Attachment Joint Application

This document pretains to ITC-T/C-20160111-00005 for Transfer of Control on a International Telecommunications filing.

IBFS_ITCTC2016011100005_1121270

                                                                                  March 8, 2017

Assistant Attorney General for National Security
U.S. Department of Justice
National Security Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530
ttelecom@usdoj.gov

        Subject: Pending Joint Application for Consent to Transfer Control of Domestic and
                 International Section 214 Authorizations from WideOpen West Finance, LLC
                 and its Subsidiaries to Crestview, L.L.C., pursuant to Section 214 of the
                 Communications Act of 1934, as amended (FCC file number ITC-T/C-
                 20160111-00005 and ITC-T/C-20160111-00006; WC Docket No. 16-12; TT
                 Case 16-09/10)

Dear Assistant Attorney General,

        This Letter of Agreement (“LOA” or “Agreement”) outlines the commitments made by
Crestview, L.L.C. (“Crestview”) and WideOpen West Finance, LLC (“WOW”) (together, “the
Applicants”) and the U.S. Department of Justice (“USDOJ”), in order to address national
security, law enforcement, and public safety concerns raised with regard to the Applicants’
application (the “Application”) to the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or
“Commission”) for approval to transfer to Crestview control of WOW’s telecommunications
operating subsidiaries’ (“the WOW Companies”) authority to provide Global or Limited Global
Resale services between the U.S. and all authorized international points pursuant to Section 214
of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (“Section 214”), Title 47, Code of Federal
Regulations, Section 63.18(e)(2).

                    WOW is a limited liability company, incorporated in Delaware, with corporate
            headquarters in Englewood, Colorado. Through the WOW Companies, WOW provides
            communications, video and broadband services, including digital cable, HDTV, DVR,
            Internet, local and long distance services. WOW is the 9th largest cable company in the
            United States with more than 809,000 subscribers. Three of the WOW Companies provide
            rural Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier Services (Rural ILEC) in Alabama and Georgia
            while the other WOW Companies provide service as competitive Local Exchange Carriers
            (LECs) and/or hold international section 214 authority.

                  Knology, Inc. (“Knology”) and Sigecom, LLC (“Sigecom”) are subsidiaries of WOW.
            Knology is a Delaware corporation headquartered at 1241 O.B. Skinner Drive, West Point,
            Georgia 31833.1 Sigecom is an Indiana Limited Liability Company headquartered at 7887
            East Belleview, Suite 1000, Englewood, Colorado 80111.
        1
         The following wholly-owned subsidiaries operate under Knology’s license, ITC-214-20000203-0075:
Globe Telecommunications (Georgia); Knology of Alabama (Delaware); Knology of Florida (Delaware); Knology


                 Crestview, the acquirer, is a private equity firm based in New York. Crestview focuses
         on the energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial and media sectors. Crestview has
         acquired an approximate 37 percent ownership interest in Racecar Holdings, LLC (“Racecar
         Holdings”), a Delaware limited liability company and the ultimate owner of WOW, through
         several investment vehicles. Upon FCC grant of the Application, Crestview will obtain
         negative consent rights with respect to the hiring, firing, or entering into employment
         agreements with senior management of Racecar Holdings.

                  Crestview’s investment vehicles include three funds that made direct investments in
         Racecar Holdings: Crestview W1 Holdings, L.P. (“Crestview Holdings”); Crestview W1 Co-
         Investors, LLC (“Crestview Co-Investors”); and Crestview W1 TE Holdings, LLC. Of these
         investment vehicles, only Crestview Holdings owns a 10 percent or greater interest in Racecar
         Holdings (approximately 30 percent). The limited partnership interests in Crestview Holdings
         are held directly by Crestview Partners III Co-Investors, L.P., a Cayman Islands entity
         (“Crestview Cayman Islands”). Furthermore, the limited liability company interests of
         Crestview Co-Investors are held approximately 42 percent by Crestview Partners III (Co-
         Investment B), L.P., which is also a Cayman Islands entity. The sole general partner of
         Crestview Partners III (Co-Investment B), L.P. is Crestview Partners III GP, L.P. (“CPIII
         GP”). The investment committee of CPIII GP, which will control the Crestview investment,
         is made up of ten members, including nine U.S. citizens and one citizen of the United
         Kingdom. The investment committee operates by a majority rule with respect to voting,
         selling, and making follow-on investments in portfolio companies.

                Crestview’s investment provided additional capital to the WOW Companies, which
         enhanced the WOW Companies’ ability to maintain, improve, and extend their infrastructure,
         innovate and offer new products and services to consumers, and better compete in the
         marketplace.

       Operations, Records, and Law Enforcement Requests. The Applicants agree that they
will inform USDOJ within 60 days if WOW changes its business model to provide
telecommunications services in the U.S. in addition to those identified herein, including notice of
any provision by WOW of service to the destination countries in which WOW reports the existence
of a foreign carrier affiliate to the FCC under 47 C.F.R. § 63.11. In addition, the Applicants
confirm that, for any services requiring compliance with the Communications Assistance for Law
Enforcement Act (“CALEA”), 47 U.S.C. §§ 1001-1010, the Applicants will comply with CALEA.




of South Carolina (Delaware); Knology of Tennessee (Delaware); Knology of the Valley (Georgia); Knology Total
Communications (Alabama); Valley Telephone Company (Alabama); and Wiregrass Telecom (Alabama).




          Page                                            2


            (including call content and call data) pertaining to a wiretap order, pen/trap and trace order,
            subpoena, or any other lawful request by a U.S. law enforcement agency for U.S. Records to
            any person if the purpose of such disclosure or access is to respond to the legal process or
            request on behalf of a non-U.S. government4 without first satisfying all pertinent
            requirements of U.S. law and obtaining the express written consent of USDOJ, or the
            authorization of a court of competent jurisdiction in the U.S. Any such requests for legal
            process submitted by a non-U.S. government to the Applicants shall be referred to USDOJ as
            soon as possible, but in no event later than five (5) business days after such request or legal
            process is received by or made known to Crestview or WOW unless disclosure of the request
            or legal process would be in violation of U.S. law or an order of a court of the U.S. The
            Applicants also agree to ensure that U.S. Records are not made subject to mandatory
            destruction under any foreign laws; provided, however, that the Applicants shall only be
            required to retain U.S. Records to the extent required under U.S. Law.

       Further, the Applicants further agree to designate a U.S. Law Enforcement Point of
Contact (“LE POC”) in the U.S., preferably a U.S. citizen, to receive service of process for U.S.
Records and, where possible, to assist and support lawful requests for surveillance or production
of U.S. Records by U.S. federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies (“Lawful U.S.
Process”). In addition, the Applicants will give USDOJ at least thirty (30) days’ advance notice
of any change to its LE POC, and will provide USDOJ with contact and personal identifying
information for the designated individual; such nominated LE POC shall be subject to USDOJ
review and non-objection. The Applicants also agree that the designated LE POC will have
access to all U.S. Records, and, in response to Lawful U.S. Process, will make such records
available within five (5) business days after receiving such Lawful U.S. Process unless a later
response date is indicated on such Lawful U.S. Process or agreed upon by the requesting entity.

                    Access to Information, Facilities, and Personnel. The Applicants, and any owner
            of the Applicants, shall permit the USDOJ, and such other U.S. Government agency
            representatives designated by the USDOJ, to inspect books and records, equipment, servers,
            and facilities and premises owned or leased by WOW to the extent business relating to
            WOW’s FCC-licensed activity takes place at such location(s). Where the Applicants possess
            the authority to permit such access, the Applicants also agree to make available to the
            USDOJ, and such other U.S. Government agency representatives designated by the USDOJ,
            any third-party books and records, equipment, servers, facilities (including third-party
            offshore or outsourced facilities), and premises to the extent business relating to WOW’s
            FCC-licensed activity takes place at such location(s). Ordinarily, the USDOJ will provide
            the Applicants with fourteen (14) days advance notice, but the Applicants shall afford the
            USDOJ such access during normal business hours without advance notice in extraordinary
            circumstances.


        3
          “Domestic Communications,” as used herein, means: (1) Wire Communications or Electronic
Communications (whether stored or not) from one U.S. location to another U.S. location; and (b) the U.S. portion of
a Wire Communication or Electronic Communication (whether stored or not) that originates or terminates in the
United States. “Electronic Communication” has the meaning given in 18 U.S.C. § 2510(12). “Wire
Communication” has the meaning given in 18 U.S.C. § 2510(1).
        4
        The term “non-U.S. government” means any government, including an identified representative, agent,
component or subdivision thereof, that is not a local, state, or federal government in the U.S.



             Page                                            3


        outsourced facilities), and premises to the extent business relating to WOW’s FCC-licensed
        activity takes place at such location(s). Ordinarily, the USDOJ will provide the Applicants
        with fourteen (14) days advance notice, but the Applicants shall afford the USDOJ such access
        during normal business hours without advance notice in extraordinary circumstances.

       The Applicants and any of its owners shall permit the USDOJ, and such other U.S.
Government agency representatives designated by the USDOJ, to conduct confidential interviews,
of owners, ownership groups, employees, or contractors of the Applicants concerning compliance
with this Agreement and any other law enforcement concerns associated with WOW’s FCC-
licensed activity.

                Outsourcing. The Applicants agree to provide DOJ with at least thirty (30) calendar
        days’ prior notice of any intention to enter into a new agreement or arrangement to outsource
        to any foreign entity and/or off-shore any network-related services, including but not limited
        to Network Operations Center (“NOC”) operations and/or services, customer support services,
        network maintenance, remote access to network elements or databases (e.g., call detail records
        (“CDRs”), customer proprietary network information (“CPNI”), etc.), and any access to
        Domestic Communications. Such intention shall be subject to DOJ review and non-objection,
        provided that DOJ raises any objections within thirty (30) days of receiving such notice.

                Change in Control. The Applicants will inform the USDOJ within thirty (30) days
        after any change in WOW’s ownership involving 10% or more of the percentage amount of
        non-U.S. ownership, including the names of the businesses or individuals associated with the
        change in such ownership and the change in the percentage amount of ownership. The
        Applicants also will inform the USDOJ of any change in WOW’s ownership involving 10%
        or more of the percentage amount of ownership or control resulting in a change of a passive
        non-U.S. investor to an active one.

       Company Point of Contact. Within 30 days of this Agreement’s execution, the
Applicants will provide notice to the USDOJ of a point of contact(s) (“Company POC(s)”) within
Crestview and WOW to or with whom communications regarding this Agreement may be sent or
engaged. Thereafter, Crestview and WOW will provide notice to the USDOJ of any changes to
the Company POC(s) within 30 days of such change.

        Annual Report. The Applicants agree to provide Annual Reports to the USDOJ regarding
the company’s compliance with the specific terms of this Agreement, to include a summary of the
content of any notices sent to the USDOJ during the prior year pursuant to this Agreement. The
Annual Report also shall include reports of network and enterprise breaches and unauthorized
access to customer data and information; the name of and contact information for the current LE
POC and Company POC(s); and confirming the Applicants’ compliance with CALEA. These
annual reports will be due on the anniversary date of this Agreement’s execution and should be
addressed to the following:

       Assistant Attorney General for National Security
       U.S. Department of Justice
       National Security Division
       950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
       Washington, DC 20530



         Page                                        4


       Attn.: Team Telecom, Foreign Investment Review Staff
       Electronic mail:

         Courtesy electronic copies of all notices and communications also should be sent to the
         following, or to such other persons identified to the Applicants by USDOJ in the future: Hunter
         Deeley of the USDOJ (at hunter.deeley@usdoj.gov); Catherine Kudrick of the USDOJ (at
         catherine.kudrick@ic.fbi.gov);       and       Richard      Sofield    of      the     USDOJ
         (richard.sofield2@usdoj.gov).

       Termination of Agreement. The Agreement may be terminated at any time by a written
agreement signed by the Applicants and USDOJ. USDOJ shall notify the FCC of the Agreement’s
termination within 60 days of such termination.

        Six years from the anniversary date of the Agreement’s execution, the Applicants may
request that USDOJ initiate a confidential review and assessment to determine whether the
Agreement should be terminated (“Termination-Assessment Request”). USDOJ shall notify the
Applicants in writing of its decision regarding the Agreement’s termination within 180 days after
receiving a Termination-Assessment Request from the Applicants. Thereafter, the Applicants may
submit a Termination-Assessment Request to USDOJ annually.

        General. Aside from other remedies or actions already in existence and available to
USDOJ, the Applicants agrees that, in the event that the commitments set forth in this Agreement
are breached, in addition to any other remedy available at law or equity, the USDOJ may request
that the FCC modify, condition, revoke, cancel, or render null and void any relevant license,
permit, or other authorization granted by the FCC to the Applicants or any successors-in-interest.
Nothing herein shall be construed to be a waiver by the Applicants of, or limitation on, its right to
oppose or comment on any such request. This Agreement and all commitments hereunder shall
expire upon surrender or cancellation of the Applicants’ Section 214 authority.

        Further, nothing in this Agreement is intended to excuse the Applicants from their
obligations to comply with any and all applicable legal requirements and obligations, including
any and all applicable statutes, regulations, requirements, or orders.

       The Applicants understand that, upon execution of this Agreement by an authorized
representative or attorney for Crestview and WOW, or shortly thereafter, the FCC shall be notified
by the USDOJ that it has no objection to the FCC’s grant of the Application where such grant is
made conditional upon the Applicants’ compliance with this Agreement.

                                               Sincerely,


                                               ________________________________
                                               Ross A. Oliver,
                                               General Counsel
                                               Crestview, L.L.C.




          Page                                        5


         ________________________________
         Craig Martin,
         General Counsel
         WideOpenWest Finance, LLC
         and its Subsidiaries




 Page         6































Document Created: 2019-04-08 01:08:08
Document Modified: 2019-04-08 01:08:08

© 2024 FCC.report
This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FCC