STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Frontier Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: FTR) today announced the
commencement of cash tender offers (the "Offers") to purchase up to
$674.8 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes, consisting of
any and all of its outstanding 6.625% Senior Notes due 2015 (the "March
2015 Notes") and any and all of its outstanding 7.875%Senior
Notes due 2015 (the "April 2015 Notes" and together with the March 2015
Notes, the "Notes") on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth
in the Offer to Purchase, dated the date hereof (as it may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"), and the
related Letter of Transmittal (as it may be amended or supplemented from
time to time, the “Letter of Transmittal”). The Offers are scheduled to
expire at 9:00 a.m., New York City Time, on April 24, 2013, unless
extended or terminated (such time and date, as the same may be extended,
the "Expiration Date"), and are expected to be funded with the net
proceeds of a concurrent debt offering of $500 million together with
cash on hand.
Information relating to the Notes subject to the Offers is set forth in
the table below.
| Title of Notes | CUSIP Number | Outstanding Principal Amount | Early Tender Premium(1) | Total Consideration (1)(2) |
|
6.625% Senior Notes due 2015
|
17453BAT8
| $300,000,000 | $30.00 | $1,112.37 |
| | | |
|
|
7.875% Senior Notes due 2015
|
35906AAC2
35906AAD0
| $374,803,000 | $30.00 | $1,141.91 |
|
| |
|
(1)
|
|
Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not
validly withdrawn) at or prior to the applicable Early Tender
Deadline (as defined below) and accepted for purchase.
|
|
(2)
| |
Includes the applicable Early Tender Premium (as defined below).
|
Holders who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) March 2015
Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 9, 2013,
unless extended (the "March 2015 Notes Early Tender Deadline"), will be
eligible to receive the "March 2015 Notes Total Consideration," which
for each $1,000 principal amount of March 2015 Notes validly tendered is
equal to $1,112.37, including an early tender premium (the “March 2015
Notes Early Tender Premium”) of $30.00 per $1,000 principal amount of
March 2015 Notes. Holders who validly tender (and do not validly
withdraw) March 2015 Notes after the March 2015 Notes Early Tender
Deadline and prior to the Expiration Date will not be eligible to
receive the March 2015 Notes Early Tender Premium, and instead will be
eligible to receive only the "March 2015 Notes Offer Consideration,"
which for each $1,000 principal amount of March 2015 Notes is equal to
the March 2015 Notes Total Consideration less the March 2015 Notes Early
Tender Premium.
Holders who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) April 2015
Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 9, 2013,
unless extended (the "April 2015 Notes Early Tender Deadline"), will be
eligible to receive the "April 2015 Notes Total Consideration," which
for each $1,000 principal amount of April 2015 Notes validly tendered is
equal to $1,141.91, including an early tender premium (the “April 2015
Notes Early Tender Premium”) of $30.00 per $1,000 principal amount of
April 2015 Notes. Holders who validly tender (and do not validly
withdraw) April 2015 Notes after the April 2015 Notes Early Tender
Deadline and prior to the Expiration Date will not be eligible to
receive the April 2015 Notes Early Tender Premium, and instead will be
eligible to receive only the "April 2015 Notes Offer Consideration,"
which for each $1,000 principal amount of April 2015 Notes is equal to
the April 2015 Notes Total Consideration less the April 2015 Notes Early
Tender Premium.
The consummation of the Offers is subject to the satisfaction or waiver
of a number of conditions, including the consummation of Frontier’s
concurrent debt offering in an aggregate principal amount of $500
million (the “Financing Condition”). The Offers are not conditioned on
the tender of a minimum principal amount of Notes and Frontier is not
soliciting consents from holders of Notes in connection with the Offers.
In addition, Frontier has the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or
extend the terms of or terminate any of the Offers at any time, subject
to applicable law.
The “Early Settlement Date” will occur promptly after Frontier accepts
for purchase all March 2015 Notes and April 2015 Notes validly tendered
by the applicable early tender date. Provided that the Financing
Condition and all other conditions are satisfied or waived on or prior
to the business day immediately following the applicable early tender
date, Frontier currently expects that the Early Settlement Date in
respect of the March 2015 Notes and April 2015 Notes will occur promptly
following the applicable early tender date on April 10, 2013. The “Final
Settlement Date” will occur promptly after Frontier accepts for purchase
all March 2015 Notes and April 2015 Notes validly tendered (and not
validly withdrawn) after the applicable early tender date (but at or
prior to the Expiration Date). Frontier anticipates that the Final
Settlement Date will be the same as the Expiration Date, which is
currently expected to be April 24, 2013.
In addition, Frontier will pay accrued and unpaid interest on all Notes
tendered and accepted for payment in the Offers from the last interest
payment date up to, but not including, the applicable settlement date.
Tenders for Notes may be validly withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00
p.m., New York City time, on April 9, 2013, unless extended (the
"Withdrawal Deadline"), but not thereafter unless otherwise required by
applicable law.
Frontier has retained J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc.,
BofA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse
Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Morgan Stanley &
Co. LLC and RBS Securities Inc. to serve as dealer managers for the
Offers. Frontier has retained MacKenzie Partners, Inc. to serve as the
depositary and information agent.
For additional information regarding the terms of the Offers, please
contact J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at (800) 245-8812 (toll free) or
(212) 270-1200 (collect), Barclays Capital Inc. at (800) 438-3242 (toll
free) or (212) 528-7581 (collect), BofA Merrill Lynch at (888) 292-0070
(toll free) or (646) 855-3401 (collect), Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
at (800) 558-3745 (toll free) or (212) 723-6106 (collect), Credit Suisse
Securities (USA) LLC at (800) 820-1653 (toll free) or (212) 538-0083
(collect), Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. at (866) 627-0391 (toll free)
or (212) 250-7527 (collect), Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC at (800) 624-1808
(toll free) or (212) 761-1057 (collect) or RBS Securities Inc. at (877)
297-9832 (toll free) or (203) 897-4825 (collect). Requests for documents
and questions regarding the tender of the Notes may be directed to
MacKenzie Partners, Inc. at (800) 322-2885 (toll free) or (212) 929-5500
(collect).
The Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal are expected
to be distributed to holders beginning today. Copies of the Offer to
Purchase and the Letter of Transmittal may also be obtained at no charge
from MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
None of Frontier, Frontier's board of directors, any of the dealer
managers, the depositary and information agent and the trustee under the
Notes makes any recommendation in connection with the Offers. Holders
must make their own decisions as to whether to tender their Notes, and,
if so, the principal amount of Notes to tender.
This announcement does not constitute an offer to buy or the
solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in any jurisdiction or
in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In
those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require
the Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offers will be
deemed to be made by the dealer managers or one or more registered
brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction.
About Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: FTR) offers broadband,
voice, satellite video, wireless Internet data access, data security
solutions, bundled offerings, specialized bundles for residential
customers, small businesses and home offices and advanced business
communications for medium and large businesses in 27 states. Frontier's
approximately 14,700 employees are based entirely in the United States.
More information is available at www.frontier.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of
management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business
performance. Words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect" and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements (including oral representations) involve
risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ
materially from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties
are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: the
effects of greater than anticipated competition which could require us
to develop new pricing, marketing strategies or new product or service
offerings and the risk that we will not respond on a timely or
profitable basis; reductions in the number of our voice customers that
we cannot offset with increases in broadband subscribers and sales of
other products and services; the effects of competition from cable,
wireless and other wireline carriers; our ability to maintain
relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; the effects of
ongoing changes in the regulation of the communications industry as a
result of federal and state legislation and regulation, or changes in
the enforcement or interpretation of such legislation and regulation;
the effects of any unfavorable outcome with respect to any current or
future legal, governmental or regulatory proceedings, audits or
disputes; the effects of changes in the availability of federal and
state universal funding to us and our competitors; our ability to adjust
successfully to changes in the communications industry and to implement
strategies for growth; continued reductions in switched access revenues
as a result of regulation, competition or technology substitutions; our
ability to effectively manage service quality in our territories and
meet mandated service quality metrics; our ability to successfully
introduce new product offerings, including our ability to offer bundled
service packages on terms that are both profitable to us and attractive
to customers; the effects of changes in accounting policies or practices
adopted voluntarily or as required by generally accepted accounting
principles or regulations; our ability to effectively manage our
operations, operating expenses and capital expenditures, and to repay,
reduce or refinance our debt; the effects of changes in both general and
local economic conditions on the markets that we serve, which can affect
demand for our products and services, customer purchasing decisions,
collectability of revenues and required levels of capital expenditures
related to new construction of residences and businesses; the effects of
technological changes and competition on our capital expenditures,
product and service offerings and measurement of speeds and capacity,
including the lack of assurance that our network improvements will be
sufficient to meet or exceed the capabilities and quality of competing
networks; the effects of increased medical, pension and postemployment
expenses and related funding requirements; the effects of changes in
income tax rates, tax laws, regulations or rulings, or federal or state
tax assessments; our ability to successfully renegotiate union contracts
in 2013 and thereafter; changes in pension plan assumptions and/or the
value of our pension plan assets, which could require us to make
increased contributions to the pension plan in 2013 and beyond; the
effects of customer bankruptcies and home foreclosures, which could
result in difficulty in collection of revenues and loss of customers;
adverse changes in the credit markets or in the ratings given to our
debt securities by nationally accredited ratings organizations, which
could limit or restrict the availability, or increase the cost, of
financing; our cash flow from operations, amount of capital
expenditures, debt service requirements, cash paid for income taxes and
liquidity may affect our payment of dividends on our common shares; the
effects of state regulatory cash management practices that could limit
our ability to transfer cash among our subsidiaries or dividend funds up
to the parent company; and the effects of severe weather events such as
hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms or other natural or man-made
disasters. These and other uncertainties related to our business are
described in greater detail in our filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including our reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and
the foregoing information should be read in conjunction with these
filings. We do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking
statements to reflect the occurrence of future events or circumstances.

Frontier Communications Corporation
INVESTOR:
Robert
Starr, 203-614-5708
Senior Vice President and Treasurer
robert.starr@ftr.com
or
Luke
Szymczak, 203-614-5044
Vice President, Investor Relations
luke.szymczak@ftr.com
or
MEDIA:
Brigid
Smith, 203-614-5042
Assistant Vice President, Corporate
Communications
brigid.smith@ftr.com
Source: Frontier Communications Corporation