TWER Towerstream Corporation (CE)

Item 1A - Risk Factors.

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Prospective investors should carefully consider the risks described below and other information contained in this annual report, including our financial statements and related notes before purchasing shares of our common stock. There are numerous and varied risks, known and unknown, that may prevent us from achieving our goals. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations may be materially adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and investors in our common stock could lose all or part of their investment.

Risks Relating to Our Financial Condition

If we choose to raise additional capital, we may not be able to obtain additional financing to fund our operations on terms acceptable to us or at all.

If we choose to raise additional funds in the future, there can be no assurance that sufficient debt or equity financing will be available at all or, if available, that such financing will be on terms and conditions acceptable to us. Should we fail to obtain additional debt financing or raise additional capital, we may not be able to achieve our longer term business objectives and may face other serious adverse consequences. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities or convertible debt, investors may experience significant dilution of their ownership interest, and the newly-issued securities may have rights senior to those of the holders of our common stock. If we raise additional funds by obtaining loans from third parties, the terms of those financing arrangements may include negative covenants or other restrictions on our business that could impair our operational flexibility and may require us to provide collateral to secure the loan. In addition, in a liquidation, debtholders will be entitled to repayment before any proceeds can be paid to our stockholders.

We have a history of operating losses and expect to continue incurring losses for the foreseeable future.

Our net losses for the years ending December 31, 2018 and 2017 were $10,210,453 and $12,469,682, respectively. We cannot anticipate when, if ever, our operations will become profitable. We expect to incur significant net losses as we develop our network, expand our markets, undertake acquisitions, acquire spectrum licenses and pursue our business strategy. We intend to invest significantly in our business before we expect cash flow from operations to be adequate to cover our operating expenses. If we are unable to execute our business strategy and grow our business, either as a result of the risks identified in this section or for any other reason, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

Cash and cash equivalents represent one of our largest assets and we may be at risk of being uninsured for a large portion of such assets.

As of December 31, 2018, we had approximately $4.2 million in cash and cash equivalents with one large financial banking institution. At times, our cash and cash equivalents may be uninsured or in deposit accounts that exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limits. If the institution at which we have placed our funds were to become insolvent or fail, we could be at risk for losing a substantial portion of our cash deposits or incur significant time delays in obtaining access to such funds. In light of the limited amount of federal insurance for deposits, even if we were to spread our cash assets among several institutions, we would remain at risk for the amount not covered by insurance.  

Our growth may be slowed if we do not have sufficient capital.

The continued growth and operation of our business will require additional funding for working capital, debt service, the enhancement and upgrade of our network, the build-out of infrastructure to expand our coverage, possible acquisitions and possible bids to acquire spectrum licenses. We may be unable to secure such funding when needed in adequate amounts or on acceptable terms, if at all. To execute our business strategy, we may issue additional equity securities in public or private offerings, potentially at a price lower than the market price at the time of such issuance. Similarly, we may seek debt financing and may be forced to incur significant interest expense. If we cannot secure sufficient funding, we may be forced to forego strategic opportunities or delay, scale back or eliminate network deployments, operations, acquisitions, spectrum bids and other investments.

There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, which may hinder our ability to obtain future financing.

The Company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018 have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. Effective March 30, 2018 through April 15, 2018, the Company entered into an amended and restated forbearance agreement (the “Forbearance Agreement”) with Melody Business Financial LLC (the “Lender”) under the Company’s loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”). Between March 2018 and January 2019, the Company entered into a series of amendments to the Forbearance Agreement extending the forbearance period. The current forbearance period expires April 30, 2019 (the “Forbearance Period’). These amendments also amended certain other terms of the Loan Agreement and the Forbearance Agreement. Under the most recent amended Forbearance Agreement executed in January 2019, the terms of the amendment include the Lender agreeing to forbear from exercising any of its rights with respect to an event of default related to the $6,500,000 minimum cash balance and a “Qualified Auditor’s Report” as long as the Company accrues interest at the default rate. The Forbearance Period shall terminate upon the Company’s failure to maintain at least $2,000,000 minimum in deposit accounts or securities accounts. In addition, the cash interest payment due in the first quarter of 2019 can be treated as PIK interest. The scheduled maturity date of the short-term debt is April 30, 2019.

As of December 31, 2018, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $4.2 million and a working capital deficiency of approximately $36.9 million. The Company has incurred significant operating losses since inception and continues to generate losses from operations, and as of December 31, 2018, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $199.3 million. These matters raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the Company’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 were issued. Management has also evaluated the significance of these conditions in relation to the Company's ability to meet its obligations. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of asset amounts or the classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.  Our independent registered public accounting firm included an explanatory paragraph in its report on our financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, describing the existence of substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

Historically, the Company has financed its operation through private and public placement of equity securities, as well as debt financing and capital leases. The Company’s ability to fund its longer term cash requirements is subject to multiple risks, many of which are beyond its control. The Company intends to raise additional capital, either through debt or equity financings or through the potential sale of the Company’s assets in order to achieve its business plan objectives. Management believes that it can be successful in obtaining additional capital; however, no assurance can be provided that the Company will be able to do so. There is no assurance that any funds raised will be sufficient to enable the Company to attain profitable operations or continue as a going concern. To the extent that the Company is unsuccessful, the Company may need to curtail or cease its operations and implement a plan to extend payables or reduce overhead until sufficient additional capital is raised to support further operations. There can be no assurance that such a plan will be successful.  

Recently enacted tax reform legislation in the U.S. could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) was signed into law, making significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code. Changes under the Tax Act include, but are not limited to, a corporate tax rate decrease from 35% to 21% effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, limitation of the tax deduction for interest expense to 30% of adjusted earnings (except for certain small businesses), limitation of the deduction for net operating losses to 80% of current year taxable income and elimination of net operating loss carrybacks, immediate deductions for certain new investments instead of deductions for depreciation expense over time, and modifying or repealing many business deductions and credits. The overall impact of the new federal tax law is uncertain, and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected. For example, because of the tax rate decrease, our deferred tax assets and our corresponding valuation allowance against these deferred tax assets have been reduced and may continue to be adversely impacted. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will make conforming changes to state tax laws and regulations and what effect legal challenges will have on the Tax Act, including litigation in the U.S. and international challenges brought at organizations such as the World Trade Organization. The impact of the Tax Act on holders of our common stock is also uncertain and could be adverse. Investors should consult with their legal and tax advisors with respect to this legislation and the potential tax consequences of investing in or holding our common stock.

Risks Relating to Fixed Wireless Services and Our Strategy

If we engage in a strategic realignment, our ability to execute current business strategies will be adversely affected.

In March 2018, the Company retained an independent financial advisor to explore strategic alternatives, including the sale of some or all of the Company’s business or assets. If we enter into one or more strategic transactions that include the sale of significant assets, such transactions will likely cause us to exit one or more of our primary markets and forego licenses to operate in those markets, may involve a competitor that is strengthened by expansion in one of their current markets or into new markets, will reduce our customer base and may cause us reputational damage in markets in which we remain. As a result, our ability to execute on our business strategy will be adversely affected.

We may be unable to successfully execute any of our current or future business strategies.

In order to pursue business strategies, we will need to continue to build our infrastructure and strengthen our operational capabilities. Our ability to do these successfully could be affected by any one or more of the following factors:

Our failure to adequately address any one or more of the above factors could have a significant adverse impact on our ability to execute our business strategy and the long-term viability of our business.

We depend on the continued availability of leases and licenses for our communications equipment.

We have constructed proprietary networks in each of the markets we serve by installing antennae on rooftops, communication towers and other structures pursuant to lease or license agreements to send and receive wireless signals necessary for the operation of our network. We typically seek initial five-year terms for our leases with three to five-year renewal options. Such renewal options are generally exercisable at our discretion before the expiration of the current term. If these leases are terminated or if the owners of these structures are unwilling to continue to enter into leases or licenses with us in the future, we would be forced to seek alternative arrangements with other providers. If we are unable to continue to obtain or renew such leases on satisfactory terms, our business would be harmed.

We may not be able to attract and retain customers if we do not maintain and enhance our brand.  

We believe that our brand is a critical key to our success. Maintaining and enhancing our brand may require us to make substantial investments with no assurance that these investments will be successful. If we fail to promote and maintain the “Towerstream” brand, or if we incur significant expenses in this effort, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition may be harmed. We anticipate that maintaining and enhancing our brand will become increasingly important, difficult and expensive, and we may not be able to do so.

Many of our competitors are better established and have significantly greater resources than we do, which may make it difficult for us to attract and retain customers.

The market for broadband and related services is highly competitive, and we compete with several other companies within each of our markets. Many of our competitors are well established with larger and better developed networks and support systems, longer relationships with customers and suppliers, greater name recognition and greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we have. Our competitors may subsidize competing services with revenue from other sources and, thus, may offer their products and services at prices lower than ours. Our competitors may also reduce the prices of their services significantly or may offer broadband connectivity packaged with other products or services. We may not be able to reduce our prices or otherwise combine our services with other products or services, which may make it more difficult to attract and retain customers. In addition, businesses which are presently focused on providing services to residential customers may expand their target base and begin offering service to business customers.

We expect existing and prospective competitors to adopt technologies or business plans similar to ours, or seek other means to develop competitive services, particularly if our services prove to be attractive in our target markets. This competition may make it difficult to attract new customers and retain existing customers.

We may experience difficulties constructing, upgrading and maintaining our network , which could increase customer turnover and reduce our revenues.

Our success depends on developing and providing products and services that provide customers with high quality Internet connectivity. If the number of customers using our network increases, we will require more infrastructure and network resources to maintain the quality of our services. Consequently, we may be required to make substantial investments to improve our facilities and equipment, and to upgrade our technology and network infrastructure. If we do not complete these improvements successfully, or if we experience inefficiencies, operational failures or unforeseen costs during implementation, the quality of our products and services could decline.

We may experience quality deficiencies, cost overruns and delays in implementing network improvements and completing maintenance and upgrade projects. Portions of these projects may not be within our control or the control of our contractors. Our network requires the receipt of permits and approvals from numerous governmental bodies. Such bodies often limit the expansion of transmission towers and other construction necessary for our business. Failure to receive approvals in a timely fashion can delay system rollouts and raise the cost of completing projects. In addition, we are typically required to obtain rights from land, building or tower owners to install antennae and other equipment to provide service to our customers. We may not be able to obtain, on terms acceptable to us, or at all, the rights necessary to construct our network and expand our services.

We also face challenges in managing and operating our network. These challenges include operating, maintaining and upgrading network and customer premise equipment to accommodate increased traffic or technological advances, and managing the sales, advertising, customer support, billing and collection functions of our business while providing reliable network service at expected speeds and quality. Our failure in any of these areas could adversely affect customer satisfaction, increase customer turnover or churn, increase our costs and decrease our revenues.

We may be unable to operate in certain markets if we are unable to obtain and maintain rights to use licensed spectrum or if the FCC re-allocates “unlicensed” spectrum.

We provide our services in some markets by using spectrum obtained through licenses or long-term leases. Obtaining licensed spectrum can be a long and difficult process that can be costly and require substantial management resources. Securing licensed spectrum may subject us to increased operational costs, greater regulatory scrutiny and arbitrary government decision making and we may be unable to secure such licensed spectrum.

Licensed spectrum, whether owned or leased, poses additional risks, including:

We utilize unlicensed spectrum in all of our markets , which subject us to intense competition, low barriers of entry and slowdowns due to multiple users.

We presently utilize unlicensed spectrum in all of our markets to provide our service offerings.  Unlicensed or “free” spectrum is available to multiple users and may suffer bandwidth limitations, interference and slowdowns if the number of users exceeds traffic capacity. The availability of unlicensed spectrum is not unlimited, and others do not need to obtain permits or licenses to utilize the same unlicensed spectrum that we currently utilize or may utilize in the future.  The inherent limitations of unlicensed spectrum could potentially threaten our ability to reliably deliver our services. Moreover, the prevalence of unlicensed spectrum creates low barriers of entry in our industry, which naturally creates the potential for increased competition.

Interruption or failure of our information technology and communications systems could impair our ability to provide services , which could damage our reputation.

Our services depend on the continuing operation of our information technology and communications systems. We have experienced service interruptions in the past and may experience service interruptions or system failures in the future. Any unscheduled service interruption adversely affects our ability to operate our business and could result in an immediate loss of revenues and adversely impact our operating results. If we experience frequent or persistent system or network failures, our reputation could be permanently harmed. We may need to make significant capital expenditures to increase the reliability of our systems. However, these capital expenditures may not achieve the results we expect.

Excessive customer churn may adversely affect our financial performance by slowing customer growth, increasing costs and reducing revenues.

The successful implementation of our business plan depends upon controlling customer churn. Customer churn is a measure of customers who cancel their services agreement. Customer churn could increase as a result of:

An increase in customer churn can lead to slower customer growth, increased costs and a reduction in our revenues.

If our business strategy is unsuccessful, we will not be profitable and our stockholders could lose their investment.

Many fixed wireless companies have failed, and there is no guarantee that our strategy will be successful or profitable. If our strategy is unsuccessful, the value of our company may decrease and our stockholders could lose their entire investment.

We may not be able to effectively control and manage our growth , which would negatively impact our operations.

If our business and markets continue to grow and develop, it will be necessary for us to finance and manage expansion in an orderly fashion. In addition, we may face challenges in managing expanding product and service offerings and in integrating acquired increased demands, which could interrupt or adversely affect our operations and cause backlogs and administrative inefficiencies in our operations. Such events would increase demands on our existing management, workforce and facilities.

The success of our business depends on the contributions of key personnel and our ability to attract, train and retain highly qualified personnel.

We are highly dependent on the continued services of our key personnel across all facets of operations. We cannot guarantee that any of these persons will stay with us for any definite period. Loss of the services of any of these individuals could adversely impact our operations. We do not maintain policies of "key man" insurance on our executives.

In addition, we must be able to attract, train, motivate and retain highly skilled and experienced technical employees in order to successfully introduce our services in new markets and grow our business in existing markets. Qualified technical employees often are in great demand and may be unavailable in the time frame required to satisfy our business requirements. We may not be able to attract and retain sufficient numbers of highly skilled technical employees in the future. The loss of technical personnel or our inability to hire or retain sufficient technical personnel at competitive rates of compensation could impair our ability to grow our business and retain our existing customer base.

We may pursue acquisitions that we believe complement our existing operations but which involve risks that could adversely affect our business.

Acquisitions involve risks that could adversely affect our business including the diversion of management time and focus from operations and difficulties integrating the operations and personnel of acquired companies. In addition, any future acquisition could result in significant costs, the incurrence of additional debt to fund the acquisition, and the assumption of contingent or undisclosed liabilities, all of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In connection with any future acquisition, we generally will seek to minimize the impact of contingent and undisclosed liabilities by obtaining indemnities and warranties from the seller. However, these indemnities and warranties, if obtained, may not fully cover the liabilities due to their limited scope, amount or duration, as well as the financial limitations of the indemnitor or warrantor.

We may continue to consider strategic acquisitions, some of which may be larger than those previously completed and which could be material transactions. Integrating acquisitions is often costly and may require significant attention from management. Delays or other operational or financial problems that interfere with our operations may result. If we fail to implement proper overall business controls for companies or assets we acquire or fail to successfully integrate these acquired companies or assets in our processes, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. In addition, it is possible that we may incur significant expenses in the evaluation and pursuit of potential acquisitions that may not be successfully completed.

We could encounter difficulties integrating acquisitions , which could result in substantial costs, delays or other operational or financial difficulties.

Since 2010, we have completed five acquisitions.  We may seek to acquire other fixed wireless businesses, including those operating in our current business markets or those operating in other geographic markets. We cannot accurately predict the timing, size and success of our acquisition efforts and the associated capital commitments that might be required. We expect to encounter competition for acquisitions, which may limit the number of potential acquisition opportunities and may lead to higher acquisition prices. We may not be able to identify, acquire or profitably manage additional businesses or successfully integrate acquired businesses, if any, without substantial costs, delays or other operational or financial difficulties.

In addition, such acquisitions involve a number of other risks, including:

The inability to successfully integrate and manage acquired companies could result in the incurrence of substantial costs to address the problems and issues encountered.

Our inability to finance acquisitions could impair the growth and expansion of our business.

The extent to which we will be able or willing to use shares of our common stock to consummate acquisitions will depend on (i) the market value of our securities, which will vary, (ii) liquidity which can fluctuate, and (iii) the willingness of potential sellers to accept shares of our common stock as full or partial payment. Using shares of our common stock for acquisitions may result in significant dilution to existing stockholders. To the extent that we are unable to use common stock to make future acquisitions, our ability to grow through acquisitions may be limited by the extent to which we are able to raise capital through debt or equity financings. We may not be able to obtain the necessary capital to finance any acquisitions. If we are unable to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, we may be required to reduce the scope of expansion or redirect resources committed to internal purposes. Our inability to use shares of our common stock to make future acquisitions may hinder our ability to actively pursue our acquisition program.

We rely on a limited number of third party suppliers that manufacture network equipment, and install and maintain our network sites. 

We depend on a limited number of third party suppliers to produce and deliver products required for our networks. If these companies fail to perform or experience delays, shortages or increased demand for their products or services, we may face a shortage of components, increased costs, and may be required to suspend our network deployment and our service introduction.  We also depend on a limited number of third parties to install and maintain our network facilities. We do not maintain any long-term supply contracts with these manufacturers. If a manufacturer or other provider does not satisfy our requirements, or if we lose a manufacturer or any other significant provider, we may have insufficient network equipment for delivery to customers and for installation or maintenance of our infrastructure. Such developments could force us to suspend the deployment of our network and the installation of new customers, thus impairing future growth.

Customers may perceive that our network is not secure if our data security controls are breached , which may adversely affect our ability to attract and retain customers and expose us to liability.

Network security and the authentication of a customer’s credentials are designed to protect unauthorized access to data on our network. Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to, or to sabotage, networks change frequently and may not be recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate or implement adequate preventive measures against unauthorized access or sabotage. Consequently, unauthorized parties may overcome our encryption and security systems and obtain access to data on our network. In addition, because we operate and control our network and our customers’ Internet connectivity, unauthorized access or sabotage of our network could result in damage to our network and to the computers or other devices used by our customers. An actual or perceived breach of network security, regardless of whether the breach is our fault, could harm public perception of the effectiveness of our security controls, adversely affect our ability to attract and retain customers, expose us to significant liability and adversely affect our business prospects.

The delivery of our services could infringe on the intellectual property rights of others , which may result in costly litigation, substantial damages and prohibit us from selling our services.

Third parties may assert infringement or other intellectual property claims against us. We may have to pay substantial damages, including for past infringement, if it is ultimately determined that our services infringe a third party’s proprietary rights. Further, we may be prohibited from selling or providing some of our services before we obtain additional licenses, which, if available at all, may require us to pay substantial royalties or licensing fees. Even if claims are determined to be without merit, defending a lawsuit takes significant time, may be expensive and may divert management’s attention from our other business concerns. Any public announcements related to litigation or interference proceedings initiated or threatened against us could cause our business to be harmed and our stock price to decline.

Risks Relating to Discontinued Operations

We may incur additional charges in connection with our decision to exit the shared wireless infrastructure business, and any additional costs would adversely impact our cash flows.

During the fourth quarter of 2015, we determined to exit the shared wireless infrastructure business and curtailed activity in our smaller markets. During the first quarter of 2016, we sold the majority of our network locations in New York City, our largest market, to a major cable company. We also determined that we would not be able to sell our remaining network locations in New York City.  We believe that we have recognized principally all of the costs required to exit this business, but can provide no assurance that additional costs will not be incurred. Any additional costs would adversely impact our operating results and cash flows, and our stock price could decline.

Risks Relating to the Wireless Industry

An economic or industry slowdown may materially and adversely affect our business.

Slowdowns in the economy or in the wireless or broadband industry may impact demand for our services.   Customers may reduce the amount of bandwidth that they purchase from us during economic downturns which will directly affect our revenues and operating results.  An economic or industry slowdown may cause other businesses or industries to delay or abandon implementation of new systems and technologies, including wireless broadband services. Further, political uncertainties, including acts of terrorism and other unforeseen events, may impose additional risks upon and adversely affect the wireless or broadband industry generally, and our business, specifically. 

We operate in an evolving industry , which makes it difficult to forecast our future prospects as our services may become obsolete , and we may not be able to develop competitive products or services on a timely basis or at all. 

The broadband and wireless services industries are characterized by rapid technological change, competitive pricing, frequent new service introductions, and evolving industry standards and regulatory requirements. We believe that our success depends on our ability to anticipate and adapt to these challenges, and to offer competitive services on a timely basis. We face a number of difficulties and uncertainties such as:

As the services offered by us and our competitors develop, businesses and consumers may not accept our services as a commercially viable alternative to other means of delivering wireless broadband services. As a result, our services may become obsolete and we may be unable to develop competitive products or services on a timely basis, or at all.

We are subject to extensive regulation that could limit or restrict our activities. 

Our business activities, including the acquisition, lease, maintenance and use of spectrum licenses, and use of unlicensed spectrum, are extensively regulated by federal, state and local governmental authorities. A number of federal, state and local privacy, security, and consumer laws also apply to our business. These regulations and their application are subject to continuous change as new legislation, regulations or amendments to existing regulations are periodically implemented by governmental or regulatory authorities, including as a result of judicial interpretations of such laws and regulations. Current regulations directly affect the breadth of services we are able to offer and may impact the rates, terms and conditions of our services. Regulation of companies that offer competing services such as cable and fiber providers and telecommunications carriers also affects our business. If we fail to comply with applicable regulations, we may be subject to penalties, both monetary and nonmonetary, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

On February 26, 2015, the FCC adopted an Open Internet order in which fixed and mobile broadband services are reclassified as telecommunications services governed by Title II of the Communications Act. This reclassification includes forbearance from applying many sections of the Communications Act and the FCC’s rules to broadband service providers. As part of the Title II reclassification, the FCC could adopt new regulations requiring broadband service providers to register and pay Universal Service Fund (“USF”) fees as well as submit to a significant amount of other common carrier regulations.

The Open Internet order also adopted rules prohibiting broadband service providers from: (1) blocking access to legal content, applications, services or non-harmful devices; (2) impairing or degrading lawful Internet traffic on its basis, content, applications or services; or (3) favoring certain Internet traffic over other traffic in exchange for consideration. Depending on how the Open Internet rules are implemented, the Open Internet order could limit our ability to manage customers’ use of our networks, thereby limiting our ability to prevent or address customers’ excessive bandwidth demands. To maintain the quality of our network and user experience, we may manage the bandwidth used by our customers’ applications, in part by restricting the types of applications that may be used over our network. The FCC Open Internet regulations may constrain our ability to employ bandwidth management practices. Excessive use of bandwidth-intensive applications would likely reduce the quality of our services for all customers. Such decline in the quality of our services could harm our business.

On May 23, 2017, the FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, the intention of which is to repeal the net neutrality protections adopted in 2015 and reclassify fixed and mobile broadband services as information services governed by Title I of the Communications Act. On December 14, 2017, the FCC released its Restoring Internet Freedom Report and Order, which reclassified Internet access service as an information and not a telecommunications service and removed all Title II obligations from Internet traffic arrangements. On June 11, 2018, the FCC adopted final rules repealing net neutrality protections. In response, a number of states have issued executive orders or proposed legislation requiring net neutrality. In early 2019, the United States Congress formed a bi-partisan committee to explore future net neutrality legislation.

The breach of a license or applicable law, even if accidentally, can result in the revocation, suspension, cancellation or reduction in the term of a license or the imposition of fines. In addition, regulatory authorities may grant new licenses to third parties, resulting in greater competition in territories where we already have rights to licensed spectrum. In order to promote competition, licenses may also require that third parties be granted access to our bandwidth, frequency capacity, facilities or services. We may not be able to obtain or retain any required license, and we may not be able to renew a license on favorable terms, or at all.

Wireless broadband services may become subject to greater state or federal regulation in the future. The scope of the regulations that may apply to companies like us and the impact of such regulations on our competitive position are presently unknown and could be detrimental to our business and prospects.

Risks Relating to Our Secured Indebtedness

Our cash flows and capital resources may be insufficient to meet minimum balance requirements or to make required payments on our secured indebtedness, which is secured by substantially all of our assets.

In October 2014, we entered into a loan agreement which provided us with a five-year $35,000,000 term loan. The loan bears interest payable in cash at a rate equal to the greater of (i) the sum of the one month LIBOR rate on each payment date plus 7% or (ii) 8% per annum, and additional paid in kind (“PIK”), or deferred, interest that accrues at 4% per annum. As of December 31, 2018, we had $38,699,307 of principal and interest outstanding under the terms of this loan. We have agreed to maintain a minimum balance of cash or cash equivalents equal to or greater than $6,500,000 at all times throughout the term of the loan. As of December 31, 2018, we had $4,173,070 in cash and cash equivalents with one large financing banking institution. A failure to comply with the restrictive covenants constitutes a default, which would allow the lender to accelerate the debt and exercise its remedies under the loan agreement. Effective January 31, 2019, the Company entered into an amended and restated Forbearance Agreement in which the Lender agreed to, among other things, to forbear from exercising any of its rights with respect to an event of default related to the $6,500,000 minimum cash balance. The Forbearance Period shall terminate upon the Company’s failure to maintain at least $2,000,000 minimum in deposit accounts or securities accounts. In addition, the scheduled maturity date of the short-term debt is April 30, 2019.

We recorded interest expense of $6,077,223 and $4,142,046 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Of those amounts, we paid to the lender $2,035,903 and $2,775,054 and, in accordance with the provisions of the loan agreement, added $4,041,320 and $1,366,992 to the principal amount of the loan during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Our indebtedness could have important consequences. For example, it could:

In addition, our ability to meet minimum balance requirements, make scheduled payments or refinance our obligations depends on our successful financial and operating performance, cash flows and capital resources, which in turn depend upon prevailing economic conditions and certain financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, among others:

If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our minimum balance requirements or debt service obligations, as modified by the Forbearance Agreement, or if we are unable to extend the Forbearance Agreement as needed, we may be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell material assets or operations, obtain additional capital or restructure our debt. In the event that we are required to dispose of material assets or operations to meet our debt service and other obligations, the value realized on such assets or operations will depend on market conditions and the availability of buyers. Accordingly, any such sale may not, among other things, be for a sufficient dollar amount. Our obligations pursuant to our long-term debt agreement are secured by a security interest in all of our assets, exclusive of capital stock of the Company, certain capital leases, certain contracts and certain assets secured by purchase money security interests. The foregoing encumbrances may limit our ability to dispose of material assets or operations. We also may not be able to restructure our indebtedness on favorable economic terms, if at all.

Our short -term debt agreement contains various covenants limiting the discretion of our management in operating our business.

Our short-term debt agreement contains, subject to certain carve-outs, various restrictive covenants that limit our management's discretion in operating our business. In particular, these instruments limit our ability to, among other things:

We expect to extend the Forbearance Period beyond April 30, 2019 but there is no guarantee that we will be able to do so on terms acceptable to us or at all. We are currently party to a Forbearance Agreement pursuant to which the Lender has agreed to forbear from exercising certain rights under the Agreement until April 30, 2019. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Loan Agreement” for more information.

Although we are currently in compliance with the covenants contained in the Loan Agreement, as modified by the Forbearance Agreement as amended, if we fail to comply with such restrictions, a default may allow the lender under the relevant instruments to accelerate the related debt and to exercise its remedies under these agreements, which will typically include the right to declare the principal amount of that debt, together with accrued and unpaid interest and other related amounts, immediately due and payable, to exercise any remedies the lender may have to foreclose on assets that are subject to liens securing that debt and to terminate any commitments they had made to supply further funds.

Risks Relating to Our Organization

Our certificate of incorporation allows for our Board of Directors to create new series of preferred stock without further approval by our stockholders , which could adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common stock.

Our Board of Directors has the authority to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of preferred stock. Our Board of Directors also has the authority to issue preferred stock without further stockholder approval. As a result, our Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that would grant to such holders (i) the preferred right to our assets upon liquidation, (ii) the right to receive dividend payments before dividends are distributed to the holders of common stock and (iii) the right to the redemption of the preferred shares, together with a premium, prior to the redemption of our common stock. In addition, our Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that has greater voting power than our common stock or that is convertible into our common stock, which could decrease the relative voting power of our common stock or result in dilution to our existing common stockholders.

Any of the actions described in the preceding paragraph could significantly adversely affect the investment made by holders of our common stock. Holders of common stock could potentially not receive dividends that they might otherwise have received. In addition, holders of our common stock could receive less proceeds in connection with any future sale of the Company, whether in liquidation or on any other basis.

We have suspended our SEC reporting obligations, and our stockholders may not have access to information required by SEC rules and regulations.

We had fewer than 300 stockholders of record as of January 1, 2019, and as a result, our obligation to file reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), was automatically suspended. We filed a Form 15 with the SEC providing notice of such automatic suspension. Accordingly, subsequent to this Form 10-K, as will be amended to include the Part III information required hereby, our stockholders may not have access to the financial and other information required by SEC rules and regulations, which may adversely impact the trading price of, and market for, our common stock.

Risks Relating to Our Common Stock

Our common stock is quoted on the OTC Pink which may have an unfavorable impact on our stock price and liquidity.

Our common stock is quoted on the OTC Pink. The OTC Pink is an automated quotation service operated by OTC Markets, LLC. The quotation of our shares on the OTC Pink may result in a less liquid market available for existing and potential stockholders to trade shares of our common stock, in part because of the inability or unwillingness of certain investors to acquire shares of common stock not traded on a national securities exchange, and could depress the trading price of our common stock and have a long-term adverse impact on our ability to raise capital in the future.

Our common stock is subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC and the trading market in the securities is limited, which makes transactions in our c ommon s tock cumbersome and may reduce the value of an investment in our c ommon s tock.  

Rule 15g-9 under the Exchange Act establishes the definition of a “penny stock,” for the purposes relevant to us, as any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or with an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions.  For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the rules require: (a) that a broker or dealer approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks; and (b) the broker or dealer receive from the investor a written agreement to the transaction, setting forth the identity and quantity of the penny stock to be purchased.

In order to approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks, the broker or dealer must: (a) obtain financial information and investment experience objectives of the person and (b) make a reasonable determination that the transactions in penny stocks are suitable for that person and the person has sufficient knowledge and experience in financial matters to be capable of evaluating the risks of transactions in penny stocks.

The broker or dealer must also deliver, prior to any transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prescribed by the SEC relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form: (a) sets forth the basis on which the broker or dealer made the suitability determination; and (b) confirms that the broker or dealer received a signed, written agreement from the investor prior to the transaction.  Generally, brokers may be less willing to execute transactions in securities subject to the “penny stock” rules.  This may make it more difficult for investors to dispose of our common stock and cause a decline in the market value of our common stock.

Disclosure also has to be made about the risks of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and in secondary trading and about the commissions payable to both the broker or dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities and the rights and remedies available to an investor in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions.  Finally, monthly statements have to be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stocks.

A limited public trading market may cause volatility in the price of our common stock.

The quotation of our common stock on the OTC Pink marketplace does not assure that a meaningful, consistent and liquid trading market currently exists, and in recent years such market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have particularly affected the market prices of many smaller companies like us. Our common stock is subject to this volatility. Sales of substantial amounts of common stock, or the perception that such sales might occur, could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock and our stock price may decline substantially in a short time and our stockholders could suffer losses or be unable to liquidate their holdings. Because our common stock does not trade on a national securities exchange, our common stock is subject to the securities laws of the various states and jurisdictions of the United States in addition to federal securities law. While we may register our common stock or qualify for exemptions for our common stock in one of more states, if we fail to do so, the investors in those states where we have not taken such steps may not be allowed to purchase our stock or those who presently hold our stock may not be able to resell their shares without substantial effort and expense. These restrictions and potential costs could be significant burdens on our stockholders. 

We have not paid dividends in the past and do not expect to pay dividends in the future. Any return on an investment in our common stock is expected to be limited to an increase in the value of the common stock.

We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate doing so in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our common stock will depend on our earnings, financial condition, and other business and economic factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be considered less valuable because a return on a shareholder’s investment will only occur if our stock price appreciates.

We adopted a Rights Plan in 2010 , which may discourage third parties from attempting to acquire control of our Company and have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

In November 2010, we adopted the Rights Plan and declared a dividend distribution of twenty preferred share purchase rights for each outstanding share of common stock as of the record date on November 24, 2010. Each right, when exercisable, entitles the registered holder to purchase one-hundredth (1/100th) of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, at a purchase price of $18.00 per one-hundredth (1/100th) of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, subject to certain adjustments. The rights will generally separate from the common stock and become exercisable if any person or group acquires or announces a tender offer to acquire 15% or more of our outstanding common stock without the consent of our Board of Directors. Because the rights may substantially dilute the stock ownership of a person or group attempting to take us over without the approval of our Board of Directors, our Rights Plan could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us (or a significant percentage of our outstanding capital stock) without first negotiating with our Board of Directors. In addition, we are governed by provisions of Delaware law that may prohibit large stockholders, in particular those owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, from merging or combining with us.

The provisions in our charter, bylaws, Rights Plan and under Delaware law related to the foregoing could discourage takeover attempts that our stockholders would otherwise favor, or otherwise reduce the price that investors might be willing to pay for our common stock in the future.

Offers or availability for sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock may cause the price of our common stock to decline.   

If our stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, including upon the expiration of any statutory holding period under Rule 144 or registration for resale, or issued upon the conversion of preferred stock, if any, or exercise of warrants, it could create a circumstance commonly referred to as an "overhang" and in anticipation of which the market price of our common stock could fall.  As of December 31, 2018, we had 394,409 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. As of December 31, 2018, we had 71,734 shares of common stock underlying our Series G Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series G Preferred Stock”) and 53,440 shares of common stock underlying our Series H Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series H Preferred Stock”). The existence of an overhang, whether or not sales have occurred or are occurring, also could make our ability to raise additional financing through the sale of equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem reasonable or appropriate more difficult.  

The rights of our common stockholders are limited by and subordinate to the rights of the holders of Series G Preferred Stock , Series H Preferred Stock and Series I Preferred Stock; these rights may have a negative effect on the value of shares of our c ommon s tock.

The holders of our outstanding shares of Series G Preferred Stock, Series H Preferred Stock and Series I Preferred Stock have rights and preferences generally superior to those of our holders of common stock. The existence of these superior rights and preferences may have a negative effect on the value of shares of our common stock. These rights are more fully set forth in the certificates of designations governing these instruments, and include, but are not limited to: