Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Revenue

v3.10.0.1
Revenue
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
Revenue
Revenue

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is measured based on consideration specified in a contract with a customer and excludes any sales incentives and amounts collected on behalf of third parties. The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control over a product or service to a customer. Substantially all of the Company's revenue is earned from services transferred over time. If at contract inception we determine the time period between when we transfer a promised good or service to a customer and when the customer pays us for that good or service is one year or less, we do not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component.

Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on, and concurrent with, a specific revenue-producing transaction that are collected by the Company from a customer, are excluded from revenue from contracts with customers.

Nature of Services and Products

Wireless

Wireless revenue is generated by providing access to, and usage of the Company's network, as well as the sale of equipment. In general, access revenue is billed in advance, recorded as Deferred Revenue on the balance sheet, and recognized as the associated services are provided to the customer. Equipment sales revenue associated with the sale of wireless devices and accessories is generally recognized when the products are delivered to and control transfers to the customer. Consideration received from the customer is allocated to the service and products based on stand-alone selling prices when purchased together.

New and existing wireless customers have the option to participate in Upgrade Now, a program that provides eligible customers with the ability to purchase certain wireless devices in installments over a period of up to 24 months. Participating customers have the right to trade-in the original equipment for a new device after making the equivalent of 12 monthly installment payments, provided their handset is in good working condition. Upon upgrade, the outstanding balance of the wireless equipment installment plan is exchanged for the used handset. The Company accounts for this upgrade option as a right of return with a reduction of Revenue and Operating expense for handsets expected to be upgraded based on historical data.

Data

Data revenue is generated by providing data network access, high-speed internet services, and product sales. Monthly service revenue for data network access and high-speed internet services is billed in advance, recorded as Deferred Revenue on the balance sheet, and recognized as the associated services are provided to the customer. Internet service excess usage revenue is recognized when the services are provided. The Company recognizes revenue for product sales when a customer takes possession of the equipment. The Company provides telecommunications engineering services on a time and materials basis. Revenue is recognized for these services as-invoiced.

Video

Video revenue is generated primarily from residential and business customers that subscribe to the Company's cable video plans. Video revenue is billed in advance, recorded as Deferred Revenue on the balance sheet, and recognized as the associated services are provided to the customer.

Voice

Voice revenue is for fixed monthly fees for voice plans as well as usage based fees for long-distance service usage. Voice plan fees are billed in advance, recorded as Deferred Revenue on the balance sheet, and recognized as the associated services are provided to the customer. Usage based fees are recognized as services are provided.

Arrangements with Multiple Performance Obligations

Contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations as customers purchase multiple services and products within those contracts. For such arrangements, revenue is allocated to each performance obligation based on the relative standalone selling price for each service or product within the contract. Standalone selling prices are generally determined based on the prices charged to customers.

Significant Judgments

Some contracts with customers include variable consideration, and may require significant judgment to determine the total transaction price, which impacts the amount and timing of revenue recognized. The Company uses historical customer data to estimate the amount of variable consideration included in the total transaction price and reassess its estimate at each reporting period. Any change in the total transaction price due to a change in the estimated variable consideration is allocated to the performance obligations on the same basis as at contract inception. Any portion of a change in transaction price that is allocated to a satisfied or partially satisfied performance obligation is recognized as revenue (or a reduction in revenue) in the period of the transaction price change. Variable consideration has been constrained to reduce the likelihood of a significant revenue reversal.

Often contracts with customers include promises to transfer multiple products and services to a customer. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together may require significant judgment.

Judgment is required to determine the standalone selling price for each distinct performance obligation. Services and products are generally sold separately, and help establish standalone selling price for services and products the Company provides.

Remaining Performance Obligations

The Company expects to recognize revenue in the future related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) as of September 30, 2018 of $56.0 million in the remainder of 2018, $221.2 million in 2019, $199.5 million in 2020, $124.2 million in 2021 and $107.5 million in 2022 and thereafter.

The Company applies certain practical expedients as permitted under ASC 606 and does not disclose information about remaining performance obligations that have original expected durations of one year or less, information about revenue remaining from usage based performance obligations that are recognized over time as-invoiced, or variable consideration allocated to wholly unsatisfied performance obligations.

Contract Balances

The Company had receivables of $243.4 million and deferred revenue of $27.3 million at September 30, 2018 from contracts with customers, which amounts exclude receivables and deferred revenue that are out of the scope of ASC 606. Our customers generally pay for services in advance of the performance obligation and therefore these prepayments are recorded as deferred revenue. The deferred revenue is recognized as revenue in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations as the services are provided. Changes in the contract liability balance for the Company during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 were not materially impacted by other factors.
    
Assets Recognized from the Costs to Obtain a Contract with a Customer

Management expects that incremental commission fees paid to intermediaries as a result of obtaining customer contracts are recoverable and therefore the Company capitalizes them as contract costs.

Capitalized commission fees are amortized based on the transfer of goods or services to which the assets relate which typically range from two to five years, and are included in Selling, general, and administrative expenses.

The Company recognizes the incremental costs of obtaining contracts as an expense when incurred if the amortization period of the assets that the Company otherwise would have recognized is one year or less. These costs are included in Selling, general, and administrative expenses.

Revenue from contracts with customers, classified by customer type and significant service offerings follows:
 
Three Months Ended
 
Nine Months Ended
 
September 30, 2018
 
amounts in thousands
GCI Holdings
 
 
 
Consumer Revenue
 
 
 
Wireless
$
25,584

 
62,312

Data
39,652

 
88,921

Video
22,272

 
50,180

Voice
4,368

 
10,246

Business Revenue
 
 
 
Wireless
18,071

 
44,889

Data
59,585

 
154,239

Video
4,927

 
9,436

Voice
6,361

 
14,282

Evite
5,100

 
15,221

Lease, grant, and revenue from subsidies
24,226

 
55,114

Total
$
210,146

 
504,840