DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTES
The Initial Notes were, and the Exchange Notes will be, issued pursuant to a supplemental indenture to the indenture, dated as of October 4, 2002, as amended to date, between us and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee. The term “indenture” when used in this prospectus will refer to the indenture as amended by all supplemental indentures executed and delivered on or prior to the date on which the Notes are issued and sold. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the indenture and those made part of the indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
On March 24, 2006, we issued $1,700,000,000 of our 6.125% Senior Bonds due 2036 (hereafter referred to as the series E bonds), on May 11, 2007, we issued $550,000,000 of our 5.95% Senior Bonds due 2037 (hereafter referred to as the series F bonds), on August 28, 2007, we issued $1,000,000,000 of our 6.50% Senior Bonds due 2037 (hereafter referred to as the series G bonds), on November 8, 2013, we issued $500,000,000 of our 3.75% Senior Notes due 2023 (hereafter referred to as the series L notes) and $750,000,000 of our 5.15% Senior Notes due 2043 (hereafter referred to as the series M notes), on December 4, 2014, we issued $400,000,000 of our 3.50% Senior Notes due 2025 (hereafter referred to as the series O notes) and $750,000,000 of our 4.50% Senior Notes due 2045 (hereafter referred to as the series P notes), on January 2, 2018, we issued $450,000,000 of our 2.375% Senior Notes due 2021 (hereafter referred to as the series Q notes), $400,000,000 of our 2.800% Senior Notes due 2023 (hereafter referred to as the series R notes), $600,000,000 of our 3.250% Senior Notes due 2028 (hereafter referred to as the series S notes) and $750,000,000 of our 3.800% Senior Notes due 2048 (hereafter referred to as the series T notes), on July 25, 2018, we issued $1,000,000,000 of our 4.450% Senior Notes due 2049 (hereafter referred to as the series U notes), on March 24, 2020 we issued $1,250,000,000 of our 2025 Initial Notes, on March 27, 2020, we issued $1,100,000,000 of our 2030 Initial Notes and $900,000,000 of our 2050 Initial Notes and on October 29, 2020, we issued $500,000,000 of our 2031 Initial Notes and $1,500,000,000 of our 2051 Initial Notes, in each case pursuant to the indenture. Unless otherwise indicated, references hereafter to the “securities” in this prospectus include any series E bonds that remain outstanding, the series F bonds, any series G bonds that remain outstanding, the series L notes, the series M notes, the series O notes, the series P notes, the series Q notes, the series R notes, the series S notes, the series T notes, the series U notes and the Notes (and any other series of notes or other securities hereafter issued and outstanding under a supplemental indenture or otherwise pursuant to the indenture). The following description is a summary of the material provisions of the indenture and the related Registration Rights Agreements. It does not restate those agreements in their entirety. We urge you to read the indenture and the Registration Rights Agreements because they, and not this description, define your rights as a holder of the Notes. The definitions of certain capitalized terms used in the following summary are set forth below under “—Definitions.”
General
The indenture does not limit the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities that may be issued thereunder and provides that debt securities may be issued from time to time in one or more series.
The 2025 Initial Notes were initially offered in the aggregate principal amount of $1,250,000,000, the 2030 Initial Notes were initially offered in the aggregate principal amount of $1,100,000,000, the 2031 Initial Notes were initially offered in the aggregate principal amount of $500,000,000, the 2050 Initial Notes were initially offered in the aggregate principal amount of $900,000,000 and the 2051 Initial Notes were initially offered in the aggregate principal amount of $1,500,000,000. We may, without the consent of the holders, increase such principal amount in the future on the same terms and conditions (except for the issue date and offering price and, if applicable, the initial interest payment date and the initial interest accrual date) and with the same CUSIP number(s) as a series of Notes being offered hereby; provided that any additional notes that are not fungible with such Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes shall have a separate CUSIP or other identifying number from such Notes.
The 2025 Initial Notes bear, and the 2025 Exchange Notes will bear, interest at the rate of 4.050% per annum and will mature on April 15, 2025. The 2030 Initial Notes bear, and the 2030 Exchange Notes will bear, interest at the rate of 3.700% per annum and will mature on July 15, 2030. The 2031 Initial Notes bear, and the 2031 Exchange Notes will bear, interest at the rate of 1.650% per annum and will mature on May 15, 2031. The 2050 Initial Notes bear, and the 2050 Exchange Notes will bear, interest at the rate of 4.250% per annum and will mature on October 15, 2050. The 2051 Initial Notes bear, and the 2051 Exchange Notes will bear, interest at the rate of 2.850% per annum and will mature on May 15, 2051. Interest was and will be payable on the 2025 Notes and the 2050 Notes semi-annually in arrears on each April 15 and October 15, having begun on October 15, 2020, to the holders thereof at the close of business on the preceding April 1 and October 1, respectively (whether or not a business day). Interest was and will be payable on the 2030 Notes semi-annually in arrears on each January 15 and July 15, having begun on January 15, 2021, to the holders thereof at the close of business on the preceding January 1 and July 1, respectively (whether or not a business day). Interest will be payable on the 2031 Notes and the 2051 Notes semi-annually in arrears on each May 15 and November 15, beginning on May 15, 2021, to the holders thereof at the close of business on the preceding May 1 and November 1, respectively (whether or not a business day). Interest on each series of the Notes will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
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