer and chief financial officer periodically certify the existence and effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our independent registered public accounting firm will be required, beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ending on December 31, 2007, to provide an assessment of our internal control over financial reporting.

 

During the course of our testing, we may identify deficiencies that would have to be remediated to satisfy the SEC rules for certification of our internal control over financial reporting. As a consequence, we may have to disclose in periodic reports we file with the SEC significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our system of internal controls. The existence of a material weakness would preclude management from concluding that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, and would preclude our independent auditors from issuing an unqualified opinion that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. If we cannot produce reliable financial reports, we may be in breach of the indenture covering the notes and our senior secured credit facility, potentially accelerating payment under both agreements. In addition, disclosures of this type in our SEC reports could cause investors to lose confidence in our financial reporting and may negatively affect the trading price of the notes. Moreover, effective internal controls are necessary to produce reliable financial reports and to prevent fraud. If we have deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting it may negatively impact our business, results of operations and reputation.

 

MetroPCS Communications failed to register its stock options under the Exchange Act and, as a result, it may face potential claims under federal and state securities laws.

 

As of December 31, 2005, options granted under the Second Amended and Restated 1995 Stock Option Plan of MetroPCS, Inc., as amended, and the Amended and Restated MetroPCS Communications, Inc. 2004 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan were held by more than 500 holders. As a result, MetroPCS Communications was required to file a registration statement registering the stock options pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act no later than April 30, 2006. MetroPCS Communications failed to file a registration statement within the required time period. Additionally, certain of the options to purchase common stock that were granted during periods in 2004 and 2006 may not have been exempt from the registration or qualification requirements under the federal and state securities laws of certain states at the time of grant.

 

If MetroPCS Communications had filed a registration statement pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act as required, MetroPCS Communications would have become subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 13 of the Exchange Act upon the effectiveness of that registration statement. In order to address these issues, in April 2007, MetroPCS Communications filed the required quarterly reports on

Form 10-Q for the periods after March 31, 2006, and on March 30, 2007, it filed the required annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and MetroPCS Communications made a recission offer as of June 11, 2007 to all holders of any outstanding options which may have been granted without an exception from the registration and qualification requirements under federal and state securities laws. MetroPCS Communications did not file any current reports on Form 8-K during the period beginning April 30, 2006 through March 20, 2007.

 

As a result of MetroPCS Communications’ failure to file the current reports on Form 8-K and to timely file the quarterly reports on Form 10-Q as required had it registered its common stock pursuant to Section 12(g) could give rise to potential claims by present or former stockholders based on the theory that such holders were harmed by the absence of such public reports and its failure to file registration statement pursuant to Section 12(g). In addition to any claims by present or former stockholders, MetroPCS Communications could be subject to administrative and/or civil actions by the SEC. If any such claim or action is asserted, MetroPCS Communications could incur significant expenses and divert management’s attention in defending them.

 

MetroPCS Communications’ failure to timely file its registration statement pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act, may mean that we may not have all of the controls and procedures in place to ensure compliance with all of the rules and requirements applicable to public companies. Any failure by us to file our periodic reports with the SEC in a timely manner could harm our reputation and reduce the trading price of our notes.

 

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from geographic areas susceptible to natural and other disasters.

 

Our markets in California, Texas and Florida contribute a substantial amount of revenue, operating cash flows, and net income to our operations. These same states, however, have a history of natural disasters which may adversely affect our operations in those states. The severity and frequency of certain of these natural disasters, such as hurricanes, are projected to increase over the next several years. In addition, the major metropolitan areas in which we operate, or plan to operate, could be the target of terrorist attacks. These events may cause our networks to cease operating for a substantial period of time while we reconstruct them and our competitors may be less affected by such natural disasters or terrorist attacks. If our networks cease operating for any substantial period of time, we may lose revenue and customers, and may have difficulty attracting new customers in the future, which could materially adversely affect our operations. Although we have business interruption insurance which we believe is adequate, we cannot provide any assurance that the insurance will cover all losses we may experience as a result of a natural disaster or terrorist attack, that the insurance carrier will be solvent or that the insurance carrier will pay all claims made by us.

 

The investment of our substantial cash balances are subject to risks which may cause losses.

 

We can and have historically invested our substantial cash balances in, among other things, securities issued and fully guaranteed by the United States or any state, highly rated commercial paper and auction rate securities, money market funds meeting certain criteria, and demand deposits. These investments are subject to credit, liquidity, market and interest rate risk. For example, we have made permitted investments of approximately $134 million in certain “AAA” rated auction rate securities that are collateralized debt obligations with a portion of the underlying collateral being mortgage securities or related to mortgage securities. As a result of the lack of liquidity in this market, these securities failed to attract a buyer at the last scheduled auction for these securities. As a result, we expect to recognize a loss on a portion of this investment for the period ended September 30, 2007. Such risks, including the continued failure of future auctions for the auction rate securities, may result in a loss of liquidity, substantial impairment to our investments, realization of substantial future losses, or a complete loss of the investment in the long-term which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

 

Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain qualified management and other personnel, and the loss of one or more members of our management, including our chief executive officer, could have a negative impact on our business.

 

Our business is managed by a small number of key executive officers, including our chief executive officer, Roger Linquist. The loss of one or more of these persons could disrupt our ability to react quickly to business developments and changes in market conditions, which could harm our financial results. Mr. Linquist recently resigned as president of our company in order to reduce his schedule for personal health reasons. Mr. Linquist has indicated that he plans to clarify his retirement plans by the end of 2007. To provide adequate timing for succession planning, we have begun a search for a chief executive officer should Mr. Linquist decide to retire. None of our managing key executives has an employment contract, so any such key executive officers may leave at any time subject to forfeiture of any unpaid performance awards and any unvested options. In addition, upon any change in control, all unvested options and performance awards will vest which may make it difficult for anyone to acquire us. We believe that our future success will also depend in large part on our continued ability to attract and retain highly qualified executive, technical and management personnel. We believe competition for highly qualified management, technical and sales personnel is intense, and there can be no assurance that we will retain our key management, technical and sales employees or that we will be successful in attracting, assimilating or retaining other highly qualified management, technical and sales personnel in the future sufficient to support our continued growth. We have occasionally experienced difficulty in recruiting qualified personnel and there can be no assurance that we will not experience such difficulties in the future. The retirement of, or our inability to attract or retain, highly qualified executive, technical and management personnel, including the chief executive officer, could materially and adversely affect our business operations, financial performance, and stock price.

 

We rely on third-party suppliers to provide our customers and us with equipment, software and services that are integral to our business, and any significant disruption in our relationship with these vendors could increase our cost and affect our operating efficiencies.

 

We have entered into agreements with third-party suppliers to provide equipment and software for our network and services required for our operations, such as customer care, financial reporting, billing and payment processing. Sophisticated financial, management, information and billing systems are vital to our ability to monitor and control costs, bill customers, process customer orders, provide customer service, produce reliable and accurate financial reports, and achieve operating efficiencies. We currently rely on internal systems and third-party vendors to provide all of our information, financial, and processing systems. Some of our billing, financial, customer service and management information systems have been developed by third-parties and may not perform as anticipated. If these suppliers experience interruptions or other problems delivering these products or services on a timely basis or at all, it may cause us to have difficulty providing services to or billing our customers, developing and deploying new services and/or upgrading, maintaining, improving our networks, or generating accurate or timely financial reports and information. If alternative suppliers and vendors become necessary, we may not be able to obtain satisfactory and timely replacement services on economically attractive terms, or at all. Some of these agreements may be terminated upon relatively short notice. The loss, termination or expiration of these contracts or our inability to renew them or negotiate contracts with other providers at comparable rates could harm our business. Our reliance on others to provide essential services on our behalf also gives us less control over the efficiency, timeliness and quality of these services. In addition, our plans for developing and implementing our financial information and billing systems rely to some extent on the design, development and delivery of products and services by third-party vendors. Our right to use these systems is dependent on license agreements with third-party vendors. Since we rely on third-party vendors to provide some of these services, any switch or disruption by our vendors could be costly and affect operating efficiencies.

 

If we lose the right to install our equipment on wireless cell sites, or are unable to renew expiring leases for wireless cell sites on favorable terms or at all, our business and operating results could be adversely impacted.

 

Our base stations are installed on leased cell site facilities or in connection with DAS systems. A significant portion of these cell sites are leased from a small number of large cell site and DAS system providers under master agreements governing the general terms of our use of that company’s cell sites or DAS systems. If a master agreement with one of these cell site or DAS system providers were to terminate, the cell site or DAS system providers were to experience severe financial difficulties or file for bankruptcy or if one of these cell site or DAS system providers were unable to support our use of its cell sites or DAS systems, we would have to find new sites or rebuild the affected portion of our network. In addition, the concentration of our cell site leases and DAS systems with a limited number of cell site and DAS system providers could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition if we are unable to renew our expiring leases or DAS system agreements with these companies either on terms comparable to those we have today or at all.

 

In addition, the tower industry has continued to consolidate. If any of the companies from which we lease towers or DAS systems were to consolidate with other tower or DAS systems companies, they may have the ability to raise prices which could materially affect our profitability. If any of the cell site leasing companies or DAS system providers with which we do business were to experience severe financial difficulties, or file for bankruptcy protection, our ability to use cell sites or DAS systems leased from that company could be adversely affected. If a material number of cell sites or DAS systems were no longer available for our use, our financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected.

 

We may be unable to obtain the roaming and other services we need from other carriers to remain competitive.

 

Many of our competitors have regional or national networks which enable them to offer automatic roaming and long distance telephone services to their subscribers at a lower cost than we can offer. We do not have a national network, and we must pay fees to other carriers who provide roaming services and who carry long distance calls made by our subscribers. We currently have roaming agreements with several other carriers which allow our customers to roam on those carriers’ network. The roaming agreements, however, do not cover all geographic areas where our customers may seek service when they travel, generally cover voice but not data services, and at least one such agreement may be terminated on relatively short notice. In addition, we believe the rates charged by certain of the carriers to us in some instances are higher than the rates they charge to certain other roaming partners.

 

The FCC recently adopted a Report and Order clarifying that it is a common carrier obligation of commercial mobile radio service providers to provide automatic roaming services on just, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. The obligation extends to real-time, two way switched voice and date services that are interconnected with the public switched network and utilize an in-network switching facility that enables the provider to reuse frequencies and accomplish seamless hand-offs of subscriber calls. Our current services generally meet this definition which means that we should be entitled to enter into reasonable automatic arrangements with other technically compatible carriers. The FCC Order also finds it unreasonable to request roaming services for any geographic area in which a requesting carrier holds licenses to or leases spectrum but has not yet built its system. This in-market roaming restriction may adversely affect our ability to receive roaming services in areas where we hold licenses. However, the FCC ruling may be appealed. We also are considering seeking reconsideration of these in-market roaming restrictions, but cannot predict whether our petition will succeed or the time frame in which our petition will be considered. Also, the FCC declined to adopt any default rate or rate regulation scheme for roaming services, so our ability to obtain automatic roaming agreements at attractive rates remains uncertain. If we are unable to enter or maintain roaming agreements at reasonable rates, including in areas where we have licenses or lease spectrum but have not constructed facilities, we may be unable to effectively compete and may lose customers and revenues. We may also be unable to continue to receive roaming services in areas we hold licenses or lease spectrum after the expiration or termination of our existing roaming agreements. The FCC ruling also may obligate us to allow

customers of other technically compatible carriers to roam automatically on our systems, which may enhance their ability to compete with us.

 

A recent ruling from the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress may have an adverse effect on our distribution strategy.

 

The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress, or the Copyright Office, recently released final rules on its triennial review of the exemptions to certain provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA. A section of the DMCA prohibits anyone other than a copyright owner from circumventing technological measures employed to protect a copyrighted work, or access control. In addition, the DMCA provides that the Copyright Office may exempt certain activities which otherwise might be prohibited by that section of the DMCA for a period of three years when users are (or in the next three years are likely to be) adversely affected by the prohibition on their ability to make noninfringing uses of a class of copyrighted work. Many carriers, including us, routinely place software locks on wireless handsets, which prevent a customer from using a wireless handset sold by one carrier on another carrier’s system. In its triennial review, the Copyright Office determined that these software locks on wireless handsets are access controls which adversely affect the ability of consumers to make noninfringing use of the software on their wireless handsets. As a result, the Copyright Office found that a person could circumvent such software locks and other firmware that enable wireless handsets to connect to a wireless telephone network when such circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of lawfully connecting the wireless handset to another wireless telephone network. A wireless carrier has filed suit in the United States District Court in Florida to reverse the Copyright Office’s decision. This proceeding was dismissed without prejudice on June 14, 2007. This exemption is effective from November 27, 2006 through October 27, 2009 unless extended by the Copyright Office.

 

This ruling could allow our customers to use their wireless handsets on networks of other carriers. This ruling may also allow our customers who are dissatisfied with our service to utilize the services of our competitors without having to purchase a new handset. The ability of our customers to leave our service and use their wireless handsets on other carriers’ networks may have an adverse material impact on our business. In addition, since we provide a subsidy for handsets to our distribution partners that is incurred in advance, we may experience higher distribution costs resulting from wireless handsets not being activated or maintained on our network, which costs may be material.

 

We may incur higher than anticipated intercarrier compensation costs, which could increase our costs and reduce our profit margin.