UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 10-K
 
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
For the Fiscal year ended December 31, 20142015
 
Commission File Number 000-51211
 GTT Communications, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
 
Delaware 20-2096338
(State or Other Jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
Incorporation or Organization)  
 
7900 Tysons One Place
Suite 1450
McLean, Virginia 22102
(703) 442-5500
(Address including zip code, and telephone number, including area
code, of principal executive offices)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each className of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, par value $.0001 per shareNYSE
  
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes ¨ No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes ¨ No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): 
Large Accelerated Filer ¨
 
Accelerated Filer þ
   
Non-Accelerated Filer ¨
 
Smaller reporting company ¨
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)  
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No þ

    






The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant (17,957,188(24,957,461 shares) based on the $10.21$23.87 closing price of the registrant’s common stock as reported on the NYSE MKT on June 30, 2014,2015, was $183,342,889.$595,734,594. For purposes of this computation, all officers, directors and 10% beneficial owners of the registrant are deemed to be affiliates. Such determination should not be deemed to be an admission that such officers, directors or 10% beneficial owners are, in fact, affiliates of the registrant. 

As of March 13, 20159, 2016, 34,007,98337,184,497 shares of common stock, par value $.0001 per share, of the registrant were outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference 
Portions of our definitive proxy statement for the 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K, are incorporated by reference into Part III hereof. 




  Page
  
Item 1.Business
Item 1A.Risk Factors
Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 2.Properties
Item 3.Legal Proceedings
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures
 PART II 
Item 5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Item 6.Selected Financial Data
Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Item 9.Changes In and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Item 9A.Controls and Procedures
Item 9B.Other Information
 PART III 
Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Item 11.Executive Compensation
Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Item 14.Principal Accounting Fees and Services
 PART IV 
Item 15.Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
 Signatures


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CAUTIONARY NOTES REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 
OurThis Form 10-K (“Annual Report”) includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which reflect the current views of GTT Communications, Inc., with respect to current events and financial performance. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” "likely," "potentially," “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” "projects," “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “could,” “should,” "opportunity," and “continue” or similar words.words, whether in the negative or the affirmative . These forward-looking statements may also use different phrases. Unless the context otherwise requires, when we use the words the ‘‘Company,” “GTT,” “we”, "our" or “us" in this Form 10-K, we are referring to GTT Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, unless it is clear from the context or expressly stated that these references are only to GTT Communications, Inc. From time to time, GTT also provides forward-looking statements in other materials GTT releases to the public or files with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as well as oral forward-looking statements. You should consider any further disclosures on related subjects in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and 8-K/A filed with the SEC.

Such forward-looking statements are and will be subject to many risks, uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and the business environment that may cause our actual results to be materially different from any future results, express or implied, by such forward-looking statements. These statements include among others, statements concerning:

our business and our strategy for continuing to pursue our business;
our integration of the operations from recent acquisitions, and realization of anticipated benefits and synergies in connection with the acquisitions;
anticipated growth of our industry;
expectations as to our future revenue, margins, expenses, cash flows, profitability and capital requirements; and
other statements of expectations, beliefs, future plans and strategies, anticipated developments and other matters that are not historical facts.
These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including financial, regulatory, environmental, and industry projections, that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. Factors, contingencies, and risks that could cause GTT’s actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the effects on our business and customers of general economic and financial market conditions, as well as the following:

our ability to develop and market new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins;
our reliance on several large customers;
our ability to negotiate and enter into acceptable contract terms with our suppliers;
our ability to attract and retain qualified management and other personnel;
competition in the industry in which we do business;
failure of the third-party communications networks on which we depend;
legislation or regulatory environments, requirements or changes adversely affecting the businesses in which we are engaged;
our ability to maintain our databases, management systems and other intellectual property;
our ability to prevent process and system failures or security breaches that significantly disrupt the availability and quality of the services that we provide;
our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and produce sufficient cash flow to fund acquisitions and capital expenditures;
our capital expendituresability to meet all the terms and conditions of our debt service;obligations;
our ability to obtain capital to grow our business;
technological developments and changes in the industry;
declining prices of IP transit;
fluctuations in our effective tax rate;ability to utilize our net operating losses;
expectations regarding the trading price of our common stockstock; and
our ability to complete acquisitions or divesturesdivestitures and toeffectively integrate any business or operation acquired; and
general economic conditions.acquired.


You
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Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this annual report. Forward-lookingtheir respective date. By their nature, forward-looking statements involveare subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements.
 
All forward-looking statements included herein attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Except to the extent required by applicable laws and regulations, we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this annual report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should be aware that the occurrence of the events described in the “Risk“Part 1 - Item 1A - Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this annual report could have a material adverse effect on our business and our results of operations.
 



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PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

IntroductionOverview

GTT Communications, Inc. (“GTT,” the "Company," “we” or “us”) is a Delaware corporation which was incorporated on January 3, 2005. GTT operatesprovider of cloud networking services. We offer multinational clients a broad portfolio of global communications services including: EtherCloud® wide area network services; Internet services; managed network and security services; and voice and unified communication services.

Our global Tier 1 IP network connectingdelivers connectivity for our clients to locations and cloud applications around the world. We seekprovide services to further extendleading multinational enterprises, carriers and government customers in over 100 countries. We differentiate ourselves from our network globally whilecompetition by delivering exceptional client service to our clients with simplicity, speed and agility.

Our Customers
We are a Delaware corporation founded in 2005. As of December 31, 2014,2015, we had 572 full-time equivalent employees.

Strategy

Multinational clients are shifting greater amounts of traffic to cloud-based applications and outsourcing IT infrastructure services, which creates significant opportunities for GTT. Our network connectivity services are designed to capitalize on these growing market demands. We believe our global networking services provide a better way for multinational clients to reach the cloud.

Our strategy is focused on three key elements:

Expanding cloud networking services to multinational clients. Our network assets and services are built to serve the requirements of large, global clients. These organizations have increasing demands for networking bandwidth due to the rapid adoption of cloud-based applications and increasing data usage across locations driven by increasing file sizes, voice, video conferencing and real-time collaboration tools. In addition, enterprise CIOs and technology executives are increasingly outsourcing network and IT operations so their teams can focus on application development and performance. We are one of the few non-incumbent providers with the product breadth, global scope and operating experience to meet the sophisticated networking needs of the world’s most demanding multinational clients, and we will continue to look for ways to expand our portfolio of services to meet our clients’ needs.

Extending secure network connectivity to any location in the world and any application in the cloud. We operate one of the five largest IP networks in the world and our global access footprint is one of the broadest in the industry, with services available from approximately 2,000 access suppliers around the world. This enables us to connect our clients’ locations anywhere they may be located. Network connectivity is a fundamental requirement for clients to realize the full benefits of cloud computing, and they are increasingly demanding dedicated, secure and high-bandwidth connectivity between their various office locations and leading cloud service providers for mission-critical applications and services. We will continue to seek opportunities to expand our global footprint to enable our clients to connect to the cloud more efficiently and cost effectively.

Delivering outstanding client experience by living our core values of Simplicity, Speed and Agility. We strive to be easy to work with, fast and responsive, and to say “yes” to our clients. We are committed to delivering high-quality, reliable and secure services that will continue to attract new clients and create additional opportunities with existing clients. We believe that by operating all areas of our business with simplicity, speed and agility, we are able to offer customers a better service experience than legacy, incumbent providers.

We execute on this strategy both organically and through strategic acquisitions. We have completed many acquisitions throughout our history, and we believe we have consistently demonstrated an ability to acquire and effectively integrate companies, realize cost synergies, and organically grow revenue post-acquisition.  Acquisitions have the ability to increase the scale of our operations, which in turn affords us the ability to expand our operating leverage, extend our network reach, and broaden our customer base was comprisedbase.  We believe our ability to realize significant cost synergies through acquisitions provides us with a competitive advantage in future consolidation opportunities within our industry.  We will continue to evaluate potential acquisition opportunities and are regularly involved in acquisition discussions. We will evaluate these opportunities based on a number of criteria, including the strategic fit within our existing businesses, ability to integrate people, systems and network quickly, and the opportunity to create value through the realization of cost synergies.


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Global Network

Our global network assets are deployed in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Our Tier 1 IP network consists of over 4,000 businesses. For250 points of presence in top data centers around the year ended December 31, 2014, no singleworld, connected with resilient and redundant transport. Based on industry data, our IP backbone is consistently ranked a top five network in terms of routes.

Our private, long-haul optical network provides the foundation for a multiprotocol label switching ("MPLS") mesh between core backbone routers in each market. We engineer our network to provide high levels of capacity and performance, even when utilizing enhanced services such as traffic analysis and filtering. We route network traffic to ensure customer accountedapplications take the shortest path possible through the network, ensuring performance, reliability and security.

We employ a "capex light" model, which leverages the sophisticated routing and switching infrastructure in our core global network, then integrates network access leased from last mile telecommunications carriers to reach client locations. This business model benefits us and our customers. We are able to quickly add capacity as needed, avoid significant infrastructure deployment, maintenance and replacement costs, and focus solely on designing the best network solutions for more than 10% of our total consolidated revenue. Our five largest customers accounted for approximately 18% of consolidated revenue during the same period.clients' specific needs.

Service Offerings

We deliver four primary service offerings to our customers:

EtherCloud Services

We provide Layer 2 (Ethernet) and Layer 3 (MPLS) solutions to meet the growing needs of multinational clients regardless of location. We design and implement custom private, public and hybrid cloud network solutions, offering bandwidth speeds from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps per port with burstable and aggregate bandwidth capabilities. Using our advanced multipoint and VPLS functionality, customers can directly connect locations anywhere in the world with a single Ethernet port at each location, sharing information between locations as easily as over a local network. Our Ethercloud service is available in point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, multipoint-to-multipoint, and MPLS IP VPN configurations. All services in over 100 countries,are available on a protected basis with the ability to specify pre-configured alternate routes to minimize the impact of any network disruption.

Internet Services

We offer customers scalable, high-bandwidth global Internet connectivity and IP transit with guaranteed availability and packet delivery. Our Internet services offer flexible connectivity with multiple port interfaces including Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 100 Gigabit Ethernet. We also offer broadband and wireless access services. We support a dual stack of IPv4 and IPv6 protocols, enabling the delivery of seamless IPv6 services alongside existing IPv4 services.

Managed Services

We offer fully managed network services, including managed equipment, managed security services and managed secure access, enabling customers to focus on their core business. These end-to-end services cover the design, procurement, implementation, monitoring and maintenance of a customer’s network.

Managed CPE. Managed CPE provides a turnkey solution for the end-to-end management of customer premise equipment, from premises through the core network. This includes the design, procurement, implementation, monitoring and maintenance of equipment including routers, switches, servers and Wi-Fi access points.

Security Services. Our cloud-based and premises-based security services provide a comprehensive, multi-layered security solution that protects the network while meeting the most stringent security standards. Our Unified Threat Management (“UTM”) services include advanced firewall, intrusion detection, anti-virus, web filtering and anti-spam. UTM services also cover a broad range of compliance requirements, offering customers Security-as-a-Service versions of managed logging, vulnerability scanning and security information management that meet numerous security standards. As the first communications provider to achieve Payment Card Industry / Cardholder Information Security Program ("PCI/CISP") compliance in 2003, we have significant experience working with clients across many different verticals to develop and deploy their networks to achieve and maintain PCI compliance.

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Managed Secure Access. Our Managed Secure Access service provides clients of all sizes with secure remote access to their network applications from any device, anywhere, anytime from any authorized user. Managed Secure Access extends network reach, allowing trusted users to establish a secure data connection from any browser or device using Transport Layer Security to encrypt all traffic and protect the network from unauthorized users.

Voice and Unified Communication Services

SIP Trunking. Our SIP Trunking service is an enterprise-built unified communications offering that integrates voice, video and chat onto a single IP connection, driving efficiency and productivity organization-wide. The service is interoperable with key Unified Communications (UC) platforms such as Cisco, Avaya, ShoreTel, Siemens and Microsoft to support collaboration requirements, as well as with legacy infrastructure. SIP Trunking brings substantial cost savings by eliminating legacy infrastructure and providing more predictable local and long-distance costs. SIP Trunking is delivered over our fully redundant and robust global network that is purpose-built to handle bandwidth-intensive communication services. The service includes a full suite of international telephony services, including direct inward dialing ("DIDs"), toll-free numbers, termination and emergency services. We also offer customized redundancy options to meet clients' most stringent disaster recovery requirements, as well as a secure trunking option for encryption of sensitive call signaling and media.

Enterprise PBX. Our Enterprise PBX service allows clients to eliminate traditional voice infrastructure with communication services delivered through the cloud. The offering includes fully hosted and hybrid models for maximum flexibility. Enterprise PBX includes full PBX features, such as call transfer, music on hold, voicemail, unified messaging, company directory, auto attendant and enhanced call routing. The user management portal provides integrated and consistent functionality, regardless of user location. Clients can further expand into new geographic areas by adding new regional partnerscapabilities through additional cloud-based features, such as contact center and suppliers. Our service expansion is largely customer-driven. audio conferencing.

Operations

Supplier Management

We have designed, delivered,strong, long-standing relationships with a diverse group of over 2,000 suppliers from which the Company sources global network connectivity, last-mile bandwidth capacity and subsequently managed services in all six populated continents around the world.other services. We maintain multiple supply leases covering diverse routes throughout our network to ensure service continuity, competitive pricing, bandwidth capacity and improved carrier responsiveness.

For our core global network, supplier contracts are typically one year commitments with an option to renew, which enables us to (i) maintain significant flexibility regarding the year ended December 31, 2014, approximately 58%amount of bandwidth purchased and (ii) consistently benefit from the latest competitive pricing. For last-mile connections, we typically structure the lease term to match the term of the underlying customer contract.

Our supplier management team continually monitors supplier performance, network information and pricing to provide greater choice, flexibility and cost savings for our customers.

Network and Security Operations

Our network is supported by global Network Operations Centers (NOCs) located in Austin, Texas; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania; and Seattle, Washington. The NOCs provide active monitoring, prioritization and resolution of network-related events 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Our NOCs also respond to customer network inquiries, and coordinate and notify customers of maintenance activities.

IT Systems

We provide customers with advanced routing control and visibility into their network performance. Our proprietary online client portal provides customers with online access to monitor their network performance and track real-time statistics.

We have developed a comprehensive Customer Management Database (CMD) that manages our network, customer and supplier contracts, sales quoting, service provisioning, and customer and supplier invoicing. CMD also supports our financial reporting and other operational processes. Our CMD system has been in operation since our inception, and its capabilities and processes are continually enhanced and automated. The CMD system provides our management team with visibility into all areas of our revenue was attributableoperations and allows us to operate with simplicity, speed and agility.

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Sales and Marketing

We market our operations basedproducts and services through a global direct sales force and indirect sales channels. We have sales representatives throughout North America; Europe, Middle East, and Africa ("EMEA"); and Asia Pacific ("APAC"). Our sales activities are specifically focused on building relationships with new clients and driving expansion within existing client accounts. Because we typically sell to large, global clients and our markets are highly competitive, we believe that personal relationships and quality of service delivery remain important in winning new and repeat customer business. We supplement our direct sales approach with a small but growing trusted community of agents and integrators who already have personal relationships with many leading multinationals.

Our sales force is supported by global service delivery organization and other support teams. The service delivery team ensures the successful implementation of customer services after the sale. A service delivery manager is assigned to each customer order to ensure that the underlying network facilities required for the solution are provisioned, that the customer is provided with status reports on its service, and that any difficulties related to the installation of a customer order are proactively managed.

Marketing activities are designed to generate awareness and familiarity with our value proposition to multinational clients, develop new products to meet customer needs and communicate to key customer decision makers.

Customers

Our customer base consists of enterprise, carrier and government clients in over 100 countries. Our multinational enterprise client base includes leading organizations in financial services, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, retail and business services verticals. Carrier customers include some of the largest telecommunications firms in the United States, 27% based in Italy, 13% based in the United Kingdom, and 2% from operations in other countries.world, who rely on our global network to extend their reach.

Our customer contracts for network services and support are generally for initial terms of one to three years, with some contracts calling for terms in excess ofat one year, and others at five years.years or more. Following the initial terms, these agreements typically provide for automatic renewal automatically for specified periods ranging from one month to one year. Our prices are fixed for the duration of the contract, and we typically bill monthly in advance for such services.
Our Network
GTT has deployed network assets in North America, Europe and Asia. Our global, proprietary Ethernet and Internet Protocol (IP) backbone is one If a customer terminates its agreement, the terms of our customer contracts typically require full recovery of any amounts due for the remainder of the most interconnected Ethernet service platforms around the world, and accordingterm or, at a minimum, our liability to industry sources our IP backbone is consistently a top five network in the world in terms of IP routes. We provide reliable, scalable and secure solutions, including private, public and hybrid cloud networking, high bandwidth IP transit for content delivery and hosting applications, on-demand and high-demand network capacity to support varying needs and network-to-network carrier interconnects.any underlying suppliers.

Competition

We operate in a highly competitive industry. Our competitors include incumbent local exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers, Internet service providers and other facilities-based operators. Many of these competitors are large, well-capitalized, have designed, deliveredstrong market presence, brand recognition and existing customer relationships. We also face competition from smaller providers who offer network services and managed services in all six populated continents around the world. Our service expansion is largely customer-driven,enterprise solutions similar to ours. Specific competitors vary based on geography and we have also grown our network through a series of acquisitions.  We have over 1,000 supplier relationships worldwide from which we source last-mile bandwidth and other services and combine our own network assets to meet our customers’ requirements.
Our supplier management team works with our suppliers to acquire updated pricing and network asset information and negotiate purchase agreements when appropriate. All of these efforts are aimed at providing greater choice, flexibility, and cost savings for our customers. We are committed to using high-quality suppliers, and our supplier management team continually monitors supplier performance. product offerings.

Business Overview and StrategyRegulatory Matters

We deliver three primary services to our customers - EtherCloud, our flexible Ethernet-based connectivity service; Internet Services, our reliable, high bandwidth Internet connectivity services; and Managed Services, our provision of fully managed network services so organizations can focus on their core business. Our extensive network and broad geographic reach enable us to cost effectively deliver the bandwidth, scale and security demanded by our customers.
We market our products and services through a global direct sales force and independent sales channels. We differentiate and sell the value of our product offerings primarily based on customer service, product quality and performance, reliability and price.  Our sales activities are specifically focused on building relationships with new clients and driving expansion within existing accounts. Because our markets are highly competitive, we believe that personal relationships and quality of service delivery remain important in winning new and repeat customer business.

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Our growth strategy is to extend ubiquitous network connectivity to locations and cloud applications around the world, expand cloud networking services to multinational clients, and deliver outstanding client experience by living our core values of simplicity, speed and agility.
Competition
Our competition consists primarily of traditional, facilities-based providers that provide service around the globe, including companies that provide network connectivity and internet access principally within one continent or geographical region, such as CenturyLink, KPN, XO and COLT. We also compete against carriers who provide network connectivity on a multi-continent, or global basis, such as Level 3, Verizon Business, AT&T, British Telecom, NTT, Deutsche Telekom and Orange Business Services.
Government Regulation
In connection with certain of our service offerings, we may be subject to federal, state and foreign regulations. In the United States, Federal laws andthe Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), regulations generally apply to(FCC) has jurisdiction over interstate telecommunications and international telecommunications that originate or terminate in the United States, while state laws and regulations applyStates. State Public Utilities Commissions (PUCs) have similar powers with respect to telecommunications transmissions ultimately terminating within the same state as the point of origination.intrastate telecommunications. A foreign country’s laws and regulations apply to telecommunications that originate or terminate in, or in some instances traverse, that country. The regulation of the telecommunications industry is changing rapidly,constantly evolving, and varies from state to state and from country to country.

Where certification, licensing or licensingauthorization is required, carriers are required to comply with certain ongoing responsibilities. For example, we may be required to submit periodic reports to various telecommunications regulatory authorities relating to the provision of services within the relevant jurisdiction. Another potential ongoing responsibility relates to payment of regulatory fees and the collection and remittance of surcharges and fees associated with the provision of telecommunications services. Some of our services are subject to these assessments, depending upon the jurisdiction, the type of service and the type of customer.
Federal Regulation
Generally, the FCC has chosen not to heavily regulate the charges or practices of non-dominant carriers, like GTT. For example, we are not required to tariff the interstate inter-exchange private line services we provide, but need only to post terms and conditions for such services on our website. In providing certain telecommunications services, however, we may remain subject to the regulatory requirements applicable to common carriers, such as providing services at just and reasonable rates, filing the requisite reports, and paying regulatory fees and contributing to universal service. The FCC also releases orders and takes other actions from time to time that modify the regulations applicable to services provided by carriers such as us; these orders and actions can result in additional (or reduced) reporting or payment requirements, or changes in the relative rights and obligations of carriers with respect to services they provide to each other or to other categories of customers. These changes in regulation can affect the services that we procure and/or provide and, in some instances, may affect demand for or the costs of providing our services.
State Regulation
The Telecommunications Act of 1996, as amended, generally prohibits state and local governments from enforcing any law, rule, or legal requirement that prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting any person from providing any interstate or intrastate telecommunications service. However, states retain jurisdiction to adopt regulations necessary to preserve universal service, protect public safety and welfare, ensure the continued quality of communications services, and safeguard the rights of consumers. Generally, each carrier must obtain and maintain certificates of authority from regulatory bodies in states in which it offers intrastate telecommunications services. In most states, a carrier must also file and obtain prior regulatory approval of tariffs containing the rates, terms and conditions of service for its regulated intrastate services. A state may also impose telecommunications regulatory fees, fees related to the support for universal service, and other costs and reporting obligations on providers of services in that state. We are currently authorized to provide intrastate services in more than 20 states and the District of Columbia as an interexchange carrier and/or a competitive local provider.
Foreign Regulation
Generally, the provisioning to U.S. customers of international telecommunications services originating or terminating in the United States is governed by the FCC. In addition, the regulatory requirements to operate within a foreign country or to provide services to customers within that foreign country vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, although in some respects regulation in the Western European markets is harmonized under the regulatory structure of the European Union. As opportunities arise in particular nations, we may need to apply for and acquire various authorizations to operate and provide certain kinds of telecommunications

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services. Although some countries require complex application procedures for authorizations and/or impose certain reporting and fee payment requirements, others simply require registration with or notification to the regulatory agency and some simply operate through general authorization with no filing requirement at all.
Intellectual Property

We do not own any patent registrations, applications or licenses. We maintain and protect trade secrets, know-how, and other proprietary information regarding many of our business processes and related systems and databases.
Employees
As of December 31, 2014, we had a total of 294 employees and full-time equivalents.
Executive Officers
Our executive officers and their respective ages and positions as of March 13, 2015 are as follows:

Richard D. Calder, Jr., 51, is GTT’s President and Chief Executive Officer, appointed by GTT’s Board of Directors effective May 2007. He brings over two decades of experience in the telecommunications arena to GTT. In his role, Mr. Calder has full strategic and operational responsibility for the company and also serves as a director on the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Calder joined GTT from InPhonic, Inc., a leading provider of wireless services and products, where he served as the President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to InPhonic, Mr. Calder was President of Business Enterprise & Carrier Markets at Broadwing Communications. He held senior management positions at Winstar Communications and prior to Winstar, Mr. Calder co-founded GO Communications, a wireless communications company. In his early career, Mr. Calder held various marketing and business development positions at MCI Communications, and various marketing and engineering positions at Tellabs, Inc. Mr. Calder received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.
H. Brian Thompson, 76, has served as Chairman of our Board of Directors since January 2005, as our Executive Chairman since October 2006, and as our interim Chief Executive Officer from January 2005 to October 2006 and from February 2007 to May 2007. Mr. Thompson heads his own private equity investment and advisory firm, Universal Telecommunications, Inc., focused on start-up companies and consolidations in the information/telecommunications area. From December 2002 to June 2007, he was Chairman of Comsat International (CI), one of the largest independent telecommunications operators serving Latin America.  Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global TeleSystems Group, Inc. and served as Chairman and CEO of LCI International, Inc. until its sale to Qwest Communications International, Inc. when be became Vice Chairman of the Board.  Earlier in this career, Mr. Thompson was an Executive Vice President of MCI Communications Corporation. Currently, he is a member of the board of directors of Axcelis Technologies, Inc., Pendrell Corporation, Penske Automotive Group, Inc. and Sonus Networks, Inc. Mr. Thompson also served as the Co-Chairman for the Americas and is currently on the Executive Committee of the Global Information Infrastructure Commission, a multinational organization focused on developing global information and telecommunications infrastructure. Mr. Thompson received his Masters of Business Administration from Harvard’s Graduate School of Business and holds an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts.
Michael R. Bauer, 42, has served as our Chief Financial Officer since June 2012. Mr. Bauer oversees all global financial functions and has direct responsibility for financial operations, investor relations activities, and all banking and advisory relationships. Mr. Bauer has over 18 years of broad finance and accounting experience. Prior to joining GTT, Mr. Bauer led the financial planning and analysis and investor relations efforts at MeriStar Hospitality Corporation. Mr. Bauer’s previous telecommunications experience includes Sprint and OneMain.com, an internet service provider. Mr. Bauer began his career with Arthur Andersen in audit and business advisory services. Mr. Bauer is a Certified Public Accountant and holds his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the Pennsylvania State University.

Chris McKee, 46, joined GTT in 2008 and is GTT’s General Counsel and EVP, Corporate Development and Corporate Secretary for the GTT Board. Mr. McKee is responsible for all of the company’s corporate legal requirements, human resources and supplier management. Mr. McKee also oversees the development of strategic business opportunities for the company, including all merger and acquisition activities. Mr. McKee has over 20 years of broad legal experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to joining GTT, he served as General Counsel for StarVox Communications where he was responsible for the company’s legal department, mergers and acquisitions, employment law, litigation, and legal support for the sales teams. Mr. McKee also formerly served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for Covad Communications where he headed Covad’s Washington DC office and directed the federal and state regulatory compliance and advocacy efforts for the company. Mr. McKee previously worked for XO

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Communications, Net2000 Communications and was in private practice in Washington DC as an associate at Dickstein Shapiro and Cooley LLP. Mr. McKee earned a law degree from Syracuse University and received his Bachelor of Arts from Colby College.Available Information

Available Information
The public may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. OurWe make available, through our website, www.gtt.net, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to suchthose reports filed with or furnished to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, promptly after they are available free of charge onelectronically filed with the SEC website at www.sec.govSecurities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). We caution you that the information on our website at www.gtt.net as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filednot part of this or any other report we file with, or furnishedfurnish to, the SEC.

In addition to our website, you may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at www.sec.gov.

ITEM 1A.   RISK FACTORS
 
We operate in a rapidly changing environment that involves a number of risks, some of which are beyond our control. Below are the risks and uncertainties we believe are most important for you to consider. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, which we currently deem immaterial or which are similar to those faced by other companies in our industry or telecommunications and/or technology companies in general, may also impair our business operations. If any of these risks or uncertainties actually occurs, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.

Risks RelatingRelated to Our Business and Operations

Our business could suffer delays and problems due to the actions of network providers on whom we are partially dependent.
Most of our customers are connected to our network by means of communications lines that are provided as services by local telephone companies and others. We depend on several large customers,may experience problems with the installation, maintenance and the loss of one or morepricing of these customers,or a significant decrease in total revenue from any of these customers, wouldlikely reduce our revenuelines and income.
For the year ended December 31, 2014, our five largest customers accounted for approximately 18% of our total service revenue. If we were to lose all of the underlying services from one or more of our large customers, or if one or more of our large customers were to significantly reduce the services purchased from us or otherwise renegotiate the terms onother communications links, which services are purchased from us, our revenue could decline andadversely affect our results of operations would suffer.
Ifand our customers elect to terminate their agreements with us, our business, financialcondition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Our services are sold under agreements that generally have initial terms of between one and three years. Following the initial terms, these agreements generally automatically renew for successive month-to-month, quarterly or annual periods, but can be terminated by the customer without cause with relatively little notice during a renewal period. In addition, certain government customers may have rights under Federal law with respect to termination for convenience that can serve to minimize or eliminate altogether the liability payable by that customer in the event of early termination. Our customers may elect to terminate their agreements as a result of a number of factors, including their level of satisfaction with the services they are receiving, their ability to continue their operations due to budgetary or other concerns and the availability and pricing of competing services. If customers elect to terminate their agreements with us, our business, financial condition and results of operation may be adversely affected.

Competition in the industry in which we do business is intense and growing, and ourfailure to compete successfully could make it difficult for usplans to add additional customers to our network using such services. We attempt to mitigate this risk by using many different providers so that we have alternatives for linking a customer to our network. Competition among the providers tends to improve installation intervals, maintenance and retaincustomers or increase or maintain revenue.
The markets in which we operate are rapidly evolving and highly competitive. We currently or potentially compete with a variety of companies, including some of our transport suppliers, with respect to their products and services, including global and regional telecommunications service providers such as AT&T, British Telecom, NTT, Level 3, Qwest and Verizon, among others.
The industry in which we operate is consolidating, which is increasing the size and scope of our competitors. Competitors could benefit from assets or businesses acquired from other carriers or from strategic alliances in the telecommunications industry. New entrants could enter the market with a business model similar to ours. Our target markets may support only a limited number of competitors. Operations in such markets with multiple competitive providers may be unprofitable for one or more of such providers. Prices in the data transmission and internet access business have declined in recent years and may continue to decline.
Many of our potential competitors have certain advantages over us, including:
substantially greater financial, technical, marketing, and other resources, including brand or corporate name recognition;

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substantially lower cost structures, including cost structures of facility-based providers who have reduced debt and other obligations through bankruptcy or other restructuring proceedings;

larger client bases;

longer operating histories;

more established relationships in the industry; and

larger geographic presence.pricing.

Our competitorsnetwork may be able to use these advantages to:
develop or adapt to new or emerging technologiesthe target of potential cyber-attacks and changes in client requirements more quickly;other security breaches that could have significant negative consequences.

take advantage of acquisitions and other opportunities more readily;

enter into strategic relationships to rapidly grow the reach of their networks and capacity;

devote greater resources to the marketing and sale of their services;

adopt more aggressive pricing and incentive policies, which could drive down margins; and

expand their offerings more quickly.

If we are unable to compete successfully against our current and future competitors, our revenue and gross margin could decline and we would lose market share, which could materially and adversely affect our business.
We might require additional capital to supportOur business growth, and this capitalmight not be available on favorable terms, or at all.
Our operations or expansion efforts may require substantial additional financial, operational and managerial resources. As of December 31, 2014, we had approximately $49.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, and our current assets were $14.5 million greater than current liabilities. While we have sufficient cash as of December 31, 2014 to fund our working capital or other capital requirements, we expect to continue to acquire entities that are strategic in nature and may be require the Company to raise additional funds to continue or expand our operations. If we are required to obtain additional funding in the future, we may have to sell assets, seek debt financing, or obtain additional equity capital. Our ability to sell assets or raise additional equity or debt capital will depend on the condition of the capital and credit markets and our financial condition at such time. Accordingly, additional capital may not be available to us, or may only be available on terms that adversely affect our existing stockholders, or that restrict our operations. For example, if we raise additional funds through issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences, and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock. Also, if we were forced to sell assets, there can be no assurance regarding the terms and conditions we could obtain for any such sale, and if we were required to sell assets that are important to our current or future business, our current and future results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. We have granted security interests in substantially all of our assets to secure the repayment of our indebtedness maturing in 2019, and if we are unable to satisfy our obligations, the lenders could foreclose on their security interests.
Because our business is dependent upon selling telecommunications networkcapacity purchased in part from third parties, the failure of our suppliers and other serviceproviders to provide us with services, or disputes with those suppliers and service providers, could affect our ability to provide quality services to our customers andhave an adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.
Much of our business consists of integrating and selling network capacity purchased from facility-based telecommunications carriers. Accordingly, we will be largely dependent on third parties to supply us with services. Occasionally in the past, our operating companies have experienced delays or other problems in receiving services from third-party providers. Disputes also arise from time to time with suppliers with respect to billing or interpretation of contract terms. Any failure on the part of third parties to adequately supply us or to maintain the quality of their facilities and services in the future, or the termination of any significant contracts by a

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supplier, could cause customers to experience delays in service and lower levels of customer care, which could cause them to switch providers. Furthermore, disputes over billed amounts or interpretation of contract terms could lead to claims against us, some of which if resolved against us could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and/or financial condition. Suppliers may also attempt to impose onerous terms as part of purchase contract negotiations. Although we know of no pending or threatened claims with respect to past compliance with any such terms, claims asserting any past noncompliance, if successful, could have a material adverse effect on our operations and/or financial condition. Moreover, to the extent that key suppliers were to attempt to impose such provisions as part of future contract negotiations, such developments could have an adverse impact on the company’s operations. Finally, some of our suppliers are potential competitors. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to obtain use of facilities or services in a timely manner or on terms acceptable and in quantities satisfactory to us.
Industry consolidation may affect our ability to obtain services from suppliers on atimely or cost-efficient basis.
A principal method of connecting with our customers is through local transport and last mile circuits we purchase from incumbent carriers such as AT&T and Verizon, or competitive carriers such as Time Warner Telecom, XO, or Level 3. In recent years, AT&T, Verizon, and Level 3 have acquired competitors with significant local and/or long-haul network assets. Industry consolidation has occurred on a lesser scale through mergers and acquisitions involving regional or smaller national or international competitors. We believe that a marketplace with multiple supplier options for transport access is important to the long-term availability of competitive pricing, service quality, and carrier responsiveness. It is unclear at this time what the long-term impact of such consolidation will be, or whether it will continue at the same pace as it has in recent years; we cannot guarantee that we will continue to be able to obtain use of facilities or services in a timely manner or on terms acceptable and in quantities satisfactory to us from such suppliers.
We may occasionally have certain sales commitments to customers that extend beyondthe Company’s commitments from its underlying suppliers.
The Company’s financial results could be adversely affected if the Company were unable to purchase extended service from a supplier at a cost sufficiently low to maintain the Company’s margin for the remaining term of its commitment to a customer. While the Company has not encountered material price increases from suppliers with respect to continuation or renewal of services after expiration of initial contract terms, the Company cannot be certain that it would be able to obtain similar terms and conditions from suppliers. In most cases where the Company has faced any price increase from a supplier following contract expiration, the Company has been able to locate another supplier to provide the service at a similar or reduced future cost; however, the Company’s suppliers may not provide services at such cost levels in the future.
We may make purchase commitments to vendors for longer terms or in excess of thevolumes committed by our underlying customers.
The Company attempts to match its purchase of network capacity from its suppliers and its service commitments from its customers. However, from time to time, the Company has obligations to its suppliers that exceed the duration of the Company’s related customer contracts or that are for capacity in excess of the amount for which it has Customer commitments. This could arise based upon the terms and conditions available from the Company’s suppliers, from an expectation of the Company that we will be able to utilize the excess capacity, as a result of a breach of a customer’s commitment to us, or to support fixed elements of the Company’s network. Under any of these circumstances, the Company would incur the cost of the network capacity from its supplier without having corresponding revenue from its customers, which could result in a material and adverse impact on the Company’s operating results.
System disruptions, either in our network or in third party networks on which we depend, could cause delays or interruptions of our service, which could cause us to lose customers, or incur additional expenses.
Our customers dependdepends on our ability to provide network availability with minimal interruptionlimit and mitigate interruptions or degradation in services. The ability to provide this service depends in part on the networks of third party transport suppliers. The networks of transport suppliers may be interrupted as a result of various events, many of which they cannot control, including fire, human error, earthquakes and other natural disasters, power loss, telecommunications failures, terrorism, sabotage, vandalism, cyber-attacks, computer viruses or other infiltration by third parties or the financial distress or other events adversely affecting a supplier, such as bankruptcy or liquidation.
Although we have attempted to design our network services to minimize the possibility of service disruptions or other outages, in addition to risks associated with third party provider networks, our services may be disrupted by problems on our own systems, that affect our central offices, corporate headquarters, network operations centers, or network equipment.availability. Our network, including our routers, may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, distributed denial of service (DDOS), and

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other security breaches. An attack on or security breach of our network could result in interruption or cessation of services, our inability to meet our service level commitments, and potentially compromise customer data transmitted over our network. We cannot guarantee that our security measures will not be circumvented, thereby resulting in network failures or interruptions that could impact our network availability and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operational results. We may be required to expend significant resources to protect against such threats, and may experience a reduction in revenues, litigation, and a diminution in goodwill, caused by a breach. Although our customer contracts limit our liability, affected customers and third parties may seek to recover damages from us under various legal theories.

Our network could suffer serious disruption if certain locations experience serious damage.

There are certain locations through which a large amount of our internetInternet traffic passes. Examples are facilities in which we exchange traffic with other carriers, the facilities through which our transatlantic traffic passes, and certain of our network hub sites. If any of these facilities were destroyed or seriously damaged a significant amount of our network traffic could be disrupted. Because of the large volume of traffic passing through these facilities our ability (and the ability of carriers with whom we exchange traffic) to quickly restore service would be challenged. There could be parts of our network or the networks of other carriers that could not be quickly restored or that would experience substantially reduced service for a significant time. If such a disruption occurs, our reputation could be negatively impacted which may cause us to lose customers and adversely affect our ability to attract new customers, resulting in an adverse effect on our business and operating results.

We may have difficulty and experience disruptions as we add features and upgrade our network
We are constantly upgrading our network and implementing new features and services. This process involves reconfiguring our network and making changes to our operating systems. In doing so we may experience disruptions that affect our customers, our revenue, and our ability to grow. We may require additional resources to accomplish this work in a timely manner. That could cause us to incur unexpected expenses or delay portions of this effort to the detriment of our ability to provide service to our customers.

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We may make purchase commitments to vendors for longer terms or in excess of the volumes committed by our underlying customers or we may occasionally have certain sales commitments to customers that extend beyond our commitments from our underlying suppliers.

We attempt to match our purchase of network capacity from our suppliers and service commitments from our customers. However, from time to time, we may contract for obligations to our suppliers that exceed the duration of the related customer contracts or that are for capacity in excess of the amount for which we have customer commitments. This could arise:

based upon the terms and conditions available from our suppliers;
from an expectation that we will be able to utilize the excess capacity;
as a result of a breach of a customer’s commitment to us; and
to support fixed elements of our network.

Under any of these circumstances, we may incur the cost of the network capacity from our supplier without having corresponding revenue from customers, which could result in a material and adverse impact on our operating results.

Conversely, from time to time, our customer may contract for services that extend beyond the duration of the underlying vendor commitment. This may cause us to seek a renewal of services or a shorter period than we typically seek, or a shortened service period at higher prices. Our financial results could be adversely affected if we are unable to purchase extended service from a supplier at a cost sufficiently low to maintain margins for the remaining term of our commitment to a customer. While we have not historically encountered material price increases from suppliers with respect to continuation or renewal of services after expiration of initial contract terms, we cannot be certain that we would be able to obtain similar terms and conditions from suppliers going forward.

Our connections to the Internet require us to establish and maintain peering relationships with other providers, which we may not be able to maintain.
The Internet is composed of various network providers who operate their own networks that interconnect at public and private interconnection points. Our network is one such network. In order to obtain Internet connectivity for our network, we must establish and maintain relationships with other providers, including many providers that are customers, and incur the necessary capital costs to locate our equipment and connect our network at these various interconnection points.
By entering into what are known as settlement-free peering arrangements, providers agree to exchange traffic between their respective networks without charging each other. Our ability to avoid the higher costs of acquiring paid dedicated network capacity (transit or paid peering) and to maintain high network performance is dependent upon our ability to establish and maintain peering relationships and to increase the capacity of these peering connections. The terms and conditions of our peering relationships may also be subject to adverse changes, which we may not be able to control. If we are not able to maintain or increase our peering relationships in all of our markets on favorable terms, we may not be able to provide our customers with high performance or affordable or reliable services, which could cause us to lose existing and potential customers, damage our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our core network infrastructure equipment is provided by a single vendor.

        We purchase from Juniper Networks, Inc. (Juniper) the majority of the routers and transmission equipment used in our core IP network. If Juniper fails to provide equipment on a timely basis or fails to meet our performance expectations, including in the event that Juniper fails to enhance, maintain, upgrade or improve its products, hardware or software we purchase from them when and how we need, we may be delayed or unable to provide services as and when requested by our customers. We also may be unable to upgrade our network and face greater difficulty maintaining and expanding our network. Transitioning from Juniper to another vendor would be disruptive because of the time and expense required to learn to install, maintain and operate the new vendor's equipment and to operate a multi-vendor network. Any such disruption could increase our costs, decrease our operating efficiencies and have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Juniper may also be subject to litigation with respect to the technology on which we depend, including litigation involving claims of patent infringement. Such claims have been growing rapidly in the communications industry. Regardless of the merit of these claims, they can result in the diversion of technical and management personnel, or require us to obtain non-infringing technology or enter into license agreements for the technology on which we depend. There can be no assurance that such non-infringing technology or licenses will be available on acceptable terms and conditions, if at all.


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If the information systems that we depend on to support our customers, network operations, sales, billing and financial reporting do not perform as expected, our operations and our financial results may be adversely affected.

We rely on complex information systems to operate our network and support our other business functions. Our ability to track sales leads, close sales opportunities, provision services, bill our customers for our services and prepare our financial statements depends upon the effective integration of our various information systems. If our information systems, individually or collectively, fail or do not perform as expected, our ability to process and provision orders, to make timely payments to vendors, to ensure that we collect amounts owed to us and prepare our financial statements would be adversely affected. Such failures or delays could result in increased capital expenditures, customer and vendor dissatisfaction, loss of business or the inability to add new customers or additional services, and the inability to prepare accurate and timely financial statements all of which would adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Our business depends on agreements with carrier neutral data center operators, which we could fail to obtain or maintain.

Our business depends upon access to customers in carrier neutral data centers, which are facilities in which many large users of the Internet house the computer servers that deliver content and applications to users by means of the Internet and provide access to multiple Internet access networks. Most carrier neutral data centers allow any carrier to operate within the facility (for a standard fee). We expect to enter into additional agreements with carrier neutral data center operators as part of our growth plan. Current government regulations do not require carrier neutral data center operators to allow all carriers access on terms that are reasonable or nondiscriminatory. We have been successful in obtaining agreements with these operators in the past and have generally found that the operators want to have us located in their facilities because we offer low-cost, high-capacity Internet service to their customers. Any deterioration in our existing relationships with these operators could harm our sales and marketing efforts and could substantially reduce our potential customer base.

We may be liable for the material that content providers distribute over our network.

Although we believe our liability for third party information stored on or transmitted through our networks is limited, the liability of private network operators is impacted both by changing technology and evolving legal principles.  As a private network provider, we could be exposed to legal claims relating to third party content stored or transmitted on our networks.  Such claims could involve, among others, allegations of defamation, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, or aiding and abetting restricted activities such as online gambling or pornography.  If we decide to implement additional measures to reduce our exposure to these risks or if we are required to defend ourselves against these kinds of claims, our operating results and financial condition could be negatively affected.  

In the past, we have generated net losses and used more cash than we have generated from operations, and we may continue to do so.

We have historically generated net losses and such losses may continue in the future. These net losses primarily have been driven by acquisition-related expenses, depreciation, amortization, interest expense, and share-based compensation. We cannot assure you that we will generate net income in the future.

We have also consistently consumed our entire positive cash flow generated from operating activities with our investing activities. Our investing activities have consisted principally of the acquisition of businesses as well as additions to property and equipment. We have funded the excess of cash used in investing activities over cash provided by operating activities with proceeds from equity and debt issuances.

We intend to continue to invest in expanding our business and pursuing acquisitions that we believe provide an attractive return on our capital. These investments may continue to exceed the amount of cash flow available from operations after debt service requirements. To the extent that our investments exceed our cash flow from operations, we plan to rely on potential future debt or equity issuances, which could increase interest expense or dilute the interest of stockholders, as well as cash on hand and borrowings under our revolving credit facility. We cannot assure you, however, that we will be able to obtain or continue to have access to sufficient capital on reasonable terms, or at all, to successfully grow our business.

Our revenue is relatively concentrated among a small number of customers, and the loss of any of these customers could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Our largest single customer, based on recurring revenue, accounted for approximately 5% of our revenue for the quarter ending December 31, 2015, and total revenues from our top five customers accounted for approximately 15% of our revenue for the quarter ending December 31, 2015. We currently depend, and expect to continue to depend, upon a relatively small number of customers

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for a significant percentage of our revenue. Many of these customers are also competitors for some or all of our service offerings. Our customer contracts typically have terms of one to three years. Our customers may elect not to renew these contracts. Furthermore, our customer contracts are terminable for cause if we breach a material provision of the contract. We may face increased competition and pricing pressure as our customer contracts become subject to renewal. Our customers may negotiate renewal of their contracts at lower rates, for fewer services or for shorter terms. Many of our customers are in the telecommunications industry, which is undergoing consolidation. To the extent that two or more of our customers combine, they may be able to use their greater size to negotiate lower prices from us and may purchase fewer services from us, especially if their networks overlap. If we are unable to successfully renew our customer contracts on commercially acceptable terms, or if our customer contracts are terminated, our business could suffer.

We are also subject to credit risk associated with the concentration of our accounts receivable from our key customers. If one or more of these customers were to become bankrupt, insolvent or otherwise were unable to pay for the services provided by us, we may incur significant write-offs of accounts receivable or incur impairment charges.

Future acquisitions are a component of our strategic plan, and will include integration and other risks that could harm our business.

We have grown rapidly and intend to continue to acquire complementary businesses and assets. This exposes us to the risk that when we evaluate a potential acquisition target we over-estimate the target’s value and, as a result, pay too much for it. We also cannot be certain that we will be able to successfully integrate acquired assets or the operations of the acquired entity with our existing operations. Businesses and assets that we have acquired or may acquire in the future may be subject to unknown or contingent liabilities for which we may have limited or no recourse against the sellers. While we usually require the sellers to indemnify us with respect to breaches of representations and warranties that survive, such indemnification is often limited and subject to various materiality thresholds, a significant deductible or an aggregate cap on losses.  As a result, there is no guarantee that we will recover any amounts with respect to losses due to breaches by the sellers of their representations and warranties. In addition, the total amount of costs and expenses that we may incur with respect to liabilities associated with acquired properties and entities may exceed our expectations, which may adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

Difficulties with integration could cause material customer disruption and dissatisfaction, which could in turn increase churn and reduce new sales. Additionally, we may not be able to integrate acquired businesses in a manner that permits us to realize the cost synergies we anticipate. Our actual cost synergies, cost savings, growth opportunities, and efficiency and operational benefits resulting from any acquisition may be lower and may take longer to realize than we currently expect.

We may incur additional debt or issue additional equity to assist in the funding of these potential transactions, which may increase our leverage and/or dilute the interest of stockholders. Further, additional transactions could cause disruption of our ongoing business and divert management’s attention from the management of daily operations to the closing and integration of the acquired business. Acquisitions also involve other operational and financial risks such as:

increased demand on our existing employees and management related to the increase in the size of the business and the possible distraction from our existing business due to the acquisition;
loss of key employees and salespeople of the acquired business;
liabilities of the acquired business, both unknown and known at the time of the consummation of the acquisition;
discovery that the financial statements we relied on to buy a business were incorrect;
expenses associated with the integration of the operations of the acquired business;
the possibility of future impairment, write-downs of goodwill and other intangibles associated with the acquired business;
finding that the services and operations of the acquired business do not meet the level of quality of those of our existing services and operations; and
recognizing that the internal controls of the acquired business were inadequate.

We are growing rapidly and may not maintain or efficiently manage our growth.

We have rapidly grown our company through acquisitions of companies and assets and the acquisition of new customers through our own sales efforts. In order to become consistently profitable and consistently cash flow positive, we need to both retain existing customers and continue to add a large number of new customers. While no single customer accounted for more than 5% of our 2015 revenue, the loss of or reduced purchases from several significant customers could impair our growth, cash flow and profitability. Customers can be reluctant to switch providers of bandwidth services because it can involve substantial expense and technical difficulty. That can make it harder for us to acquire new customers through our own sales efforts. Our expansion may place strains on our management and our operational and financial infrastructure. Our ability to manage our growth will be particularly dependent upon our ability to:

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expand, develop, and retain an effective sales force and other qualified personnel;
maintain the quality of our operations and our service offerings;
attract customers to switch from their current providers to us in spite of the costs associated with switching providers;
maintain and enhance our system of internal controls to ensure timely and accurate reporting; and
expand our operational information systems in order to support our growth, including integrating new customers without disruption.

We are highly dependent on our management team and other key employees.

We expect that our continued success will largely depend upon the efforts and abilities of members of our management team and other key employees. Our success also depends upon our ability to identify, attract, develop, and retain qualified employees. If we lost members of our management team or other key employees, it would likely have a material adverse effect on our business.

The international operations of our business expose us to risks that could materially and adversely affect the business.

We have operations and investments outside of the United States, as well as rights to undersea cable capacity extending to other countries, that expose us to risks inherent in international operations. These include:

general economic, social and political conditions;
the difficulty of enforcing agreements and collecting receivables through certain foreign legal systems;
tax rates in some foreign countries may exceed those in the U.S.;
foreign currency exchange rates may fluctuate, which could adversely affect our results of operations and the value of our international assets and investments;
foreign earnings may be subject to withholding requirements or the imposition of tariffs, exchange controls or other restrictions;
difficulties and costs of compliance with foreign laws and regulations that impose restrictions on our investments and operations, with penalties for noncompliance, including loss of licenses and monetary fines;
difficulties in obtaining licenses or interconnection arrangements on acceptable terms, if at all; and
changes in U.S. laws and regulations relating to foreign trade and investment.

We may as part of our expansion strategy increase our exposure to international investments and operations.

Our international operations expose us to currency risk.

We conduct a portion of our business using the British Pound Sterling and the Euro. Appreciation of the U.S. Dollar adversely affects our consolidated revenue. For example, the U.S. Dollar has appreciated significantly against the Euro in recent periods.  Since we tend to incur costs in the same currency in which those operations realize revenue, the effect on operating income and operating cash flow is largely mitigated. However, if the U.S. Dollar continues to appreciate significantly, future revenues, operating income and operating cash flows could be materially affected.

Our future tax liabilities are not predictable or controllable. If we become subject to increased levels of taxation, our financial condition and operations could be negatively impacted.

We provide telecommunication and other services in multiple jurisdictions across the United States and Europe and are, therefore, subject to multiple sets of complex and varying tax laws and rules. We cannot predict the amount of future tax liabilities to which we may become subject. Any increase in the amount of taxation incurred as a result of our operations or due to legislative or regulatory changes would be adverse to us. In addition, we may become subject to income tax audits by many tax jurisdictions throughout the world. It is possible that certain tax positions taken by us could result in tax liabilities for us. While we believe that our current provisions for taxes are reasonable and appropriate, we cannot assure you that these items would be settled for the amounts accrued or that we will not identify additional exposures in the future.

We cannot assure you whether, when or in what amounts we will be able to use our net operating losses, or when they will be depleted.

At December 31, 2015, we had approximately $83.6 million of U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) net of limitations under Section 382. Under certain circumstances, these NOLs can be used to offset our future federal and certain taxable income. If we experience an “ownership change,” as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code and related Treasury regulations at a time when our market capitalization is below a certain level, our ability to use the NOLs could be substantially

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limited. This limit could impact the timing of the usage of the NOLs, thus accelerating cash tax payments or causing NOLs to expire prior to their use, which could affect the ultimate realization of the NOLs.

Furthermore, transactions that we enter into, as well as transactions by existing or future 5% stockholders that we do not participate in, could cause us to incur an “ownership change,” which could prevent us from fully utilizing our NOLs to reduce our federal income taxes. These limitations could cause us not to pursue otherwise favorable acquisitions and other transactions involving our capital stock, or could reduce the net benefits to be realized from any such transactions. Despite this, we expect to use substantially all of these NOLs and certain other deferred tax attributes as an offset to our federal future taxable income, although the timing of that use will depend upon our future earnings and future tax circumstances. If and when our NOLs are fully utilized, we expect that the amount of our cash flow dedicated to the payment of federal taxes will increase substantially.

Impairment of our intellectual property rights and our alleged infringement on other companies' intellectual property rights could harm our business.

We cannot assure you that the steps taken by us to protect our intellectual property rights will be adequate to deter misappropriation of proprietary information or that we will be able to detect unauthorized use and take appropriate steps to enforce our intellectual property rights. We also are subject to the risk of litigation alleging infringement of third party intellectual property rights. Any such claims could require us to spend significant sums in litigation, pay damages, develop non-infringing intellectual property or acquire licenses to the intellectual property that is the subject of the alleged infringement.

We issue projected results and estimates for future periods from time to time, and such projections and estimates are subject to inherent uncertainties and may prove to be inaccurate.

Financial information, results of operations and other projections that we may issue from time to time are based upon our assumptions and estimates. While we believe these assumptions and estimates to be reasonable when they are developed, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. You should understand that certain unpredictable factors could cause our actual results to differ from our expectations and those differences may be material. No independent expert participates in the preparation of these estimates. These estimates should not be regarded as a representation by us as to our results of operations during such periods as there can be no assurance that any of these estimates will be realized. In light of the foregoing, we caution you not to place undue reliance on these estimates. These estimates constitute forward-looking statements.

If we do not comply with laws regarding corruption and bribery, we may become subject to monetary or criminal penalties.

The United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act generally prohibits companies and their intermediaries from bribing foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business. Other countries have similar laws to which we are subject. We currently take precautions to comply with these laws. However, these precautions may not protect us against liability, particularly as a result of actions that may be taken in the future by agents and other intermediaries through whom we have exposure under these laws even though we may have limited or no ability to control such persons. Our competitors include foreign entities that are not subject to the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or laws of similar stringency, and hence we may be at a competitive disadvantage.

Risks Related to Our Industry

Consolidation among companies in the telecommunications industry could further strengthen our competitors and adversely impact our business.

The telecommunications industry is intensely competitive and continues to undergo significant consolidation. There are many reasons for consolidation in our industry, including the desire for companies to acquire customers or assets in regions where they currently have no or insufficient presence. The consolidation within the industry may cause customers to disconnect services to move them to their own networks, or consolidate buying with other providers. Additionally, consolidation in the industry could further strengthen our competitors, give them greater financial resources and geographic reach, and allow them to put additional pressure on prices for our services. Furthermore, consolidation can reduce the number of available suppliers available to contract with, resulting in decreased flexibility and cost savings opportunity.

The sector in which we operate is highly competitive, and we may not be able to compete effectively.
We face significant competition from incumbent carriers, Internet service providers and facilities-based network operators. Relative to us, many of these providers have significantly greater financial resources, more well-established brand names, larger

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customer bases, and more diverse strategic plans and service offerings. Most of these competitors are also our customers and suppliers.

Intense competition from these traditional and new communications companies has led to declining prices and margins for many communications services, and we expect this trend to continue as competition intensifies in the future. Our competitors may also introduce new technologies or services that could make our services less attractive to potential customers.

Certain of our services are subject to regulation that could change or otherwise impact us in an adverse manner.

Communications services are subject to domestic and international regulation at the federal, state, and local levels. These regulations affect our business and our existing and potential competitors. Our electronic communications services and electronic communications networks in Europe and elsewhere are subject to regulatory oversight by national communications regulators, such as the United Kingdom’s Office of Communications (“Ofcom”).  In addition, in the United States, both the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) and the state public utility commissions or similar regulatory authorities (the “State PUCs”) typically require us to file periodic reports, pay various regulatory fees and assessments, and to comply with their regulations. Such compliance can be costly and burdensome and may affect the way we conduct our business. Delays in receiving required regulatory approvals (including approvals relating to acquisitions or financing activities or for interconnection agreements with other carriers), the enactment of new and adverse international or domestic legislation or regulations (including those pertaining to broadband initiatives and net-neutrality), or the denial, modification or termination by a regulator of any approval or authorization, could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, the current regulatory landscape is subject to change through judicial review of current legislation and rulemaking by the FCC, Ofcom, and other domestic, foreign, and international rulemaking bodies. These bodies regularly consider changes to their regulatory framework and fee obligations. Changes in current regulation may make it more difficult to obtain the approvals necessary to operate our business, significantly increase the regulatory fees to which we are subject, or have other adverse effects on our future operations in the United States and Europe.

Our growth and financial health are subject to a number of economic risks.
A downturn in the world economy, especially the economies of North America and Europe would negatively impact our growth. We would be particularly impacted by a decline in the development of new applications and businesses that make use of the Internet. Our revenue growth is predicated on growing use of the Internet that makes up for the declining prices of Internet service. An economic downturn could impact the Internet business more significantly than other businesses that are less dependent on new applications and growth in the use of those applications because of the retrenchment by consumers and businesses that typically occur in an economic downturn.

Unfavorable general global economic conditions could negatively impact our operating results and financial condition.

Unfavorable general global economic conditions could negatively affect our business. Although it is difficult to predict the impact of general economic conditions on our business, these conditions could adversely affect the affordability of, and customer demand for, our services, and could cause customers to delay or forgo purchases of our services. One or more of these circumstances could cause our revenue to decline. Also, our customers may not be able to obtain adequate access to credit, which could affect their ability to purchase our services or make timely payments to us. The current economic conditions, including federal fiscal and monetary policy actions, may lead to inflationary conditions in our cost base, particularly in our lease and personnel related expenses. This could harm our margins and profitability if we are unable to increase prices or reduce costs sufficiently to offset the effects of inflation in our cost base. For these reasons, among others, if challenging economic conditions persist or worsen, our operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Terrorist activity throughout the world, military action to counter terrorism and natural disasters could adversely impact our business.

The continued threat of terrorist activity and other acts of war or hostility have had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on business, financial and general economic conditions internationally. Effects from these events and any future terrorist activity, including cyber terrorism, may, in turn, increase our costs due to the need to provide enhanced security, which would adversely affect our business and results of operations. These circumstances may also damage or destroy our Internet infrastructure and may adversely affect our ability to attract and retain customers, our ability to raise capital and the operation and maintenance of our network access points. We are also susceptible to other catastrophic events such as major natural disasters, extreme weather, fire or similar events that could affect our headquarters, other offices, our network, infrastructure or equipment, which could adversely affect our business.
Disruptions or degradations in our service could subject us to legal claims and liability for losses suffered by customers due to our inability to provide service. If our network failure rates are higher than permitted under the applicable customer contracts, we may incur significant expenses related to network outage credits, which would reduce our revenue and gross margin. In addition, customers may, under certain contracts, have the ability to terminate services in case of prolonged or severe service disruptions or other outages which would also adversely impact our results of operations. Our reputation could be harmed if we fail to provide a reasonably adequate level of network availability, and as a result we could find it more difficult to attract and retain customers.

If the products or services that we market or sell do not maintain market acceptance,our results of operations will be adversely affected.
Certain segments of the telecommunications industry are dependent on developing and marketing new products and services that respond to technological and competitive developments and changing customer needs. We cannot assure you that our products and services will gain or obtain increased market acceptance. Any significant delay or failure in developing new or enhanced technology, including new product and service offerings, could result in a loss of actual or potential market share and a decrease in revenue.
The communications market in which we operate is highly competitive; we could be forced to reduce prices, may lose customers to other providers that offer lower prices and have problems attracting new customers.
The communications industry is highly competitive and pricing for some of our key service offerings, such as our dedicated IP transport services, has been generally declining. If our costs of service, including the cost of leasing underlying facilities, do not decline in a similar fashion, we could experience significant margin compression, reduction of profitability and loss of business.
If carrier and enterprise connectivity demand does not continue to expand, we mayexperience a shortfall in revenue or earnings or otherwise fail to meet publicmarket expectations.
The growth of our business will be dependent, in part, upon the increased use of carrier and enterprise connectivity services and our ability to capture a higher proportion of this market. Increased usage of enterprise connectivity services depends on numerous factors, including:
the willingness of enterprises to make additional information technology expenditures;

the availability of security products necessary to ensure data privacy over the public networks;

the quality, cost, and functionality of these services and competing services;

the increased adoption of wired and wireless broadband access methods;

the continued growth of broadband-intensive applications; and

the proliferation of electronic devices and related applications.

Our long sales and service deployment cycles require us to incur substantial salescosts that may not result in related revenue.
Our business is characterized by long sales cycles between the time a potential customer is contacted and a customer contract is signed. The average sales cycle can be as little as two to six weeks for existing customers and three to six months or longer for new customers with complicated service requirements. Furthermore, once a customer contract is signed, there is typically an extended period of between 30 and 120 days before the customer actually begins to use the services, which is when we begin to realize revenue.

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As a result, we may invest a significant amount of time and effort in attempting to secure a customer, which investment may not result in near term, if any, revenue. Even if we enter into a contract, we will have incurred substantial sales-related expenses well before we recognize any related revenue. If the expenses associated with sales increase, if we are not successful in our sales efforts, or if we are unable to generate associated offsetting revenue in a timely manner, our operating results could be materially and adversely affected.
Because much of our business is international, our financial results may be affectedby foreign exchange rate fluctuations.
Approximately 42% of our revenue comes from countries outside of the United States. As such, other currencies, particularly the Euro and the British Pound Sterling can have an impact on the Company’s results (expressed in U.S. Dollars). Currency variations also contribute to variations in sales in impacted jurisdictions. Accordingly, fluctuations in foreign currency rates, most notably the strengthening of the dollar against the Euro and the Pound, could have a material impact on our revenue growth in future periods. In addition, currency variations can adversely affect margins on sales of our products in countries outside of the United States and margins on sales of products that include components obtained from suppliers located outside of the United States.
Because much of our business is international, we may be subject to local taxes,tariffs, statutory requirements, or other restrictions in foreign countries, which may reduce ourprofitability.
The Company is subject to various risks associated with conducting business worldwide. Revenue from our foreign subsidiaries, or other locations where we provide or procure services internationally, may be subject to additional taxes in some foreign jurisdictions. Additionally, some foreign jurisdictions may subject us to additional withholding tax requirements or the imposition of tariffs, exchange controls, or other restrictions on foreign earnings. The Company is also subject to foreign government employment standards, labor strikes and work stoppages. These risks and any other restrictions imposed on our foreign operations may increase our costs of business in those jurisdictions, which in turn may reduce our profitability.
If our goodwill or amortizable intangible assets become impaired we may berequired to record a significant charge to earnings.
Under generally accepted accounting principles, we review our amortizable intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually. Factors that may be considered a change in circumstances indicating that the carrying value of our goodwill or amortizable intangible assets may not be recoverable include, reduced future cash flow estimates, a decline in stock price and market capitalization, and slower growth rates in our industry. During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company recorded no impairment to goodwill and amortizable intangible assets. We may be required to record a significant charge to earnings in our financial statements during the period in which any impairment of our goodwill or amortizable intangible assets is determined, negatively impacting our results of operations.
The ability to implement and maintain our databases and management informationsystems is a critical business requirement, and if we cannot obtain or maintainaccurate data or maintain these systems, we might be unable to cost-effectivelyprovide solutions to our customers.
To be successful, we must increase and update information in our databases about network pricing, capacity and availability. Our ability to provide cost-effective network availability and access cost management depends upon the information we collect from our transport suppliers regarding their networks. These suppliers are not obligated to provide this information and could decide to stop providing it to us at any time. Moreover, we cannot be certain that the information that these suppliers share with us is accurate. If we cannot continue to maintain and expand the existing databases, we may be unable to increase revenue or to facilitate the supply of services in a cost-effective manner.
If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, competitors may be ableto use our technology or trademarks, which could weaken our competitive position.
We own certain proprietary programs, software and technology. However, we do not have any patented technology that would preclude competitors from replicating our business model; instead, we rely upon a combination of know-how, trade secret laws, contractual restrictions, and copyright, trademark and service mark laws to establish and protect our intellectual property. Our success will depend in part on our ability to maintain or obtain (as applicable) and enforce intellectual property rights for those assets, both in the United States and in other countries. Although our Americas operating company has registered some of its service marks in the United States, we have not otherwise applied for registration of any marks in any other jurisdiction. Instead, with the exception of the few registered service marks in the United States, we rely exclusively on common law trademark rights in the countries in which we operate.

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We may file applications for patents, copyrights and trademarks as our management deems appropriate. We cannot assure you that these applications, if filed, will be approved or that we will have the financial and other resources necessary to enforce our proprietary rights against infringement by others. Additionally, we cannot assure you that any patent, trademark, or copyright obtained by us will not be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented, and the laws of certain foreign countries may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States or the member states of the European Union. Finally, although we intend to undertake reasonable measures to protect the proprietary assets of our combined operations, we cannot guarantee that we will be successful in all cases in protecting the trade secret status of certain significant intellectual property assets. If these assets should be misappropriated, if our intellectual property rights are otherwise infringed, or if a competitor should independently develop similar intellectual property, this could harm our ability to attract new clients, retain existing customers and generate revenue.

Intellectual property and proprietary rights of others could prevent us from usingnecessary technology to provide our services or otherwise operate our business.
We utilize data and processing capabilities available through commercially available third-party software tools and databases to assist in the efficient analysis of network engineering and pricing options. Where such technology is held under patent or other intellectual property rights by third parties, we are required to negotiate license agreements in order to use that technology. In the future, we may not be able to negotiate such license agreements at acceptable prices or on acceptable terms. If an adequate substitute is not available on acceptable terms and at an acceptable price from another software licensor, we could be compelled to undertake additional efforts to obtain the relevant network and pricing data independently from other, disparate sources, which, if available at all, could involve significant time and expense and adversely affect our ability to deliver network services to customers in an efficient manner.
Furthermore, to the extent that we are subject to litigation regarding the ownership of our intellectual property or the licensing and use of others’ intellectual property, this litigation could:
be time-consuming and expensive;

divert attention and resources away from our daily business;

impede or prevent delivery of our products and services; and

require us to pay significant royalties, licensing fees, and damages.

Parties making claims of infringement may be able to obtain injunctive or other equitable relief that could effectively block our ability to provide our services and could cause us to pay substantial damages. In the event of a successful claim of infringement, we may need to obtain one or more licenses from third parties, which may not be available at a reasonable cost, if at all. The defense of any lawsuit could result in time-consuming and expensive litigation, regardless of the merits of such claims, and could also result in damages, license fees, royalty payments, and restrictions on our ability to provide our services, any of which could harm our business.
We continue to evaluate merger and acquisition opportunities and may purchaseadditional companies in the future, and the failure to integrate them successfullywith our existing business may adversely affect our financial condition and resultsof operations.
We continue to explore merger and acquisition opportunities and we may face difficulties if we acquire other businesses in the future including:
integrating the management personnel, services, products, systems and technologies of the acquired businesses into our existing operations;

retaining key personnel of the acquired businesses;

failing to adequately identify or assess liabilities of acquired businesses;

retaining existing customers and/or vendors of both companies;


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failing to achieve the synergies, revenue growth and other expected benefits we used to determine the purchase price of the acquired businesses;

failing to realize the anticipated benefits of a particular merger and acquisition;

incurring significant transaction and acquisition-related costs;

incurring unanticipated problems or legal liabilities;

being subject to business uncertainties and contractual restrictions while an acquisition is pending that could adversely affect our business; and

diverting our management’s attention from the day-to-day operation of our business.

These difficulties could disrupt our ongoing business and increase our expenses. As of the date of the filing of this Form 10-K, we have no agreement or memorandum of understanding to enter into any acquisition transaction. 

In addition, our ability to complete acquisitions may depend, in part, on our ability to finance these acquisitions, including both the costs of the acquisition and the cost of the subsequent integration activities. Our ability may be constrained by our cash flow, the level of our indebtedness, restrictive covenants in the agreements governing our indebtedness, conditions in the securities and credit markets and other factors, most of which are generally beyond our control. If we proceed with one or more acquisitions in which the consideration consists of cash, we may use a substantial portion of our available cash to complete such acquisitions, thereby reducing our liquidity. If we finance one or more acquisitions with the proceeds of indebtedness, our interest expense and debt service requirements could increase materially. Thus, the financial impact of future acquisitions, including the costs to pursue acquisitions that do not ultimately close, could materially affect our business and could cause substantial fluctuations in our quarterly and yearly operating results.
Our efforts to develop new service offerings may not be successful, in which case ourrevenue may not grow as we anticipate or may decline.
The market for telecommunications services is characterized by rapid change, as new technologies are developed and introduced, often rendering established technologies obsolete. For our business to remain competitive, we must continually update our service offerings to make new technologies available to our customers and prospects. To do so, we may have to expend significant management and sales resources, which may increase our operating costs. The success of our potential new service offerings is uncertain and would depend on a number of factors, including the acceptance by end-user customers of the telecommunications technologies which would underlie these new service offerings, the compatibility of these technologies with existing customer information technology systems and processes, the compatibility of these technologies with our then-existing systems and processes, and our ability to find third-party vendors that would be willing to provide these new technologies to us for delivery to our users. If we are unsuccessful in developing and selling new service offerings, our revenue may not grow as we anticipate, or may decline.
If we do not continue to train, manage and retain employees, clients may reducepurchases of services.
Our employees are responsible for providing clients with technical and operational support, and for identifying and developing opportunities to provide additional services to existing clients. In order to perform these activities, our employees must have expertise in areas such as telecommunications network technologies, network design, network implementation and network management, including the ability to integrate services offered by multiple telecommunications carriers. They must also accept and incorporate training on our systems and databases developed to support our operations and business model. Employees with this level of expertise tend to be in high demand in the telecommunications industry, which may make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified employees. If we fail to train, manage, and retain our employees, we may be limited in our ability to gain more business from existing clients, and we may be unable to obtain or maintain current information regarding our clients’ and suppliers’ communications networks, which could limit our ability to provide future services.
The regulatory framework under which we operate could require substantial time andresources for compliance, which could make it difficult and costly for us to operatethe businesses.
In providing certain interstate and international telecommunications services, we must comply, or cause our customers or carriers to comply, with applicable telecommunications laws and regulations prescribed by the FCC and applicable foreign regulatory authorities. In offering services on an intrastate basis, we may also be subject to state laws and to regulation by state public utility

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commissions. Our international services may also be subject to regulation by foreign authorities and, in some markets, multinational authorities, such as the European Union. The costs of compliance with these regulations, including legal, operational and administrative expenses, may be substantial. In addition, delays in receiving or failure to obtain required regulatory approvals or the enactment of new or adverse legislation, regulations or regulatory requirements may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.
If we fail to obtain required authorizations from the FCC or other applicable authorities, or if we are found to have failed to comply, or are alleged to have failed to comply, with the rules of the FCC or other authorities, our right to offer certain services could be challenged and/or fines or other penalties could be imposed on us. Any such challenges or fines could be substantial and could cause us to incur substantial legal and administrative expenses as well; these costs in the forms of fines, penalties, and legal and administrative expenses could have a material adverse impact, on our business and operations. Furthermore, we are dependent in certain cases on the services other carriers provide, and therefore on other carriers’ abilities to retain their respective licenses in the regions of the world in which they operate. We are also dependent, in some circumstances, on our customers’ abilities to obtain and retain the necessary licenses. The failure of a customer or carrier to obtain or retain any necessary license could have an adverse effect on our ability to conduct operations.
“Net neutrality” legislation or regulation could limit GTT’s ability to operate its business profitably and to manage its broadband facilities efficiently.
The FCC’s rules under its Open Internet Order imposing net neutrality obligations on broadband internet access providers are based on principles of transparency, no blocking and no unreasonable discrimination and are applicable to fixed and wireless broadband internet access providers to different extents. Under these new rules, fixed and wireless broadband internet access providers, including GTT, are required to make their practices transparent to both consumers and providers of internet content, services, applications and devices on both the website and at the point-of-sale. In addition, subject to “reasonable network management,” fixed broadband internet access providers, including GTT, are prohibited from blocking lawful content, applications, services and non-harmful devices, and from engaging in unreasonable discrimination in transmitting lawful traffic.
In order to continue to provide quality high-speed data service at attractive prices and to offer new services, GTT needs the continued flexibility to develop and refine business models that respond to changing consumer uses and demands, to manage bandwidth usage efficiently and to continue to invest in its systems. It remains unclear how the FCC’s net neutrality regulations will be implemented and how “reasonable network management” will be determined. These regulations could adversely impact GTT’s ability to operate its high-speed data network profitably and to undertake the upgrades and put into operation management practices that may be needed to continue to provide high quality high-speed data services and new services and could negatively impact its ability to compete effectively.

Future changes in regulatory requirements, new interpretations of existing regulatoryrequirements, or determinations that we violated existing regulatory requirements mayimpair our ability to provide services, result in financial losses or otherwise reduce our profitability.
Many of the laws and regulations that apply to providers of telecommunications services are subject to frequent changes and different interpretations and may vary between jurisdictions. Changes to existing legislation or regulations in particular markets may limit the opportunities that are available to enter into markets, may increase the legal, administrative, or operational costs of operating in those markets, or may constrain other activities, including our ability to complete subsequent acquisitions, or purchase services or products, in ways that we cannot anticipate. Because we purchase telecommunications services from other carriers, our costs and manner of doing business can also be adversely affected by changes in regulatory policies affecting these other carriers.
In addition, any determination that we, including companies that we have acquired, have violated applicable regulatory requirements could result in material fines, penalties, forfeitures, interest or retroactive assessments. For example, a determination that we have not paid all required universal service fund contributions could result in substantial retroactive assessment of universal service fund contributions, together with applicable interest, penalties, fines or forfeitures.
We depend on key personnel to manage our businesses effectively in a rapidly changingmarket, and our ability to generate revenue will suffer if we are unable to retainkey personnel and hire additional personnel.
The future success, strategic development and execution of our business will depend upon the continued services of our executive officers and other key sales, marketing and support personnel. We do not maintain “key person” life insurance policies with respect to any of our employees, nor are we certain if any such policies will be obtained or maintained in the future. We may need to hire

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additional personnel in the future and we believe the success of the combined business depends, in large part, upon our abilityRisk Factors Related to attract and retain key employees. The loss of the services of any key employees, the inability to attract or retain qualified personnel in the future, or delays in hiring required personnel could limit our ability to generate revenue and to operate our business.Our Indebtedness

Our business and operations are growing rapidly and we may not be able to efficiently manage our growth.
We have rapidly grown our company through network expansion and obtaining new customers through our sales efforts. Our expansion places significant strains on our management, operational and financial infrastructure. Our ability to manage our growth will be particularly dependent upon our ability to:
expand, develop and retain an effective sales force and qualified personnel;

maintain the quality of our operations and our service offerings;

maintain and enhance our system of internal controls to ensure timely and accurate compliance with our financial and regulatory reporting requirements; and

expand our accounting and operational information systems in order to support our growth.
If we fail to implement these measures successfully, our ability to manage our growth will be impaired.
Interruption or failure of our information technology and communications systems could hurt our ability to effectively provide our products and services, which could damage our reputation and harm our operating results.
The availability of our products and services depends on the continuing operation of our information technology and communications systems. Our systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, terrorist attacks, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, computer denial of service attacks or other attempts to harm our systems. Some of our systems are not fully redundant and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. The occurrence of a natural disaster, a decision to close a facility we are using without adequate notice for financial reasons, or other unanticipated problems at our data centers could result in lengthy interruptions in our service.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results. As a result, current and potential shareholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our common stock.

As of December 31, 2014, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on criteria created by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission ("COSO") set forth in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013). However, if material weaknesses are identified in our internal control over financial reporting in the future, our management will be unable to report favorably as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and/or our disclosure controls and procedures, and we could be required to implement remedial measures.  A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Such remedial measures could be expensive and time consuming and could potentially cause investors to lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could have an adverse effect on our stock price and potentially subject us to litigation.

Risks Relating to Our Indebtedness
Our failure to comply with covenants in our loan agreements could result in ourindebtedness being immediately due and payable and the loss of our assets.

Pursuant to the terms of our loan agreements, we have pledged substantially all of our assets to the lenders as security for our payment obligations under the loan agreements. If we fail to pay any of our indebtedness under the loan agreements when due, or if we breach any of the other covenants in the loan agreements, it may result in one or more events of default. An event of default under our loan agreements would permit the lenders to declare all amounts owing to be immediately due and payable and, if we were unable to repay any indebtedness owed, the lenders could proceed against the collateral securing that indebtedness.

Covenants in our loan agreements and outstanding notes, and in any future debtagreements, may restrict our future operations.

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The loan agreements related to our outstanding senior and mezzanine indebtedness impose financial restrictions that limit our discretion on some business matters, which could make it more difficult for us to expand our business, finance our operations and engage in other business activities that may be in our interest. These restrictions include compliance with, or maintenance of, certain financial tests and ratios and restrictions that limit our ability and that of our subsidiaries to, among other things:
incur additional indebtedness or place additional liens on our assets;

pay dividends or make other distributions on, redeem or repurchase our capital stock;

make investments or repay subordinated indebtedness;

enter into transactions with affiliates;

sell assets;

engage in a merger, consolidation or other business combination; or

change the nature of our businesses.

Any additional indebtedness we may incur in the future may subject us to similar or even more restrictive conditions.
Our level of indebtedness and debt service obligations could impair ourfinancial condition, hinder our growth and put us at a competitive disadvantage.
Oursubstantial level of indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition and prevent us from fulfilling our obligations under our debt agreements.

We have substantial indebtedness. Our substantial debt may have important consequences for our business, results of operations and financial condition.consequences. For example, a high level of indebtedness could, among other things:
instance, it could:
make it more difficult for us to satisfy our financial obligations;

increaseobligations, including those relating to our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions, including interest rate fluctuations;

increase the risk that a substantial decrease in cash flows from operating activities or an increase in expenses will make it difficult for us to meet our debt service requirements and will require us to modify our operations;

debt;
require us to dedicate a substantial portion of ourany cash flow from operations to make payments onthe payment of interest and principal due under our indebtedness, thereby reducingdebt, which will reduce funds available for other business purposes, including the availabilitygrowth of our cash flow to fund future business opportunities, working capital,operations, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes;acquisitions;

place us at a competitive disadvantage compared with some of our competitors that may have less debt and better access to capital resources; and
limit our ability to borrowobtain additional fundsfinancing required to expandfund working capital and capital expenditures, for strategic acquisitions and for other general corporate purposes.

Our ability to satisfy our obligations including our debt depends on our future operating performance and on economic, financial, competitive and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow, and future financings may not be available to provide sufficient net proceeds, to meet these obligations or to successfully execute our business or ease liquidity constraints;strategy.

Despite our leverage we may still be able to incur more debt. This could further exacerbate the risks that we and our subsidiaries face.

We and our subsidiaries may incur additional indebtedness, including additional secured indebtedness, in the future. The terms of our debt facilities restrict, but do not completely prohibit, us from doing so. If new debt or other liabilities are added to our current debt levels the related risks that we and our subsidiaries now face could intensify.

We may be subject to interest rate risk and increasing interest rates may increase our interest expense.

Borrowings under the credit agreement bear, and our future indebtedness may bear, interest at variable rates and expose us to interest rate risk. If interest rates increase, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness would increase even though the amount borrowed remained the same, and our net income and cash available for servicing our indebtedness would decrease.

The agreements governing our debt obligations impose restrictions on our business and could adversely affect our ability to undertake certain corporate actions.

The agreements governing our various debt obligations include covenants imposing significant restrictions on our business. These restrictions may affect our ability to operate our business and may limit our ability to take advantage of potential business opportunities as they arise. These covenants place restrictions on our ability to, among other things:

incur additional debt;
create liens;
make certain investments;
consummate acquisitions;
enter into certain transactions with affiliates;
declare or pay dividends, redeem stock or make other distributions to stockholders; and
consolidate, merge or transfer or sell all or substantially all of our assets.

        Our ability to comply with these agreements may be affected by events beyond our control, including prevailing economic, financial and industry conditions. These covenants could have an adverse effect on our business by limiting our ability to take advantage of financing, merger and acquisition or other corporate opportunities.
In addition, the credit agreement requires us to comply with specified financial ratios, including ratios regarding secured leverage. Our ability to comply with these ratios may be affected by events beyond our control. These restrictions limit our ability to plan for or react to market conditions, meet capital needs, or otherwise constrain our activities or business plans. They also may adversely affect our ability to finance our operations, enter into acquisitions, or engage in other business activities that would be in our interest.


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A breach of any of the covenants contained in our credit agreement or any future agreements related to indebtedness, or our inability to comply with the financial ratios could result in an event of default, which would allow the lenders to declare all borrowings outstanding to be due and payable or to terminate the ability to borrow under the Revolver. If the amounts outstanding under the credit agreement or other future indebtedness were to be accelerated, we cannot assure that our assets would be sufficient to repay in full the money owed. In such a situation, we could be forced to file for bankruptcy.

To service our indebtedness, we will require a significant amount of cash. However, our ability to generate cash depends on many factors many of which are beyond our control.

Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future, which, in turn, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations and we may not have available to us future borrowings in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. In these circumstances, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity;

maturity. We may not be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Without this financing, we could be forced to sell assets or secure additional financing to make up for any shortfall in our payment obligations under unfavorable circumstances. However, we may not be able to secure additional financing on terms favorable to us or at all and, in addition, the terms of the indentures governing our notes limit our ability to pursue future acquisitions;sell assets and also restrict the use of proceeds from such a sale. We may not be able to sell assets quickly enough or for sufficient amounts to enable us to meet our obligations, including our obligations under our notes.

limitIf we are unable to meet our flexibilitydebt service obligations, we would be in planningdefault under the terms of our credit agreement, permitting acceleration of the amounts due under the credit agreement and eliminating our ability to draw on the Revolver. If the amounts outstanding under the credit facilities or future indebtedness were to be accelerated, we could be forced to file for or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate; and

place us at a competitive disadvantage relative to competitors that have less indebtedness.bankruptcy.

Risks Related to our Common Stock and the Securities Markets

Because we do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock, stockholderswill benefit from an investment in our common stock only if it appreciates in value.

We do not currently anticipate paying any dividends on shares of our common stock. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be made by our Board of Directors and will depend upon results of operations, financial conditions, contractual restrictions, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant. Accordingly, realization of a gain on stockholders’ investments will depend on the appreciation of the price of our common stock. There is no guarantee that our common stock will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which stockholders purchased their shares.

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The concentration of our capital stock ownership will likelymay limit a stockholder’sability to influence corporate matters, and could discourage a takeover thatstockholders may consider favorable and make it more difficult for a stockholder toelect directors of its choosing.

H. Brian Thompson, the Company’s Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Universal Telecommunications, Inc., his ownMr. Thompson’s private equity investment and advisory firm, owned 6,757,1856,777,336 shares of our common stock at December 31, 2014.2015. Based on the number of shares of our common stock outstanding on December 31, 2014,2015, Mr. Thompson and Universal Telecommunications, Inc. would beneficially own approximately 20%19% of our common stock. In addition, as of December 31, 2014,2015, our executive officers, directors and affiliated entities, excluding H. BrianMr. Thompson and Universal Telecommunications, Inc., together beneficially owned common stock, without taking into account their unexercised options, representing approximately 10% of our common stock. As a result, these stockholders have the ability to exert significant control over matters that require approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. The interests of these stockholders might conflict with your interests as a holder of our securities, and it may cause us to pursue transactions that, in their judgment, could enhance their equity investments, even though such transactions may involve significant risks to you as a security holder. The large concentration of ownership in a small group of stockholders might also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of GTT that other stockholders may view as beneficial.

We might require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on favorable terms, or at all.

Our operations or expansion efforts may require substantial additional financial, operational and managerial resources. While we believe we have sufficient liquidity as of December 31, 2015 to fund our working capital and other operating requirements, we

13



may raise additional funds for acquisitions or to expand our operations. If we obtain additional funding in the future, we may seek debt financing or obtain additional equity capital. Additional capital may not be available to us, or may only be available on terms that adversely affect our existing stockholders, or that restrict our operations. For example, if we raise additional funds through issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences, and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock.

It may be difficult for you to resell shares of our common stock if an active marketforgiven the limited trading volume in our common stock does not develop.stock.

Our common stock has only recently been listed on the NYSE since November 2014, and prior to this listing theour common stock was thinly traded on the NYSE MKT and OTC Markets.  If a liquid market for theDuring 2015, on average, approximately 100-200 thousand shares of our common stock does not developtraded each day on the NYSE, then,NYSE. Therefore, in addition to the concentrated ownership of our capital stock, thislimited daily trading volumes may further impair your ability to sell your shares when you want to do so and could depress our stock price. As a result, you may find it difficult to dispose of,obtain or to obtain accurate quotations of the pricedispose of our securities because smaller quantities of shares could be bought and sold, transactions could be delayed, and security analyst and news coverage of the Company may be limited.  These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our shares.

Disruptions in the financial markets could affect our ability to obtain debt or equity financing or to refinance our existing indebtedness on reasonable terms or at all.

Disruptions in the financial markets could impact our ability to obtain debt or equity financing, or lines of credit, in the future as well as impact our ability to refinance our existing indebtedness on reasonable terms or at all, which could affect our strategic operations and our financial performance and force modifications to our operations.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

The Company doesWe do not own any real estate. Instead, all of the Company’sour facilities are leased. GTT’s headquarters are located in McLean, Virginia. We also lease corporate office space in the following cities around the world:

North America: Phoenix, AZ; Costa Mesa, CA; Pleasanton, CA; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; New York, NY; East Rutherford, NJ;Lemont Furnace, PA; Trooper, PA; Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; Scottsdale, AZ; Lemont Furnace, PASeattle, WA;
Europe: London, England; Cagliari, Italy; Milan, Italy; Frankfurt, Germany; Belfast, Northern Ireland
Asia: Hong Kong, China

WeChinaWe believe our properties, taken as a whole, are in good operating condition and are adequate for our business needs.

14




ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
 
From time to time, the Company is awe are party to legal proceedings arising in the normal course of its business. The Company doesWe do not believe that it is awe are party to any current or pending legal action that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on its businessour financial condition or operating results financial position or cash flows. 

The Company filed a civil complaint against Artel, LLC on June 15, 2012 in the Fairfax County Virginia Circuit Court, docket number CL2012-04735, alleging breach of contract with respect to telecommunication services provided by the Company. In response to the Company’s complaint, Artel, LLC filed a counterclaim against the Company based on allegations of breach of contract and certain business torts. On December 20, 2013, the Court entered a judgment against the Company in the amount of $3.3 million.  The Company reached an agreement with Artel, LLC in 2014 to settle all litigation proceedings equal to the initial judgment of $3.3 million.

operations. 

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.


1514



PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market for Equity Securities
 
Our common stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol “GTT” and has traded on the NYSE since November 28, 2014. Prior to November 28, 2014, our common stock traded on the NYSE MKT.
The following table sets forth, for the calendar quarters indicated, the quarterly high and low sales information of our common stock as reported on the NYSE since November 28, 2014 and on the NYSE MKT from June 17, 2013January 1, 2014 to November 28, 2014. The quarterly high and low bid informationAs of March 9, 2016, there were approximately 201 holders of record of our common stock, as reported on the OTC Markets were for the period prior to June 17, 2013.par value $.0001 per share.
Common StockCommon Stock
High LowHigh Low
2013   
First Quarter$3.65
 $2.55
Second Quarter, to June 17$4.25
 $2.30
Second Quarter, from June 17$4.48
 $4.25
Third Quarter$5.93
 $4.01
Fourth Quarter$7.74
 $4.83
2014      
First Quarter$13.39
 $6.50
$13.39
 $6.50
Second Quarter$12.41
 $7.59
$12.41
 $7.59
Third Quarter$13.12
 $9.83
$13.12
 $9.83
Fourth Quarter$14.20
 $11.25
$14.20
 $11.25
2015   
First Quarter$19.34
 $11.32
Second Quarter$24.65
 $17.62
Third Quarter$26.64
 $14.00
Fourth Quarter$25.13
 $15.87
 
Dividends
 
We have not paid any dividends on our common stock to date, and do not anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable future. Moreover, restrictive covenants existing in certain promissory notesfrom the term loan that we have issuedentered into preclude us from paying dividends until those notescertain conditions are paidmet.

Performance Graph

The following performance graph compares the relative changes in full.the cumulative total return of our common stock for the period from December 31, 2010 to December 31, 2015, against the cumulative total return for the same period of (1) The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) Index, (2) The Standard & Poor's (S&P) Telecom Select Industry Index, and (3) NASDAQ Telecommunication Index. The comparison below assumes $100 was invested on December 31, 2010 in our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P Telecom Select Industry Index, and NASDAQ Telecommunication Index.















15



COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*

    
* $100 invested on 12/31/10 in stock or index. Fiscal year ending December 31.

Copyright © 2016 S&P, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.

 12/1012/1112/1212/1312/1412/15
GTT Communications, Inc.$100.00
$90.77
$215.38
$561.54
$1,017.69
$1,312.31
S&P 500 ® Index100.00
100.00
113.40
146.97
163.71
162.52
S&P Telecom Select Industry Index100.00
84.05
93.22
113.77
117.69
114.12
NASDAQ Telecommunications Index100.00
87.38
89.13
110.54
120.38
111.36
The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The information required by this Item 5 regarding Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans is incorporated in this report by reference to the information set forth under the capital "Equity Plan Information" in our 2016 Proxy Statement.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Not applicable.The annual financial information set forth below has been summarized from our audited consolidated financial statements for GTT Communications, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, for the periods and as of the dates indicated. The information should be read in connection with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations", the consolidated financial statements and notes included elsewhere in this report and in our SEC filings. These historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected in the future.


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 Years Ended December 31,
 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
 (In thousands)
Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:         
Telecommunications service revenue$369,250
 $207,343
 $157,368
 107,877
 91,188
Operating expenses:         
Cost of telecommunications services204,458
 128,086
 102,815
 76,000
 64,198
Selling, general and administrative expense101,712
 45,613
 31,675
 18,957
 18,597
Severance, restructuring and other exit costs12,670
 9,425
 7,677
 701
 958
Depreciation and amortization46,708
 24,921
 17,157
 7,296
 3,896
Total operating expenses365,548
 208,045
 159,324
 102,954
 87,649
Operating income (loss)3,702
 (702) (1,956) 4,923
 3,539
Other expenses, net(15,109) (17,090) (20,132) (5,740) (2,709)
Loss on debt extinguishment(3,420) (3,104) (706) 
 
Income (loss) before income taxes(14,827) (20,896) (22,794) (817) 830
Income tax expense (benefit)(34,131) 2,083
 (2,005) 746
 575
Net income (loss)$19,304
 $(22,979) $(20,789) $(1,563) $255
Net income (loss) per common share - basic$0.55
 $(0.85) $(0.95) $(0.08) $0.01
Net income (loss) per common share - diluted$0.54
 $(0.85) $(0.95) $(0.08) $0.01
Weighted average common shares - basic34,973,284
 27,011,381
 21,985,241
 18,960,347
 18,599,028
Weighted average common shares - diluted35,801,395
 27,011,381
 21,985,241
 18,960,347
 18,820,380
          
Consolidated Balance Sheet Data (at period end):         
Cash and cash equivalents$14,630
 $49,256
 $5,785
 $4,726
 $3,249
Property and equipment, net38,823
 25,184
 20,450
 5,494
 3,262
Total assets596,454
 266,478
 171,756
 97,756
 78,325
Long-term debt, less current portion382,243
 114,638
 85,960
 34,981
 21,312
Stockholders' equity110,486
 77,566
 9,510
 17,039
 18,131


17




ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
 
The following discussionThis Management's Discussion and analysis should be read together withAnalysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") contains certain forward-looking statements within the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statementsmeaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Historical results may not indicate future performance. Our forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events, are based on assumptions, and related notes thereto beginning on page F-1. Reference is madeare subject to “Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” which describes important factorsknown and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectationsthose contemplated by these statements. Factors that may cause differences between actual results and non-historical information contained herein.those contemplated by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A, of this Annual Report. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, including any changes that might result from any facts, events, or circumstances after the date hereof that may bear upon forward-looking statements. Furthermore, we cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance, or achievements.

This MD&A is intended to assist in understanding and assessing the trends and significant changes in our results of operations and financial condition. As used in this MD&A, the words, "we", "our", and "us" refer to GTT Communications and its consolidated subsidiaries. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This following overview provides a summary of the sections included in our MD&A:
Executive Summary - a general description of our business and key highlights of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.

Non-GAAP Measures - supplemental financial measures to provide additional insight into our business.

Recent Developments Affecting Our Results - a discussion of recent developments that may impact our business in the upcoming year.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates - a discussion of critical accounting policies requiring judgment and estimates.

Results of Operations - an analysis of our results of operations in our consolidated financial statements.

Liquidity and Capital Resources - an analysis of cash flows, sources and uses of cash, commitments and contingencies, the impact of inflation, and quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk.

OverviewExecutive Summary

GTT Communications, Inc. is a Delaware corporation which was incorporated on January 3, 2005. GTT operatesprovider of cloud networking services. We offer multinational clients a broad portfolio of global communications services including: EtherCloud® wide area network services; Internet services; managed network and security services; and voice and unified communication services.

Our global Tier 1 IP network connectingdelivers connectivity for our clients to locations and cloud applications around the world. We seekprovide services to further extendleading multinational enterprises, carriers and government customers in over 100 countries. We differentiate ourselves from our network globally whilecompetition by delivering exceptional client service to our clients with simplicity, speed and agility.

AsWe deliver four primary service offerings to our customers:

EtherCloud Services. We provide Layer 2 (Ethernet) and Layer 3 (MPLS) solutions to meet the growing needs of December 31, 2014,multinational enterprises, carriers, service providers and content delivery networks regardless of location. We design and implement custom private, public and hybrid cloud network solutions for our customers, offering bandwidth speeds from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps per port with burstable and aggregate bandwidth capabilities. All services are available on a protected basis with the ability to specify pre-configured alternate routes to minimize the impact of any network disruption.
Internet Services. We offer domestic and multinational customers scalable, high-bandwidth global Internet connectivity and IP transit with guaranteed availability and packet delivery. Our Internet services offer flexible connectivity with multiple port interfaces including Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 100 Gigabit Ethernet. We also offer broadband and wireless access services. We support a dual stack of IPv4 and IPv6 protocols, enabling the delivery of seamless IPv6 services alongside existing IPv4 services.

Managed Services. We offer fully managed network services, including managed equipment, managed security

18



services and managed secure access, enabling customers to focus on their core business. These end-to-end services cover the design, procurement, implementation, monitoring and maintenance of a customer’s network.

Voice and Unified Communication Services. Our SIP Trunking service is an enterprise-built unified communications offering that integrates voice, video and chat onto a single IP connection, driving efficiency and productivity organization-wide. Our Enterprise PBX service allows clients to eliminate traditional voice infrastructure with communication services delivered through the cloud. The offering includes fully hosted and hybrid models for maximum flexibility.

Our customer base wascontracts are generally for initial terms of three years, with some contracts at one year, and others at five years or more. Following the initial terms, these agreements typically provide for automatic renewal for specified periods ranging from one month to one year. Our prices are fixed for the duration of the contract, and we typically bill monthly in advance for such services. If a customer terminates its agreement, the terms of the Company’s customer contracts typically require full recovery of any amounts due for the remainder of the term or, at a minimum, our liability to any underlying suppliers.

Our total revenue is comprised of over 4,000 businesses.three primary categories that include monthly recurring revenue (or "MRR"), non-recurring revenue, and burst revenue. MRR relates to contracted ongoing service that is generally fixed in price and paid by the customer on a monthly basis for the contracted term. For the year ended December 31, 2014, no single customer accounted for more than 10%2015, MRR was approximately 92% of our total consolidated revenue. Our five largestNon-recurring revenue primarily includes the amortization of previously collected installation charges to customers; and one-time termination charges for customers accounted for approximately 18% of consolidated revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Costs and Expenses
The Company’s cost of revenue consists of the costs for its core network consisting of a global Layer 2 Switched Ethernet mesh network as well as IP Transit/Internet Access through over 250 Points of Presence and for network extensions from our core network using third party providers ofwho cancel their services associated with customer services across North America, EMEA and Asia. The key off-net terms and conditions appearing in both supplier and customer agreements are substantially the same, with margin appliedprior to the suppliers’ costs, and generallycontract termination date. Burst revenue represents variable revenue based on back-to-back term lengths. There are no wages or overheads includedwhether a customer exceeds its committed usage threshold as specified in these costs. From time to time, the Company has agreed to certain special commitments with vendors in order to obtain better rates, terms and conditions for the procurement of services from those vendors. These commitments include volume purchase commitments and purchases on a longer-term basis than the term for which the applicable customer has committed.their contract.

Our supplier contracts do not have any market related net settlement provisions. The Company hasWe have not entered into, and has no plansdo not plan to enter into, any supplier contracts which involve financial or derivative instruments. The supplier contracts are entered into solely for the direct purchase of telecommunications capacity, which is resold by the Companyus in itsthe normal course of business.

Other than cost of revenue, the Company’stelecommunication services provided, our most significant operating expenses are employment costs. As of December 31, 2014,2015, we had 572 full-time equivalent employees. For the Company had 294 employeesyear ended December 31, 2015, the total employee cash compensation and full-time equivalents and employment costs comprisedbenefits represented approximately 13%14% of total operating expenses.revenue.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to financial measures prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), from time to time we may use or publicly disclose certain "non-GAAP financial measures" in the course of our financial presentations, earnings releases, earnings conference calls, and otherwise. For these purposes, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) defines a "non-GAAP financial measure" as a numerical measure of historical or future financial performance, financial positions, or cash flows that (i) exclude amounts, or is subject to adjustments that effectively exclude amounts, included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP in financial statements, and (ii) include amounts, or is subject to adjustments that effectively include amounts, that are excluded from the most directly comparable measure so calculated and presented.

Non-GAAP financial measures are provided as additional information to investors to provide an alternative method for assessing our financial condition and operating results. We believe that these non-GAAP measures, when taken together with our GAAP financial measures, allow us and our investors to better evaluate our performance and profitability. These measures are not in accordance with, or a substitute for, GAAP, and may be different from or inconsistent with non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. These measures should be used in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP, and should not be relied upon to the exclusion of GAAP financial measures.

Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation G, whenever we refer to a non-GAAP financial measure, we will also generally present, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, along with a reconciliation of the differences between the non-GAAP financial measure we reference with such comparable GAAP financial measure.






19



Adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”)

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income/(loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) adjusted to exclude severance, restructuring and other exit costs, acquisition-related transaction and integration costs, losses on extinguishment of debt, share-based compensation, and from time to time, other non-cash or non-recurring items.

We use Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate operating performance, and this financial measure is among the primary measures we use for planning and forecasting future periods. We further believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA is relevant and useful for investors because it allows investors to view results in a manner similar to the method used by management and makes it easier to compare our results with the results of other companies that have different financing and capital structures. In addition, we have debt covenants that are based on a leverage ratio which utilizes a modified EBITDA calculation, as defined in our credit agreement. The modified EBITDA calculation is similar to our definition of Adjusted EBITDA; however it includes the pro forma Adjusted EBITDA of and expected cost synergies from the companies acquired by us during the applicable reporting period. Finally, Adjusted EBITDA results, along with other quantitative and qualitative information, are utilized by management and our compensation committee for purposes of determining bonus payouts to our employees.

Unlevered Free Cash Flow

Unlevered free cash flow is defined as Adjusted EBITDA less purchases of property and equipment, which we also refer to as capital expenditures. We use this measure to evaluate the level of capital expenditures needed to support our revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, and we believe this measure is also used by investors to evaluate us relative to peer companies in the telecommunications industry.

The following is a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Unlevered Free Cash Flow from Net Income (Loss):

 Fiscal Year Ended December 31,
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)2015 2014 2013
   (Unaudited)  
Adjusted EBITDA     
Net income (loss)$19,304
 $(22,979) $(20,789)
Income tax (benefit) expense(34,131) 2,083
 (2,005)
Interest and other, net15,109
 17,090
 20,132
Loss on debt extinguishment3,420
 3,104
 706
Depreciation and amortization46,708
 24,921
 17,157
Severance, restructuring and other exit costs12,670
 9,425
 7,677
Transaction and integration costs6,085
 
 
Share-based compensation7,876
 2,418
 1,466
Adjusted EBITDA77,041
 36,062
 24,344
Purchases of property and equipment
(14,070) (5,819) (4,053)
Unlevered Free Cash Flow
$62,971
 $30,243
 $20,291


Recent Developments Affecting Our Results

Recent Business Acquisitions

One Source Networks

On October 22, 2015, we completed the acquisition of all of the equity securities of One Source Networks Inc., a Texas corporation (“One Source”). At closing, we paid $169.3 million of cash and issued 185,946 unregistered shares of Company common stock valued at $2.3 million. In addition, 289,055 unregistered shares of common stock were issued to certain selling shareholders of One Source, which are considered compensation as there is a continuing employment restriction attributed to these common shares. Share-based compensation of $3.6 million will be amortized ratably over an 18 month service period.


20



We incurred $4.9 million in exit costs associated with the acquisition of One Source, which includes employee severance costs, termination costs associated with facility leases and network agreements, and other related exit costs for the year ended December 31, 2015. Additionally, we expect to incur $3.5 million in transaction and integration costs related to the acquisition of One Source that will be included as a selling, general and administrative expense within the statements of operations. We
expensed $2.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and expect to incur the remaining $1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2016. Transaction and integration costs include costs directly related to the acquisition and integration of One Source, including legal, accounting and consulting services and travel costs.

For further details of each acquisition refer to Note 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Debt Financing

In conjunction with the acquisition of One Source, on October 22, 2015, we entered into a credit agreement (the “October 2015 Credit Agreement”) that provides for a $400.0 million term loan facility and a $50.0 million revolving line of credit facility (which includes a $15.0 million letter of credit facility and a $10.0 million swingline facility). The maturity date of the term loan facility is October 22, 2022 and the maturity date of the revolving loan facility is October 22, 2020. The interest rate for the Term Loan is equal to the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") (subject to a floor of 1.0%), plus a margin of 5.25%. The interest rate for the revolving loans is LIBOR (no floor) plus a margin of 4.75%. The proceeds from the October 2015 Credit Agreement were used to acquire One Source and concurrently repay the pre-existing indebtedness.

For additional details on our indebtedness refer to Note 5 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements or the Liquidity and Capital Resources section included herein.

Subsequent Events

On February 4, 2016, we acquired Telnes Broadband, an internet and managed services provider for $18 million, composed of approximately $15 million in cash and the issuance of 178,202 unregistered shares of our common stock. Approximately $2 million of the cash consideration is held back for one year to cover undisclosed liabilities or other indemnification claims per the purchase agreement. We funded the cash consideration by drawing funds from our $50 million revolving line of credit facility.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
 
The Company’s significant accounting policiesdiscussion of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, we are described in Note 2required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the accompanyingreported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, as well as the related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. The results of our analysis form the basis for making assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions, and the impact of such differences may be material to our consolidated financial statements. The Company considersOur critical accounting policies have been discussed with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. We believe that the following critical accounting policies to be those that requireaffect the mostmore significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of itsour consolidated financial statements, and believesbelieve that an understanding of these policies is important to a proper evaluation of the reported consolidated financial results. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Segment Reporting

We report operating results and financial data in one operating and reportable segment. The chief operating decision maker manages our business as a single profit center in order to promote collaboration, provide comprehensive service offerings across our entire customer base, and provide incentives to employees based on the success of the organization as a whole. Although certain information regarding selected products or services are discussed for purposes of promoting an understanding of our complex business, the chief operating decision maker manages our business and allocate resources at the consolidated level of a single operating segment.
 
Revenue Recognition
 
The Company delivers threeWe deliver four primary services to our customers—EtherCloud, our flexible Ethernet-based connectivity service; Internet Services, our reliable, high bandwidth internet connectivity services; and Managed Services, our provision of fully managed network services so organizations can focus on their core business.

21



services; and Voice and UC Services, our global communication and collaboration services. Certain of the Company’sour current revenue activities have features that may be considered multiple elements. The Company believesSpecifically, when we sell one of our subscription services with a Customer Premised Equipment ("CPE"). We believe that there is insufficientsufficient evidence to determine each element’s fair value and as a result, in those arrangements where there are multiple elements, the subscription revenue is recorded ratably over the term of the arrangement.agreement and the equipment is accounted for a sale, at the time of sale.
 
The Company’sOur services are provided under contracts that typically provide for an installation charge along with payments of recurring charges on a monthly (or other periodic) basis for use of the services over a committed term. Our contracts with customers specify the terms and conditions for providing such services.services, including installation date, recurring and non-recurring fees, payment terms, and length of term. These contracts call for the Companyus to provide the service in question (e.g., data transmission between point A and point Z), to manage the activation process, and to provide

17



ongoing support (in the form of service maintenance and trouble-shooting) during the service term. The contracts do not typically provide the customer any rights to use specifically identifiable assets. Furthermore, the contracts generally provide us with discretion to engineer (or re-engineer) a particular network solution to satisfy each customer’s data transmission requirement, and typically prohibit physical access by the customer to the network infrastructure used by the Companyus and itsour suppliers to deliver the services.

The Company recognizesWe recognize revenue as follows:
 
Network ServicesMonthly Recurring Revenue. Monthly recurring revenue represents the substantial majority of our revenue, and Support.   The Company’sconsists of fees we charge for ongoing services that are provided pursuant to contracts that typically provide for payments of recurring chargesgenerally fixed in price and billed on a recurring monthly basis (one month in advance) for use of the services over a committedspecified term. Each service contract typically has a fixed monthly cost and a fixed term, in addition to a fixed installation charge (if applicable). Variable usage charges are applied when incurred for certain product offerings. At the end of the initial term, most contracts provide for a continuation of most service contractsservices on the contracts roll forwardsame terms, either for a specified renewal period (e.g., one year) or on a month-to-month basis. We record recurring revenue based on the fees agreed to in each contract, as long as the contract is in effect, and as long as collectability is reasonably assured.

Burst Revenue. Burst revenue represents variable charges for certain services, based on specific usage of those services, or other periodic basis and continue to bill atusage above a fixed threshold, billed monthly in arrears. We record burst revenue based on actual usage charges billed using the same fixed recurring rate. If any cancellation rates and/or termination charges become due from the customer as a result of early cancellation or termination of a service contract, those amounts are calculated pursuant to a formulathresholds specified in each contract. Recurring costs relating to supply contracts are recognized ratably over the term of the contract.contract, as long as collectability is reasonably assured.

Non-recurring Fees, Deferred Revenue. Non-recurring feesrevenue consists of charges for data connectivity typically take the form of one-time, non-refundable provisioning fees established pursuant to service contracts. The amount of the provisioning fee included in each contract is generally determined by marking up or passing through the corresponding charge from the Company’s supplier, imposed pursuant to the Company’s purchase agreement. Non-recurring revenue earned for providing provisioning servicesinstallation in connection with the delivery of recurring communications services, is recognized ratably over the contractual term of the recurring service starting upon commencement of the service contract term.late payments, cancellation, early termination, and equipment sales. Fees recorded or billed from these provisioningfor installation services are initially recorded as deferred revenue then recognized ratably over the contractual term of the recurring service. Installation costs related to provisioning incurred by the Company from independent third-party suppliers, directly attributable and necessary to fulfill a particular service contract, and which costs would not have been incurred butFees charged for the occurrence of that service contract,late payments, cancellation (pre-installation) or early termination (post-installation) are recorded as deferred contract costs and expensed proportionally over the contractual term of service in the same manner as the deferred revenue arising from that contract. Deferred costs do not exceed deferred upfront fees. The Company believes the initial contractual term is the best estimate of the period of earnings.
Other Revenue.   From time to time, the Company recognizes revenue in the form oftypically fixed or determinable cancellation (pre-installation) or termination (post-installation) charges imposed pursuant toper the service contract. Thisterms of the respective contract, and are recognized as revenue is earned when a customer cancels or terminates a service agreement prior to the end of its committed term. This revenue is recognized when billed if collectability is reasonably assured. In addition, the Company from time to time sellswe sell communications and/or networking equipment to our customers in connection with our data networking applications. The Company recognizesservices. We recognize revenue from the sale of equipment at the contracted selling price when title to the equipment passes to the customer (generally F.O.B. origin) and when collectability is reasonably assured.

Estimating Allowances and Accrued LiabilitiesShare-Based Compensation

We issue both restricted common stock and stock options. The Company employs the “allowance for bad debts” method to account for bad debts. The Company states its accounts receivable balances at amounts due from the customer net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company determines this allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time receivables are past due, previous loss history, and the customer’s current ability to pay.
In the normal course of business from time to time, the Company identifies errors by suppliers with respect to the billing of services. The Company performs bill verification procedures to attempt to ensure that errors in its suppliers’ billed invoices are identified and resolved. The bill verification procedures include the examination of bills, comparison of billed rates to rates shownshare price on the actual contract documentation and logged in the Company’s operating systems, comparisonday of circuits billed to the Company’s database of active circuits, and evaluation of the trend of invoiced amounts by suppliers, including the types of charges being assessed. If the Company concludes by reference to such objective factors that it has been billed inaccurately, the Company will record a liability for the amount that it believesgrant is owed with reference to the applicable contractual rate and, in the instances where the billed amount exceeds the applicable contractual rate, the likelihood of prevailing with respect to any dispute.
These disputes with suppliers generally fall into four categories: pricing errors, network design, start of service date or disconnection errors, and taxation and regulatory surcharge errors. In the instances where the billed amount exceeds the applicable contractual rate the Company does not accrue the full face amount of obvious billing errors in accounts payable because to do so would present a misleading and confusing picture of the Company’s current liabilities by accounting for liabilities that are erroneous based upon a detailed review of objective evidence. If the Company ultimately pays less than the

18



corresponding accrual in resolution of an erroneously over-billed amount, the Company recognizes the resultant decrease in cost of revenue in the period in which the resolution is reached. If the Company ultimately pays more than the corresponding accrual in resolution of an erroneously billed amount, the Company recognizes the resultant cost of revenue increase in the period in which the resolution is reached and during which period the Company makes payment to resolve such account.
Although the Company disputes erroneously billed amounts in good faith and historically has prevailed in most cases, it recognizes that it may not prevail in all cases (or in full) with a particular supplier with respect to such billing errors or it may choose to settle the matter because of the quality of the supplier relationship or the cost and time associated with continuing the dispute. Careful judgment is required in estimating the ultimate outcome of disputing each error, and each reserve is based upon a specific evaluation by management of the merits of each billing error (based upon the bill verification process) and the potential for loss with respect to that billing error. In making such a case-by-case evaluation, the Company considers, among other things, the documentation available to support its assertions with respect to the billing errors, its past experience with the supplier in question, and its past experience with similar errors and disputes. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had $6.9 million in disputed billings from suppliers.
In instances where the Company has been billed less than the applicable contractual rate, the accruals remain on the Company’s consolidated financial statements until the vendor invoices for the under-billed amount or until such timeused as the obligations related to the under-billed amounts, based upon applicable contract terms and relevant statutory periods in accordance with the Company’s internal policy, have passed. If the Company ultimately determines it has no further obligation related to the under-billed amounts, the Company recognizes a decrease in expense in the period in which the determination is made.

Business Combinations
The Company allocates the fair value of purchase consideration to the tangible assets acquired, liabilities assumed and intangible assets acquired based on their estimated fair values. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. When determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, management makes significant estimates and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets.
Critical estimates in valuing certain intangible assets include but are not limited to future expected cash flows from customer relationships and developed technology; and discount rates. Management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates.
Other estimates associated with the accounting for acquisitions may change as additional information becomes available regarding the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, as more fully discussed in Note 3 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Goodwilland Intangible Assets

The Company assesses goodwill for impairment on at least an annual basis on October 1 unless interim indicators of impairment exist. Goodwill is considered to be impaired when the net book value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. The Company operates as a single operating segment and as a single reporting unit for the purpose of evaluating goodwill. As of October 1, 2014, the Company performed its annual impairment test of goodwill by comparing the fair value of the Company (primarily based on market capitalization) to the carrying value of equity, and concluded that the fair value of the reporting unit was greater than the carrying amount. During the fiscal years ended December  31, 2014, and 2013 the Company did not record any goodwill impairment.

Intangible assets consist of customer relationships, restrictive covenants related to employment agreements, license fees and a trade name. Customer relationships and restrictive covenants related to employment agreements are amortized, on a straight-line basis, over periods of up to seven years. Point-to-point FCC Licenses are accounted for as definite lived intangibles and amortized over the average remaining useful life of such licenses which approximates three years. The trade name is not amortized, but is tested on at least an annual basis as of October 1 unless interim indicators of impairment exist. The trade name is considered to be impaired when the net book value exceeds its estimated fair value. As of October 1, 2014 and 2013 the Company performed its annual impairment test of the trade name, and concluded that the fair value of the trade name was greater than the carrying amount, respectively. The Company used the relief from royalty method for valuation. The fair value of the asset is the present value of the license fees avoided by owning the asset, or the royalty savings.



19



Income Taxes

Provisions for federal and state income taxes are calculated from the income reported on our financial statements based on current tax law and also include the cumulative effect of any changes in tax rates from those previously used in determining deferred tax assets and liabilities. Such provisions differ from the amounts currently receivable or payable because certain items of income and expense are recognized in different time periods for purposes of preparing financial statements than for income tax purposes.

Significant judgment is required in determining income tax provisions and evaluating tax positions. We establish reserves for uncertain tax positions when, despite the belief that our tax positions are supportable, there remains uncertainty in a tax position taken in our previously filed income tax returns. For tax positions where it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, we record the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. To the extent we prevail in matters for which accruals have been established or are required to pay amounts in excess of reserves, our effective tax rate in a given financial statement period may be materially impacted.

The carrying value of our net deferred tax assets assumes that we will be able to generate sufficient future taxable income in certain tax jurisdictions to realize the value of these assets. If we are unable to generate sufficient future taxable income in these jurisdictions, a valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that the value of the deferred tax assets is not realizable.

Share-Based Compensationrestricted common stock issued.

We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the estimated fair value for stock options. Critical inputs into the Black-Scholes option-pricing model include the following: option exercise price; fair value of the stock price; expected life of the option; annualized volatility of the stock; annual rate of quarterly dividends on the stock; and risk-free interest rate.

Implied volatility is calculated as of each grant date based on our historical volatility along with an assessment of a peer group for future option grants.group. Other than the expected life of the option, volatility is the most sensitive input to our option grants. To be consistent with all other implied calculations, the same peer group used to calculate other implied metrics is also used to calculate implied volatility. We assess the validity of our peer group on an annual basis to determine whether any new guideline companies are better comparisons to the Company. While we are not aware of any news or disclosures by our peers that may impact their respective volatility, there is a risk that peer group volatility may increase, potentially increasing any prospective future compensation expense that will result from future option grants.

The risk-free interest rate used in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model is determined by referencing the U.S. Treasury yield curve rates with the remaining term equal to the expected life assumed at the date of grant.

Forfeitures are estimated based on our historical analysis of attrition levels. Forfeiture estimates are updated quarterly for actual forfeitures.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method pursuant to GAAP. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future consequences attributable to the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the period of the change. Further, deferred tax assets are recognized for the expected realization of available net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. A valuation allowance is recorded on gross deferred tax assets

22



when it is “more likely than not” that such asset will not be realized. When evaluating the realizability of deferred tax assets, all evidence, both positive and negative, is evaluated. Items considered in this analysis include the ability to carry back losses, the reversal of temporary differences, tax planning strategies, and expectations of future earnings. We review our deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis to determine if a valuation allowance is required based upon these factors. Changes in our assessment of the need for a valuation allowance could give rise to a change in such allowance, potentially resulting in additional expense or benefit in the period of change.

Our income tax provision includes U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income taxes and is based on pre-tax income or loss. In determining the annual effective income tax rate, we analyzed various factors, including our annual earnings and taxing jurisdictions in which the earnings were generated, the impact of state and local income taxes and our ability to use tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards.

Under GAAP for income taxes, the amount of tax benefit to be recognized is the amount of benefit that is “more likely than not” to be sustained upon examination. We analyze our tax filing positions in all of the U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax jurisdictions where we are required to file income tax returns, as well as for all open tax years in these jurisdictions. If, based on this analysis, we determine that uncertainties in tax positions exist, a liability is established in the consolidated financial statements. We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions in the provision for income taxes.

Estimating Allowances and Accrued Liabilities

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

 We establish an allowance for bad debts for accounts receivable amounts that may not be collectible. We state our accounts receivable balances at amounts due from the customer net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. We determine this allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time receivables are past due, previous loss history, and the customer’s current ability to pay. As of December 31, 2015, we had an allowance for doubtful accounts of $1 million.
Allowance for Vendor Disputes

In the normal course of business, we identify errors by suppliers with respect to the billing of services. We perform bill verification procedures to attempt to ensure that errors in our suppliers’ billed invoices are identified and resolved. If we conclude that a vendor has billed us inaccurately, we will record a liability only for the amount that we believe is owed. As of December 31, 2015, we had $6.9 million in disputed billings from suppliers that we believe we do not expect this assumptionowe.

Deferred Costs

Installation costs related to change materially,provisioning of recurring communications services that we incur from independent third party suppliers, directly attributable and necessary to fulfill a particular service contract, and which costs would not have been incurred but for the occurrence of that service contract, are recorded as attrition levels associated with new option grants have not materially changed. As a public company,deferred contract costs and expensed ratably over the contractual term of service in the same manner as the deferred revenue arising from that contract. Based on historical experience, we usebelieve the closing priceinitial contractual term is the best estimate for the period of our common stock onearnings. If any installation costs exceed the grant date for valuation purposes.amount of corresponding deferred revenue, the excess cost is recognized in the current period.
 
Basis of PresentationGoodwilland Intangible Assets

The accompanying consolidated financial statements includeWe assess goodwill for impairment on at least an annual basis on October 1 unless interim indicators of impairment exist. Goodwill is considered to be impaired when the accountsnet book value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. We operate as a single operating segment and as a single reporting unit for the purpose of evaluating goodwill. As of October 1, 2015, we performed our annual impairment test of goodwill by comparing our fair value (primarily based on market capitalization) to the carrying value of equity, and concluded that the fair value of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted inreporting unit was greater than the United States ("GAAP"). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31 and unless otherwise noted, references to fiscal year or fiscal are forcarrying amount. During the fiscal years ended December  31.31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 we did not record any goodwill impairment.

Intangible assets consist of customer relationships, restrictive covenants related to employment agreements, license fees, intellectual property and a trade name. Customer relationships and restrictive covenants related to employment agreements are amortized, on a straight-line basis, over periods of up to seven years. Point-to-point FCC Licenses are accounted for as definite lived intangibles and amortized over the average remaining useful life of such licenses which is approximately three years. Intellectual property consisting of know-how related to the SIP trunking platform is amortized over the estimated useful life of ten years. The accompanying consolidated financial statements presenttrade name is not amortized, but is tested on at least an annual basis as of October 1 unless interim indicators of impairment exist. The trade name is considered to be impaired when the financial positionnet book value exceeds its estimated fair value. As

23



of October 1, 2015, 2014 and 2013, we performed our annual impairment test of the Companytrade name, and concluded that the fair value of the trade name was greater than the carrying amount, respectively. We used the relief from royalty method for valuation. The fair value of the asset is the present value of the license fees avoided by owning the asset, or the royalty savings.

 At the end of the fourth quarter and subsequent to year-end, we evaluated whether any triggering events had occurred, including the decline in our stock price, that may require further testing. After assessing the totality of events and circumstances, we have determined that there were no indicators that would reduce the fair value below our carrying amounts and therefore an interim Step 1 goodwill impairment test was not required to be performed.

Business Combinations

We allocate the fair value of purchase consideration to the tangible assets acquired, liabilities assumed and intangible assets acquired based on their estimated fair values. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. When determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, we make significant estimates and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets.

Critical estimates in valuing certain intangible assets include but are not limited to future expected cash flows from customer relationships and developed technology, discount rates and terminal values. Our estimate of fair value is based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates.

Other estimates associated with the accounting for acquisitions may change as additional information becomes available regarding the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, as more fully discussed in Note 3 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included herein.

Newly Adopted Accounting Principles

Debt Issuance Costs

On April 7, 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs by requiring that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this update. The amendments should be applied on a retrospective basis. We have early adopted the provisions in ASU 2015-03 for fiscal 2015 and presented retrospectively for fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014. Refer to Note 5 to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The impact of adopting ASU 2015-03 on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2014 was a decrease to other assets by $2.8 million and 2013 and the Company’s results of operations for fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013.a decrease to long-term debt by $2.8 million.

Use of Estimates and AssumptionsDeferred Tax Classification

 The preparationOn November 20, 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of financial statements in accordance with GAAPDeferred Taxes, which requires managemententities to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts ofpresent deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities and disclosureas noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. Prior to the issuance of contingentASU 2015-17, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities at the date of the financial statementshad to be presented separately into a current amount and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results can, and in many cases will, differ from those estimates.

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Segment Reporting

We report operating results and financial data in one operating and reportable segment. We manage our business as a single profit center in order to promote collaboration, provide comprehensive service offerings across our entire customer base, and provide incentives to employeesnoncurrent amount based on the successclassification of the organization as a whole. Although certain information regarding geographic marketsrelated asset or liability for financial reporting. We early adopted ASU 2015-17 for Fiscal 2015, and selected products or services are discussed for purposes of promoting an understanding of our complex business, we manage our business and allocate resources atapplied the consolidated level of a single operating segment.provision prospectively.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Reference is madeRevenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which amends the existing accounting standards for revenue recognition. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, which delays the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year. The FASB also agreed to Note 2allow entities to choose to adopt the standard as of the original effective date. As such, the updated standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of 2018, with the option to adopt it in the first quarter of 2017. We are still evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.



24



Lease Accounting

On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which commencerequire most leases (with the exception of leases with terms of less than one year) to be recognized on page F-9the balance sheet as an asset and a lease liability. Leases will be classified as an operating lease or a financing lease. Operating leases are expensed using the straight-line method whereas financing leases will be treated similarly to a capital lease under the current standard. The new standard will be effective for annual and interim periods, within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018 but early adoption is permitted. The new standard must be presented using the modified retrospective method beginning with the earliest comparative period presented. We are currently evaluating the effect of this annual report, which Note is incorporated herein by reference.the new standard on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Results of Operations of the Company
 
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 20142015 compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014 and 2013
 
Overview. The financial information presented in the tables below is comprised of the consolidated financial information of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 (amounts in thousands):

 Year Ended  Year Ended December 31, Year-over-Year
 December 31, 2014 December 31, 2013 % Change2015 2014 2013 2015 to 2014 2014 to 2013
               
Revenue: 

 

    

 

    
Telecommunications services $207,343
 $157,368
 31.8 %$369,250
 $207,343
 $157,368
 78.1 % 31.8 %

 

 

    

 

    
Operating expenses: 

 

    

 

    
Cost of telecommunications services 128,086
 102,815
 24.6 %204,458
 128,086
 102,815
 59.6 % 24.6 %
Selling, general and administrative expense 45,613
 31,675
 44.0 %
Restructuring costs, employee termination and other items 9,425
 7,677
 22.8 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses101,712
 45,613
 31,675
 123.0 % 44.0 %
Severance, restructuring and other exit costs12,670
 9,425
 7,677
 34.4 % 22.8 %
Depreciation and amortization 24,921
 17,157
 45.3 %46,708
 24,921
 17,157
 87.4 % 45.3 %

 

 

    

 

    
Total operating expenses 208,045
 159,324
 30.6 %365,548
 208,045
 159,324
 75.7 % 30.6 %

 

 

    

 

    
Operating loss (702) (1,956) (64.1)%
Operating income (loss)3,702
 (702) (1,956) *
 (64.1)%

 

 

    

 

    
Other expense: 

 

    

 

    
Interest expense, net (8,454) (8,408) 0.5 %(13,942) (8,454) (8,408) 64.9 % 0.5 %
Loss on debt extinguishment (3,104) (706) 339.7 %(3,420) (3,104) (706) 10.2 % 339.7 %
Other expense, net (8,636) (11,724) (26.3)%(1,167) (8,636) (11,724) (86.5)% (26.3)%

 
 
    
 
    
Total other expense (20,194) (20,838) (3.1)%(18,529) (20,194) (20,838) (8.2)% (3.1)%

   
   
      
   
    
Loss before income taxes
(20,896)
(22,794) (8.3)%(14,827)
(20,896)
(22,794) (29.0)% (8.3)%

 

 

    

 

    
Income tax expense (benefit) 2,083
 (2,005) (203.9)%
Income tax (benefit) expense(34,131) 2,083
 (2,005) *
 (203.9)%

   
   
      
   
    
Net loss $(22,979) $(20,789) 10.5 %
Net income (loss)$19,304
 $(22,979) $(20,789) (184.0)% 10.5 %
 
* Not meaningful





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Revenue. The table below presents the components of revenue for the years ended Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2015 compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014

Revenue
Our revenue increased by $161.9 million, or 78.1%, from $207.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 to $369.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase was primarily due to the acquisitions of UNSi on October 1, 2014; MegaPath on April 1, 2015, and One Source on October 22, 2015.

On a constant currency basis using the average exchange rates in effect during the year ended December 31, 2014, revenue would have been higher by $11.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.
Cost of Telecommunications Services Provided
Cost of telecommunication services provided increased by $76.4 million, or 59.6%, from $128.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 to $204.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Consistent with our increase in revenue, the increase in cost of telecommunication services provided was principally driven by the acquisitions of UNSi, MegaPath and One Source.

On a constant currency basis using the average exchange rates in effect during the year ended December 31, 2014, cost of telecommunication services provided would have been higher by $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.
Operating Expenses
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. SG&A expenses increased by $56.1 million to $101.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was due primarily to the UNSi, MegaPath and One Source acquisitions.

Severance, Restructuring and Other Exit Costs.2013 Restructuring costs increased by $3.2 million from $9.4 million to $12.7 million for year ended December 31, 2015. The $12.7 million is primarily comprised of $4.9 million in exit costs associated with the acquisition of One Source and $7.7 million with the acquisition of MegaPath compared to $6.1 million of similar costs associated with the acquisition of UNSi and $3.3 million in litigation settlement for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Depreciation and Amortization. :Amortization of intangible assets increased $12.2million, or 88.4%, from $13.8 million to $26.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, due to the additional definite-lived intangible assets recorded in the UNSi, MegaPath and One Source acquisitions. Similarly, depreciation expense increased $9.6 million, or 86.5%, from $11.1 million to $20.7million for the year ended December 31, 2015, primarily due to the property and equipment acquired in the respective acquisitions.

Other Expense. Other expense decreased by $1.7 million to $18.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to the year ended December 31, 2014. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we recorded $6.9 million expense associated with the change in fair value of the warrant liability that was extinguished in the third quarter of fiscal 2014. This was offset by increased interest expense of $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 attributed to increased debt for the acquisitions of MegaPath and One Source.
 
Geographical Revenue20142013
   
United States58%57%
Italy27%25%
United Kingdom13%15%
Other2%3%
Totals100%100%
Using constant currency, when compared to 2014, operating expense for year ended December 31, 2015 would have been $1.6 million higher than reported.

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014 compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2013

Revenue
Revenue increased $50.0 million, or 31.8% for the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to year ended December 31, 2013. The increase is primarily due to the acquisition of United Network Services, Inc. ("UNSi")UNSi on October 1, 2014, which added approximately 2,000 customers.2014. Additionally, the increase is due to the timingacquisition of acquisitions made in 2013. NT Network Services LLC SCS (''Tinet'') was acquired on April 30, 2013, which added approximately 1,000 customers.2013.

CostsCost of Telecommunications Service.   CostsServices Provided
Cost of telecommunications services wereprovided increased by $25.3 million to $128.1 million and $102.8 million for the yearsyear ended December 31, 2014 andcompared to the year ended December 31, 2013, respectively.2013. The increase is primarily due to the Tinet acquisition, which had over 120 points of presence globally and operated one of the largest global Tier 1 IP networks, and the UNSi acquisition.
 
Operating Expenses
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. SG&A increased $13.9 million, or 44.0%, for the year ended December 31, 2014 compared to the year ended December 31, 2013, due primarily to the increase in employment costs resulting from the

26



net increase of approximately 180 employeesin headcount following the Tinet and UNSi acquisitions, as well as additional employees to support other added clients, and an increase in rent expense, travel costs, and professional fees to support the broader global organization resulting from the Tinet and UNSi acquisitions.
 
Severance, Restructuring costs, employee termination and other items.Other Exit Costs. Restructuring costs increased by $1.7 million from $7.7 million to $9.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 compared to the year ended December 31, 2013.2014. The increase primarily reflects the settlement of the Artel LLC litigation in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 for approximately $3.3 million. The CompanyWe incurred approximately $6.1 million of exit costs associated with the acquisition of UNSi, for severance and other employee termination related costs, professional fees, network integration, and travel expenses, compared to similar costs of $7.7 million incurred in fiscal 2013 associated with the acquisitions of IDC Global, Inc. and Tinet.
 
Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense increased $7.8 million to $24.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to the year ended December 31, 2013. The increase was due primarily to the depreciation and amortization of the global IP and Ethernet network assets, and intangible assets, primarily customer relationships, obtained in the Tinet and UNSi acquisitions.
 
Other Expense. Other expense decreased $3.1 million to $8.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to the year ended December 31, 2013. The decrease is primarily due to the extinguishment of the warrant liability on August 6, 2014, which occurred in conjunction with the Credit Agreement described further on page 24.2014. See Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 December 31, 2014 December 31, 2013
    
Cash and cash equivalents$49,256
 $5,785
Debt$123,626
 $92,460
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows DataFiscal Year Ended December 31,
 2015 2014 2013
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities$24,651
 $(6,475) $9,433
Net cash used in investing activities(314,772) (43,513) (59,979)
Net cash provided by financing activities253,531
 88,231
 50,930

Our primary sources of liquidity have been cash provided by operations, equity offerings and debt financing. Our principal uses of cash have been for acquisitions, working capital, capital expenditures, and debt service requirements. We anticipate that our principal use of cash in the future will be for acquisitions, capital expenditures, working capital, and debt service.
Management monitors cash flow and liquidity requirements. Basedrequirements on the Company’s cash, debt, anda regular basis, including an analysis of the anticipated working capital requirements management believesfor the Company has sufficient liquidity to fund the business and meet its contractual obligations for 2015. The Company’s current planned cash requirements for 2015 are based upon certain assumptions, including itsnext 12 months. This analysis assumes our ability to manage expenses, capital expenditures and the anticipated growth of revenue from service arrangements. In connection with the activities associated with the services, the Company expects to incur expenses, including provider fees, employee compensation and consulting fees,

22



professional fees, sales and marketing, insurance and interest expense.revenue. Should the expected cash flows not be available, management believes it would have the ability to revise itsour operating plan and make reductions in expenses.expenditures.

The Company believesOur operations or expansion efforts may require substantial additional financial, operational and managerial resources. As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately $14.6 million in cash and cash equivalents, and our current assets were $6.6 million less than current liabilities. Our current liabilities include $12.8 million of earn-outs and holdback obligations all payable in 2016; and $6.8 million of accrued severance and exit costs with a substantial portion of this obligation expected to be paid in 2016. We believe that cash currently on hand, expected cash flows from future operations and existing borrowing capacity are sufficient to fund operations for at least the next twelve12 months, including the $6.2 million scheduled repaymentprincipal repayments of the senior term loan indebtedness.October 2015 Credit Agreement and the associated interest cost. If our operating performance differs significantly from our forecasts, we may be required to reduce our operating expenses and curtail capital spending, and we may not remain in compliance with our debt covenants. In addition, if the Company werewe are unable to fully fund itsour cash requirements through operations and current cash on hand, the Company wouldwe may need to obtain additional financing through a combination of equity and subordinated debt financings and/or renegotiation of terms of itsour existing debt. If any such activities become necessary, there can be no assurance that the Companywe would be successful in obtaining additional financing or modifying itsour existing debt terms.

Cashflows

During the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, we made cash payments for interest totaling $13.1 million, $8.0 million and $7.4 million, respectively. The table below sets forth our net cash flows forincrease in interest payments during 2015 was a result of the periods presented:

 Fiscal Year Ended December 31,
 2014 2013
 (in thousands)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities$(10,127) $2,679
Net cash used in investing activities(43,513) (59,979)
Net cash provided by financing activities91,883
 57,684
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash5,228
 675
Total increase in cash and cash equivalents$43,471
 $1,059
October 2015 Credit Agreement and the amended and restated credit agreement entered into on August 6, 2014, as discussed further in Note 5 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.





27



Cash Provided (or Used) by Operating Activities.  Cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2014, was approximately $10.1 million. Activities
Cash provided (or used) by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 was $24.7 million, $(6.5) million, and $9.4 million, respectively. Cash flow provided by operating activities in 2015 included $13.1 million cash paid interest; $8.1 million cash paid for severance and exit costs related to UNSi, MegaPath and One Source; $6.1 million cash paid for transaction and integration costs relating to MegaPath and One Source and an overall working capital use of approximately $2.7$22.2 million. Cash used by operating activities for 2014 included $8.0 million cash paid interest; $4.8 million cash paid for severance and exit costs related to UNSi and Tinet and an overall working capital use of $23.7 million. Cash provided by operating activities in 2013 included $7.4 million cash paid interest; $6.9 million cash paid for severance and exit costs related to Tinet and an overall working capital use of $1.6 million. Most of the working capital deficits in the past three years are related to acquisitions.
 
Cash Used in Investing Activities.Activities

Cash used in investing activities was $314.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, consisting primarily of $300.7 million of cash used in the acquisitions of MegaPath on April 1, 2015 and One Source on October 22, 2015. Cash used in investing activities was approximately $43.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, consisting primarily of approximately $37.5 million of cash used net of cash acquired, infor acquisitions during fiscal 2014, the most significant being the acquisition of UNSi. Cash used in investing activities werewas approximately $60.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, consisting primarily of approximately $52.0 million of cash used net of cash acquired, infor the acquisition of Tinet.

We anticipate to continue to incur capital expenditures in the range of 4% - 5% of revenue in 2016.

Cash Provided by Financing Activities.Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $253.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, consisting primarily of the net proceeds from the October 2015 Credit Agreement used to fund the acquisition of One Source. Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2014, was approximately $91.9$88.2 million, consisting primarily of approximately $72.7 million of new equity raised in fiscal 2014 and net debt proceeds of $29.4 million.million from the August 2014 Credit Agreement. Cash provided by financing activities was approximately $57.7$50.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2013.
Effect2013 consisting principally of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash.   Effectnet proceeds of exchange rate changes on cash increased by $4.6$37.3 million from the mezzanine debt financing and $6.1 million of proceeds of new equity raised in 2013. For additional discussion of Indebtedness refer to approximately $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 compared to approximately $0.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013.
Interest Payments.  During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company made cash payments for interest totaling $8.0 million and $7.4 million, respectively. The increase in interest payments was a resultNote 5 of the amended and restated credit agreement entered into on August 6, 2014 as discussed further on page 24.consolidated financial statements.











23



Indebtedness

The following summarizes the long-term debt activity of the Company during the year endedat December 31, 2015 and 2014 (amounts in thousands):

 Total Debt Senior Term Loan Delayed Draw Term Loan Line of Credit Mezzanine Notes
Debt obligation as of December 31, 2013$92,460
 $61,750
 $
 $3,000
 $27,710
Issuance129,500
 110,000
 15,000
 3,000
 1,500
Debt discount amortization420
 
 
 
 420
Debt discount extinguishment1,370
 
 
 
 1,370
Payments(100,124) (63,124) 
 (6,000) (31,000)
Debt obligation as of December 31, 2014$123,626
 $108,626
 $15,000
 $
 $
 2015 2014
    
Term loan$400,000
 $108,626
Revolving line of credit facility5,000
 
Delayed draw term loan
 15,000
Total debt obligations405,000
 123,626
Unamortized debt issuance costs(10,938) (2,800)
Unamortized original issuance discount(7,819) 
Carrying value of debt386,243
 120,826
Less current portion(4,000) (6,188)
Long-term debt less current portion$382,243
 $114,638

Estimated annual
On October 22, 2015, we entered into a Credit Agreement (the “October 2015 Credit Agreement”) that provided for a $400.0 million term loan facility and a $50.0 million revolving line of credit facility (which includes a $15.0 million letter of credit facility and a $10.0 million swingline facility). In addition, we may request incremental term loan and/or incremental revolving loan commitments in an aggregate amount not to exceed the sum of $75.0 million and an unlimited amount that is subject to pro forma compliance with certain net secured leverage ratio tests, provided, however, that incremental revolving loan commitments may not exceed $25.0 million.

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The term loan facility was issued at a discount of $8 million. Approximately $0.4 million of the revolving line of credit is currently utilized for outstanding letters of credit relating to our real estate lease obligations. As of December 31, 2015 we had drawn $5.0 million under the revolving line of credit and had $44.6 million of available borrowing capacity.

The maturity date of the term loan facility is October 22, 2022 and the maturity date of the revolving line of credit is October 22, 2020. The aggregate contractual maturities of long-term debt maturities are(excluding unamortized discounts and unamortized debt issuance costs) were as follows at December 31, 20142015 (amounts in thousands):
Total DebtTotal Debt
2015$6,188
201610,120
$4,000
201712,331
4,000
201812,203
4,000
201982,784
4,000
20209,000
20214,000
2022376,000
Total$123,626
$405,000

Senior Term LoanWe may prepay loans under the October 2015 Credit Agreement at any time, subject to certain notice requirements and LineLIBOR breakage costs. Under certain circumstances, if the term loans are prepaid within six months after entering into the October 2015 Credit Agreement, such prepayment may be subject to a penalty equal to 1.00% of Creditthe outstanding term loans being prepaid.

On August 6,The interest rate for term loans is LIBOR plus 5.25% subject to a LIBOR floor of 1.00%. The interest rate for revolving loans is LIBOR plus 4.75% with no floor. The effective interest rate on outstanding debt at December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 the Company completed a refinancing transaction (the “Refinancing Transaction”), which included amendments to the First Amendedwas 6.24% and Restated4.5% respectively.

Debt covenants

The October 2015 Credit Agreement ("contains customary financial and operating covenants, including among others a consolidated net secured leverage ratio and covenants restricting the incurrence of debt, imposition of liens, the payment of dividends and entering into affiliate transactions. The October 2015 Credit Agreement"). TheAgreement also contains customary events of default, including among others nonpayment of principal or interest, material inaccuracy of representations and failure to comply with covenants. If an event of default occurs and is continuing under the October 2015 Credit Agreement, the entire outstanding balance may become immediately due and payable.

In addition, we must comply with a Consolidated Net Secured Leverage Ratio covenant and we are restricted from permitting the Consolidated Net Secured Leverage Ratio to be greater than the maximum ratio specified below during the period opposite such maximum ratio:
Fiscal Quarter EndingMaximum Ratio
March 31, 20165.00:1.00
June 30, 20165.00:1.00
September 30, 20164.75:1.00
December 31, 20164.75:1.00
March 31, 20174.50:1.00
June 30, 20174.50:1.00
September 30, 20174.25:1.00
December 31, 20174.25:1.00
March 31, 20184.00:1.00
June 30, 20184.00:1.00
September 30, 20183.75:1.00
December 31, 20183.75:1.00
March 31, 2019 and thereafter3.50:1.00

29




We were in compliance with all financial covenants under the October 2015 Credit Agreement as amended, provides for $110.0 million in term loans; a $15.0 million revolving credit facility; an available $15.0 million delayed draw term loan ("DDTL"); and an available uncommitted $30.0 million incremental term loan. The maturity of the facilitiesDecember 31, 2015.

Guarantees
Our obligations under the Credit Agreement, as amended, were extended to August 6, 2019. The obligations of the Company under theOctober 2015 Credit Agreement are guaranteed by certain of our subsidiaries and secured by substantially all of the Company’sour tangible and intangible assets. Additionally, the Company is in compliance with the reporting and financial covenants stated in the Credit Agreement.

On September 30, 2014, the Company drew $15.0 million on the DDTL, no amounts had been drawn on the revolving credit facility nor the uncommitted incremental term loan. The DDTL facility will be repaid on a quarterly basis starting March 31, 2016 at 1.875% of the aggregate outstanding balance, increasing to 2.5% of the aggregate outstanding balance starting December 31, 2016, with any remaining amount due on August 6, 2019. The term loan of $110.0 million will be repaid on a quarterly basis starting December 31, 2014 at $1.4 million of the aggregate outstanding balance, increasing to $2.1 million on December 31, 2015, and lastly increasing to $2.7 million on December 31, 2016, with any remaining amount due on August 6, 2019.Debt Issuance Costs

In connection with the Refinancing Transaction, the Company accelerated the amortizationOctober 2015 Credit Agreement, we incurred debt issuance costs of ratable portions$8.6 million (net of the deferred
financingextinguishment). These costs associated withare in addition to $2.6 million of debt issuance costs that were carried over from the prior term loan facilities and portionsfacility that qualified as a modification. These costs are being amortized to interest expense over the respective term of the deferred financingunderlying debt instruments using the effective interest method, unless extinguished earlier, at which time the related unamortized costs of the Credit Agreement, as amended, that do not qualify for deferral of $1.4 million. These amounts are reflected in Loss on Debt Extinguishment.will be immediately expensed.

The interest rate on the Credit Agreement, as amended, is a LIBOR-based tiered pricing tied to our net leverage ratio. As of December 31, 2014, the interest rate was 4.5%.

Mezzanine Notes
The Company entered into an agreement on August 6, 2014 ("Mezzanine Credit Agreement") that used the proceeds from the Refinancing Transaction to repay the remaining $31.0 million of indebtedness payable to BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP, Plexus Fund II, L.P., and BNY Mellon-Alcentra Mezzanine III, L.P. ("Note Holders"). In accordance with the terms of the Mezzanine Credit Agreement, the Company also paid a prepayment penalty of $0.3 million, which is included in Loss on Debt Extinguishment. The remaining original issue discount of the warrant of $1.5 million is included in Loss on Debt Extinguishment.


24



Warrants
On August 6, 2014, in conjunction with the Refinancing Transaction, the Company entered into an agreement with the Note Holders that extinguished the entireunamortized balance of the warrant liability of $19.2 million (the "Warrant Purchase and Exercise Agreement"). Under the Warrant Purchase and Exercise Agreement, the Note Holders agreed to sell 1,172,080 of their outstanding Warrants (or 50% of the total outstanding warrants) to the Company for $9.6 million. In addition, the Mezzanine Note Holders agreed to exercise the remaining 1,172,080 warrants on a cash-less basis into 913,749 common shares of the Company.

Capital Structure and Resources

Our stockholders’ equity amounted to $77.6 milliondebt issuance costs as of December 31, 2014, an increase of $68.1 million compared to stockholders’ equity of $9.5 million as of2015 and December 31, 2013, primarily due2014 was $10.9 million and $2.8 million, respectively. The amortization of debt issuance costs is included on the consolidated statements of cash flows within the caption “Amortization of debt issuance costs” along with the amortization of the discount on the Company’s indebtedness. Interest expense associated with the amortization of debt issuance costs was $1.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and $1.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2013.

Debt issuance costs are presented in the consolidated balance sheets as a reduction to $91.7 million of additional paid-in capital attributable to the common stock issuances offset by net losses of $23.0 million in fiscal 2014.“Long-term debt, non-current”.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of December 31, 20142015, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments
 
As of December 31, 2014, the Company2015, we had total contractual payment obligations of approximately $193.5$586.7 million. Of these obligations, approximately $58.6$163.4 million, or 30.3%27.8% are network supplier agreements associated with the telecommunications services that the Company haswe have contracted to purchase from its vendors through 2018 and beyond. The Companyour vendors. We generally triestry to structure itsour network contracts so the terms and conditions in theour vendor and customer contracts are substantially the same in terms of duration and capacity. The back-to-back nature of the Company’sour contracts means that the largest component of itsour network supplier contractual obligations isare generally mirrored by its customer’sour customers' commitment to purchase the services associated with those obligations. However, in certain instances relating to network infrastructure, the Companywe will enter into purchase commitments with vendors that do not directly tie to underlying customer commitments.
 
Approximately $123.6$380 million, or 63.9%64.8%, of the total contractual obligations are associated with the Company’sour debt which matures between 2014 and 2016.after 2020.
 
Operating leases amount to $11.3$10.6 million, or 5.8%1.8% of total contractual obligations, which consist mainly of buildingoffice leases.
 
The following table summarizes the Company’sour significant contractual obligations as of December 31, 20142015 (amounts in thousands):
 
  
 Total Less than 1 year 1-3 years 3-5 years More than 5 years
Senior Term Loan$108,626
 $6,188
 $30,938
 $71,500
 $
DDTL15,000
 
 3,716
 11,284
 
Operating leases11,295
 2,985
 6,316
 1,994
 
Supplier agreements58,613
 11,431
 38,357
 4,413
 4,412
 $193,534
 $20,604
 $79,327
 $89,191
 $4,412
  
 Total Less than 1 year 1-3 years 3-5 years More than 5 years
Term Loan$400,000
 $4,000
 $8,000
 $8,000
 $380,000
Revolving line of credit5,000
 
 
 5,000
 
Operating leases10,562
 3,234
 4,625
 2,538
 165
Capital leases2,351
 1,184
 1,167
 
 
Network supplier agreements (1)
163,396
 87,870
 68,112
 4,867
 2,547
Other (2)
5,402
 2,566
 2,682
 154
 
 $586,711
 $98,854
 $84,586
 $20,559
 $382,712

30



(1) The network supplier agreements exclude contracts where the initial term has expired and we are currently in month-to-month status.
(2) Other primarily consists of vendor contracts associated with network monitoring and maintenance services.

ITEM 7A.   QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are exposed to certain market risks. These risks, which include interest rate risk and foreign currency exchange risk, arise in the normal course of business rather than from trading activities.

Interest Rate Sensitivity
 
Interest due on the Company’s loans is based upon the applicable stated fixed contractual rate with the lender. Interest earned on the Company’s bank accounts is linkedOur exposure to the applicable base interest rate. For the years ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company had interest expense, net of interest income, of approximately $8.5 million and $8.4 million, respectively. The Company believes that its results of operations are not materially affected bymarket risk for changes in interest rates.
rates is primarily related to our outstanding term loans and revolving line of credit facility. As noted above, on October 22, 2015 we entered into the October 2015 Credit Agreement, thereby increasing our term loan debt to $400.0 million. The interest expense associated with our term loans and any loans under our revolving credit facility will vary with market rates, specifically LIBOR.


25For purposes of the following hypothetical calculations, we have used the new $400.0 million term loan, which carries an interest rate equal to LIBOR plus 5.25%, with a LIBOR floor of 1.0%. Current LIBOR rates are below 1.0%, which means there would not be any impact to our income or cash flows from an increase in LIBOR until LIBOR exceeds 1.0%. Based on current rates, a hypothetical 100 basis point increase in LIBOR would increase annual interest expense by approximately $3.6 million, which would decrease our income and cash flows by the same amount. A hypothetical increase of LIBOR to 4%, the average historical three-month LIBOR, would increase annual interest expense by approximately $13.6 million, which would decrease our income and cash flows by the same amount.


We do not currently use derivative financial instruments and have not entered into any interest rate hedging transactions, but we may do so in the future.

Exchange Rate Sensitivity
 
Approximately 42% of the Company’s revenue Our exposure to market risk for the year ended December 31, 2014 is derived from services provided outside of the United States. As a consequence, a material percentage of the Company’s revenue is billedchanges in British Pounds Sterling or Euros. Since we operate on a global basis, we are exposed to various foreign currency risks. First,rate relates to our global operations. Our consolidated financial statements are denominated in U.S. Dollars, but a significant portion of our revenue, iscost of telecommunication services provided and selling, general and administrative expenses are generated in the local currency of our foreign subsidiaries. Accordingly, changes in exchange rates between the applicable foreign currency and the U.S. Dollar will affect the translation of each foreign subsidiary’s financial results into U.S. Dollars for purposes of reporting consolidated financial results.

In addition, because of the global natureApproximately 20.5% of our business, we may from time to time be required to pay a supplier in one currency while receiving payments from the underlying customer of the service in another currency. Although it is the Company’s general policy to pay its suppliers in the same currency that it will receive cash from customers, where these circumstances arise with respect to supplier invoices in one currency and customer billings in another currency, the Company’s gross margins may increase or decrease based upon changes in the exchange rate. Such factors did not have a significant impact on the Company’s results inrevenues for the year ended December 31, 2014.2015 are billed by non-US entities that must record the revenue in the local functional currency (either British Pounds Sterling or Euros) and then translate the balances to the reporting currency, or USD. This foreign currency translation impact is partially offset by the fact that approximately 14.0% and 13.0% of our cost of telecommunication services provided and selling, general and administrative expenses, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2015 are also billed to non-US legal entities that must record these items in local currency (in British Pounds Sterling or Euros) as well.

We do not currently use derivative financial instruments and have not entered into any foreign currency hedging transactions, but we may do so in the future.

ITEM 8.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Reference is made to the consolidated financial statements, the notes thereto, and the report thereon, commencing on page F-1 of this annual report, which consolidated financial statements, notes, and report are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9.   CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
 
None.






31



ITEM 9A.   CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company’sOur management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officerchief executive officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer,chief financial officer (CFO), has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as(as defined in Rules 13a-15(e)13a- 15(e) and 15d-15(e) of15d- 15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that,amended (Exchange Act)), as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on such evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that as of December 31, 2015, our disclosure controls and procedures are designed at a reasonable assurance level and are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Our evaluation excluded MegaPath and One Source which were effectiveacquired on April 1, 2015 and October 22, 2015, respectively. As permitted by the SEC, management's assessment did not include the internal controls over financial reporting of the acquired operations of MegaPath and One Source, which are included in our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2014.2015 and for the year from their respective acquisition dates through December 31, 2015. Since we integrated MegaPath and One Source operations quickly post-acquisition, we are unable to determine their specific contributions to our consolidated results of operations or financial position for the year ended December 31, 2015. Therefore, we have assessed the contribution of these acquisitions on a pro forma basis immediately prior to their respective acquisition dates, as reported in their respective Form 8-K/A filings. On this basis, Megapath represented approximately 34% of consolidated revenue and 25% of total assets, and One Source represented approximately 17% of consolidated revenue and 29% of total assets, as of their respective acquisition dates.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control system was designed to provide reasonable assurance to our management and board of directors regardingreporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes. Our managementExchange Act). Management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014. This assessment was based on the criteria set forth in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013)(2013 framework). Based on thisthe assessment, management has concluded that as of December 31, 2014, ourits internal control over financial reporting was effective. Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued a report oneffective as of December 31, 2015 to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting which is below.

The scope of management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting includes all of the Company's subsidiaries except for United Network Services, Inc. ("UNSi"), a material business acquired on October 1, 2014. The Company's consolidated revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014, were $207.3 million, of which UNSi represented $14.2 million. The Company's total assets as of December 31, 2014, were $269.3 million, of2015, has been audited by CohnReznick LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which UNSi represented $55.3 million.appears herein.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

On October 1, 2014, the Company acquired UNSi. During the quarterly period ended December 31, 2014, UNSi's processes and systems were discrete and did not significantly impact internal controls over financial reporting at the Company's other subsidiaries. The Company's management performed due diligence procedures associated with the acquisition of UNSi. During these

26



due diligence procedures and in the quarterly period after the acquisition, the Company's management found no significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design of UNSi's internal controls over financial reporting.

There were no other changes in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that occurred in the fourth fiscal quarter of the period covered by this Annual Report that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.



2732




REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING


The Board of Directors and ShareholdersStockholders of GTT Communications, Inc.:

We have audited GTT Communications, Inc. and Subsidiaries (“GTT”subsidiaries’ (the “Company”) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014,2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control - IntegratedControl-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO)(2013 framework) (the “COSO criteria”). GTT’sGTT Communications, Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on GTT’sthe Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also includedrisk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

As describedindicated in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, management has excluded United Network Services, Inc. (“UNSi”) from itsmanagement’s assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financingfinancial reporting did not include the internal controls of One Source Networks, Inc., which was acquired on October 22, 2015, and MegaPath Corporation, which was acquired on April 1, 2015, and which are included in the consolidated balance sheet of GTT Communications, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014,2015, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended. Management did not assess the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of One Source Networks, Inc. and MegaPath Corporation because it was acquired byof the Company in a purchase business combination on October 1, 2014. We also excluded UNSi from ourtiming of the acquisitions. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting.reporting of the Company also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of One Source Networks, Inc. and MegaPath Corporation.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, GTT Communications, Inc. and Subsidiaries maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014,2015, based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).COSO criteria.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of GTT Communications, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 20142015 and 2013,2014, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss,income (loss), stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years thenin the period ended of GTT Communications, Inc.December 31, 2015, and Subsidiariesthe related financial statement schedule listed in the index at 15(a) 2, and our report dated March 13, 2015,9, 2016 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.opinion.


/s/ CohnReznick LLP

Vienna, VATysons, Virginia
March 13, 2015

9, 2016
 

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ITEM 9B.   OTHER INFORMATION

Not applicable.

PART III

ITEM 10.   DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required by this Item relating to our directors and corporate governance is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The information required by this Item relating to our executive officers is included in Item 1, “Business - Executive Officers” of this report.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.


2934



PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a)  Financial Statements
1.Financial Statements are listed in the Index to Financial Statements on page F-1 of this annual report.
2.Schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable or because the information required to be set forth thereinFinancial Statement Schedules. The Financial Statement Schedule described below is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.filed as part of this report.

Description

Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts.

All other financial statement schedules are not required under the relevant instructions or are inapplicable and therefore have been omitted.

(b)  Exhibits

The following exhibits, which are numbered in accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K, are filed herewith or, as noted, incorporated by reference herein:

2.1 (1)Agreement for the sale and purchase of the entire issued share capital of and loan notes in PacketExchange (Ireland) Limited, dated May 23, 2011, among Esprit Capital I Fund No. 1 LP, Esprit Capital I Fund No. 2 LP and the others, as Sellers, and GTT-EMEA, Limited, as Buyer.
2.2 (2)Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 30, 2012, among nLayer Communications, Inc., Jordan Lowe, Daniel Brosk Trust dated December 22, 2006, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc. and the Registrant.
2.3 (17)(3)Equity Purchase Agreement, dated April 30, 2013, between Neutral Tandem, Inc. (d/b/a Inteliquent) and the Registrant.
2.4 (22)(4)Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 1, 2014, by and among the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., GTT UNSI, Inc. , American Broadband, Inc. (d/b/a United Network Services, Inc.) and Francis D. John, as stockholder representative.
2.5 (5)Stock Purchase Agreement, dated February 19, 2015, by and among Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., a Delaware corporation, GTT Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation, MegaPath Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and MegaPath Corporation, a Virginia corporation. 
2.6 (6)Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 15, 2015, by and among GTT Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., a Virginia corporation, Duo Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation, One Source Networks Inc., a Texas corporation, Ernest Cunningham, as representative of the equityholders in One Source Networks Inc. and, for limited portions of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, certain key employees of One Source named therein.
2.7 (7)
Agreement and Plan of Merger Amendment No.1 to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 15, 2015, by and among GTT Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., a Virginia corporation, Duo Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation, One Source Networks Inc., a Texas corporation, Ernest Cunningham, as representative of the equityholders in One Source Networks Inc. and, for limited portions of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, certain key employees of One Source named therein.

2.8 (8)
Agreement and Plan of Merger Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 15, 2015, by and among GTT Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., a Virginia corporation, Duo Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation, One Source Networks Inc., a Texas corporation, Ernest Cunningham, as representative of the equityholders in One Source Networks Inc. and, for limited portions of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, certain key employees of One Source named therein.

3.1 (3)(7)Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, dated October 16, 2006.
3.2 (19)(8)Certificate of Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, dated December 31, 2013.
3.3 (3)(7)Amended and Restated Bylaws, dated October 15, 2006.
3.4 (4)(9)Amendment to Amended and Restated Bylaws, dated May 7, 2007.

35



4.1 (5)(10)Specimen of Common Stock Certificate.
4.2 (7)(11)Form of Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of 2005, among the Registrant, Universal Telecommunications, Inc., Hackman Family Trust, Charles Schwab & Company Custodian FBO David Ballarini IRA and Mercator Capital L.L.C.
4.3 (2)Registration Rights Agreement, dated April 30, 2012, among the Registrant, Jordon Lowe and Daniel Brosk Trust dated December 22, 2006.
4.4 (16)(12)Form of Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 28, 2013.
10.1 (8)(13) +2006 Employee, Director and Consultant Stock Plan, as amended.
10.2 (9)(14) +2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Stock Plan.
10.3 (3)(15) +2015 Stock Option and Incentive Plan.
10.3 (7) +Employment Agreement for H. Brian Thompson, dated October 15, 2006.
10.4 (4)(9) +Employment Agreement for Richard D. Calder, Jr., dated May 7, 2007.
10.5 (10)(16) +Amendment No. 1 to the Employment Agreement for Richard D. Calder, Jr., dated July 18, 2008.
10.6 (11)(17) +Employment Agreement for Christopher McKee, dated September 12, 2011.
10.7 (12)(18) +Employment Agreement for Michael R. Bauer, dated June 27, 2012.Sicoli.
10.8 (2)(19)Joinder and Second Loan Modification Agreement, dated April 30, 2012, (i) among Silicon Valley Bank, (ii) the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology (Americas), Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange, Inc., WBS Connect LLC and (iii) nLayer Communications, Inc.
10.9 (20)First Loan ModificationCredit Agreement, dated as of December 15, 2011, amongOctober 22, 2015, among:  (i) GTT Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation as the Registrant, Global Telecomborrower; (ii) the lenders from time to time party hereto; (ii) KeyBank National Association, as the administrative agent, as the Swing Line Lender, and Technology Americas, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange,as LC Issuer, (iv) SunTrust Bank, as a Lender and as the syndication agent; (v) KeyBank Capital Markets Inc. and WBS Connect LLCSunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc., as joint lead arrangers and Silicon Valley Bank.
10.10 (13)Loanjoint bookrunners; and Security Agreement, dated June 29, 2011, among the Registrant,  Global Telecom and Technology Americas, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange, Inc. and WBS Connect LLC and Silicon Valley Bank.

30



10.11 (17)Credit Agreement, dated April 30, 2013, among the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., GTT Global Telecom Government Services, LLC, nLayer Communications, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange, Inc., TEK Channel Consulting, LLC, WBS Connect LLC, Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra, LTD, and IDC Global, Inc., Webster(vi) MUFG Union Bank, N.A., Pacific Western Bank, CIT Bank, N.A., ING Capital LLC, Société Générale and the other Lenders (as defined therein) party thereto.CoBank, ACB as Co-Documentation Agents.
10.12 (19)10.9 (8)Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated December 30, 2013, among the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., GTT Global Telecom Government Services, LLC, nLayer Communications, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange, Inc., TEK Channel Consulting, LLC, WBS Connect LLC, Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra, LTD, IDC Global, Inc., NT Network Services, LLC, Webster Bank, N.A., and the other Lenders (as defined therein) party thereto.
10.13 (21)10.10 (20)Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated August 6, 2014, among the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., GTT Global Telecom Government Services, LLC, nLayer Communications, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange, Inc., TEK Channel Consulting, LLC, WBS Connect LLC, Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra, LTD, IDC Global, Inc., NT Network Services, LLC, GTT 360, Inc. and Wall Street Network Solutions, LLC, as co-borrows, and Webster Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, lead arranger and lender, the other lenders (as defined therein) party thereto, Pacific Western Bank, as syndication agent and East West Bank and Fifth Third Bank, as co-document agents.
10.14 (17)10.11 (21)SecurityAmendment Agreement, dated April 30, 2013,June 4, 2015, to the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated August 6, 2014, among the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., GTT Global Telecom Government Services, LLC, nLayer Communications, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange, Inc., TEK Channel Consulting, LLC, WBS Connect LLC, Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra, Ltd.,LTD, IDC Global, Inc., NT Network Services, LLC, GTT 360, Inc., Wall Street Network Solutions, LLC, American Broadband, Inc., Airband Communications, Inc., Sparkplug, Inc., and GTT Communications (MP), Inc., as borrows, and Keybank National Association, as administrative agent, joint lead arranger, L/C issuer and lender, the other lenders (as defined therein) party thereto, Webster Bank, N.A., as joint lead arranger, syndication agent, L/C issuer and the other Lenders (as defined therein) party thereto.lender, Pacific Western Bank, Cobank, ACB and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as co-document agents.
10.15 (6)10.12 (22)Note Purchase Agreement, dated June 6, 2011, between (i) the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology (Americas), Inc., WBS Connect, LLC, PacketExchange, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc. and (ii) BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP.
10.16 (6)Unconditional Guaranty, dated June 6, 2011, between TEK Channel Consulting, LLC and BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP.
10.17 (6)Unconditional Guaranty, dated June 6, 2011, between GTT Global Telecom Government Services, LLC and BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP.
10.18 (6)Security Agreement, dated June 6, 2011, among BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP and TEK Channel Consulting, LLC and GTT Global Telecom Government Services, LLC.
10.19 (6)Pledge Agreement, dated June 6, 2011, among BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP and the Registrant and Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc.
10.20 (2)Amended and Restated Note PurchaseAmendment Agreement, dated April 30, 2012, among (i)1, 2015, to the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology (Americas), Inc., WBS Connect, LLC, PacketExchange, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., nLayer Communications, Inc., (ii) BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP, as agent for the Purchasers, and (iii) the Purchasers party thereto.
10.21 (2)Note, dated April 30, 2012, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology (Americas), Inc., WBS Connect, LLC, PacketExchange (USA), Inc, PacketExchange, Inc. and nLayer Communications, Inc., jointly and severally as borrowers, to Plexus Fund II, L.P.
10.22 (2)Amended and Restated Note, dated April 30, 2012, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology (Americas), Inc., WBS Connect, LLC, PacketExchange (USA), Inc, PacketExchange, Inc. and nLayer Communications, Inc., jointly and severally as borrowers, to BIA Digital Partners II LP.
10.23 (14)Form of Promissory Note of the Registrant due February 8, 2012.
10.24 (20)Amendment No. 1, dated May __, 2011, to Promissory Notes of the Registrant due February 8, 2012.
10.25 (15)Form of Promissory Note of the Registrant due December 31, 2013.  
10.26 (17)Second Amended and Restated Note PurchaseCredit Agreement, dated April 30, 2013,August 6, 2014, among (i) BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP (as agent and purchaser), (ii) Plexus Fund II, L.P., and BNY Mellon-Alcentra Mezzanine III, L.P. (as purchasers) and (iii) the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., nLayer Communications, Inc., NT Network Services, LLC (as borrowers).
10.27 (19)Third Amendment Agreement, dated December 30, 2013, among (i) BIA Digital Partners SBIC II, LP. (as agent and purchaser), (ii) Plexus Fund II, L.P., Plexus Fund III, L.P., Plexus Fund QP III, L.P., and BNY Mellon-Alcentra Mezzanine III, L.P. (as purchasers) and (iii) the Registrant,GTT Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc, nLayer Communications, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange, Inc., WBS ConnectGovernment Services, LLC, Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra, Ltd., IDC Global, Inc.,LTD, NT Network Services, LLC, (as borrowers).

31



10.28 (17)Note, dated April 30, 2013, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas,GTT 360, Inc., WBS ConnectWall Street Network Solutions, LLC, PacketExchangeAmerican Broadband, Inc., PacketExchange (USA),Airband Communications, Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global,Sparkplug, Inc., and nLayer Communications, Inc.MegaPath Corporation, as borrows, and Keybank National Association, as administrative agent, joint lead arranger, L/C issuer and lender, the other lenders (as defined therein) party thereto, Webster Bank, N.A. as joint lead arranger, syndication agent, L/C issuer and lender, Pacific Western Bank, Cobank, ACB and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., jointly and severally as borrowers, to Plexus Fund II, L.P.co-document agents.
10.29 (17)Note, dated April 30, 2013, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, PacketExchange Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., and nLayer Communications, Inc., jointly and severally as borrowers, to BIA Digital Partners SBIC II, LP.
10.30 (17)Note, dated April 30, 2013, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, PacketExchange Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., and nLayer Communications, Inc., jointly and severally as borrowers, to BNY Mellon-Alcentra Mezzanine III, L.P.
10.31 (17)
Second Amended and Restated Note, dated April 30, 2013, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, PacketExchange Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., and nLayer Communications, Inc., jointly and severally as borrowers, to BIA Digital Partners SBIC II, LP.
10.32 (17)Amended and Restated Note, dated April 30, 2013, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, PacketExchange Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., and nLayer Communications, Inc., jointly and severally as borrowers, to Plexus Fund II, L.P.
10.33 (18)Second Amendment Agreement, dated November 1, 2013, among (i) BIA Digital Partners SBIC II, LP. (as agent and purchaser), (ii) Plexus Fund II, L.P. and BNY Mellon-Alcentra Mezzanine II, L.P. (as purchasers) and (iii) the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., nLayer Communications, Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., PacketExchange, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra, Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., NT Network Services, LLC (as borrowers).
10.34 (18)Additional Note, dated November 1, 2013, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, PacketExchange Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., NT Network Services, LLC, and nLayer Communications, Inc., jointly and severally as borrowers, to Plexus Fund II, L.P.
10.35 (18)Additional Note, dated November 1, 2013, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, PacketExchange Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., NT Network Services, LLC, and nLayer Communications, Inc., jointly and severally as borrowers, to BNY Mellon-Alcentra Mezzanine III, L.P.
10.36 (19)Third Amendment Note, dated December 30, 2013, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, PacketExchange Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., NT Network Services, LLC, and nLayer Communications, Inc., to Plexus Fund III, L.P.
10.37 (19)Third Amendment Note, dated December 30, 2013, issued by the Registrant, Global Telecom & Technology Americas, Inc., WBS Connect LLC, PacketExchange Inc., PacketExchange (USA), Inc., Communication Decisions-SNVC, LLC, Core180, LLC, Electra Ltd., IDC Global, Inc., NT Network Services, LLC, and nLayer Communications, Inc., to Plexus Fund QP III, L.P.
10.38 (21)10.11 (20)Warrant Purchase and Exercise Agreement, dated as of August 6, 2014, by and among the Registrant, BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP, BNY Mellon-Alcentra Mezzanine III, L.P., Plexus Fund II, L.P. and GTT Communications, Inc.
21.1*Subsidiaries of the Registrant.
23.1*Consent of CohnReznick LLP.
24.1*Power of Attorney (included on the signature page to this report).

36



31.1*Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
31.2*Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
32.1*Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2*Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32



101.INS**XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
101.INS**XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
101.INS**XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB**XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
*Filed herewith
**Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, these interactive data files are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and otherwise are not subject to liability.
+Denotes a management or compensatory plan or arrangement.
  
(1)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 21,26, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference.
(2)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 4, 2012, and incorporated herein by reference.
(3)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 6, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.
(4)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed October 7, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.
(5)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 25, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference.
(6)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 18, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference.
(7)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed October 19, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference.
(4)(8)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed January 6, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.

37



(9)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 10, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference.
(5)(10)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed November 14, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference.
(6)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 10, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference.
(7)(11)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-122303) filed January 26, 2005, and incorporated herein by reference.
(8)(12)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 3, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.
(13)Previously filed as Annex E to the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed October 2, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference.  
(9)(14)Previously filed as Appendix A to the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 29, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference.  
(10)(15)Previously filed as Appendix A to the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 30, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference.  
(16)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 4, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference.
(11)(17)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 16, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference.
(12)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 29, 2012, and incorporated herein by reference.
(13)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed July 6, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference.
(14)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 12, 1010, and incorporated herein by reference.
(15)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 23, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference.
(16)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 3, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.
(17)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 6, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.
(18)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s CurrentQuarterly Report on Form 8-K10-Q filed NovemberMay 7, 2013,2015 and incorporated herein by reference.
(19)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed January 6,October 27, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference.
(20)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed August 12, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.
(21)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s AnnualCurrent Report on Form 10-K8-K filed March 19, 2013,June 15, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference.6.15.15
(22)Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 7, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference.




3338



SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
 GTT COMMUNICATIONS, INC. 
    
 By:/s/ Richard D. Calder, Jr. 
  Richard D. Calder, Jr. 
  President and Chief Executive Officer 
Date: March 13, 20159, 2016

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Richard D. Calder, Jr. and Michael R. Bauer,T. Sicoli, jointly and severally, his attorney-in-fact, each with the full power of substitution, for such person, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might do or could do in person hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his substitute, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed on or before March 13, 20159, 2016 by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated.


39



Signature Title
/s/ Richard D. Calder, Jr. President, Chief Executive Officer and
Richard D. Calder, Jr. Director (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Michael R. BauerT. Sicoli Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Michael R. BauerT. Sicoli (Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ Daniel M. FraserVice President and Controller
Daniel M. Fraser(Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ H. Brian Thompson Chairman of the Board and Executive
H. Brian Thompson Chairman
/s/ S. Joseph Bruno Director
S. Joseph Bruno
  
/s/ Rhodric C. Hackman Director
Rhodric C. Hackman  
/s/ Howard Janzen Director
Howard Janzen
  
/s/ Morgan E. O'Brien Director
Morgan E. O’Brien
  
/s/ Theodore B. Smith, III Director
Theodore B. Smith, III  
/s/ Nicola A. AdamoDirector
Nicola A. Adamo


3440



INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
GTT Communications, Inc. 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 20142015 and 20132014
F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013
F-4
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive LossIncome (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013
F-5
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013
F-6
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013
F-7
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
F-8


F-1




REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM


To the Board of Directors and ShareholdersStockholders of GTT Communications, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of GTT Communications, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 20142015 and 2013,2014, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss,income (loss), stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years then ended. GTT Communications, Inc.’s management is responsible for these consolidatedin the period ended December 31, 2015. Our audits also included the financial statements.statement schedule listed in the index at 15(a) 2. These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements and schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of GTT Communications, Inc. and subsidiaries' as ofsubsidiaries at December 31, 20142015 and 2013,2014, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years thenin the period ended December 31, 2015, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its presentation of debt issuance costs as a result of the adoption of the amendments to the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification resulting from Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, effective December 31, 2015. This change was applied retrospectively to all years presented. Also, the Company changed the classification of deferred taxes in the consolidated balance sheet effective December 31, 2015, due to the adoption of ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. This change was adopted prospectively.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), GTT Communications, Inc. and subsidiaries internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014,2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control - IntegratedControl-Integrated Framework (2013)issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO)(2013 framework), and our report dated March 13, 20159, 2016 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.


/s/ CohnReznick LLP

Vienna, VATysons, Virginia
March 13, 20159, 2016



F-2




GTT Communications, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data) 
  December 31, 2014 As Adjusted
December 31, 2014 December 31, 2013December 31, 2015 
ASSETS 
  
 
  
Current assets: 
  
 
  
Cash and cash equivalents$49,256
 $5,785
$14,630
 $49,256
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $878 and $702, respectively29,328
 22,305
Deferred contract costs2,351
 1,975
Prepaid expenses and other current assets3,913
 2,878
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $1,015 and $878, respectively60,446
 29,328
Deferred costs4,159
 2,351
Prepaid expenses and other assets13,663
 3,913
Total current assets84,848
 32,943
92,898
 84,848
Property and equipment, net25,184
 20,450
38,823
 25,184
Intangible assets, net58,630
 43,618
182,184
 58,630
Other assets7,933
 7,726
11,593
 5,133
Goodwill92,683
 67,019
270,956
 92,683
Total assets$269,278
 $171,756
$596,454
 $266,478
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 
  
 
  
Current liabilities: 
  
 
  
Accounts payable$20,336
 $20,983
$22,725
 $20,336
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities35,464
 26,999
43,115
 29,488
Short-term debt6,188
 6,500
Deferred revenue8,340
 6,797
Acquisition earn-outs and holdbacks12,842
 5,942
Capital lease, current1,392
 34
Short-term portion of long-term debt4,000
 6,188
Deferred revenue, short-term portion15,469
 8,340
Total current liabilities70,328
 61,279
99,543
 70,328
Capital lease, noncurrent961
 119
Long-term debt117,438
 85,960
382,243
 114,638
Deferred revenue766
 1,480
Warrant liability
 12,295
Deferred revenue, long-term portion2,292
 766
Other long-term liabilities3,180
 1,232
929
 3,061
Total liabilities191,712
 162,246
485,968
 188,912
Commitments and contingencies

 



 

Stockholders' equity: 
  
 
  
Common stock, par value $.0001 per share, 80,000,000 shares authorized, 33,848,543, and 23,311,023 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively3
 2
Common stock, par value $.0001 per share, 80,000,000 shares authorized, 36,533,634 and 33,848,543 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively3
 3
Additional paid-in capital167,678
 76,014
182,797
 167,678
Accumulated deficit(89,205) (66,226)(69,901) (89,205)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(910) (280)(2,413) (910)
Total stockholders' equity77,566
 9,510
110,486
 77,566
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity$269,278
 $171,756
$596,454
 $266,478


 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.

F-3





GTT Communications, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

Year EndedYear Ended
December 31, 2014 December 31, 2013December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014 December 31, 2013
Revenue:

 

  

 

Telecommunications services$207,343
 $157,368
$369,250
 $207,343
 $157,368



 

  

 

Operating expenses:

 

  

 

Cost of telecommunications services128,086
 102,815
204,458
 128,086
 102,815
Selling, general and administrative expense45,613
 31,675
Restructuring costs, employee termination and other items9,425
 7,677
Selling, general and administrative expenses101,712
 45,613
 31,675
Severance, restructuring and other exit costs12,670
 9,425
 7,677
Depreciation and amortization24,921
 17,157
46,708
 24,921
 17,157



 

  

 

Total operating expenses208,045
 159,324
365,548
 208,045
 159,324



 

  

 

Operating loss(702) (1,956)
Operating income (loss)3,702
 (702) (1,956)



 

  

 

Other expense:

 

  

 

Interest expense, net(8,454) (8,408)(13,942) (8,454) (8,408)
Loss on debt extinguishment(3,104) (706)(3,420) (3,104) (706)
Other expense, net(8,636) (11,724)(1,167) (8,636) (11,724)


 
  
 
Total other expense(20,194) (20,838)(18,529) (20,194) (20,838)

  
   
    
   
Loss before income taxes(20,896)
(22,794)(14,827) (20,896)
(22,794)



 

  

 

Income tax expense (benefit)2,083
 (2,005)
Income tax (benefit) expense(34,131) 2,083
 (2,005)

  
   
    
   
Net loss$(22,979) $(20,789)
Net income (loss)$19,304
 $(22,979) $(20,789)

  
   
    
   
Loss per share:

 

Earnings (loss) per share:  

 

Basic$(0.85) $(0.95)$0.55
 $(0.85) $(0.95)
Diluted$(0.85) $(0.95)$0.54
 $(0.85) $(0.95)



 

  

 

Weighted average shares:

 

  

 

Basic27,011,381
 21,985,241
34,973,284
 27,011,381
 21,985,241
Diluted27,011,381
 21,985,241
35,801,395
 27,011,381
 21,985,241


 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.


F-4





GTT Communications, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive LossIncome (Loss)
(Amounts in thousands)
 
 Year Ended
 December 31, 2014 December 31, 2013
    
Net loss$(22,979) $(20,789)



 

Other comprehensive income (loss):

 

Foreign currency translation (loss) gain(630) 453
Comprehensive loss$(23,609) $(20,336)
 Year Ended
 December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014 December 31, 2013
      
Net income (loss)$19,304
 $(22,979) $(20,789)

     
Other comprehensive income (loss):     
Foreign currency translation adjustment(1,503) (630) 453
Comprehensive income (loss)$17,801
 $(23,609) $(20,336)


 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
 

F-5




GTT Communications, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
(Amounts in thousands, except for share data)  
        Accumulated  
Common Stock Additional
Paid -In
 Accumulated Other
Comprehensive
  
(Amounts in thousands, except for share data)Common Stock Additional
Paid -In Capital
 Accumulated Deficit Accumulated Other
Comprehensive
  
Shares Amount Capital Deficit Loss TotalShares Amount Loss Total
Balance, December 31, 201219,129,765
 $2
 $63,207
 $(45,437) $(733) $17,039
19,129,765
 $2
 $63,207
 $(45,437) $(733) $17,039
                      
Share-based compensation for options issued
 
 363
 
 
 363

 
 363
 
 
 363
                      
Share-based compensation for restricted stock issued722,357
 
 1,103
 
 
 1,103
722,357
 
 1,103
 
 
 1,103
                      
Tax witholding related to the vesting of restricted stock units(32,297) 
 (120) 
 
 (120)
Tax withholding related to the vesting of restricted stock units(32,297) 
 (120) 
 
 (120)
                      
Shares issued in connection with acquisition earn-out356,122
 
 1,650
 
 
 1,650
356,122
 
 1,650
 
 
 1,650
                      
Stock issued in private offering2,060,595
 
 6,182
 
 
 6,182
Shares issued in private offering2,060,595
 
 6,182
 
 
 6,182
                      
Stock options exercised92,125
 
 43
 
 
 43
92,125
 
 43
 
 
 43
                      
Stock issued on debt extinguishment982,356
 
 3,586
 
 
 3,586
Shares issued on debt extinguishment982,356
 
 3,586
 
 
 3,586
                      
Net loss
 
 
 (20,789) 
 (20,789)
 
 
 (20,789) 
 (20,789)
                      
Foreign currency translation
 
 
 
 453
 453

 
 
 
 453
 453
                      
Balance, December 31, 201323,311,023
 2
 76,014
 (66,226) (280) 9,510
23,311,023
 2
 76,014
 (66,226) (280) 9,510
                      
Share-based compensation for options issued
 
 883
 
 
 883

 
 883
 
 
 883
                      
Share-based compensation for restricted stock issued1,030,482
 
 1,535
 
 
 1,535
1,030,482
 
 1,535
 
 
 1,535
                      
Tax witholding related to the vesting of restricted stock units(147,025) 
 (1,591) 
 
 (1,591)
Tax withholding related to the vesting of restricted stock units(147,025) 
 (1,591) 
 
 (1,591)
                      
Shares issued in connection with acquisition earn-out306,122
 
 3,704
 
 
 3,704
306,122
 
 3,704
 
 
 3,704
                      
Shares issued in connection with acquisitions325,438
 
 3,884
 
 
 3,884
325,438
 
 3,884
 
 
 3,884
                      
Cashless exercise of warrants913,749
 
 9,576
 
 
 9,576
913,749
 
 9,576
 
 
 9,576
                      
Stock issued in offerings, net of offering costs7,475,000
 1
 72,679
 
 
 72,680
Shares issued in offerings, net of offering costs7,475,000
 1
 72,679
 
 
 72,680
                      
Stock options exercised633,754
 
 994
 
 
 994
633,754
 
 994
 
 
 994
                      
Net loss
 
 
 (22,979) 
 (22,979)
 
 
 (22,979) 
 (22,979)
                      
Foreign currency translation
 
 
 
 (630) (630)
 
 
 
 (630) (630)
                      
Balance, December 31, 201433,848,543
 $3
 $167,678

$(89,205)
$(910)
$77,566
33,848,543
 3
 167,678

(89,205)
(910)
77,566
           
Share-based compensation for options issued
 
 1,591
 
 
 1,591
           
Share-based compensation for restricted stock issued1,536,043
 
 6,285
 
 
 6,285
           
Tax withholding related to the vesting of restricted stock units(195,917) 
 (3,471) 
 
 (3,471)
           
Shares issued in connection with acquisitions1,085,844
 
 9,845
 
 
 9,845
           
Stock options exercised259,121
 
 869
 
 
 869
           
Net income
 
 
 19,304
 
 19,304
           
Foreign currency translation
 
 
 
 (1,503) (1,503)
           
Balance, December 31, 201536,533,634
 $3
 $182,797
 $(69,901) $(2,413) $110,486



The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.

F-6




GTT Communications, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Amounts in thousands)
 
Year Ended December 31,Year Ended December 31,
2014 20132015 2014 2013
Cash flows from operating activities: 
  
   
  
Net loss$(22,979) $(20,789)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:   
Net income (loss)$19,304
 $(22,979) $(20,789)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:     
Depreciation and amortization24,921
 17,157
46,708
 24,921
 17,157
Shared-based compensation2,418
 1,466
Share-based compensation7,876
 2,418
 1,466
Debt discount amortization420
 601
181
 420
 601
Change in fair value of warrant liability6,857
 8,658

 6,857
 8,658
Loss on debt extinguishment3,104
 706
3,420
 3,104
 706
Amortization of debt issuance costs1,021
 1,014
 1,269
Deferred income taxes(30,500) 
 
Change in fair value of acquisition earn-out1,554
 1,978
880
 1,554
 1,978
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions:   
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:     
Accounts receivable, net(4,965) 485
(7,891) (4,965) 485
Deferred contract costs251
 (619)(2,883) 251
 (619)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets(804) 5,252
(8,094) (804) 5,252
Other assets(2,795) (4,533)(6,114) (1,596) (2,676)
Accounts payable(14,235) 604
(8,694) (14,235) 604
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities(5,063) (6,987)1,829
 (3,679) (3,359)
Deferred revenue and other long-term liabilities1,189
 (1,300)7,608
 1,244
 (1,300)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities(10,127) 2,679
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities24,651
 (6,475) 9,433
        
Cash flows from investing activities: 
  
   
  
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired(37,488) (51,884)(300,702) (37,488) (51,884)
Purchases of customer lists(206) (4,042)
 (206) (4,042)
Purchases of property and equipment(5,819) (4,053)(14,070) (5,819) (4,053)
Net cash used in investing activities(43,513) (59,979)(314,772) (43,513) (59,979)
        
Cash flows from financing activities: 
  
   
  
Repayment of promissory note
 (237)
 
 (237)
Proceeds from line of credit3,000
 3,000

 3,000
 3,000
Repayment of line of credit(6,000) 

 (6,000) 
Proceeds from revolving line of credit5,000
 
 
Proceeds from term loan125,000
 65,794
622,000
 125,000
 65,794
Repayment of term loan(63,124) (28,544)(353,626) (63,124) (28,544)
Proceeds from mezzanine debt1,500
 11,651

 1,500
 11,651
Repayment of mezzanine debt(31,000) 

 (31,000) 
Repayment of warrant liability(9,576) 
Payment of earn-out(3,729) (1,155) (3,628)
Debt issuance costs(12,579) (2,213) (3,126)
Settlement of warrant liability
 (9,576) 
Repayment of subordinate notes payable
 (85)
 
 (85)
Repayment of capital leases$(933) $(284) $
Tax withholding related to the vesting of restricted stock units(1,591) (120)(3,471) (1,591) (120)
Exercise of stock options994
 43
869
 994
 43
Stock issued in offering, net of offering costs72,680
 6,182
Shares issued in offering, net of offering costs
 72,680
 6,182
Net cash provided by financing activities91,883
 57,684
253,531
 88,231
 50,930
        
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash5,228
 675
1,964
 5,228
 675
        
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents43,471
 1,059
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents(34,626) 43,471
 1,059
        
        
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year5,785
 4,726
49,256
 5,785
 4,726
        
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year$49,256
 $5,785
$14,630
 $49,256
 $5,785
        
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: 
  
   
  
Cash paid for interest$7,976
 $7,412
$13,132
 $7,976
 $7,412
Cash paid for taxes$434
 $911
 $740
        
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities: 
  
   
  
Fair value of assets acquired$43,919
 $64,092
Fair value of liabilities acquired$20,284
 $36,152
Shares issued in connection with the extinguishment of subordinated notes and accrued interest thereon$
 $2,880
Shares issued in connection with acquisition earn-out$3,704
 $1,650
Shares issued in connection with acquisitions$3,884
 $
Fair value of current assets acquired$26,094
 $6,193
 $33,030
Fair value of non-current assets acquired$171,768
 $37,726
 $31,062
Fair value of current liabilities assumed$26,053
 $19,847
 $26,064
Fair value of non-current liabilities assumed$1,895
 $437
 $10,088
Stock issued in connection with acquisition earn-out$
 $3,704
 $1,650
Stock issued in connection with acquisition$9,845
 $3,884
 $
Stock issued in connection with debt extinguishment$
 $
 $2,880
Cashless exercise of warrants$9,576
 $
$
 $9,576
 $


 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
 

F-7




GTT Communications, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

NOTE 1 — ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS
 
Organization and Business
 
GTT Communications, Inc. (“GTT,” or the "Company,") is a Delaware corporation which was incorporated on January 3, 2005. GTT operatesprovider of cloud networking services. The Company offers multinational clients a broad portfolio of global communications services including: EtherCloud® wide area network services; Internet services; managed network and security services; and voice and unified communication services.

GTT's global Tier 1 IP network connectingdelivers connectivity to clients to locations and cloud applications around the world. We seekThe Company provides services to further extend our network globally whileleading multinational enterprises, carriers and government customers in over 100 countries. GTT differentiates itself from its competition by delivering exceptional client service to its clients with simplicity, speed and agility.

NOTE 2 — SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation of Consolidated Financial Statements and Use of Estimates
 
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and it'sits wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect thecertain reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant accounting estimates to be made by management includeare used when establishing allowances for doubtful accounts, valuation of goodwill and other long-lived assets, accrualaccruals for billing disputes, and accruals for exit activities, determining useful lives for depreciation and amortization, assessing the need for impairment charges (including those related to intangible assets and goodwill), determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations, accounting for income taxes and related valuation allowances against deferred tax assets and estimating the grant date fair values used to compute the stock-based compensation expense. Management evaluates these estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis and makes estimates based on historical experience, current conditions, and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The results of equity instruments. Becausethese estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities as well as identifying and assessing the uncertainty inherent in such estimates, actualaccounting treatment with respect to commitments and contingencies. Actual results may differ from these estimates.estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Segment Reporting

The Company reports operating results and financial data in one operating and reportable segment. The Companychief operating decision maker manages its businessthe Company as a single profit center in order to promote collaboration, provide comprehensive service offerings across its entire customer base, and provide incentives to employees based on the success of the organization as a whole. Although certain information regarding geographic markets and selected products or services are discussed for purposes of promoting an understanding of the Company's complex business, the Companychief operating decision maker manages its businessthe Company and allocates resources at the consolidated level of a single operating segment.

Revenue Recognition

We deliver threeThe Company delivers four primary services to ourits customers—EtherCloud, our flexible Ethernet-based connectivity service; Internet Services, our reliable, high bandwidth internet connectivity services; and Managed Services, our provision of fully managed network services so organizations can focus on their core business. Our extensive networkservices; and broad geographic reach enable us to cost-effectively deliver the bandwidth, scaleVoice and security demanded by our customers.UC Services, global communication and collaboration services. Certain of the Company’sits current revenue activities have features that may be considered multiple elements. Specifically, when the Company sells one of its subscription services with a Customer Premised Equipment ("CPE"). The Company believes that there is insufficientsufficient evidence to determine each element’s fair value and as a result, in those arrangements where there are multiple elements, the subscription revenue is recorded ratably over the term of the arrangement.agreement and the equipment is accounted for a sale, at the time of sale.
 
Network Services and Support. The Company’sCompany's services are provided pursuant tounder contracts that typically provide for an installation charge along with payments of recurring charges on a monthly basis for use of the services over a committed term. EachIts contracts with customers specify the terms and conditions for providing such services, including installation date, recurring and non-recurring fees, payment terms, and length



of term. These contracts call for the Company to provide the service contract hasin question (e.g., data transmission between point A and point Z), to manage the activation process, and to provide ongoing support (in the form of service maintenance and trouble-shooting) during the service term. The contracts do not typically provide the customer any rights to use specifically identifiable assets. Furthermore, the contracts generally provide the Company with discretion to engineer (or re-engineer) a particular network solution to satisfy each customer’s data transmission requirement, and typically prohibit physical access by the customer to the network infrastructure used by the Company and its suppliers to deliver the services.

The Company recognizes revenue as follows:
Monthly Recurring Revenue. Monthly recurring revenue represents the substantial majority of the Company's revenue, and consists of fees charged for ongoing services that are generally fixed in price and billed on a recurring monthly cost andbasis (one month in advance) for a fixed term, in addition to a fixed installation charge (if applicable).specified term. At the end of the initial term, most contracts provide for a continuation of most service contracts,services on the contracts roll forwardsame terms, either for a specified renewal period (e.g., one year) or on a month-to-month basis. The Company records recurring revenue based on the fees agreed to in each contract, as long as the contract is in effect, and as long as collectability is reasonably assured.

Burst Revenue. Burst revenue represents variable charges for certain services, based on specific usage of those services, or other periodic basis and continue to bill atusage above a fixed threshold, billed monthly in arrears. The Company records burst revenue based on actual usage charges billed using the same fixed recurring rate. If any cancellation rates and/or termination charges become due from the customer as a result of early cancellation or termination of a service contract, those amounts are calculated pursuant to a formulathresholds specified in each contract. Recurring costs relating to supply contracts are recognized ratably over the term of the contract.contract, as long as collectability is reasonably assured.

Non-recurring Fees, Deferred Revenue. Non-recurring feesrevenue consists of charges for data connectivity typically take the form of one-time, non-refundable provisioning fees established pursuant to service contracts. The amount of the provisioning fee included in each contract is generally determined by marking up or passing through the corresponding charge from the Company’s supplier, imposed pursuant to the Company’s purchase agreement. Non-recurring revenue earned for providing provisioning servicesinstallation in connection with the delivery of recurring communications services, is recognized ratably over the contractual term of the recurring service starting upon commencement of the service contract term.late payments, cancellation, early termination, and equipment sales. Fees recorded or billed from these provisioningfor installation services are initially recorded as deferred revenue then recognized ratably over the contractual term of the recurring service. Installation costs related to provisioning incurred

F-8




by the Company from independent third party suppliers, directly attributable and necessary to fulfill a particular service contract, and which costs would not have been incurred butFees charged for the occurrence of that service contract,late payments, cancellation (pre-installation) or early termination (post-installation) are recorded as deferred contract costs and expensed proportionally over the contractual term of service in the same manner as the deferred revenue arising from that contract. Deferred costs do not exceed deferred upfront fees. Based on operating activity, the Company believes the initial contractual term is the best estimate of the period of earnings.

Other Revenue.   From time to time, the Company recognizes revenue in the form oftypically fixed or determinable cancellation (pre-installation) or termination (post-installation) charges imposed pursuant toper the service contract. Thisterms of the respective contract, and are recognized as revenue is earned when a customer cancels or terminates a service agreement prior to the end of its committed term. This revenue is recognized when billed if collectability is reasonably assured. In addition, the Company from time to time the Company sells communications and/or networking equipment to its customers in connection with its data networking applications.services. The Company recognizesrecognize revenue from the sale of equipment at the contracted selling price when title to the equipment passes to the customer (generally F.O.B. origin) and when collectability is reasonably assured.

Universal Service Fund (USF), Gross Receipts Taxes and Other Surcharges

The Company is liable in certain cases for collecting regulatory fees and/or certain sales taxes from its customers and remitting the fees and taxes to the applicable governing authorities. Where the Company collects on behalf of a regulatory agency, the Company does not record any revenue. The Company records applicable taxes applicable on a net basis.

TranslationCost of Foreign CurrenciesTelecommunications Services

Cost of telecommunications services includes direct costs incurred in accessing other telecommunications providers’ networks in order to provide telecommunication services to the Company's customers, and expenses for connection to other carriers. The cost of the Company's core network is typically renewed on an annual basis with a respective provider. Connectivity from the Company's core network to a customer premise is contracted using matching terms to the customer. Cost of telecommunications services also includes co-location charges, usage-based access charges and other professional services fees incurred pursuant to a customer's service contract.

Share-Based Compensation
 
TheseShare-based compensation expense recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements have been reported in U.S. Dollars by translating asset and liability amounts of foreign subsidiaries at the closing exchange rate, equity amounts at historical rates, and the results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and cash flow at2013 included compensation expense for share-based payment awards based on the average exchange rate prevailing duringgrant date fair value with the periods reported.expense recognized on a straight-line over the requisite service period.
 
A summaryThe Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of exchange rates used is as follows:
 U.S. Dollar / British Pounds Sterling U.S. Dollar / Euro
 2014 2013 2014 2013
Closing exchange rate at December 311.55 1.65 1.22 1.38
        
Average exchange rate during the period1.65 1.56 1.33 1.33
Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailingits option awards at the time of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date. Exchange differences arising upon settlement of a transaction are reported in the consolidated statements of operations in other expense.grant.
 
Other Expense, Net
 
The Company recognized other expense, net, of $1.2 million, $8.6 million, and $11.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 respectively. The following table presents other expense, net by type:




2014 20132015 2014 2013
Change in fair value of warrant liability$6,857
 $8,658
$
 $6,857
 $8,658
Change in fair value of acquisition earn-outs1,554
 1,978
880
 1,554
 1,978
Other225
 1,088
287
 225
 1,088
$8,636
 $11,724
Total other expense, net$1,167
 $8,636
 $11,724

Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method pursuant to GAAP. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future consequences attributable to the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the period of the change. Further, deferred tax assets are recognized for the expected realization of available net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. A valuation allowance is recorded on gross deferred tax assets when it is “more likely than not” that such asset will not be realized. When evaluating the realizability of deferred tax assets, all evidence, both positive and negative is evaluated. Items considered in this analysis include the ability to carry back losses, the reversal of temporary differences, tax planning strategies, and expectations of future earnings. The Company reviews its deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis to determine if a valuation allowance is required based upon these factors. Changes in the Company's assessment of the need for a valuation allowance could give rise to a change in such allowance, potentially resulting in additional expense or benefit in the period of change.

The Company's income tax provision includes U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income taxes and is based on pre-tax income or loss. In determining the annual effective income tax rate, the Company analyzed various factors, including its annual earnings and taxing jurisdictions in which the earnings were generated, the impact of state and local income taxes and its ability to use tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards.

Under GAAP for income taxes, the amount of tax benefit to be recognized is the amount of benefit that is “more likely than not” to be sustained upon examination. The Company analyzes its tax filing positions in all of the U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax jurisdictions where it is required to file income tax returns, as well as for all open tax years in these jurisdictions. If, based on this analysis, the Company determines that uncertainties in tax positions exist, a liability is established in the consolidated financial statements. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions in the provision for income taxes.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)
In addition to net income (loss), comprehensive income (loss) includes charges or credits to equity occurring other than as a result of transactions with stockholders. For the Company, this consists of foreign currency translation adjustments.

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income or (loss) available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflect, in periods with earnings and in which they have a dilutive effect, the effect of common shares issuable upon exercise of stock options and warrants.

The table below details the calculations of earnings (loss) per share (in thousands, except for share and per share amounts):  



 Year Ended December 31,
 2015 2014 2013
Numerator for basic and diluted EPS – income (loss) available to common stockholders$19,304
 $(22,979) $(20,789)
Denominator for basic EPS – weighted average shares34,973,284
 27,011,381
 21,985,241
Effect of dilutive securities828,111
 
 
Denominator for diluted EPS – weighted average shares35,801,395
 27,011,381
 21,985,241
   

 

Earnings (loss) per share: basic$0.55
 $(0.85) $(0.95)
Earnings (loss) per share: diluted$0.54
 $(0.85) $(0.95)
The table below details the anti-dilutive common share items that were excluded in the computation of earnings (loss) per share (amounts in thousands):
 Year Ended December 31,
 2015 2014 2013
BIA warrant
 
 1,055
Plexus warrant
 
 960
Alcentra warrant
 
 329
Stock options256
 1,363
 1,698
Totals256
 1,363
 4,042


Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents may include deposits with financial institutions as well as short-term money market instruments, certificates of deposit and debt instruments with maturities of three months or less when purchased

Accounts Receivable, Net
 
Accounts receivable balances are stated at amounts due from the customer net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Credit extended is based on an evaluation of the customer’s financial condition and is granted to qualified customers on an unsecured basis.
 

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The Company, pursuant to its standard service contracts, is entitled to impose a finance charge of a certain percentage per month with respect to all amounts that are past due. The Company’s standard terms require payment within 30 days of the date of the invoice. The Company treats invoices as past due when they remain unpaid, in whole or in part, beyond the payment timedate set forth in the applicable service contract.
 
The Company determines its allowance for doubtful accounts by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade receivables are past due, the customer’s payment history current ability to pay its obligation to the Company, and the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole. Specific reserves are also established on a case-by-case basis by management. The Company writes off accounts receivable when they become uncollectible. Credit losses have historically been within management’s expectations. Actual bad debts, when determined, reduce the allowance, the adequacy of which management then reassesses. The Company writes off accounts after a determination by management that the amounts at issue are no longer likely to be collected, following the exercise of reasonable collection efforts, and upon management’s determination that the costs of pursuing collection outweigh the likelihood of recovery. The total allowance for doubtful accounts was $0.9$1.0 million and $0.7$0.9 million as of December 31, 20142015 and 2013,2014, respectively.
 
Other Comprehensive LossDeferred Costs

In additionInstallation costs related to net loss, comprehensive loss includes charges or credits to equity occurring other than as a resultprovisioning of transactions with stockholders. Forrecurring communications services that the Company this consistsincurs from independent third party suppliers, directly attributable and necessary to fulfill a particular service contract, and which costs would not have been incurred but for the occurrence of foreign currency translation adjustments.that service contract, are recorded as deferred contract costs and expensed ratably over the contractual term of service in the same manner as the deferred revenue arising from that contract. Based on historical experience,



Share-Based Compensation
Share-based compensation expensethe Company believes the initial contractual term is the best estimate for the period of earnings. If any installation costs exceed the amount of corresponding deferred revenue, the excess cost is recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, included compensation expense for share-based payment awards based on the grant date fair value with the expense recognized on a straight-line over the requisite servicecurrent period.
The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of its awards at the time of grant.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Included in cash and cash equivalents are deposits with financial institutions as well as short-term money market instruments, certificates of deposit and debt instruments with maturities of three months or less when purchased.
Accounting for Derivative Instruments
Derivative instruments are recorded in the consolidated balance sheet as either assets or liabilities, measured at fair value. The Company issued warrants to the Mezzanine Note Holders which have been recorded as a liability with the fair value of the liability being remeasured on a quarterly basis. As of December 31, 2014, the warrant liability has been extinguished in full. The warrant liability was extinguished in August 2014 in connection with the refinancing transaction described in Note 5. Through the date of the extinguishment, the warrant liability was marked to market which resulted in a loss of $6.9 million in 2014. The balance of the warrant liability immediately before the extinguishment was $19.2 million. As of December 31, 2013, the warrant liability was marked to market which resulted in a loss of $8.7 million in 2013. The balance of the warrant liability was $12.3 million at December 31, 2013. See Note 5 for additional information.

Income Taxes
The Company provides for income taxes as a "C" corporation on income earned from operations. The Company is subject to federal, state, and foreign taxation in various jurisdictions.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded to recognize the expected future tax benefits or costs of events that have been, or will be, reported in different years for financial statement purposes than for tax purposes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are computed based on the difference between the financial statement carrying amount and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates and laws for the years in which these items are expected to reverse. If management determines that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset is not “more likely than not” to be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded as a component of the income tax provision to reduce the deferred tax asset to an appropriate level in that period. In determining the need for a valuation allowance, management considers all positive and negative evidence, including historical earnings, projected future taxable income, future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, taxable income in prior carryback periods, and prudent, feasible tax-planning strategies.

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The Company may, from time to time, be assessed interest and/or penalties by taxing jurisdictions, although any such assessments historically have been minimal and immaterial to its financial results. The Company’s federal, state and international tax returns for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 are still open. In the event the Company has received an assessment for interest and/or penalties, it has been classified in the consolidated statements of operations as other general and administrative costs.
Net Loss Per Share

Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflect, in periods with earnings and in which they have a dilutive effect, the effect of common shares issuable upon exercise of stock options and warrants.

The table below details the calculations of earnings per share (in thousands, except for share and per share amounts):  
 Year Ended December 31,
 2014 2013
Numerator for basic and diluted EPS – loss available to common stockholders$(22,979) $(20,789)
Denominator for basic EPS – weighted average shares27,011,381
 21,985,241
Effect of dilutive securities
 
Denominator for diluted EPS – weighted average shares27,011,381
 21,985,241
 

 

Loss per share: basic$(0.85) $(0.95)
Loss per share: diluted$(0.85) $(0.95)
The table below details the anti-dilutive common share items that were excluded in the computation of earnings per share (amounts in thousands):
 Year Ended December 31,
 2014 2013
BIA warrant
 1,055
Plexus warrant
 960
Alcentra warrant
 329
Stock options1,363
 1,698
Totals1,363
 4,042
Software Capitalization
Software development costs include costs to develop software programs to be used solely to meet our internal needs and cloud based applications used to deliver our services. The Company capitalizes development costs related to these software applications once the preliminary project stage is complete and it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used to perform the function intended. Costs capitalized for developing such software applications were not material for the periods presented.

Property and Equipment
 
Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation computed using the straight-line method. Depreciation on these assets is computed over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Assets and liabilities under capital leases are recorded at the lesser of the present value of the aggregate future minimum lease payments or the fair value of the assets under lease. Leasehold improvements and assets under capital leases are amortized over the shorter of the term of the lease, excluding optional extensions, or the useful life. Depreciable lives used by the Company for its classes of assets are as follows:
 

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Furniture and Fixtures7 years
Network Equipment5 years
Leasehold Improvementsup to 10 years
Computer Hardware and Software3-5 years

The Company reviews long-lived assets to be held and used for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future undiscounted cash flows, the asset is considered to be impaired. Impairment losses are measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

Software Capitalization
Software development costs include costs to develop software programs to be used solely to meet the Company's internal needs. The Company capitalizes development costs related to these software applications once the preliminary project stage is complete and it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used to perform the function intended. Costs capitalized for developing such software applications were not material for the periods presented.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets 

The Company assesses goodwill for impairment on at least an annual basis on October 1 unless interim indicators of impairment exist. Goodwill is considered to be impaired when the net book value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. The Company operates as a single operating segment and as a single reporting unit for the purpose of evaluating goodwill. As of October 1, 2014,2015, the Company performed its annual impairment test of goodwill by comparing theits fair value of the Company (primarily based on market capitalization) to the carrying value of equity, and concluded that the fair value of the reporting unit was greater than the carrying amount. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 the Company did not record any goodwill impairment.

Intangible assets consist of customer relationships, restrictive covenants related to employment agreements, license fees, intellectual property and a trade name.names. Customer relationships, and restrictive covenants related to employment agreements and a tradename are amortized, on a straight-line basis, over periods of up to seven years. Point-to-point FCC Licenses are accounted for as definite lived intangibles and amortized over the average remaining useful life of such licenses which approximates three years. TheIntellectual property consisting of know-how related to the SIP trunking platform is amortized over the estimated useful life of ten years. One of the Company's trade namenames is not amortized, but is tested on at least an annual basis as of October 1 unless interim indicators of impairment exist. The trade name is considered to be impaired when the net book value exceeds its estimated fair value. As of October 1, 2015, 2014 and 2013 the Company performed its annual impairment test of the trade name, and concluded that the fair value of the trade name was greater than the carrying amount.amount, respectively. The Company used the relief from royalty method for valuation. The fair value of the asset is the present value of the license fees avoided by owning the asset, or the royalty savings.

 At the end of the fourth quarter and subsequent to year-end, the Company evaluated whether any triggering events had occurred, including the decline in its stock price, that may require further testing. After assessing the totality of events and circumstances, the Company has determined that there were no indicators that the fair value of goodwill was below its carrying amounts and therefore an interim Step 1 goodwill impairment test was not required to be performed.







Business Combinations
    
The Company includes the results of operations of the businesses that it acquires as of the respective dates of acquisition. The Company allocates the fair value of the purchase price of its acquisitions to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values. The excess of the fair value of the purchase price over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments potentially subjecting the Company to a significant concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. At times during the periods presented, the Company had funds in excess of $250,000 insured by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or in excess of similar Deposit Insurance programs outside of the United States, on deposit at various financial institutions. As of December 31, 2014, approximately $45.2 million of the Company’s deposits were held at institutions as balances in excess of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and international insured deposit limits for those institutions. However, management believes the Company is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial position of the depository institutions in which those deposits are held.

The Company's trade receivables, which are unsecured, are geographically dispersed. No customers' trade receivable balance as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 exceeded 10% of the Company's consolidated accounts receivable, net.
For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, no single customer exceeded 10% of total consolidated revenue.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company accounts for fair value measurements in accordance with the fair value accounting standard as it relates to financial assets and financial liabilities. The Company establishes a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity’s own

F-12




assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). 

The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets (Level 1); inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly (Level 2); and unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which requires the Company to develop its own assumptions (Level 3).

The carrying amounts of cash equivalents, receivables, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to the immediate or short-term maturity of these financial instruments. The fair value of notes payable is determined using current applicable rates for similar instruments as of the consolidated balance sheet date and approximates the carrying value of such debt.

Accrued CarrierSupplier Expenses
 
The Company accrues estimated charges owed to its suppliers for services. The Company bases this accrual on the supplier contract, the individual service order executed with the supplier for that service, the length of time the service has been active, and the overall supplier relationship.
 
Disputed CarrierSupplier Expenses
 
It is common in the telecommunications industry for userscustomers and suppliers to engage in disputes over amounts billed (or not billed) in error or over interpretation of contract terms. The disputed carrier cost included in the consolidated financial statements includes disputed but unresolved amounts claimed as due by suppliers, unless management is confident, based upon its experience and its review of the relevant facts and contract terms, that the outcome of the dispute will not result inManagement estimates a liability for the Company. Management estimates thisamounts the Company believes are valid and that the Company owes to a supplier. This liability and reconciles the estimatesis reconciled with actual results as disputes are resolved, or as the appropriate statute of limitations with respect to a given dispute expires. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had open disputes, not accrued for, of $6.9 million. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had open disputes, not accrued for, of $4.8 million.

Acquisition Earn-outs and Holdbacks

Acquisition earn-outs and holdbacks represent either contingent consideration subject to fair value measurements, or fixed deferred consideration due to be paid out typically on the one-year anniversary of an acquisitions closing.  Contingent consideration is remeasured to fair value at each reporting period, refer to Note 6. The portion of the deferred consideration due within one year is recorded as a current liability until paid, and any consideration due beyond one year is recorded in other long-term liabilities.

Translation of Foreign Currencies
 
ForThese consolidated financial statements have been reported in U.S. Dollars by translating asset and liability amounts of foreign subsidiaries at the closing exchange rate, equity amounts at historical rates, and the results of operations and cash flow at the average exchange rate prevailing during the years reported.
A summary of exchange rates used is as follows:
 U.S. Dollar / British Pounds Sterling U.S. Dollar / Euro
 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013
Closing exchange rate at December 311.48 1.55 1.65 1.09 1.22 1.38
            
Average exchange rate during the period1.53 1.65 1.56 1.11 1.33 1.33
Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the time of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date. Exchange differences arising upon settlement of a transaction are reported in the consolidated statements of operations in other expense, net.

Fair Value Measurements
Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements, defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability, in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 also establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.





ASC 820 describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1:    Inputs based on quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets at the measurement date.

Level 2:Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3:Inputs reflect management's best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The inputs are unobservable in the market and significant to the instruments valuation.

The carrying values reflected in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, receivables, accounts payables, accrued expense and term debt approximates their fair values.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments potentially subject to concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and trade accounts receivable. At times during the periods presented, the Company had funds in excess of $250,000 insured by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or in excess of similar Deposit Insurance programs outside of the United States, on deposit at various financial institutions. Management believes the Company is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial position of the depository institutions in which those deposits are held.

The Company's trade accounts receivable are unsecured and geographically dispersed. No single customer's trade accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 exceeded 10% of the Company's consolidated accounts receivable, net. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

Related Party Transactions

H. Brian Thompson, the executive chairman of the Company's Board of Directors, is an independent director of Sonus Networks, Inc., a provider of Session Initiation Protocol ("SIP") network solutions (“Sonus”). Howard Janzen, an independent member of the Company's Board of Directors also serves as the independent Chairman of Sonus. In October 2015, GTT completed the acquisition of One Source, who was a customer of Sonus. One Source had a well-established and ongoing business relationship with Sonus prior to its acquisition by GTT. The Company paid Sonus approximately $0.1 million in fees related to its SIP Trunking platform during the year ended December 31, 2014, open disputes totaled2015, pursuant to the terms of a contract between the parties.

Nick Adamo, an independent member of the Company's Board of Directors (joined in February 2016), currently serves as senior vice president of the global service provider segment for Cisco Systems, Inc., a provider of products, services and integrated solutions to develop and connect networks around the world (”Cisco”). The Company purchases networking equipment and related software from Cisco and certain authorized Cisco resellers. The Company paid approximately $6.9 million. Based upon$2.5 million to Cisco and its experience with each vendorresellers for these products and similar disputesservices during the year ended December 31, 2015, pursuant to the terms of contracts between the parties. These contracts were in place before Mr. Adamo joined the Board of Directors.

Michael Sicoli, the chief financial officer of the Company, serves as an independent director of Lumos Networks, Inc., a fiber-based bandwidth infrastructure and service provider in the past,Mid-Atlantic region (“Lumos”). The Company purchases last mile access services from Lumos, and based upon management reviewLumos purchases IP transit services from the Company. The Company paid Lumos approximately $0.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2015, and Lumos paid the Company a de minimus amount during the year ended December 31, 2015, pursuant to the terms of contracts between the parties. The majority of these contracts were in place before Mr. Sicoli joined the Company.

As a matter of corporate governance policy and practice, related party transactions are presented and considered by the Audit Committee of the factsCompany's Board of Directors in accordance with the Company's Code of Business Conduct and contract terms applicableEthics, Conflict of Interest Policy.

Newly Adopted Accounting Principles

On April 7, 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs by requiring that debt issuance costs related to each dispute, managementa recognized debt liability be presented in the consolidated balance sheet as a direct deduction



from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this update. The Company has determined thatearly adopted the most likely outcome is thatprovision in ASU 2015-03 as of end of, fiscal 2015 and applied the Company will be liableprovision retrospectively for approximately $2.1 million in connection with these disputesfiscal 2014, refer to Note 5. The impact of adopting ASU 2015-03 on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2014. As of December 31, 2013, open disputes totaled approximately $7.32014 was a decrease to other assets by $2.8 million, and a decrease to long-term debt by $2.8 million.

On November 20, 2015, the Company determinedFASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which requires entities to present deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. Prior to the liability from these disputesissuance of ASU 2015-17, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities had to be $2.3 million.presented separately into a current amount and noncurrent amount based on the classification of the related asset or liability for financial reporting. For public entities, the ASU will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those years. The Company early adopted ASU 2015-17 as of the end of fiscal 2015, and applied the provision prospectively.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements
 
OnIn May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB")FASB issued Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 606,ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue Fromfrom Contracts With Customers.with Customers The guidance in ASC 606 supersedes(Topic 606), which amends the existing accounting standards for revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605,recognition. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue Recognitionfrom Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, and most industry-specific guidance throughoutwhich delays the Industry Topicseffective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year. The FASB also agreed to allow entities to choose to adopt the standard as of the Codification. ASC 606 states that an entity should recognize revenueoriginal effective date. As such, the updated standard will be effective in the first quarter of 2018, with the option to depictadopt it in the transferfirst quarter of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.2017. The Company is assessingstill evaluating the impacteffect that the updated standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which will require most leases (with the exception of ASC 606leases with terms of less than one year) to be recognized on the balance sheet as an asset and a lease liability. Leases will adoptbe classified as an operating lease or a financing lease. Operating leases are expensed using the guidancestraight-line method whereas financing leases will be treated similarly to a capital lease under the current standard. The new standard will be effective for annual reporting periods (includingand interim reporting periods, within those periods)fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016.2018 but early adoption is permitted. The new standard must be presented using the modified retrospective method beginning with the earliest comparative period presented. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the new standard on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

On August 27, 2014,Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB issued an Accounting Standard Update ("ASU") 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties About an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern, which provides guidance on determining whenduring fiscal 2015 and how reporting entities must disclose going-concern uncertainties in their financial statements. The new standard requiresthrough the filing date did not and are not believed by management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date of issuance of the entity's financial statements (or within one year after the date on which the financial statements are available to be issued, when applicable). Further, an entity must provide certain disclosures if there is "substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern".The impact of adopting this guidance on January 1, 2017 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's present or historical consolidated financial statements.

Correction of Immaterial Error

The Company corrected two errors in the consolidated statements of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. The Company had erroneously presented payment of certain debt issuance costs as an operating activity; the correct presentation should have been a financing activity. The amount of the correction was $2.2 million and $3.1 million, for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. In addition, the Company had erroneously presented the payment of an earn-out as an operating activity; the correct presentation should have been a financing activity. The amount of the correction was $1.2 million and $3.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. These corrections had no impact on the final cash balances. Additionally, these corrections had no impact on the consolidated statements of operations or the consolidated balance sheets. The Company has evaluated these corrections in accordance with ASC 250-10-S99, SEC Materials (formerly SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 99, Materiality) and concluded that both quantitatively and qualitatively the corrections were not material. The correction of these errors was also evaluated by management in their assessment of internal controls over financial reporting.

Reclassification of Certain Items on Prior Year Presentation

The Company reclassified certain items on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2014 to match the presentation as of December 31, 2015. Capital leases in the total amount of $0.2 million were previously presented as accrued expenses and other liabilities for the short-term portion and other long-term liabilities for the long-term portion, and are now presented as capital lease, current and capital lease, noncurrent, respectively. Acquisition earn-outs and holdbacks of $5.9 million were previously presented as accrued expenses and other current liabilities, and are now presented as acquisition earn-outs and holdbacks. Each of these reclassifications had no impact on total revenues, total operating expenses or net income (loss) for any year presented.








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NOTE 3 — ACQUISITIONS
 
AcquisitionsSince its formation, the Company has consummated a number of transactions accounted for as business combinations. The acquisitions were executed as part of the Company’s business strategy of expanding through acquisitions. The acquisitions of these businesses have been recorded usingallowed the acquisition method of accountingCompany to increase the scale at which it operates, which in turn affords the Company the ability to increase its operating leverage, extend its network, and accordingly, results of their operations have been included in the Company'sbroaden its customer base.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements sinceinclude the effectiveoperations of the acquired entities from their respective acquisition dates. All of the acquisitions noted below have been accounted for as a business combination. Accordingly, consideration paid by the Company to complete the acquisitions is initially allocated to the respective assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair values as of the date of each respectivecompletion of the acquisition. The recorded amounts for acquired assets and liabilities assumed are provisional and subject to change during the measurement period, which is 12 months from the date of acquisition.

The following are a list of material acquisitions the Company completed during fiscal 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Acquisitions Completed During 2015

One Source Networks Inc.

On October 22, 2015, the Company completed the acquisition of all of the equity securities of One Source Networks Inc., a Texas corporation (“One Source”). At closing, the Company paid $169.3 million of cash and issued 185,946 unregistered shares of the Company's common stock valued at $2.3 million. In addition, 289,055 unregistered shares of the Company's common stock were issued to certain selling shareholders of One Source, which are considered compensation as there is a continuous employment restriction attributed to these common shares. Share-based compensation of $3.6 million will be amortized ratably over an 18 month service period.

The fair value of the 475,001 unregistered shares of common stock issued as part of the consideration paid for One source ($5.9 million) was determined on the basis of the closing market price of the Company's common stock on the acquisition date less a discount for lack of marketability due to the 6-month restriction of resale as a result of SEC Rule 144 for issuance of unregistered shares to a non-affiliate as such term is defined therein.

The Company incurred $4.9 million in exit costs associated with the acquisition of One Source, which includes employee severance costs, termination costs associated with facility leases and network agreements, and other related exit costs for the year ended December 31, 2015. Additionally, the Company expects to incur $3.5 million in transaction and integration costs related to the acquisition of One Source that will be included as selling, general and administrative expense within the consolidated statements of operations. The Company expensed $2.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and expects to incur the remaining $1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2016. Transaction and integration costs include costs directly related to the acquisition and integration of One Source, including legal, accounting and consulting services and travel costs.

MegaPath Corporation

On April 1, 2015, the Company acquired MegaPath Corporation ("MegaPath"), which provides private wide-area-networking, Internet access services, managed services and managed security to multinational clients. The Company paid an aggregate purchase price of $152.3 million, including $131.4 million in cash (exclusive of the assumption of $3.4 million in capital leases); $7.5 million paid at the closing of the transaction by delivery of 610,843 unregistered shares of the Company’s common stock; and $10.0 million due in cash on the first anniversary of the closing, subject to reduction for any indemnification claims made by the Company prior to such date. The acquisition was considered an asset purchase for tax purposes.

The fair value of the 610,843 unregistered shares of common stock issued as part of the consideration paid for MegaPath ($7.5 million) was determined on the basis of the closing market price of the Company's common stock on the acquisition date less a discount for lack of marketability due to the 6-month restriction of resale as a result of SEC Rule 144 for issuance of unregistered shares to a non-affiliate as such term is defined therein.

Acquisitions Completed During 2014

UNSi

On October 1, 2014, the Company acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding stock in United Networks Services, Inc. ("UNSi"), a Delaware corporation. UNSi delivers high capacity Ethernet and MPLS wide-area-network solutions, internet services and a broad range of managed services. The



Company paid the shareholders of UNSi an aggregate of $35.4 million, payable in a combination of cash and 231,539 shares of common stock of the Company.  $2.6 million of the purchase price is beingwas withheld by the Company for one year following the closing of the acquisition as security for UNSi's indemnification obligations under the Merger Agreement.
The Company accounted for the acquisition using the acquisition method of accounting with GTT treated as the acquiring entity. Accordingly, consideration paid by the Company to complete the acquisition of UNSi has been preliminarily allocated to UNSi's assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair values as of the date of completion of the acquisition, October 1, 2014. The recorded amounts for acquired assets and liabilities assumed are provisional and subject to change. The Company will finalize the amounts recognized as it obtains the information necessary to complete the analysis. In accordance with US GAAP, the Company expects to finalize these amounts before October 1, 2015. The following table summarizes thewas considered a stock purchase price and the preliminary allocation of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date at estimated fair value:
 Amounts in thousands
Purchase Price: 
Total cash consideration$29,978
Total holdback2,568
Total stock consideration2,884
Fair value of liabilities assumed16,052
       Total consideration$51,482
  
Purchase Price Allocation: 
Acquired Assets 
Current assets$4,292
Property and equipment8,181
Intangible assets17,605
Total fair value of assets acquired30,078
Goodwill21,404
Total consideration$51,482

Intangible assets acquired include $15.9 million related to customer relationships with a weighted-average useful life of five years and $1.7 million related to point-to-point FCC licenses with a useful life of three years. The customer relationships and license fees are amortized on a straight-line basis based on the expected period of benefit.

Amortization expense of $0.8 million has been recorded for the year ended December 31, 2014. Estimated amortization expense related to intangible assets created as a result of the UNSi acquisition for each of the years subsequent to December 31, 2014, is as follows (amounts in thousands):


F-14




2015$3,914
20163,743
20173,604
20183,188
20192,391
Total$16,840

Goodwill in the amount of $21.4 million was recorded as a result of the acquisition of UNSi. Goodwill is calculated as the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets recognized and represents the estimated future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired that could not be individually identified and separately recognized. Substantially all of the goodwill is deducible for tax purposes.

The following schedule presents unaudited consolidated pro forma results of operations as if the UNSi acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2013. This information does not purport to be indicative of the actual results that would have occurred if the UNSi acquisition had actually been completed on January 1, 2013, nor is it necessarily indicative of the future operating results or the financial position of the combined company. The unaudited pro forma results of operations do not reflect the cost of any integration activities or benefits that may result from synergies that may be derived from any integration activities.

 Year Ended December 31,
 2014 2013
 Amounts in thousands, except per share and share data   
 Revenue$252,642
 $206,811
    
Net loss$(31,639) $(33,829)
    
Net loss per share:   
 Basic$(1.17) $(1.54)
 Diluted$(1.17) $(1.54)
    
 Basic27,011,381
 21,985,241
 Diluted27,011,381
 21,985,241

Acquisitions Completed During 2013

IDC

On February 1, 2013, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with IDC Global Incorporated ("IDC"), a privately held company in Chicago. IDC owns and operates two data center facilities and its own metro optical fiber network in Chicago. The two data center facilities' fiber connects to 350 East Cermak, which is the largest multi-story data center property in the world. IDC provides cloud networking, co-location, and managed cloud services with a focus on providing multi-location enterprises with a complete portfolio of cloud infrastructure services.
Pursuant to the agreement, the Company acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of IDC for cash consideration paid of $3.6 million. The Company estimated the fair value of IDC’s assets and liabilities based on discussions with IDC’s management, due diligence and information presented in financial statements. The following table summarizes the purchase price and the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date at estimated fair value:

F-15




 
Amounts in
thousands
Purchase Price: 
Cash consideration paid$3,593
Fair value of liabilities assumed1,338
Total consideration$4,931
  
Purchase Price Allocation: 
Acquired Assets 
Current assets$187
Property and equipment798
Other assets82
Intangible assets3,100
Total fair value of assets acquired4,167
Goodwill764
Total consideration$4,931

Intangible assets acquired include $3.1 million related to customer relationships with a weighted-average useful life of 5 years. Customer relationships are amortized on a straight-line basis based on the expected period of benefit.

Goodwill in the amount of $0.8 million was recorded as a result of the acquisition of IDC. Goodwill is calculated as the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets recognized and represents the estimated future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired that could not be individually identified and separately recognized. The goodwill is deductible for tax purposes.
Tinet

On April 30, 2013, the Company acquired from Neutral Tandem, Inc. (doing business as Inteliquent) all of the equity interests (the “Interests”) in NT Network Services, LLC and NT Network Services, LLC SCS (collectively, “Tinet”), which, together with the subsidiaries of such companies, comprise the data transport business of Inteliquent. The acquisition was pursuant to an equity purchase agreement between the Company and Inteliquent on April 30, 2013.
Pursuant to the agreement, the Company paid Inteliquent cash consideration of $49.2 million for the Interests, subject to a net working capital adjustment and an adjustment based on the cash and cash equivalents and amount of indebtedness of Tinet immediately prior to the acquisition.million. In addition, the Company willagreed to provide certain services to Inteliquent without charge for up to three years after the closing. These services are provided under a separate service agreement that is valued at $2.0 million. The acquisition was considered a stock purchase for tax purposes.

IDC

On February 1, 2013, the Company acquired IDC Global Incorporated ("IDC"), a privately held company in Chicago. IDC provides cloud networking, co-location, and managed cloud services with a focus on providing multi-location enterprises with a complete portfolio of cloud infrastructure services. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company acquired IDC for cash consideration paid of $3.6 million. The acquisition was considered an asset purchase for tax purposes.

Acquisition Method Accounting Estimates

The Company accounted forinitially recognizes the acquisition using the acquisition method of accounting with GTT treated as the acquiring entity. Accordingly, consideration paid by the Company to complete the acquisition of Tinet has been allocated to Tinet's assets and liabilities acquired from the aforementioned acquisitions based uponon its preliminary estimates of their estimatedacquisition date fair values. As additional information becomes known concerning the acquired assets and assumed liabilities, management may make adjustments to the opening balance sheet of the acquired company up to the end of the measurement period, which is no longer than a one year period following the acquisition date. The determination of the fair values as of the dateacquired assets and liabilities assumed (and the related determination of completionestimated lives of depreciable tangible and identifiable intangible assets) requires significant judgment.

As of December 31, 2015, the acquisition, April 30, 2013. The Company estimatedhas not completed its fair value analysis and calculations in sufficient detail necessary to arrive at the final estimates of the fair value of thecertain working capital and non-working capital acquired companies assets and assumed liabilities, based on discussions with management, due diligenceincluding the allocations to property, plant and equipment, goodwill and intangible assets, deferred revenue and resulting deferred taxes related to its acquisitions of One Source and MegaPath. All information presented in financial statements. The following table summarizes the purchase pricewith respect to certain working capital and thenonworking capital acquired assets acquired and liabilities assumed as it relates to these acquisitions are preliminary and subject to revision pending the final fair value analysis. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, the Company finalized its fair value analysis and resulting purchase accounting for the UNSi acquisition. The Tinet and IDC acquisitions were finalized in 2014.

The table below reflects the Company's estimates of the acquisition date at estimated fair value:values of the assets and liabilities assumed for its acquisitions over the past three years:


F-16




 
Amounts in
thousands
Purchase Price: 
Cash consideration paid$49,158
Liabilities assumed 
Accounts payable4,179
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities20,607
Deferred revenue2,443
    Total fair value of liabilities assumed27,229
    Total consideration$76,387
  
Purchase Price Allocation: 
Acquired assets 
   Accounts receivable$11,601
   Prepaid expenses1,137
   Other current assets5,101
   Property and equipment15,004
   Other assets1,282
   Intangible assets25,800
    Total fair value of assets acquired59,925
   Goodwill16,462
    Total consideration$76,387
Purchase PriceOne Source October 22, 2015 MegaPath April 1, 2015 UNSi October 1, 2014 Tinet April 1, 2013 IDC February 1, 2013
Cash paid at closing, incl. working capital$169,305
 $131,397
 $29,978
 $49,158
 $3,593
Deferred cash consideration (1)

 10,000
 2,568
 
 
Common stock2,345
 7,500
 2,884
 
 
Purchase consideration$171,650
 $148,897
 $35,430
 $49,158
 $3,593
          
Purchase Price Allocation         
Assets acquired:         
Current assets$10,957
 $15,137
 $4,292
 $17,839
 $187
Property, plant and equipment2,072
 16,565
 8,181
 15,004
 798
Other Assets
 
 
 1,282
 82
Intangible assets - customer lists(2)
63,590
 72,162
 13,960
 25,000
 3,100
Intangible assets - intellectual property(2)
17,379
   
 
Intangible assets - tradename
 
 
 800
 
Deferred tax asset
 5,245
 1,409
 
 
Goodwill(3)
115,471
 60,566
 23,640
 16,462
 764
Total assets acquired209,469
 169,675
 51,482
 76,387
 4,931
          
Liabilities assumed:         
Current liabilities(7,170) (18,883) (16,052) (27,229) (1,338)
Capital leases, long-term portion
 (1,895) 
 
 
Deferred tax liability(30,649) 
 
 
 
Total liabilities assumed(37,819) (20,778) (16,052) (27,229) (1,338)
          
Net assets acquired$171,650
 $148,897
 $35,430
 $49,158
 $3,593

(1) The deferred consideration for both MegaPath and UNSi are expected to be paid in 2016.
Intangible(2)The weighted average amortization period of intangible assets acquired include $25.0 million related toduring 2015 was 6.5 years for customer relationshipslists, 9.8 years for intellectual property, and 6.9 years in total, as of December 31, 2015.
(3)In both 2015 acquisitions, the excess of the purchase price over the net identifiable assets has been recorded as goodwill which includes synergies expected from the expanded service capabilities and the value of the assembled workforce in accordance with a weighted-average useful life of 5 years and $0.8 million related to the trade name. Customer relationships are amortized on a straight-line basis based on the expected period of benefit. The trade name is assessed as an indefinite-lived asset and is not amortized, but rather tested for impairment at least annually by comparing the estimated fair values to their carrying values.GAAP.

Adjustments to Purchase Accounting Estimates Associated with Acquisitions

During fiscal 2015, the Company finalized the fair value estimates associated with its acquisition accounting for the MegaPath acquisition consummated on April 1, 2015 and the UNSi acquisition consummated on October 1, 2014, that resulted in adjustments to previously reported allocation of purchase consideration. The adjustments were a result of changes to the original fair value estimates of certain items acquired. These changes are the result of additional information obtained since September 30, 2015 that related to facts and circumstances that existed at the respective acquisition dates. The Company has recast the previously reported consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2015 in connection with the MegaPath acquisition. The Company did not recast the previously reported consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2014 due to the immaterial effect of the related adjustments. The following table reflects the financial statement captions impacted by the acquisition accounting adjustments:



 Adjusted Balance September 30, 2015 Previously Reported Balance* September 30, 2015 Acquisition accounting adjustment
Assets     
Accounts receivable$46,526
 $46,779
 $(253)
Prepaid assets4,404
 4,883
 (479)
Property, plant and equipment35,684
 40,537
 (4,853)
Intangible assets - customer lists110,826
 90,376
 20,450
Goodwill154,678
 176,197
 (21,519)
Total assets$352,118
 $358,772
 $(6,654)
      
Liabilities     
Deferred tax liability$6,654
 $
 $6,654
Total liabilities$6,654
 $
 $6,654
      
* As reported of Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 6, 2015.

The adjustments above impacted depreciation and amortization of property, plant and equipment and definite lived intangibles, respectively. The Company previously presented depreciation and amortization expense of $32.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. Depreciation and amortization expense would have been $34.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 had the adjustments above been identified at that time.

Transaction Costs

Transaction costs describe the broad category of costs the Company incurs in connection with signed and/or closed acquisitions. There are two types of costs that the Company accounts for:

GoodwillSeverance, restructuring and other exit costs
Transaction and integration costs

Severance, restructuring and other exit costs are costs the Company incurs related to one time benefits the Company has obligated itself to pay to severed employees; termination charges for leases and supplier contracts and other costs incurred associated with an exit activity. These costs are reported separately in the amountconsolidated statements of $16.5operations during these periods. Refer to Note 10 of these Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Transaction and integration costs include expenses associated with professional services (i.e., legal, accounting, regulatory, etc.) rendered in connection with signed and/or closed acquisitions, travel expense, and other non-recurring direct expenses incurred that are associated with such acquisitions. Transaction and integration costs are expensed as incurred and may be incurred up to six months after the date of acquisition in support of the integration. The Company incurred transaction and integration costs of $6.1 million was recorded for the year ended December 31, 2015. The amounts were not significant in 2014 and 2013. Transaction and integration costs have been included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and in cash flows from operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows during these years.

Pro forma Financial Information (Unaudited)

The pro forma results presented below include the effects of the Company’s fiscal 2015 and 2014 acquisitions as if the acquisitions occurred on January 1, 2014. The pro forma net income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 includes the additional depreciation and amortization resulting from the adjustments to the value of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets resulting from acquisition accounting and adjustment to amortized revenue during fiscal 2015 and 2014 as a result of the acquisition date valuation of Tinet. Goodwill is calculated asassumed deferred revenue. The pro forma results also include interest expense associated with debt used to fund the excessacquisitions. The pro forma results do not include any anticipated synergies or other expected benefits of the consideration transferred overacquisitions. The unaudited pro forma financial information below is not necessarily indicative of either future results of operations or results that might have been achieved had the net assets recognized and represents the estimated future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired that could not be individually identified and separately recognized. The goodwill is deductible for tax purposes.acquisitions been consummated as of January 1, 2014.



 Year Ended December 31,
 2015 2014
 (Amounts in thousands, except per share and share data)   
Revenue$463,604
 $440,196
Net income (loss)$12,361
 $(53,390)
    
Net income (loss) per share:   
 Basic$0.35
 $(1.98)
 Diluted$0.35
 $(1.98)
    
 Basic34,973,284
 27,011,381
 Diluted35,801,395
 27,011,381

NOTE 4 — GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS
 
On October 1, 2014, theThe Company completed its annual goodwill impairment testing.testing on its measurement date of October 1, 2015. The Company performed a Step 1 fair valuequalitative impairment testanalysis and determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount; therefore, the Company concluded that the first and second steps of the goodwill impairment test were unnecessary and that no indicators of impairment existed. In addition, the Company completed its annual impairment test of the indefinite lived trademark. The Company used a discounted cash flow model using the royalty relief method and concluded that no impairment existed.existed as of the measurement date.

The Company recorded goodwill in the amountbalance was $271.0 million and $92.7 million as of $25.7 million in 2014, in connection with businesses added. During the quarter ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Additionally, the Company recorded goodwill in the amountCompany's intangible asset balance was $182.2 million and $58.6 million as of $21.4 million in connection with the UNSi acquisitionDecember 31, 2015 and $15.9 million of the purchase price was allocated2014, respectively. The additions to intangible assets related to customer relationships and $1.7 million related to point-to-point FCC license fees. The intangible assets related to customer relationships and the FCC licenses are subject to a straight-line amortization.

In accordance with GAAP,both goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives areduring the year ended December 31, 2015 relate to the acquisition of MegaPath and One Source (see Note 3 - Acquisitions).

At the end of the fourth quarter and subsequent to the year-end, the Company evaluated whether any triggering events had occurred, including the decline in its stock price, that may require further testing.   After assessing the totality of events and circumstances, the Company has determined that there were no indicators that the fair value is below its carrying amounts and therefore an interim Step 1 goodwill impairment test was not amortized, but rather tested for impairment at least annually by comparing the estimated fair valuesrequired to their carrying values. Acquired trade names are assessed as indefinite lived assets because there is no foreseeable limit on the period of time over which they are expected to contribute cash flows.be performed.

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 20142015 and 20132014 are as follows (amounts in thousands):
 

F-17




Balance, January 1, 2013$49,793
Goodwill associated with the acquisitions17,226
Balance, December 31, 201367,019
Goodwill associated with the acquisitions25,664
Balance, December 31, 2014$92,683
Balance, January 1, 2014$67,019
Goodwill associated with acquisitions25,664
Balance, December 31, 201492,683
Adjustments to prior year's business combination2,236
Goodwill associated with acquisitions176,037
Balance, December 31, 2015$270,956
 
The following table summarizestables summarize the Company’s intangible assets as of December 31, 20142015 and December 31, 20132014 (amounts in thousands):
  



   December 31, 2014
 
Amortization
Period
 
Gross Asset
Cost
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 
Net Book
Value
Customer contracts3-7 years $85,759
 $29,639
 $56,120
Non-compete agreements3-5 years 4,331
 4,147
 184
Point-to-point FCC License fees3 years 1,665
 139
 1,526
Trade name (non-amortizing)N/A 800
 
 800
   $92,555
 $33,925
 $58,630
   December 31, 2015
 
Amortization
Period
 
Gross Asset
Cost
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 
Net Book
Value
Customer relationships 3-7 years $215,802
 $54,041
 $161,761
Non-compete agreements 3-5 years 4,331
 4,305
 26
Point-to-Point FCC license fees 3 years 1,695
 701
 994
Intellectual property10 years 17,379
 336
 17,043
Trade name 3 years 2,079
 519
 1,560
Trade name (indefinite-lived)N/A 800
 
 800
   $242,086
 $59,902
 $182,184
 

  December 31, 2013  December 31, 2014
Amortization
Period
 
Gross Asset
Cost
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 
Net Book
Value
Amortization
Period
 
Gross Asset
Cost
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 
Net Book
Value
Customer contracts4-7 years $58,611
 $16,218
 $42,393
3-7 years $85,759
 $29,639
 $56,120
Non-compete agreements4-5 years 4,331
 3,906
 425
3-5 years 4,331
 4,147
 184
Trade name (non-amortizing)N/A 800
 
 800
Point-to-point FCC license fees3 years 1,665
 139
 1,526
Trade name (indefinite-lived)N/A 800
 
 800
  $63,742
 $20,124
 $43,618
  $92,555
 $33,925
 $58,630
 
Amortization expense was $26.0 million, $13.8 million, and $10.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Estimated amortization expense related to intangible assets subject to amortization at December 31, 20142015 in each of the years subsequent to December 31, 20142015 is as follows (amounts in thousands):

2015$16,756
201615,668
$36,477
201713,858
34,669
20188,110
28,392
20193,438
23,735
202020,834
2021 and beyond37,277
Total$57,830
$181,384

 











F-18









NOTE 5 — DEBT
 
The following summarizes the debt activityAs of the Company during the year ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, long-term debt was as follows (amounts in thousands):

 Total Debt Senior Term Loan Delayed Draw Term Loan Line of Credit Mezzanine Notes
Debt obligation as of December 31, 2013$92,460
 $61,750
 $
 $3,000
 $27,710
Issuance129,500
 110,000
 15,000
 3,000
 1,500
Debt discount amortization420
 
 
 
 420
Debt discount extinguishment1,370
 
 
 
 1,370
Payments(100,124) (63,124) 
 (6,000) (31,000)
Debt obligation as of December 31, 2014$123,626
 $108,626
 $15,000
 $
 $
 2015 2014
    
Term loan$400,000
 $108,626
Revolving line of credit facility5,000
 
Delayed draw term loan
 15,000
Total debt obligations405,000
 123,626
Unamortized debt issuance costs(10,938) (2,800)
Unamortized original issuance discount(7,819) 
Carrying value of debt386,243
 120,826
Less current portion(4,000) (6,188)
Long-term debt less current portion$382,243
 $114,638

Estimated annualOctober 2015 Credit Agreement

On October 22, 2015, the Company entered into a credit agreement (the “October 2015 Credit Agreement”) that provided for a $400.0 million term loan facility and a $50.0 million revolving line of credit facility (which includes a $15.0 million letter of credit facility and a $10.0 million swingline facility). In addition, the Company may request incremental term loan and/or incremental revolving loan commitments in an aggregate amount not to exceed the sum of $75.0 million and an unlimited amount that is subject to pro forma compliance with certain net secured leverage ratio tests, provided, however, that incremental revolving loan commitments may not exceed $25.0 million.

The term loan facility was issued at a discount of $8 million. Approximately $0.4 million of the revolving line of credit is currently utilized for outstanding letters of credit relating to the Company’s real estate lease obligations. As of December 31, 2015 the Company had drawn $5.0 million under the revolving line of credit and had $44.6 million of borrowing capacity available. The Company used the proceeds from the October 2015 Credit Agreement to acquire One Source as detailed in Note 3 - Acquisitions and to refinance existing debt.

The maturity date of the term loan facility is October 22, 2022 and the maturity date of the revolving line of credit is October 22, 2020. The aggregate contractual maturities of long-term debt maturities are(excluding unamortized discounts and unamortized debt issuance costs) were as follows at December 31, 20142015 (amounts in thousands):
Total DebtTotal Debt
2015$6,188
201610,120
$4,000
201712,331
4,000
201812,203
4,000
201982,784
4,000
20209,000
20214,000
2022376,000
Total$123,626
$405,000

Senior Term Loan, Delayed Draw Term LoanThe Company may prepay loans under the October 2015 Credit Agreement at any time, subject to certain notice requirements and LineLIBOR breakage costs. Under certain circumstances, in the event that the term loans are prepaid within six months after entering into the October 2015 Credit Agreement, such prepayment may be subject to a penalty equal to 1.00% of the outstanding term loans being prepaid.

The applicable rate for term loans is LIBOR plus 5.25% subject to a LIBOR floor of 1.00%. The applicable rate for revolving loans is LIBOR plus 4.75% with no floor. The effective interest rate on outstanding debt at December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 was 6.24% and 4.5% respectively.




Debt covenants

The October 2015 Credit Agreement contains customary financial and operating covenants, including among others a consolidated net secured leverage ratio and covenants restricting the incurrence of debt, imposition of liens, the payment of dividends and entering into affiliate transactions. The October 2015 Credit Agreement also contains customary events of default, including among others nonpayment of principal or interest, material inaccuracy of representations and failure to comply with covenants. If an event of default occurs and is continuing under the October 2015 Credit Agreement, the entire outstanding balance may become immediately due and payable.

In addition, the Company must comply with a Consolidated Net Secured Leverage Ratio covenant and is restricted from permitting the Consolidated Net Secured Leverage Ratio to be greater than the maximum ratio specified below during the period opposite such maximum ratio:
Fiscal Quarter EndingMaximum Ratio
March 31, 20165.00:1.00
June 30, 20165.00:1.00
September 30, 20164.75:1.00
December 31, 20164.75:1.00
March 31, 20174.50:1.00
June 30, 20174.50:1.00
September 30, 20174.25:1.00
December 31, 20174.25:1.00
March 31, 20184.00:1.00
June 30, 20184.00:1.00
September 30, 20183.75:1.00
December 31, 20183.75:1.00
March 31, 2019 and thereafter3.50:1.00

The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants under the October 2015 Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2015.

Guarantees

The Company's obligations under the October 2015 Credit Agreement are guaranteed by certain of the its subsidiaries and secured by substantially all of its tangible and intangible assets.

Debt Issuance Costs

In connection with the October 2015 Credit Agreement, the Company incurred debt issuance costs of $8.6 million (net of extinguishments). These costs are in addition to $2.6 million of debt issuance costs that were carried over from the prior term loan facility that qualified as a modification. These costs will be amortized to interest expense over the respective term of the underlying debt instruments using the effective interest method, unless extinguished earlier, at which time the related unamortized costs are to be immediately expensed.

The unamortized balance of debt issuance costs as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 was $10.9 million and $2.8 million, respectively. The amortization of debt issuance costs is included on the consolidated statements of cash flows within the caption “Amortization of debt issuance costs” along with the amortization of the discount on the Company’s indebtedness. Interest expense associated with the amortization of debt issuance costs was $1.0 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and $1.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2013.

Debt issuance costs are presented in the consolidated balance sheets as a reduction to “Long-term debt, non-current”.








Previous Debt Agreements

Over the course of the last two fiscal years, the Company has completed three refinancing transactions and certain debt facilities have been extinguished as a result of those transactions. The following is a list of debt facilities that were extinguished during the last two fiscal years, with an associated description of the key terms and conditions below:

Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2015 ("April 2015 Credit Agreement").
Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of August 6, 2014 ("August 2014 Credit Agreement").
Third Amended Note Purchase Agreement ("Mezzanine Notes" and related "Warrants").

April 2015 Credit Agreement

On April 1, 2015, the Company entered into the April 2015 Credit Agreement, which amended the August 2014 Credit Agreement and provided for a term loan facility of $230.0 million; a revolving line of credit facility of $25.0 million; and an uncommitted incremental credit facility of $50.0 million in term loans and/or revolving credit commitments. The interest rate on borrowings under the term loan facility was LIBOR plus a 4.50% spread. The interest rate on borrowings under the revolving credit facility was subject to a leveraged based pricing grid.

The maturity date of the loans was March 31, 2020. The proceeds were used to fund the MegaPath acquisition and repay all outstanding balances under the August 2014 Credit Agreement.
The April 2015 Credit Agreement was repaid in full on October 22, 2015, in connection with the October 2015 Credit Agreement.

August 2014 Credit Agreement

On August 6, 2014, the Company completed a refinancing transaction (the “Refinancing Transaction”),entered into the August 2014 Credit Agreement, which included amendments to the First Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, ("Credit Agreement"). The Credit Agreement, as amended, providesdated December 2013, and provided for $110.0 million in term loans; a $15.0 million revolving credit facility; an available $15.0 million delayed draw term loan ("DDTL"); and an available uncommitted $30.0 million incremental term loan. The interest rate on borrowings under the term loan facility consisted of LIBOR plus an applicable spread subject to a leveraged based pricing grid. The maturity date of the facilities under the Credit Agreement, as amended, were extended to August 6, 2019. The obligations of the Company under the Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of the Company’s tangible and intangible assets. Additionally, the Company is in compliance with the reporting and financial covenants stated in the Credit Agreement.

On September 30, 2014, the Company drew $15.0 million on the DDTL, no amounts had been drawn on the revolving credit facility nor the uncommitted incremental term loan. The DDTL facility will be repaid on a quarterly basis starting March 31, 2016 at 1.875% of the aggregate outstanding balance, increasing to 2.5% of the aggregate outstanding balance starting December 31, 2016, with any remaining amount due on August 6, 2019. The term loan of $110.0 million will be repaid on a quarterly basis starting December 31, 2014 at $1.4 million of the aggregate outstanding balance, increasing to $2.1 million on December 31, 2015, and lastly increasing to $2.7 million on December 31, 2016, with any remaining amount due onloans was August 6, 2019.

InThe proceeds were used to repay all outstanding balances under the Mezzanine Notes as well as the cash consideration associated with the settlement of the Warrants issued in connection with the Refinancing Transaction, the Company accelerated the amortization of ratable portions of the deferred
financing costs associated with the prior term loan facilitiesMezzanine Notes, and portions of the deferred financing costs of the Credit Agreement, as amended, that do not qualify for deferral of $1.4 million. These amounts are reflected in Loss on Debt Extinguishment.

general corporate purposes. The interest rate on the Credit Agreement, as amended, is a LIBOR-based tiered pricing tied to our net leverage ratio. As of December 31, 2014, the interest rate was 4.5%.

Mezzanine Notes
The Company entered into an agreement on August 6, 2014 ("Mezzanine Credit Agreement") that used the proceeds from the Refinancing Transaction to repay the remaining $31.0 million of indebtedness payable to BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP, Plexus Fund II, L.P., and BNY Mellon-Alcentra Mezzanine III, L.P. ("Note Holders"). In accordance with the termsoutstanding balance of the Mezzanine Credit Agreement,Notes at the time of repayment was $31.0 million and the Company also paid a prepayment penalty of $0.3 million, which is included in Loss on Debt Extinguishment.million. The remaining original issue discount of the warrant of $1.5 million is included in Loss on Debt Extinguishment.

F-19




Warrants
On August 6, 2014, in conjunction with the Refinancing Transaction, the Company entered into an agreement with the Note Holders that extinguished the entireoutstanding balance of the warrant liability at the time of settlement was $19.2 million (the "Warrant Purchase and Exercise Agreement"). Under the Warrant Purchase and Exercise Agreement,holders of the Note HoldersMezzanine Notes agreed to sell 1,172,080 of their outstanding Warrantswarrants (or 50% of the total outstanding warrants) to the Company for $9.6 million. In addition, the Mezzanine Note Holders agreed tomillion in cash and exercise the remaining 1,172,080 warrants on a cash-less basis into 913,749 common shares of the Company.

On September 30, 2014, the Company drew $15.0 million on the DDTL, to partially fund the UNSi acquisition.

Mezzanine Notes
On June 6, 2011, the Company entered into a note purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with BIA Digital Partners SBIC II LP (“BIA”).  The Purchase Agreement provided for a total commitment of $12.5 million, of which $7.5 million was immediately funded (the “BIA Notes”). On September 19, 2011, BIA agreed to extend the commitment period and funded the Company an additional $1.0 million.

On April 30, 2012, in connection with the nLayer acquisition, the Company entered into an amended and restated note purchase agreement (the "Amended Note Purchase Agreement") with BIA and Plexus Fund II, L.P. (“Plexus”). The Amended Note Purchase Agreement provided for an increase in the total financing commitment by $8.0 million, of which $6.0 million was immediately funded (the "Plexus Notes"). The Company called on the remaining $2.0 million on December 31, 2012.

On April 30, 2013, the Company arranged financing through an increase in the Company’s existing mezzanine financing arrangement, in the form of a modification to its existing note purchase agreement (the “Second Amended Note Purchase Agreement”) with BIA and Plexus that expanded the amount of borrowing under the Amended Note Purchase Agreement on April 30, 2012 and adds BNY Mellon-Alcentra Mezzanine III, L.P. (“Alcentra”) as a new note purchaser and lender thereunder (together with BIA and Plexus, the “Note Holders”). The Second Amended Note Purchase Agreement provides for a total financing commitment of $11.5 million, of which $8.5 million was immediately funded, (the “BIA Notes” and together with the "Plexus



Notes", the “Notes”). On November 1, 2013, the remaining $3.0 million of the committed financing was called on by the Company and the original interest rate of 13.5% per annum was reduced to 11.0% per annum for the entire outstanding Notes of $29.5 million.

On December 30, 2013, the Company modified the Second Amended Note Purchase Agreement (the "Third Amended Note Purchase Agreement") with BIA, Plexus, and Alcentra, expanding the total financing commitment by $10.0 million, of which $1.5 million was immediately funded. The Third Amended Note Purchase Agreement increased the maximum borrowings to $38.0 million with the Notes maturing on June 6, 2016, at an interest rate of 11.0% per annum. The Company did not draw on the remaining $8.5 million of committed financing, and these Mezzanine Notes were repaid in full on August 6, 2014 in connection with the August 2014 Credit Agreement.

Warrants

On June 6, 2011, pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Company issued to BIA a warrant to purchase from the Company 634,648 shares of the Company’s common stock, at an exercise price equal to $1.144 per share (as adjusted from time to time as provided in the Purchase Agreement). Upon the additional $1.0 million funding, the Company issued to BIA an additional warrant to purchase from the Company 63,225 shares of the Company’s common stock, at an exercise price equal to $1.181 per share.
On April 30, 2012, pursuant to the Amended Note Purchase Agreement, the Company issued to Plexus a warrant to purchase from the Company 535,135 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price equal to $2.208 per share (as adjusted from time to time as provided in the warrant). On December 31, 2012, the Company issued to Plexus an additional warrant to purchase from the Company 178,378 shares of the Company’s common stock, at an exercise price equal to $2.542 per share (as adjusted from time to time as provided in the warrant agreement).
On April 30, 2013, pursuant to the Second Amended Note Purchase Agreement, the Company issued to Plexus a warrant to purchase from the Company 246,911 shares of the Company’s common stock, to BIA a warrant to purchase 356,649 shares of the Company’s common stock, and to Alcentra a warrant to purchase from the Company 329,214 shares of the Company’s common stock, each at an exercise price equal to $3.306 per share.

Each of these Warrants was settled in full on August 6, 2014 in connection with the August 2014 Credit Agreement and corresponding issuance of GTT common stock.

NOTE 6 — FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
 
The accounting standard for fair value measurementsof a financial instrument is the amount at which the instrument could be exchanged in an orderly transaction between market participants. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other liabilities approximated fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments. ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, establishes a three-tier hierachy which prioritizesfair value hierarchy for input into valuation techniques as follows:

Level 1:    Inputs based on quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets at the inputs used in measuring fair value.measurement date.

Level 2:Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3:Inputs reflect management's best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The inputs are unobservable in the market and significant to the instruments valuation.

The Company considerscarrying value of the valuationCompany's long-term debt inclusive of its warrant liability$5 million revolving line of credit, net of unamortized debt issuance costs and unamortized original issuance discount was $386.2 million and $120.8 million, as aof December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Based on level 3 liability based on unobservable inputs. The Company uses the Black-Scholes pricing model to measure2 inputs, the fair value of the warrant liability. During the the year endingCompany's long-term debt as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 was estimated to be the model required the input of highly subjective assumptions including volatility of 63%, expected term of 3 years,same as its carrying value. The level 2 fair value estimate was based on similar debt, with similar maturities, company credit rating and risk-free interest rate of 0%.rates.

Certain sellers may electFrom time to receive uptime, the Company has issued contingent consideration, or an earn-out, to one-halfselling shareholders of acquired companies. Historically, the post-closing payments to which they become entitled inearn-out has taken the form of Company issued common stock or cash consideration contingent on the performance of the Company.entity the Company acquired. The Company considers the valuation of the earn-outs as a level 3 liability based on unobservable inputs inputs. For issuances of Company common stock, the Company considers this comparable to a stock option



and measuresmeasure the fair value of the option to take the stock using the Black-Scholes pricing model.  During the year ending December 31, 2014, the model required the input of highly subjective assumptions including volatility of 60%, expected term of 3 months, and a risk-free interest rate of 0.1%.   This earn-out was settled in full in April 2014.2015, there were no share-based earn-outs entered into or requiring valuation.  

The remaining earn-out liability in 20142015 relates to business acquisitions in which the sellers will receive a cash payout based upon the performance of the entity wethe Company acquired. There have been no changes to the fair value of this contingent consideration in 2014.

The following table presents the liabilities that are measured and recognized at fair value on a recurring basis classified under the appropriate level of the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 20142015 and 20132014 respectively (amounts in thousands):

December 31, 2014December 31, 2015
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 TotalLevel 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Liabilities: 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
Acquisition earn-out$
 $
 $3,374
 $3,374
$
 $
 $525
 $525

December 31, 2013December 31, 2014
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 TotalLevel 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Liabilities: 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
Warrant liability$
 $
 $12,295
 $12,295
Acquisition earn-out$
 $
 $2,900
 $2,900
$
 $
 $3,374
 $3,374













F-20






Rollforward of level 3 liabilities are as follows (amounts in thousands):

Warrant Liability
Balance, December 31, 2012$2,288
Issuance of warrants1,349
Balance, December 31, 2013$12,295
Change in fair value8,658
6,857
Balance, December 31, 201312,295
Paid in cash(9,576)(9,576)
Settled in shares(9,576)(9,576)
Change in fair value6,857
Issuance of warrants
Balance, December 31, 2014$

Balance, December 31, 2015$


Acquisition Earn-outs
Balance, December 31, 2012$6,200
Paid in cash(3,628)
Settled in shares(1,650)
Change in the fair value1,978
Balance, December 31, 20132,900
$2,900
Paid in cash(1,155)(1,155)
Settled in shares(3,704)(3,704)
Change in fair value1,554
1,554
Incurred3,779
3,779
Balance, December 31, 2014$3,374
3,374
Paid in cash(3,729)
Change in fair value880
Balance, December 31, 2015$525

Assets and liabilities measured at a fair value on a non-recurring basis include goodwill, tangible assets, and intangible assets. Such assets are reviewed quarterly for impairment indicators. If a triggering event has occurred, the assets are remeasured when the estimated fair value of the corresponding asset group is less than the carrying value. The fair value measurements, in such instances, are based on significant unobservable inputs (level 3). There were no impairments recorded during the years ended December 31, 20142015 and 2013.2014.
 





NOTE 7 — PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
 
The following table summarizes the Company’s property and equipment at December 31, 20142015 and 20132014 (amounts in thousands):
 
2014 20132015 2014
Network equipment$44,218
 $30,485
$70,808
 $44,218
Computer software3,468
 3,423
Computer hardware and software9,613
 3,468
Leasehold improvements2,094
 757
3,113
 2,094
Furniture and fixtures253
 259
838
 253
Property and equipment, gross50,033
 34,924
84,372
 50,033
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization(24,849) (14,474)
Less accumulated depreciation(45,549) (24,849)
Property and equipment, net$25,184
 $20,450
$38,823
 $25,184

Certain property, plant and equipment, primarily network equipment, are subject to capital lease in the amount of $3.5 million and $0.4 million as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, less accumulated depreciation of $1.1 million and $0.2 million as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Depreciation expense associated with property and equipment was $20.7 million, $11.1 million, and $6.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 respectively.



F-21






NOTE 8 — ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
 
The following table summarizes the Company’s accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of December 31, 20142015 and 20132014 (amounts in thousands):
 2014 2013
Accrued compensation and benefits$4,385
 $4,257
Accrued interest payable
 379
Accrued taxes2,446
 3,407
Accrued carrier costs14,359
 13,085
Acquisition earn-outs and holdbacks5,942
 2,900
Accrued restructuring2,101
 755
Accrued other6,231
 2,216
 $35,464
 $26,999
 2015 2014
Accrued compensation and benefits$9,465
 $4,385
Accrued supplier costs21,637
 14,359
Accrued restructuring6,833
 2,101
Accrued other5,180
 8,643
 $43,115
 $29,488

NOTE 9 — INCOME TAXES
 
The components of the provision forincome (loss) before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 arewere as follows (amounts in thousands):  
 
 2014 2013
Current: 
  
Federal$
 $
State83
 (8)
Foreign1,215
 720
Subtotal1,298
 712
Deferred:   
Federal(2,712) (6,000)
State(552) (803)
Foreign937
 1,439
Subtotal(2,327) (5,364)
Change in valuation allowance3,112
 2,647
Provision for income taxes$2,083
 $(2,005)
 2015 2014 2013
United States$(12,318) $(25,355) $(23,270)
Foreign(2,509) 4,459
 476
Total$(14,827) $(20,896) $(22,794)

The components of the provision for income taxes differs from the amount computed by applying the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to income before income taxes for the reasons set forth below(benefit) expense for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:2013 were as follows (amounts in thousands):




F-22

 2015 2014 2013
Current: 
  
  
Federal$77
 $
 $
State
 83
 (8)
Foreign(3,708) 1,215
 720
Total current(3,631) 1,298
 712
Deferred:   
  
Federal(25,347) 852
 51
State(3,783) (459) 34
Foreign(1,370) 392
 (2,802)
Total deferred(30,500) 785
 (2,717)
Income tax (benefit) expense$(34,131) $2,083
 $(2,005)


The following is a reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory income taxes to the amounts reported in the financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 (amounts in thousands):

 
2014 20132015 2014 2013
U.S. federal statutory income tax rate35.00 % 35.00 %
Amount Effective Rate Amount Effective Rate Amount Effective Rate
U.S. federal statutory income tax$(5,188) 35.00 % $(7,233) 35.00 % $(7,949) 35.00 %
Permanent items(2.79)% (10.23)%733
 (4.94)% 575
 (2.75)% 2,332
 (10.23)%
State taxes, net of federal benefit(0.43)% (0.13)%(533) 3.60 % 89
 (0.43)% 30
 (0.13)%
Foreign tax rate differential2.04 % 1.55 %(34) 0.23 % (421) 2.01 % (353) 1.55 %
Warrant extinguishment(27.79)%  %
  % 5,743
 (27.87)% 
  %
Change in valuation allowance(15.09)% (14.17)%(23,450) 158.19 % 3,118
 (14.92)% 3,230
 (14.17)%
Unrecognized tax positions(1.53)% (1.31)%(2,167) 14.62 % 316
 (1.51)% 299
 (1.31)%
Italian IRAP tax1.38 % (1.6)%
  % (284) 1.36 % 365
 (1.60)%
Prior year AMT % 0.11 %
Return to provision adjustments(0.87)% (0.29)%
Effective Tax Rate(10.08)% 8.93 %
Prior-year true-ups(3,492) 23.55 % 180
 (0.86)% 41
 (0.18)%
Total income tax (benefit) expense$(34,131) 230.25 % $2,083
 (9.97)% $(2,005) 8.93 %
  

In 2014, loss before income taxes of $20.9 million consisted of $25.3 million domestic loss and $4.4 million foreign income. In 2013, loss before income taxes of $22.8 million consisted of $23.6 million domestic loss and and $0.8 million foreign income.
As of December 31, 2014, the Company has net operating loss ("NOL") carryforwards of approximately $72 million for tax purposes which will be available to offset future income. The NOL carryforwards consist of $15.4 million in foreign NOL carryforwards, which have an indefinite carryforward period and $56.6 million in U.S. NOL carryforward. If not used, the US carryforwards will expire between 2020 and 2034. The Company's U.S. NOL carryforward are limited under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code ("IRC"). In future periods, an aggregate, tax effected amount of $2.2 million of NOL's will be recorded to Additional paid-in-capital when carried forward excess tax benefits from stock based compensation are utilized to reduce future cash tax payments.

Deferred income taxes reflect the net effects of net operating loss carryforwards and the temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2015 and 2014 and 2013 arewere as follows (amounts in thousands):
  2014 2013
Deferred tax assets:  
  
Net operating loss carryforwards $24,735
 $8,442
Capital loss and trade deficit loss carryforwards 678
 745
Allowance for doubtful accounts 1,683
 860
Fixed assets 1,972
 286
Intangible Assets 
 5,585
Mark to market adjustment 
 3,794
Stock compensation 984
 671
Miscellaneous items 1,389
 1,435
Total deferred tax assets before valuation allowance 31,441
 21,818
Less: Valuation allowance (23,756) (19,806)
Total deferred tax assets 7,685
 2,012
Deferred tax liabilities:    
Intangibles 5,887
 
Miscellaneous items 942
 239
Total deferred tax liabilities 6,829
 239
Net deferred tax liability $(856) $(1,773)
 2015 2014
Deferred tax assets: 
  
Net operating loss carryforwards$29,607
 $24,735
Capital loss and trade deficit carryforwards677
 678
Reserves and allowances1,831
 1,683
Property and equipment1,526
 1,972
Stock-based compensation2,019
 984
Other1,640
 1,389
Total deferred tax assets before valuation allowance37,300
 31,441
Less: Valuation allowance(305) (23,756)
Total deferred tax assets36,995
 7,685
Deferred tax liabilities:   
Intangible assets and goodwill(29,193) (5,887)
Other(432) (942)
Total deferred tax liabilities(29,625) (6,829)
Net deferred tax assets(1)
$7,370
 $856



The Company currently has significant deferred(1)Deferred tax assets primarily resulting from NOL carryforwards. The significant increase in NOLthe amount of $7.5 million and $2.4 million are presented as a component of other assets on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, resulted from acquired NOLrespectively. Deferred tax liabilities in the amount of $0.1 million and $1.5 million are presented as a resultcomponent of other long-term liabilities on the acquisitions in 2014. Asconsolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
At each consolidated balance sheet date, the Company provided a full valuation allowance againstassesses the likelihood that it will be able to realize its net US deferred tax assets since, based onassets. The Company considers all available positive and negative evidence in assessing the application ofneed for a valuation allowance. At December 31, 2015, the criteria in

F-23




ASC 740, itCompany concluded that it was more likely than not that it would be able to realize its U.S. deferred tax assets. In connection with the benefitsacquisition of these assets would not be realized in the future. Following the criteria in ASC 740,One Source, the Company reviews this valuation allowance onrecorded a quarterlynet deferred tax liability created by the financial reporting basis assessingof identifiable intangible assets. The Company considered the positivefuture reversal of deferred tax liabilities along with forecasts of future taxable income, exclusive of reversing temporary differences and negative evidence to determine ifdetermined that it is more likely than not that some or all of the U.S. deferred tax assets will be realized. Based onAccordingly, the Company released the valuation allowance against its assessment asU.S. deferred tax assets and recorded an income tax benefit of $23.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The Company maintains a valuation allowance of $0.3 million related to certain international deferred tax assets.

As of December 31, 2014,2015, the Company determinedhad approximately $83.6 million of U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards net of limitations under Section 382. Approximately $18 million of the gross net operating loss carryforwards have not been recognized as they relate to maintain valuation allowance"windfall" tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation that have not reduced current taxes payable. When realized, the windfall tax benefits will be recognized through additional paid-in capital. The Company's U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards, if not utilized to reduce taxable income in future years, will expire in between 2020 and 2035 as follows (amounts in millions):

2020$7.9
202112.9
20242.4
20272.5
20282.0
20291.0
20311.7
20322.0
203315.7
203426.9
20358.6
Total$83.6

As of December 31, 2015, the Company had tax-effected state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $3.9 million which are subject to limitations on their utilization and have various expirations through 2035. Approximately $0.7 million of the state net operating loss carryforwards have not been recognized as they relate to windfall tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation that have not reduced current taxes payable.

As of December 31, 2015, the Company had gross net operating loss carryforwards in the US and Italy. The Company will continue to evaluate the need a valuation allowance in the other foreign jurisdictions.U.K. of $17.9 million which have an indefinite carryforward period.

ForeignThe Company has not provided for U.S. income taxes or foreign withholding taxes on undistributed earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries because such earnings are consideredintended to be permanently reinvested outside the United States. It is not practicable to determine the income tax liability that would be payable if such earnings was not indefinitely reinvested.

Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes

As of December 31, 2015, 2014 and accordingly, no U.S. federal2013, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits of $0, $2.2 million, and state income taxes have been provided theron.$1.9 million, respectively. Changes in unrecognized tax benefits are set forth below (amounts in thousands):




 2015 2014 2013
Balance, January 1$2,167
 $1,851
 $
Changes for tax positions of prior years (1)
(1,849) 
 1,851
Increases for tax positions related to the current year
 342
 
Settlements and lapsing of statues of limitations(318) (26) 
Balance, December 31$
 $2,167
 $1,851
(1) Uncertain tax positions of $1.6 million were acquired in 2013 with the acquisition of Tinet, changes in these uncertain tax positions for the year ended December 31, 2013 equaled $0.3 million.

The Company applies guidance for uncertaintyrecognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income taxes that requirestax expense. During the application of a more likely than not threshold to the recognition and de-recognition of uncertain tax positions. If the recognition threshold is met, this guidance permits the Company to recognize a tax benefit measured at the largest amount of the tax benefit that, in the Company’s judgment, is more likely than not to be realized upon settlement. The Company has performed an analysis of all open years ended December 31, 2009 to December 31,2015, 2014 and the expected tax positions to be taken at the balance sheet date. At December 31, 2014, approximately $2.2 million of unrecognized tax benefits including2013, interest and penalties and interest in conjunction with its activities in certain countries where a permanent establishment may give rise to corporate income taxes. Of the $2.2 million recorded, $1.5 million was established through purchase price accounting on 2013. The gross unrecognized tax benefit amount is not expected to materially change in the next 12 months. The following table presents a reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of unrecognized tax benefits:

 2014 2013
Balance, January 1$1,851
 $
Changes for tax positions of prior years
 1,851
Increases for tax positions related to the current year342
 
Settlements and lapsing of statues of limitations(26) 
Balance, December 31$2,167
 $1,851
were insignificant.

NOTE 10 — RESTRUCTURING COSTS, EMPLOYEE TERMINATION AND OTHER ITEMS

One Source

The Company incurred $4.9 million in exit costs associated with the acquisition of One Source, which includes employee severance costs, termination costs associated with facility leases and network agreements, and other related exit costs for the year ended December 31, 2015. Approximately $1.3 million was paid during the year ended December 31, 2015. The exit costs recorded and paid are summarized as follows for the year ended December 31, 2015 (amounts in thousands):

 Charges Cash Payments December 31, 2015
   Employment costs$2,903
 $1,189
 $1,714
   Lease and network termination charges1,910
 101
 1,809
Other exit costs124
 
 124
Total$4,937
 $1,290
 $3,647

Other exit costs include costs directly related to the exit activities associated with the acquisition of One Source. Transaction and integration costs are recorded as a component of selling, general and administrative expense.

MegaPath

The Company incurred $7.7 million in exit costs associated with the acquisition of MegaPath including employee severance costs and termination costs associated with facility leases and network agreements and other related exit costs for the year ended December 31, 2015. Approximately $4.7 million was paid through the year ended December 31, 2015. The exit costs recorded and paid are summarized as follows for the year ended December 31, 2015 (amounts in thousands):

 Charges Cash Payments Balance, December 31, 2015
   Employee termination benefits$4,132
 $4,067
 $65
   Lease and network termination charges2,886
 422
 2,464
Other exit costs729
 171
 558
Total$7,747
 $4,660
 $3,087

Other exit costs include costs directly related to the exit activities associated with the acquisition of MegaPath. Transaction and integration costs are recorded as a component of selling, general and administrative expense.

UNSi

During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company incurred $6.1 million in exit costs associated with the acquisition of UNSi, acquisition, including payroll and employee severance costs professional fees,and termination costs associated with facility leases and network grooming, and travel expenses. In addition, the Company recorded a $3.3 million litigation settlement for the Artel LLC litigation as a restructuring costagreements. No



additional charges were incurred during the year ended December 31, 2014.
The restructuring charges and accruals established by2015. Of the Company are summarized$6.1 million charge, $4 million was paid as follows for the year endedof December 31, 2014, (amounts in thousands):
 
Charges Net
of Reversals
 
Cash
Payments
 Balance, December 31, 2014
      
   Employment costs$3,725
 $3,495
 $230
   Professional fees1,003
 332
 671
   Integration expenses100
 75
 25
   Travel and other expenses1,297
 122
 1,175
Total$6,125
 $4,024
 $2,101

Duringwith the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company incurred $7.7remaining $2.1 million in costs associated with executing and closing the IDC and Tinet acquisitions, including payroll and employee severance costs, professional fees, termination costs associated with network grooming, and travel expenses.





F-24




The restructuring charges and accruals established by the Company, and activities related thereto, are summarized as follows for the year ended December 31, 2013 (amountsobligations paid in thousands):
 
Charges Net
of Reversals
 
Cash
Payments
 Balance, December 31, 2013
      
   Employment costs$4,600
 $4,564
 $36
   Professional fees1,565
 1,246
 319
   Integration expenses1,282
 891
 391
   Travel and other expenses230
 221
 9
Total$7,677
 $6,922
 $755

The $0.8 million accrued for at December 31, 2013 was paid by March 31, 2014.

fiscal 2015.

NOTE 11 — EMPLOYEE STOCK-BASEDSHARE-BASED COMPENSATION BENEFITS

Stock-BasedShare-Based Compensation Plan
  
The Company adopted itsgrants share-based equity awards, including stock options and restricted stock, pursuant to three plans in effect as of December 31, 2015; the 2006 Employee, Director and Consultant Stock Plan (the “2006 Plan”)adopted in October 2006. In addition2006, the 2011 Plan adopted in June 2011 and the 2015 Plan adopted in June 2015 (collectively referred to stock options,as the Company may also grant restricted stock or other stock-based awards under the 2006 Plan."GTT Stock Plan"). The maximum number of shares issuable over the term of the 2006GTT Stock Plan is limited to 3,500,000 shares.
The Company adopted its 2011 Employee, Directoran aggregate 9,500,000 shares of which 7,767,857 have been issued and Consultant Stock Plan (the “2011 Plan”) in June 2011.  In addition to stock options, the Company may also grant restricted stock or other stock-based awards under the 2011 Plan. The maximum numberare outstanding as of shares issuable over the term of the 2011 Plan is limited to 3,000,000 shares.  The 2006 Plan will continue according to its terms.March 9, 2016.

The GTT Stock Plan permits the granting of stock options, and restricted stock and performance awards to employees (including employee directors and officers) and consultants of the Company, and non-employee directors of the Company.

Options granted under the GTT Stock Plan have an exercise price of at least 100% of the fair market value of the underlying stock on the grant date and expire no later than ten10 years from the grant date. The stock options generally vest over four years with 25% of the option sharesoptions becoming exercisable one year from the date of grant and the remaining 75% annually or quarterly over the following three years.

Restricted stock granted under the GTT Stock Plan is granted at the closing stock price on the day of grant. Restricted stock generally vests over four years with 25% of the shares becoming unrestricted one year from the date of grant and the remaining 75% annually or quarterly over the following three years.

Performance awards are restricted shares granted under the GTT Stock plan subject to the achievement of certain financial performance measures. Once achievement of these financial measures is considered probable, the Company starts to expense the fair value of the grant over the requisite service period. The performance award is valued at the closing price on the day of grant. The performance grant will vest annually or quarterly over the requisite service period once achievement of the financial measure has been met and approved by the Compensation Committee.

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, as administrator of the Plan, has the discretion to useauthorize a different vesting schedule.schedule for any awards.

The following table summarizes the share-based compensation expense recognized as a selling, general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations (amounts in thousands):

 Year Ended December 31,
 2015 2014 2013
Stock options$1,591
 $883
 $363
Restricted stock (incl. performance awards)6,285
 1,535
 1,103
Total$7,876
 $2,418
 $1,466

As of December 31, 2015, there was $23.5 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested share-based compensation agreements. The unrecognized compensation costs as of December 31, 2015 are expected to be amortized over a weighted average of 2.5 years.

Stock Options

Due to the Company’s limited history as a public company, the Company has estimated expected volatility based on the historical volatility of certain comparable companies as determined by management. The risk-free interest rate assumption is based upon observed interest rates at the time of grant appropriate for the term of the Company’s employee stock options. The dividend yield assumption is based on the Company’s intent not to issue a dividend under its dividend policy. The Company uses the simplifiedBlack-Scholes option pricing model method to estimatecalculate the options’fair value of the stock options. The use of option valuation models requires the input by management of certain assumptions, including the expected term.stock price volatility, the expected life of the option term and the forfeiture rate. These assumptions are utilized by the Company in determining the estimated fair value of the stock options. Assumptions used in the calculation of the stock option expense were as follows:
  



  2014 2013
Volatility 62.2% - 63.2%
 60.2% - 63.4%
Risk free rate 1.7% - 2.0%
 1.0% - 1.9%
Term 6.25
 6.25
Dividend yield % %

Stock-based compensation expense recognized in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2014 is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, reduced for estimated forfeitures. Forfeiture assumptions were based upon management’s estimate.
 2015 2014 2013
Expected volatility44.3% - 64.6%
 62.2% - 63.2%
 60.2% - 63.4%
Risk free interest rate1.3% - 1.9%
 1.7% - 2.0%
 1.0% - 1.9%
Expected term (in years)6.25
 6.25
 6.25
Dividend yield0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Forfeiture rate4.0% 4.0% 4.0%
 

F-25




The fair value of each stock option grant to employees is estimated onas of the date of grant. The fair value of each stock option grant to non-employees is estimated on the applicable performance commitment date, performance completion date or interim financial reporting date.
 
DuringStock option activity during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 is as follows:
  Options 
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
 
Weighted
Average
Fair Value
 
Weighted Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (Years)
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Balance, December 31, 2012 1,395,250
 $1.49
 $0.43
   

Granted 486,750
 3.64
 2.07
   

Exercised (92,125) 
 
   

Forfeited or canceled (92,375) 1.03
 0.56
   

Balance, December 31, 2013 1,697,500
 2.09
 0.47
 
 

Granted 459,450
 12.44
 7.35
   

Exercised (633,754) 1.67
 1.10
   

Forfeited or canceled (159,736) 4.98
 2.85
   

Balance, December 31, 2014 1,363,460
 5.41
 3.17
   

Granted 344,117
 17.91
 8.64
   

Exercised (259,121) 2.35
 1.40
   

Forfeited or canceled (72,079) 6.50
 2.75
   

Balance, December 31, 2015 1,376,377
 $9.05
 $4.89
 7.54
 $11,683,456
Exercisable 637,804
 
 
 
 
The aggregate intrinsic value in the Company recognized compensation expense related totable above represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value (the difference between the Company's closing stock options of $0.9 million and $0.4 million, respectively, related to stock options issued to employees and consultants, which is included in selling, general and administrative expenseprice on the accompanying consolidated statementslast day of operations.the year and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money options) that would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options on December 31, 2015. The amount of aggregate intrinsic value will change based on the fair market value of the Company's stock.

DuringFor the year ended December 31, 2014, 459,450 options were granted pursuant to the Plan. The following table summarizes information concerning options outstanding as of December 31, 2014:
  Options 
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
 
Weighted
Average
Fair Value
 
Weighted Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (Years)
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Balance, December 31, 2013 1,697,500
 $2.09
 $0.47
 7.31 $7,962,468
Granted 459,450
 12.44
 7.35
 9.31 
Exercised (633,754) 1.67
 1.10
 5.12 1,278,434
Forfeited (159,736) 4.98
 2.85
 8.18 1,606,253
Balance, December 31, 2014 1,363,460
 $5.41
 $3.17
 7.52 $10,664,023
Exercisable 557,305
 $1.83
 $1.12
 6.09 $6,355,069
As of December 31, 2014,2015, the vested portion of share-based compensation expense was $0.6$3.7 million. As of December 31, 2014, the2015, unamortized compensation cost related to unvested portion of share-based compensation expense attributable to stock options was $4.6 million, and the weighted average period inover which such expensethis cost is expected to vest and be recognized is as follows (amounts in thousands): 

2015$880
2016983
2017840
2018240
Total$2,943
The fair value of share-based compensation for options that vested as of December 31, 2014 was $2.9 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2013, 486,750 options were granted pursuant to the Plan. The following table summarizes information concerning options outstanding as of December 31, 2013:
  Options 
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
 
Weighted
Average
Fair Value
 
Weighted Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (Years)
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Balance at December 31, 2012 1,395,250
 $1.49
 $0.43
 7.23
 $1,834,685
Granted 486,750
 3.64
 2.07
 
 
Exercised (92,125) 
 
 
 279,830
Forfeited (92,375) 1.03
 0.56
 
 594,455
Balance at December 31, 2013 1,697,500
 $2.09
 $0.47
 7.31
 $7,962,468
Exercisable 829,913
 $4.34
 $0.93
 5.81
 $4,885,047
As of December 31, 2013, the vested portion of share-based compensation expense was $0.8 million. As of December 31, 2013, the unvested portion of share-based compensation expense attributable to stock options and the period in which such expense is expected to vest and be recognized is as follows (amounts in thousands):

F-26





2014$427
2015370
2016284
201797
Total$1,178

The fair value of share-based compensation for options that vested as of December 31, 2013 was $1.2 million.2.0 years.

Restricted Stock and Performance Awards
 
The fair value of the restricted shares issued is amortized on a straight-line basis over the vesting periods. During the year ended December 31, 2014Restricted stock and 2013, the Company recognized compensation expense related to restricted stock of $1.5 million and $1.1 million, respectively, which is included in selling, general and administrative expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
Following table summarizes restricted stockperformance award activity during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:2013 is as follows: 




 2014 2013Shares 
Weighted
Average
Fair
Value
 Shares 
Weighted
Average
Fair
Value
 Shares 
Weighted
Average
Fair
Value
Nonvested Balance at January 1, 976,938
 $2.96
 660,001
 $1.66
Unvested balance, December 31, 2012660,001
 $1.66
Granted 1,016,902
 12.48
 727,357
 3.58
727,357
 3.58
Forfeited (142,503) 12.57
 (5,000) 3.40
(5,000) 3.40
Vested (405,762) 10.88
 (405,420) 5.02
(405,420) 5.02
Nonvested Balance at December 31, 1,445,575
 $10.92
 976,938
 $2.96
Unvested balance, December 31, 2013976,938
 2.96
Granted1,016,902
 12.48
Forfeited(142,503) 12.57
Vested(405,762) 10.88
Unvested balance, December 31, 20141,445,575
 10.92
Granted1,485,027
 18.91
Forfeited(18,220) 10.96
Vested(634,623) 8.34
Unvested balance, December 31, 20152,277,759
 $15.84
 
The fair value of restricted stock awarded totaled $10.9 million, $4.4 million and $2.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The fair value of these awards was calculated using the value of GTT common stock on the grant date and is being amortized over the vesting periods in which the restrictions lapse. As of December 31, 2015, unamortized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock was $12.6 million and the weighted average period over which this cost will be recognized is 2.5 years.

In 2014, the non-vested portionCompany granted $7.8 million of share-basedrestricted stock contingent upon the achievement of certain performance criteria (the 2014 Performance Awards).  The fair value of the 2014 Performance Awards was calculated using the value of GTT common stock on the grant date.  The Company started recognizing stock-based compensation expense attributablefor these grants once the achievement of the performance criteria was considered probable, which was in the third quarter of 2015.   The 2014 Performance Awards started vesting in the fourth quarter of 2015 when the performance criteria were met and they will continue to vest ratably over the next two years. As of December 31, 2015, unamortized compensation cost related to the unvested 2014 Performance Awards was $6.2 million.

In 2015, the Company granted $17.2 million of restricted stock amountscontingent upon the achievement of certain performance criteria (the 2015 Performance Awards).  The fair value of the 2015 Performance Awards was calculated using the value of GTT common stock on the grant date.  As the achievement of the performance criteria is not yet considered probable, the full $17.2 million remains unamortized as of December 31, 2015.

In conjunction with the acquisition of One Source, the Company issued $3.6 million, or 289,055 unregistered shares, of common stock to $1.5the selling shareholders of One Source subject to a continuing employment period of 18 months. The fair value of this issuance was calculated using the value of GTT common stock on the acquisition date less a discount for lack of marketability. The $3.6 million which is expected to vestwill be expensed over the 18 month service period. As of December 31, 2015, unamortized compensation expense was $3.2 million and will be recognized during a weighted-average period of 10.8 years.over the next 15 months.

NOTE 12 — DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN
 
The Company has a defined contribution retirement plan under Section 401(k) of the IRCInternal Revenue Code ("IRC") that covers substantially all U.S. based employees. EligibleThe plan allows eligible employees mayto contribute amountsfrom 1% to the plan, via payroll withholding,100% of their pre-tax eligible earnings, subject to certain limitations.defined limits. The Company matches 50% of an employee's voluntary contributions per pay period up to $18,000 annual maximum. Employer's matching contributions under the Company's plan vest at a rate of 25% for each year of employment and are fully vested after four years of employment for all current and future contributions. During the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company matched 40% of employees’ contributions to the plan. The Company’sincurred 401(k) expense wasof $618,000, $239,000 in 2014 and $179,000, in 2013.respectively.








NOTE 13 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
 
Office Space and Operating Leases
 
Office facility leases may provide for escalations of rent or rent abatements and payment of pro ratapro-rata portions of building operating expenses. The Company is currently headquartered in McLean, Virginia and has 810 offices throughout the United States, 5 offices in Europe and one office in Hong Kong.

The Company records rent expense using the straight-line method over the term of the lease agreement. Office facility rent expense was $4.5 million, $2.1 million and $1.2 million, for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

 Estimated annual commitments under non-cancelable operating and capital leases are as follows at December 31, 20142015 (amounts in thousands):

F-27
 Office Space 
Capital Leases(1)
 
Other(2)
2016$3,234
  $1,184
 $2,566
20172,686
  833
 2,104
20181,939
  334
 578
20191,595
 
 154
2020943
 
 
2021 and beyond165
 
 
 $10,562
 $2,351
 $5,402
(1)Includes imputed interest charges of $0.7 million.
(2)Other primarily consists of vendor contracts associated with network monitoring and maintenance services.




 Office Space Other
    
2015$2,411
 $574
20162,079
 474
20172,078
 474
20181,211
 
20191,200
 

2020 and beyond794
 

 $9,773
 $1,522
Commitments -Network Supply agreementsAgreements
 
As of December 31, 2014,2015, the Company had network supplier agreement purchase obligations of $58.6$163.4 million associated with the telecommunications services that the Company has contracted to purchase from its vendors.suppliers. The Company’s network contracts are generally such that the terms and conditions in the vendorsupplier and client customer contracts are substantially the same in terms of duration. The back-to-back nature of the Company’s contracts means that the largest component of its contractual obligations isare generally mirrored by its customer’s commitmentcustomers' commitments to purchase the services associated with those obligations. The network supplier purchase obligations exclude contracts where the initial term has expired and are currently in month-to-month status.
 
Estimated annual commitments under supplier contractual agreements are as follows at December 31, 20142015 (amounts in thousands):
 
Supplier
Agreements
Supplier
Agreements
  
2015$11,431
201615,670
$87,870
201721,662
48,453
20181,025
19,659
20192,740
3,738
2020 and beyond6,085
20201,129
2021 and beyond2,547
$58,613
$163,396
 
If a customer disconnects its service before the term ordered from the vendor expires, and if GTT were unable to find another customer for the capacity, GTT may be subject to an early termination liability. Under standard telecommunications industry practice (commonly referred to in the industry as “portability”), this early termination liability may be waived by the vendor if GTT were to order replacement service with the vendor of equal or greater value to the service canceled. Additionally, the Company maintains



some fixed network costs and from time to time, if it deems portions of the network are not economically beneficial, the Company may disconnect those portions and potentially incur early termination liabilities.

“Take-or-Pay” Purchase Commitments
 
Some of the Company’s supplier purchase agreements call for the Company to make monthly payments to suppliers whether or not the Company is currently utilizing the underlying capacity in that particular month (commonly referred to in the industry as “take-or-pay” commitments). As of December 31, 20142015 and 2013,2014, the Company’s aggregate monthly obligations under such take-or-pay commitments over the remaining term of all of those contracts totaled $2.2$33.9 million and $4.3$2.2 million, respectively.

Contingencies - In 2015, in connection with the acquisition of MegaPath, the Company acquired a supplier purchase agreement subject to a three year minimum commitment. As of December 31, 2015, the remaining minimum commitment under that agreement was $33.9 million. The Company anticipates meeting this commitment in the normal course of business, as current spending with this supplier is well above the minimum commitment level and is expected to remain above the minimum commitment level for the remainder of the agreement.

Legal proceedingsProceedings
 
From time to time, the Company is a party to legal proceedings arising in the normal course of its business. Aside from the matters discussed below, theThe Company does not believe that it is a party to any current or pending legal action that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on its businessfinancial condition or operating results financial position or cash flows.of operations. 
 

F-28




NOTE 14 — FOREIGN OPERATIONS

The Company’s operations are located primarily in the United States and Europe. The Company’s financial data by geographic area is as follows:follows (amounts in thousands):
 
US ITALY UK OTHER Total GTTUS 
ITALY(1)
 UK OTHER Total GTT
2015         
Revenues by geographic area$293,664
 $46,565
 $25,565
 $3,456
 $369,250
Long-lived assets at December 31451,425
 29,978
 9,337
 1,223
 491,963
2014 
    
  
  
 
    
  
  
Revenues by geographic area$118,966
 $56,547
 $27,092
 $4,738
 $207,343
118,966
 56,547
 27,092
 4,738
 207,343
Long-lived assets at December 31$126,762
 $38,172
 $9,840
 $1,723
 $176,497
126,762
 38,172
 9,840
 1,723
 176,497
2013 
    
  
  
 
    
  
  
Revenues by geographic area$88,995
 $39,959
 $23,481
 $4,933
 $157,368
88,995
 39,959
 23,481
 4,933
 157,368
Long-lived assets at December 31$73,462
 $46,510
 $11,109
 $6
 $131,087
73,462
 46,510
 11,109
 6
 131,087
(1) Most of the revenue in the Company's Italian legal entity is from U.S. customers billed in U.S. Dollars. For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, approximately 72% and 65% of the revenue in the Company's Italian legal entity was transacted in U.S. dollars, respectively. 

NOTE 15 — SUBSEQUENT EVENT

On February 19, 2015,4, 2016, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Managed Services business of MegaPath Corporation, which provides private wide-area-networking, Internet access services,acquired Telnes Broadband, an internet and managed services and managed security to multinational clients.

Under the termsprovider for $18 million, composed of the agreement, the Company will pay $144.8approximately $15 million in cash and 610,843 shares of$3 million in the Company's common stockstock. Approximately $2 million of the cash consideration is held back for one year to cover undisclosed liabilities or other indemnification claims per the purchase agreement. The Company funded the cash consideration by drawing funds from its $50 million revolving line of credit facility.

NOTE 16 — QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

The following tables are unaudited consolidated quarterly results of operations for the acquisition.years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014. The Company expects to close onfinancial information presented should be read in conjunction with other information included in the acquisition on, or around, April 1,Company's consolidated financial statements.



 Quarters Ended
 March 31, 2015 June 30, 2015 September 30, 2015 December 31, 2015
Revenue:  (In thousands)  
Telecommunications services$62,353
 $95,076
 $96,996
 $114,825
        
Operating expenses:       
Cost of telecommunications services37,697
 51,461
 53,363
 61,937
        
Operating income (loss)2,289
 (5,464) 5,449
 1,427
        
Net income (loss) (1)
$1,067
 $(11,114) $1,762
 $27,589
   
   
     
Earnings (loss) per share:       
Basic$0.03
 $(0.32) $0.05
 $0.77
Diluted$0.03
 $(0.32) $0.05
 $0.75
        
Weighted average shares:       
Basic33,935,481
 34,835,154
 34,981,104
 36,060,212
Diluted34,659,757
 34,835,154
 35,888,525
 36,906,979
(1) Fourth quarter net income was driven by an income tax benefit of $34.1 million, which was primarily related to the release of the Company’s valuation allowance against U.S. deferred tax assets, based on management’s conclusion that it was more likely that not that the Company would be able to utilize its U.S. net operating loss carryforwards in the future. Refer to Note 9 for further details.

 Quarters Ended
 March 31, 2014 June 30, 2014 September 30, 2014 December 31, 2014
Revenue:  (In thousands)  
Telecommunications services$47,469
 $48,054
 $49,161
 $62,659
        
Operating expenses:       
Cost of telecommunications services29,888
 29,454
 29,891
 38,853
        
Operating income (loss)2,369
 2,432
 (951) (4,552)
        
Net (loss) income$(9,666) $976
 $(6,636) $(7,653)
   
   
     
(Loss) earnings per share:       
Basic$(0.41) $0.04
 $(0.23) $(0.25)
Diluted$(0.41) $0.04
 $(0.23) $(0.25)
        
Weighted average shares:       
Basic23,444,384
 25,635,607
 28,449,319
 30,370,087
Diluted23,444,384
 27,481,607
 28,449,319
 30,370,087






SCHEDULE II
GTT COMMUNICATIONS INC.
VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
Activity in the Company’s allowance accounts for the years ended December 31, 2015, after obtaining regulatory approvals.2014 and 2013 was as follows (in thousands):
  Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable
Year Balance at Beginning of Year Charged to Cost and Expenses Deductions Other Balance at End of Year
2013 $748
 $1,551
 $(1,572) $(25) $702
2014 $702
 $835
 $(767) $108
 $878
2015 $878
 $3,210
 $(3,180) $107
 $1,015

  Deferred Tax Asset Valuation
Year Balance at Beginning of Year Charged to Cost and Expenses Deductions Other Balance at End of Year
2013 $9,779
 $2,647
 $
 $7,379
 $19,805
2014 $19,805
 $3,112
 $
 $839
 $23,756
2015 $23,756
 $
 $(23,450) $(1) $305


F-29