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These excerpts taken from the VZ 10-K filed Feb 26, 2010. Wireless Services Voice services. We offer a variety of postpaid plans for voice services and features with competitive pricing. Approximately 90% of our customers received our voice services on a retail postpaid basis, as of December 31, 2009. Specifically, we offer: Nationwide Calling Plans for individual customers, which provide a choice, at varying price points, of differently sized bundles of minutes of use or unlimited minutes; Nationwide Family SharePlans and Nationwide Small Business SharePlans designed for multiple-line accounts; and Nationwide Business Plans targeted to business accounts with over 100 lines and national accounts with over 1,000 lines. All of these nationwide postpaid plans include, among other things, Mobile to Mobile Calling, which enables the customer to place calls to, or receive calls from, any other Verizon Wireless customer mobile number without the call time counting against their minute allotment, night and weekend minute allowances, no domestic long distance charges and no domestic roaming charges for calls placed within the customers coverage area. In addition, these plans also include access to the Internet through our Mobile Web service for an additional charge per megabyte sent or received, depending upon the customers data package. Several of our voice plan offerings include data service features, such as unlimited text, picture, video and instant messaging to any mobile number on any network in the U.S. In addition, in 2009, we launched Friends & Family, which is available to our consumer and business customers on many of our Nationwide Calling Plans. Friends & Family allows customers, depending upon their calling plan, to place calls to, and receive calls from, 5 to 10 U.S. phone numbers they designate that are not part of the Verizon Wireless network (including domestic landline numbers) without the call time counting against their minute allotment. In addition, beginning in March 2010, our customers using select 3G smartphones will be able to download Skype mobile, an application exclusive to Verizon Wireless. Skype mobile will enable these customers to make and receive unlimited Skype voice calls and send and receive instant messages, while within the U.S., to and from other Skype users anywhere in the world without these calls or messages counting against the customers minute allotment or incurring data charges. Skype mobile will also enable these customers to make international calls to non-Skype users at competitive Skype calling rates. We also offer Push to Talk, a walkie-talkie style voice service that is available on specialized phones as an add-on feature for an additional monthly charge. Prepaid offerings. We also offer our Verizon Wireless Prepaid service that enables individuals to obtain wireless voice services without a long-term contract or credit verification by paying in advance. All of our Verizon Wireless Prepaid plans include Mobile to Mobile Calling. In addition, our Verizon Wireless Prepaid customers can also access certain of our key data services and offerings, such as our Mobile Web services, Ringtones and Ringback Tones, V CAST and VZ Navigator, for additional fees. Data services. We believe that we are in a strong position to take advantage of the growing demand for wireless data services. Our strategy is to continue to expand our wireless data offerings for both consumer and business customers. We offer an array of data services and applications, such as:
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We have also undertaken initiatives that we believe will increase the number and accessibility of data applications available to our customers. These initiatives include our open development program described above, as well as the following:
Wireless Services The FCC regulates the licensing, construction, operation, acquisition and transfer of wireless communications systems, including the systems that Verizon Wireless operates, pursuant to the Communications Act, other legislation, and the FCCs rules. The FCC and Congress continuously consider changes to these laws and rules. Adoption of new laws or rules may raise the cost of providing service or require modification of Verizon Wirelesss business plans or operations. To use the radio frequency spectrum, wireless communications systems must be licensed by the FCC to operate the wireless network and mobile devices in assigned spectrum segments. Verizon Wireless holds FCC licenses to operate in several different radio services, including the cellular radiotelephone service, personal communications service, wireless communications service, and point-to-point radio service. The technical and service rules, the specific radio frequencies and amounts of spectrum Verizon Wireless holds, and the sizes of the geographic areas it is authorized to operate in, vary for each of these services. However, all of the licenses Verizon Wireless holds allow it to use spectrum to provide a wide range of mobile and fixed communications services, including both voice and data services, and Verizon Wireless operates a seamless network that utilizes those licenses to provide services to customers. Because the FCC issues licenses for only a fixed time, generally 10 years, Verizon Wireless must periodically seek renewal of those licenses. Although the FCC has routinely renewed all of Verizon Wirelesss licenses that have come up for renewal to date, challenges could be brought against the licenses in the future. If a wireless license were revoked or not renewed upon expiration, Verizon Wireless would not be permitted to provide services on the licensed spectrum in the area covered by that license. The FCC has also imposed specific mandates on carriers that operate wireless communications systems, which increase Verizon Wirelesss costs. These mandates include requirements that Verizon Wireless: (i) meet specific construction and geographic coverage requirements during the license term; (ii) meet technical operating standards that, among other things, limit the radio frequency radiation from mobile devices and antennas; (iii) deploy Enhanced 911 wireless services that provide the wireless callers number, location and other information to a state or local public safety agency that handles 911 calls; (iv) provide roaming services to other wireless service providers; and (v) comply with regulations for the construction of transmitters and towers that, among other things, restrict siting of towers in environmentally sensitive locations and in places where the towers would affect a site listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Changes to these mandates could require Verizon Wireless to make changes to operations or increase its costs of compliance. In its November 4, 2008 order approving Verizon Wirelesss acquisition of Alltel, the FCC adopted conditions that impose additional requirements on Verizon Wireless in its provision of Enhanced 911 services and roaming services.
The Communications Act imposes restrictions on foreign ownership of U.S. wireless systems. The FCC has approved the interest that Vodafone Group Plc holds, through various of its subsidiaries, in Verizon Wireless. The FCC may need to approve any increase in Vodafones interest or the acquisition of an ownership interest by other foreign entities. In addition, as part of the FCCs approval of Vodafones ownership interest, Verizon Wireless, Verizon and Vodafone entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation which imposes national security and law enforcement-related obligations on the ways in which Verizon Wireless stores information and otherwise conducts its business. Verizon Wireless anticipates that it will need additional spectrum to meet future demand. It can meet spectrum needs by purchasing licenses or leasing spectrum from other licensees, or by acquiring new spectrum licenses from the FCC. Under the Communications Act, before Verizon Wireless can acquire a license from another licensee in order to expand its coverage or its spectrum capacity in a particular area, it must file an application with the FCC, and the FCC can grant the application only after a period for public notice and comment. This review process can delay acquisition of spectrum needed to expand services. The Communications Act also requires the FCC to award new licenses for most commercial wireless services through a competitive bidding process in which spectrum is awarded to bidders in an auction. Verizon Wireless has participated in spectrum auctions to acquire licenses for radio spectrum in various bands. Most recently, Verizon Wireless participated in the FCCs auction of spectrum in the 700 MHz band, and was the high bidder on 109 700 MHz licenses. The FCC granted all of those licenses to Verizon Wireless on November 26, 2008. The 700 MHz spectrum was used for UHF television operations, but by law those operations ceased on June 12, 2009. The FCC also adopted service rules that will impose costs on licensees that acquire the 700 MHz band spectrum, including minimum coverage mandates by specific dates during the license terms, and, for approximately one-third of the spectrum, open access requirements, which generally require licensees of that spectrum to allow customers to use devices and applications of their choice, subject to certain limits. Seven of the licenses that Verizon Wireless acquired in the 700 MHz auction, which in the aggregate cover the U.S. except for Alaska, are subject to these requirements. The FCC is also conducting several proceedings to explore making additional spectrum available for licensed and/or unlicensed use. These proceedings could increase radio interference to Verizon Wirelesss operations from other spectrum users and could impact the ways in which it uses spectrum, the capacity of that spectrum to carry traffic, and the value of that spectrum. Wireless Services The rapid growth of the wireless industry has led to efforts by some state legislatures and state public utility commissions to regulate the industry in ways that may impose additional costs on Verizon Wireless. The Communications Act generally preempts regulation by state and local governments of the entry of, or the rates charged by, wireless carriers, but does not prohibit states from regulating the other terms and conditions of wireless service. While numerous state commissions do not currently have jurisdiction over wireless services, state legislatures may decide to grant them such jurisdiction, and those commissions that already have authority to impose regulations on wireless carriers may adopt new rules. State efforts to regulate wireless services have included proposals to regulate customer billing, termination of service, trial periods for service, advertising, network outages, the use of handsets while driving, and reporting requirements for system outages and the availability of broadband wireless services. Wireless tower and antenna facilities are also subject to state and local zoning and land use regulation, and securing approvals for new or modified tower or antenna sites is often a lengthy and expensive process. Verizon Wireless (as well as AT&T and Sprint-Nextel) is a party to an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) with 33 State Attorneys General. The AVC, which generally reflected Verizon Wirelesss practices at the time it was entered into in July 2004, obligates the company to disclose certain rates and terms during a sales transaction, to provide maps depicting coverage, and to comply with various requirements regarding advertising, billing, and other practices.
In this Annual Report to Shareowners we have made forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our estimates and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include the information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations. Forward-looking statements also include those preceded or followed by the words anticipates, believes, estimates, hopes or similar expressions. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following important factors, along with those discussed elsewhere in this annual report, could affect future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements:
We, the management of Verizon Communications Inc., are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting of the company. Management has evaluated internal control over financial reporting of the company using the criteria for effective internal control established in Internal ControlIntegrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Management has assessed the effectiveness of the companys internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2009. Based on this assessment, we believe that the internal control over financial reporting of the company is effective as of December 31, 2009. In connection with this assessment, there were no material weaknesses in the companys internal control over financial reporting identified by management. The companys financial statements included in this annual report have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm. Ernst & Young LLP has also provided an attestation report on the companys internal control over financial reporting.
This excerpt taken from the VZ 8-K filed Nov 2, 2009. Wireless Services The FCC regulates the licensing, construction, operation, acquisition and transfer of wireless communications systems, including the systems that Verizon Wireless operates, pursuant to the Communications Act, other legislation, and the FCCs rules. The FCC and Congress continuously consider changes to these laws and rules. Adoption of new laws or rules may raise the cost of providing service or require modification of Verizon Wirelesss business plans or operations. To use the radio frequency spectrum, wireless communications systems must be licensed by the FCC to operate the wireless network and mobile devices in assigned spectrum segments. Verizon Wireless holds FCC licenses to operate in several different radio services, including the cellular radiotelephone service, personal communications service, wireless communications service, and point-to-point radio service. The technical and service rules, the specific radio frequencies and amounts of spectrum we hold, and the sizes of the geographic areas we are authorized to operate in, vary for each of these services. However, all of the licenses Verizon Wireless holds allow it to use spectrum to provide a wide range of mobile and fixed communications services, including both voice and data services, and Verizon Wireless operates a seamless network that utilizes those licenses to provide services to customers. Because the FCC issues licenses for only a fixed time, generally 10 years, Verizon Wireless must periodically seek renewal of those licenses. Although the FCC has routinely renewed all of Verizon Wirelesss licenses that have come up for renewal to date, challenges could be brought against the licenses in the future. If a wireless license were revoked or not renewed upon expiration, Verizon Wireless would not be permitted to provide services on the licensed spectrum in the area covered by that license. The FCC has also imposed specific mandates on carriers that operate wireless communications systems, which increase Verizon Wirelesss costs. These mandates include requirements that Verizon Wireless: (i) meet specific construction and geographic coverage requirements during the license term; (ii) meet technical operating standards that, among other things, limit the radio frequency radiation from mobile devices and antennas; (iii) deploy Enhanced 911 wireless services that provide the wireless callers number, location and other information to a state or local public safety agency that handles 911 calls; (iv) provide roaming services to other wireless service providers; and (v) comply with regulations for the construction of transmitters and towers that, among other things, restrict siting of towers in environmentally sensitive locations and in places where the towers would affect a site listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Changes to these mandates could require Verizon Wireless to make changes to operations or increase its costs of compliance. In its November 4, 2008 order approving Verizon Wirelesss acquisition of Alltel, the FCC adopted conditions that impose additional requirements on Verizon Wireless in its provision of Enhanced 911 services and roaming services. The Communications Act imposes restrictions on foreign ownership of U.S. wireless systems. The FCC has approved the interest that Vodafone Group Plc holds, through various of its subsidiaries, in Verizon Wireless. The FCC may need to approve any increase in Vodafones interest or the acquisition of an ownership interest by other foreign entities. In addition, as part of the FCCs approval of Vodafones ownership interest, Verizon Wireless, Verizon and Vodafone entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation which imposes national security and law enforcement-related obligations on the ways in which Verizon Wireless stores information and otherwise conducts its business. Verizon Wireless anticipates that it will need additional spectrum to meet future demand. It can meet spectrum needs by purchasing licenses or leasing spectrum from other licensees, or by acquiring new spectrum licenses from the FCC. Under the Communications Act, before Verizon Wireless can acquire a license from another licensee in order to expand its coverage or its spectrum capacity in a particular area, it must file an application with the FCC, and the FCC can grant the application only after a period for public notice and comment. This review process can delay acquisition of spectrum needed to expand services. The Communications Act also requires the FCC to award new licenses for most commercial wireless services through a competitive bidding process in which spectrum is awarded to bidders in an auction. Verizon Wireless has participated in spectrum auctions to acquire licenses for radio spectrum in various bands. Most recently, it participated in the FCCs auction of spectrum in the 700 MHz band. This spectrum is currently used for UHF television operations. By law those operations were to have ceased no later than February 17, 2009. However, a new law has been enacted that extends this date until June 12, 2009. We do not believe that this extension will have a material adverse effect on our testing of LTE technology or our planned deployment of a 4G wireless broadband network using LTE. On November 26, 2008, the FCC granted Verizon Wireless 109 licenses in this band for which it was the winning bidder. The FCC also adopted service rules that will impose costs on licensees that acquire the 700 MHz band spectrum, including minimum coverage mandates by specific dates during the license terms, and, for approximately one-third of the spectrum, open access requirements, which generally require licensees of that spectrum to allow customers to use devices and applications of their choice, subject to certain limits. Seven of the licenses that Verizon Wireless acquired in the 700 MHz auction, which in the aggregate cover the United States except for Alaska, are subject to these requirements. The open access requirements are the subject of a pending appeal in which Verizon Wireless has intervened. The timing of future auctions may not match Verizon Wirelesss needs, and the company may not be able to secure the spectrum in the amounts and/or in the markets it seeks through any future auction.
27
The FCC is also conducting several proceedings to explore making additional spectrum available for licensed and/or unlicensed use. These proceedings could increase radio interference to Verizon Wirelesss operations from other spectrum users and could impact the ways in which it uses spectrum, the capacity of that spectrum to carry traffic, and the value of that spectrum. These excerpts taken from the VZ 10-K filed Feb 24, 2009. Wireless Services Voice services. We offer a variety of postpaid plans for voice services and features with competitive pricing. Specifically, we offer: Nationwide Calling Plans for individual customers, which provide a choice, at varying prices and amounts of minutes of use, including unlimited usage; Nationwide Family SharePlan and other shared-minute plans designed for multiple-user households and small businesses; and Nationwide Business Plans targeted to business accounts with over 100 lines and national accounts with over 1,000 lines. All of the nationwide postpaid plans we currently offer include, among other things, Mobile to Mobile Calling, which enables a customer to place calls to, or receive calls from, any other Verizon Wireless mobile number without the call time counting against their minute allotment, night and weekend minute allowances, no domestic long distance charges and no domestic roaming charges for calls placed within the customers coverage area. In addition, these plans also include access to the Internet through our Mobile Web service for an additional monthly charge per megabytes sent and received. Several of our voice plan offerings include data service features, such as unlimited text, picture, video and instant messaging to any mobile number on any network in the U.S., and our VZ Navigator and V CAST services free of any separate subscription fees. In addition, on February 15, 2009, we began offering our Friends & Family feature, which is available to customers on many of our single-line Nationwide Calling Plans and our multi-line Nationwide Family SharePlans. The feature allows these customers, depending upon their calling plans, to place calls to, and receive calls from, 5 to 10 phone numbers they designate (including domestic landline numbers) without the call time counting against their minute allotment. We also offer our Verizon Wireless Prepaid service that enables customers to obtain wireless voice services without a long-term contract or credit verification by paying in advance. All of our prepaid plans include Mobile to Mobile Calling. In addition, our prepaid customers can also access certain of our key data services, such as V CAST and VZ Navigator, for additional fees. Data services. We believe that we are in a strong position to take advantage of the growing demand for wireless data services. Our strategy is to continue to expand our wireless data offerings for both consumer and business customers. We offer an array of data services and applications, such as:
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Wireless Services FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">Voice services. We offer a variety of postpaid plans for voice services and features with competitive pricing. Specifically, we offer: Nationwide Calling Plans for individual customers, which provide a choice, All of the nationwide postpaid plans we currently offer We also offer our Verizon Wireless Prepaid service that enables Data services. We believe that we are in a strong FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">We offer an array of data services and applications, such as:
5 Table of Contents
Wireless Services The FCC regulates the licensing, construction, operation, acquisition and transfer of wireless communications systems, including the systems that Verizon Wireless operates, pursuant to the Communications Act, other legislation, and the FCCs rules. The FCC and Congress continuously consider changes to these laws and rules. Adoption of new laws or rules may raise the cost of providing service or require modification of Verizon Wirelesss business plans or operations. To use the radio frequency spectrum, wireless communications systems must be licensed by the FCC to operate the wireless network and mobile devices in assigned spectrum segments. Verizon Wireless holds FCC licenses to operate in several different radio services, including the cellular radiotelephone service, personal communications service, wireless communications service, and point-to-point radio service. The technical and service rules, the specific radio frequencies and amounts of spectrum we hold, and the sizes of the geographic areas we are authorized to operate in, vary for each of these services. However, all of the licenses Verizon Wireless holds allow it to use spectrum to provide a wide range of mobile and fixed communications services, including both voice and data services, and Verizon Wireless operates a seamless network that utilizes those licenses to provide services to customers. Because the FCC issues licenses for only a fixed time, generally 10 years, Verizon Wireless must periodically seek renewal of those licenses. Although the FCC has routinely renewed all of Verizon Wirelesss licenses that have come up for renewal to date, challenges could be brought against the licenses in the future. If a wireless license were revoked or not renewed upon expiration, Verizon Wireless would not be permitted to provide services on the licensed spectrum in the area covered by that license. The FCC has also imposed specific mandates on carriers that operate wireless communications systems, which increase Verizon Wirelesss costs. These mandates include requirements that Verizon Wireless: (i) meet specific construction and geographic coverage requirements during the license term; (ii) meet technical operating standards that, among other things, limit the radio frequency radiation from mobile devices and antennas; (iii) deploy Enhanced 911 wireless services that provide the wireless callers number, location and other information to a state or local public safety agency that handles 911 calls; (iv) provide roaming services to other wireless service providers; and (v) comply with regulations for the construction of transmitters and towers that, among other things, restrict siting of towers in environmentally sensitive locations and in places where the towers would affect a site listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Changes to these mandates could require Verizon Wireless to make changes to operations or increase its costs of compliance. In its November 4, 2008 order approving Verizon Wirelesss acquisition of Alltel, the FCC adopted conditions that impose additional requirements on Verizon Wireless in its provision of Enhanced 911 services and roaming services. The Communications Act imposes restrictions on foreign ownership of U.S. wireless systems. The FCC has approved the interest that Vodafone Group Plc holds, through various of its subsidiaries, in Verizon Wireless. The FCC may need to approve any increase in Vodafones interest or the acquisition of an ownership interest by other foreign entities. In addition, as part of the FCCs approval of Vodafones ownership interest, Verizon Wireless, Verizon and Vodafone entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation which imposes national security and law enforcement-related obligations on the ways in which Verizon Wireless stores information and otherwise conducts its business. Verizon Wireless anticipates that it will need additional spectrum to meet future demand. It can meet spectrum needs by purchasing licenses or leasing spectrum from other licensees, or by acquiring new spectrum licenses from the FCC. Under the Communications Act, before Verizon Wireless can acquire a license from another licensee in order to expand its coverage or its spectrum capacity in a particular area, it must file an application with the FCC, and the FCC can grant the application only after a period for public notice and comment. This review process can delay acquisition of spectrum needed to expand services. The Communications Act also requires the FCC to award new licenses for most commercial wireless services through a competitive bidding process in which spectrum is awarded to bidders in an auction. Verizon Wireless has participated in spectrum auctions to acquire licenses for radio spectrum in various bands. Most recently, it participated in the FCCs auction of spectrum in the 700 MHz band. This spectrum is currently used for UHF television operations. By law those operations were to have ceased no later than February 17, 2009. However, a new law has been enacted that extends this date until June 12, 2009. We do not believe that this extension will have a material adverse effect on our testing of LTE technology or our planned deployment of a 4G wireless broadband network using LTE. On November 26, 2008, the FCC granted Verizon Wireless 109 licenses in this band for which it was the winning bidder. The FCC also adopted service rules that will impose costs on licensees that acquire the 700 MHz band spectrum, including minimum coverage mandates by specific dates during the license terms, and, for approximately one-third of the spectrum, open access requirements, which generally require
licensees of that spectrum to allow customers to use devices and applications of their choice, subject to certain limits. Seven of the licenses that Verizon Wireless acquired in the 700 MHz auction, which in the aggregate cover the United States except for Alaska, are subject to these requirements. The open access requirements are the subject of a pending appeal in which Verizon Wireless has intervened. The timing of future auctions may not match Verizon Wirelesss needs, and the company may not be able to secure the spectrum in the amounts and/or in the markets it seeks through any future auction. The FCC is also conducting several proceedings to explore making additional spectrum available for licensed and/or unlicensed use. These proceedings could increase radio interference to Verizon Wirelesss operations from other spectrum users and could impact the ways in which it uses spectrum, the capacity of that spectrum to carry traffic, and the value of that spectrum. This excerpt taken from the VZ 10-Q filed Oct 28, 2008. Wireless Services The rapid growth of the wireless industry has led to an increase in efforts by some state legislatures and state public utility commissions to regulate the industry in ways that may impose additional costs on Verizon Wireless. The Communications Act generally preempts regulation by state and local governments of the entry of, or the rates charged by, wireless carriers. Although a state may petition the FCC to allow it to impose rate regulation, no state has done so. In addition, the Communications Act does not prohibit the states from regulating the other terms and conditions of wireless service. While numerous state commissions do not currently have jurisdiction over wireless services, state legislatures may decide to grant them such jurisdiction, and those commissions that already have authority to impose regulations on wireless carriers may adopt new rules. State efforts to regulate wireless services have included proposals to regulate customer billing, termination of service, trial periods for service, advertising, network outages, the use of handsets while driving, and the provision of emergency or alert services. Over the past several years, only a few states have imposed regulation in one or more of these areas, and in 2006 a federal appellate court struck down one such state statute, but Verizon Wireless expects these efforts to continue. Some states also impose their own universal service support regimes on wireless and other telecommunications carriers, and other states are considering whether to create such regimes. Verizon Wireless (as well as AT&T (formerly Cingular) and Sprint-Nextel) is a party to an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) with 33 State Attorneys General. The AVC, which generally reflected Verizon Wirelesss practices at the time it was entered into in July 2004, obligates the company to disclose certain rates and terms during a sales transaction, to provide maps depicting coverage, and to comply with various requirements regarding advertising, billing, and other practices. At the state and local level, wireless facilities are subject to zoning and land use regulation. Under the Communications Act, neither state nor local governments may categorically prohibit the construction of wireless facilities in any community or take actions, such as indefinite moratoria, which have the effect of prohibiting service. Nonetheless, securing state and local government approvals for new tower sites has been and is likely to continue to be a difficult, lengthy and expensive process. Finally, state and local governments continue to impose new or higher fees and taxes on wireless carriers.
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In April 2008, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 142-3, Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets (FSP 142-3). FSP 142-3 removes the requirement under SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to consider whether an intangible asset can be renewed without substantial cost or material modifications to the existing terms and conditions, and replaces it with a requirement that an entity consider its own historical experience in renewing similar arrangements, or a consideration of market participant assumptions in the absence of historical experience. FSP 142-3 also requires entities to disclose information that enables users of financial statements to assess the extent to which the expected future cash flows associated with the asset are affected by the entitys intent and/or ability to renew or extend the arrangement. We are required to adopt FSP 142-3 effective January 1, 2009 on a prospective basis. We are evaluating the impact FSP 142-3 will have on our financial statements. In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133, (SFAS No. 161). This statement requires additional disclosures for derivative instruments and hedging activities that include how and why an entity uses derivatives, how these instruments and the related hedged items are accounted for under SFAS No. 133 and related interpretations, and how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect the entitys financial position, results of operations and cash flows. SFAS No. 161 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008. In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141(R), Business Combinations (Revised), (SFAS No. 141(R)), to replace SFAS No. 141, Business Combinations. SFAS No. 141(R) requires the use of the acquisition method of accounting, defines the acquirer, establishes the acquisition date and broadens the scope to all transactions and other events in which one entity obtains control over one or more other businesses. This statement is effective for business combinations or transactions entered into for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2008. We are still evaluating the impact of SFAS No. 141(R) however, the adoption of this statement is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements an amendment of ARB No. 51, (SFAS No. 160). SFAS No. 160 establishes accounting and reporting standards for the noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the retained interest and gain or loss when a subsidiary is deconsolidated. This statement is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Upon the initial adoption of this statement, we will change the classification and presentation of Noncontrolling Interest in our financial statements, which we currently refer to as Minority Interest. We are still evaluating the impact SFAS No. 160 will have, but we do not expect a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
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In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q we have made forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our estimates and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include the information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations. Forward-looking statements also include those preceded or followed by the words anticipates, believes, estimates, hopes or similar expressions. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following important factors, along with those discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, could affect future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements:
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Table of ContentsThis excerpt taken from the VZ 10-Q filed Jul 29, 2008. Wireless Services The rapid growth of the wireless industry has led to an increase in efforts by some state legislatures and state public utility commissions to regulate the industry in ways that may impose additional costs on Verizon Wireless. The Communications Act generally preempts regulation by state and local governments of the entry of, or the rates charged by, wireless carriers. Although a state may petition the FCC to allow it to impose rate regulation, no state has done so. In addition, the Communications Act does not prohibit the states from regulating the other terms and conditions of wireless service. While numerous state commissions do not currently have jurisdiction over wireless services, state legislatures may decide to grant them such jurisdiction, and those commissions that already have authority to impose regulations on wireless carriers may adopt new rules. State efforts to regulate wireless services have included proposals to regulate customer billing, termination of service, trial periods for service, advertising, network outages, the use of handsets while driving, and the provision of emergency or alert services. Over the past several years, only a few states have imposed regulation in one or more of these areas, and in 2006 a federal appellate court struck down one such state statute, but Verizon Wireless expects these efforts to continue. Some states also impose their own universal service support regimes on wireless and other telecommunications carriers, and other states are considering whether to create such regimes. Verizon Wireless (as well as AT&T (formerly Cingular) and Sprint-Nextel) is a party to an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) with 33 State Attorneys General. The AVC, which generally reflected Verizon Wirelesss practices at the time it was entered into in July 2004, obligates the company to disclose certain rates and terms during a sales transaction, to provide maps depicting coverage, and to comply with various requirements regarding advertising, billing, and other practices. At the state and local level, wireless facilities are subject to zoning and land use regulation. Under the Communications Act, neither state nor local governments may categorically prohibit the construction of wireless facilities in any community or take actions, such as indefinite moratoria, which have the effect of prohibiting service. Nonetheless, securing state and local government approvals for new tower sites has been and is likely to continue to be a difficult, lengthy and expensive process. Finally, state and local governments continue to impose new or higher fees and taxes on wireless carriers.
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In April 2008, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 142-3, Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets (FSP 142-3). FSP 142-3 removes the requirement under SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets to consider whether an intangible asset can be renewed without substantial cost or material modifications to the existing terms and conditions, and replaces it with a requirement that an entity consider its own historical experience in renewing similar arrangements, or a consideration of market participant assumptions in the absence of historical experience. FSP 142-3 also requires entities to disclose information that enables users of financial statements to assess the extent to which the expected future cash flows associated with the asset are affected by the entitys intent and/or ability to renew or extend the arrangement. We are required to adopt FSP 142-3 effective January 1, 2009 on a prospective basis. We are evaluating the impact FSP 142-3 will have on our financial statements. In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133, (SFAS No. 161). This statement requires additional disclosures for derivative instruments and hedging activities that include how and why an entity uses derivatives, how these instruments and the related hedged items are accounted for under SFAS No. 133 and related interpretations, and how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect the entitys financial position, results of operations and cash flows. SFAS No. 161 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008. In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141(R), Business Combinations (Revised), (SFAS No. 141(R)), to replace SFAS No. 141, Business Combinations. SFAS No. 141(R) requires the use of the acquisition method of accounting, defines the acquirer, establishes the acquisition date and broadens the scope to all transactions and other events in which one entity obtains control over one or more other businesses. This statement is effective for business combinations or transactions entered into for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2008. We are still evaluating the impact of SFAS No. 141(R), however, the adoption of this statement is not expected to have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements an amendment of ARB No. 51, (SFAS No. 160). SFAS No. 160 establishes accounting and reporting standards for the noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the retained interest and gain or loss when a subsidiary is deconsolidated. This statement is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Upon the initial adoption of this statement we will change the classification and presentation of Noncontrolling Interest in our financial statements, which we currently refer to as Minority Interest. We are still evaluating the impact SFAS No. 160 will have, but we do not expect a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
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In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q we have made forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our estimates and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include the information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations. Forward-looking statements also include those preceded or followed by the words anticipates, believes, estimates, hopes or similar expressions. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following important factors, along with those discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, could affect future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements:
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