12. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Regulatory and Litigation Matters

The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to certain regulatory and legal proceedings and other claims arising in the ordinary course of business, some of which involve claims for damages and taxes that are substantial in amount. Historically, the Company’s subsidiary, OneGY, has been subject to other long-standing litigation proceedings and disputes in Guyana that have not yet been resolved. It has been OneGY’s practice to make payments of undisputed spectrum and license fees as amounts are invoiced by the Telecommunications Authority (“TA”) and to accrue for a reasonable determination of any amounts that are disputed or not invoiced by the TA. The Company believes that, except for the items discussed below, for which the Company is currently unable to predict the final outcome, the disposition of matters currently pending, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Since 2006, the National Frequency Management Unit (now the TA, or the “NFMU”) and OneGY have been engaged in discussions regarding the amount of and methodology for calculation of spectrum fees payable by OneGY in Guyana. Since that time, OneGY has made payments of undisputed spectrum, license and other fees when invoiced by the NFMU, and to its successor, the TA. OneGY continues to dispute in good faith the methodology used for calculation and has requested further clarification on the subject of a revised spectrum fee methodology from the TA.

OneGY has filed several lawsuits in the High Court of Guyana (the “High Court”) asserting that, despite its denials, Digicel is engaged in international bypass in violation of OneGY’s exclusive license rights, the interconnection agreement between the parties, and the laws of Guyana. Digicel filed counterclaims alleging that OneGY has violated the terms of the interconnection agreement and Guyana laws. These suits, filed in 2010 and 2012, are currently pending in the Court of Appeals in Guyana; however, as of the date of this Report, the Company cannot accurately predict when the consolidated suit will reach a court of final determination.

OneGY is also involved in several legal claims regarding its tax filings with the Guyana Revenue Authority (the “GRA”) dating back to 1991 regarding the deductibility of intercompany advisory fees as well as other tax assessments. OneGY has maintained that it has no unpaid corporation tax due to the GRA and that any liability OneGY might be found to have with respect to the disputed tax assessments would be offset in part by the amounts claimed with respect to rights ATN has pursuant to its agreement with the government of Guyana. OneGY’s position has been upheld by various High Court rulings made in its favor, and while all matters have been appealed by the GRA, as of the date of this Report, only one remained pending for determination by the High Court.

In February 2020, the Company’s Alaska Communications subsidiary received a draft audit report from the Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) in connection with USAC’s inquiry into Alaska Communications’ funding requests under the Rural Health Care Support Program (“RHC Program”) for certain customers for the time period of July 2012 through June 2017. Alaska Communications also received a Letter of Inquiry on March 18, 2018, and subsequent follow up information requests, from the FCC Enforcement Bureau requesting historical information regarding Alaska Communications’ participation in the FCC’s RHC Program. On May 8, 2024, the Company entered into a Consent Decree with the FCC Enforcement Bureau, regarding both the USAC and FCC Enforcement Bureau’s investigation and agreed to (i) pay a settlement amount of approximately $6.3 million, and (ii) enter into a three-year compliance agreement in connection with Alaska Communication’s continued participation in the RHC Program. As of the date of this Report, the Company believes that it can comply with all of the terms of the compliance agreement. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had paid a settlement amount of $6.3 million consisting of a $5.3 million cash payment and the $1.0 million forgiveness of certain receivables. This settlement will not impact the statement of operations in future periods.

The Regulatory Authority of Bermuda (the “RA”) is the primary regulator of the Company’s operations in Bermuda.  On August 28, 2025, the RA completed a market review and determined that the Company has significant

market power in certain broadband and mobile services.  In connection therewith, the RA assessed, and the Company has initiated an appeal of, a series of ex-ante remedies that include wholesale obligations, price caps, and reporting obligations in addition to the ex post competition rules that generally apply.  In October 2025, the Company was able to obtain a stay of implementation of these ex-ante remedies pending the Bermuda Supreme Court’s review of its appeal of the RA’s market review determination. The ex-ante remedies are burdensome and, if implemented, will require financial, operational, legal and regulatory resources to be allocated to ensure compliance.

With respect to all of the foregoing unresolved matters, the Company believes that some adverse outcome is probable and has accordingly accrued $16.1 million as of December 31, 2025 for these and other potential liabilities arising in various claims, legal actions and regulatory proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company also faces contingencies that are reasonably possible to occur that cannot currently be estimated. It is the Company’s policy to expense costs associated with loss contingencies, including any related legal fees, as they are incurred.

Other Obligations

The Company has obligations under non-cancellable contracts for network facilities and transport services, agreements for software licensing, as well as certain agreements to purchase goods or services. Future minimum payments required under these commitments are as follows at December 31, 2025 (in thousands):

2026

 

$

123,609

2027

 

23,892

2028

 

13,936

2029

 

7,807

2030

4,329

Thereafter

 

17,731

Total obligations

$

191,304

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 16, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 17, 2025
2023Mar 15, 2024
2022Mar 15, 2023
2021Mar 16, 2022

About Commitments Disclosures

Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.

Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.