Attachment Transfer Application

This document pretains to ITC-T/C-INTR2018-10212 for Transfer of Control on a International Telecommunications filing.

IBFS_ITCTCINTR201810212_1571623

                                       Before the
                         FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                  Washington, D.C. 20554

In the Matter of                          )
                                          )
DELTA COMMUNICATIONS, L.L.C.              )                           WC Docket No. ____
D/B/A CLEARWAVE COMMUNICATIONS, )
      Transferor                          )                           ITC-T/C-2018___________
                                          )
and                                       )
                                          )
CABLE ONE, INC.,                          )
      Transferee                          )
                                          )
Application for Consent for Transfer of   )
Control pursuant to Section 214 of the    )
Communications Act of 1934, as Amended    )
__________________________________________)

                                          JOINT APPLICATION

        Delta Communications, L.L.C. d/b/a Clearwave Communications (“Clearwave”) and

Cable One, Inc. (“Cable One”) (Clearwave and Cable One collectively, the “Applicants”) hereby

respectfully request authority from the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”)

for Cable One to acquire control of Clearwave (the “Transaction”). This Joint Application is

being filed pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 214 and 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.763, 63.03, 63.04, 63.18, and 63.24

(“Application”). With this Application, the Applicants also have filed a Request for Special

Temporary Authority (“STA”) to permit Clearwave to continue its domestic and international
                                                         1
operations pending approval of this Application.




1
         As explained in the STA, a private equity firm invested in Clearwave in 2011, which resulted in a transfer
of control without prior Commission approval. However, Clearwave did disclose the ownership interest to the
Commission in 2014 when it filed its application for participation in the Commission’s rural broadband experiments
program.



                                                        1


I.     REQUEST FOR STREAMLINED TREATMENT OF APPLICATION

       Under Section 63.04(b) of the Commission’s rules, the Applicants are filing a combined

domestic and international application.       The Applicants respectfully request streamlined

treatment of this Application pursuant to Sections 63.03 and 63.12 of the Commission’s rules.

       This Application is eligible for streamlined processing pursuant to Section 63.03(b)(2) of

the Commission’s rules because: (1) the Transaction will result in the Applicants having a

market share in the interstate interexchange market of less than ten percent (10%); (2) Clearwave

provides competitive telephone exchange services exclusively in geographic areas served by a

dominant local exchange carrier that is not a party to the Transaction; and (3) neither the

Applicants nor any of their affiliates are regulated as dominant with respect to any service.

       This Application also qualifies for streamlined treatment under Section 63.12 of the

Commission’s rules because: (1) neither the Applicants nor any of their affiliates are affiliated

with a dominant foreign carrier; (2) as a result of the Transaction, neither the Applicants nor any

of their affiliates will be affiliated with any foreign carrier; and (3) none of the other scenarios

outlined in Section 63.12(c) of the Commission’s rules apply.

II.    APPLICANTS

       A.      Delta Communications, L.L.C. d/b/a Clearwave Communications (FRN:
               0007690258)

       Clearwave is an Illinois limited liability company with headquarters located at 2 N. Vine

Street, P.O. Box 808, Harrisburg, Illinois 62946. Clearwave provides Internet access services

and telecommunications services to carriers and business customers in Illinois. Clearwave holds

authority from the Commission to provide interstate and international telecommunications




                                             2


         2
services, and also holds authority to offer competitive local exchange services and intrastate

interexchange services in the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. Clearwave also is a

recipient of funds under the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
                                                                                3
(“NTIA”) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (“BTOP”) and the Commission’s
                                                      4
rural broadband experiments (“RBE”) program.

        B.      Cable One, Inc. (FRN: 0003474327)

        Cable One is a publicly traded Delaware corporation with headquarters located at 210 E.

Earll Drive, Phoenix, Arizona 85012. Cable One and its affiliates provide video, Internet access,
                                                                                           5
and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) services in 21 states.                Cable One is
                                                                                     6
registered with the Commission as an interconnected VoIP service provider.

        Cable One VoIP LLC (“CO VoIP”) is a Delaware limited liability company, and is a

wholly owned subsidiary of Cable One. CO VoIP is registered with the Commission as an
                                                                                                     7
interconnected VoIP service provider, and offers interconnected VoIP services in Arizona.

        Telecommunications Management, LLC (“TM”) is a Missouri limited liability company,

and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cable One. TM is registered with the Commission as an




2
        IB File No. ITC-214-20021022-00509; FCC Filer ID 819867.
3
        https://www2.ntia.doc.gov/files/grantees/delta_communications.pdf.
4
       Rural Broadband Experiment Support Authorized for Ten Winning Bids for Skybeam, LLC, Consolidated
Communications Networks, Inc., Delta Communications LLC, and Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative, Inc., 30
FCC Rcd 8283 (2015).
5
        These states are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota,
Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.
6
        FCC Filer ID 825949.
7
        FCC Filer ID 830611.



                                                  3


interconnected VoIP service provider, and offers video, Internet access, and interconnected VoIP
                                                           8
services in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri.

        Ultra Communications Group, LLC (“Ultra”) is a Delaware limited liability company,

and is a wholly owned subsidiary of TM. Ultra is registered with the Commission as an

interconnected VoIP service provider, and offers video, Internet access, and interconnected VoIP
                                                      9
services in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

        Avenue Broadband Communications LLC (“Avenue”) is a Delaware limited liability

company, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of TM. Avenue offers video and Internet access

services in Illinois and Indiana.

III.    DESCRIPTION OF THE TRANSACTION

        On November 9, 2018, Cable One, Clearwave, CABO Broadband, LLC (“Merger
       10
Sub”), and SCP Clearwave LLC (solely in its capacity as the Representative) entered into an

Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Agreement”). Pursuant to the Agreement, Merger Sub will

merge with and into Clearwave, with Clearwave continuing as the surviving entity and becoming

a wholly owned subsidiary of Cable One. As a result of the Agreement, Cable One will acquire

one-hundred percent (100%) ownership and control of Clearwave.                     For the Commission’s

convenience, pre- and post-Transaction corporate organizational charts depicting the entities

involved in the transfer of control are provided as Exhibit B. Consummation of the Transaction

is contingent upon, among other things, receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.




8
        FCC Filer ID 832703.
9
        FCC Filer ID 829833.
10
         Cable One formed Merger Sub for the sole purpose of merging it with and into Clearwave for purposes of
the Transaction.



                                                  4


       The proposed Transaction does            not involve the assignment       of Clearwave’s

telecommunications authorizations or its customers.     All current customers of Clearwave will

continue to be served by Clearwave pursuant to its existing authorizations, and Clearwave

customers will continue to receive their existing services at the same or similar rates, terms and

conditions without any immediate changes. The proposed Transaction will be transparent to the

customers of Clearwave. Clearwave’s existing customers will continue to receive service under

the “Clearwave” name, and all billing and correspondence will continue to reflect the

“Clearwave” name for the immediate future. Accordingly, customer notice is not required under

Section 64.1120(e) of the Commission’s rules because there will be no change in service

provider from the customer’s perspective.

IV.    PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

       The proposed Transaction furthers the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

Approval of the Transaction will advance economic efficiency by enabling Cable One and

Clearwave to expand their business and achieve economies of scale. These benefits are expected

to increase the Applicants’ ability to expand their offerings and services to a broader customer

base. The Transaction will enable the Applicants to strengthen their competitive position to the

benefit of consumers and the communications marketplace.

       In addition, the Transaction will be conducted in a manner that will be transparent to

current customers of Clearwave. Clearwave’s customers will continue to receive the same

services they currently receive without any immediate changes to the service offerings, rates, or

terms and conditions.

       Further, the Transaction does not implicate the prohibition set forth in 47 U.S.C. § 572,

which prohibits a cable operator from acquiring more than a ten percent (10%) interest in any

local exchange carrier providing telephone exchange service within the cable operator’s


                                            5


franchise area. The Commission has determined this statutory provision should be applied to a

cable operator’s purchase of an incumbent local exchange carrier (“ILEC”) only,11 and

Clearwave is not an ILEC. None of the entities to the Transaction, or their affiliates, are ILECs

or are classified as dominant with respect to any service.

        Finally, the proposed Transaction does not present any anticompetitive issues. After

consummation of the Transaction, Clearwave’s total share of the interstate interexchange market

will be less than ten percent (10%).            In addition, there are many other interexchange and

international carriers operating on a nationwide basis.

V.      INFORMATION REQUIRED BY SECTION 63.24(e) OF THE COMMISSION’S
        RULES

        In support of this Application, the Applicants submit the following information pursuant

to Section 63.24(e) of the Commission’s rules, which is the information requested in paragraphs

(a)-(d) and (o)-(p) of Section 63.18 for both Applicants and the information requested in

paragraphs (h)-(n) of Section 63.18 for Cable One.

        (a)      Name, contact address, and telephone number.

                 Cable One, Inc.
                 210 E. Earll Drive
                 Phoenix, Arizona 85012
                 602-364-6000 (telephone)

                 Delta Communications, L.L.C. d/b/a Clearwave Communications
                 2 N. Vine Street
                 Harrisburg, Illinois 62946
                 618-294-8000 (telephone)

        (b)      Citizenship.

        Cable One is a Delaware corporation. Clearwave is an Illinois limited liability company.


11      Petition for Declaratory Ruling to Clarify 47 U.S.C. § 572 in the Context of Transactions between
Competitive Local Exchange Carriers and Cable Operators, 27 FCC Rcd 11532 (2012).



                                                    6


         (c)      Correspondence concerning this Application should be sent to (Answer to
                  IBFS Main Form Question 10):

     Delta Communications, L.L.C. d/b/a                      Cable One, Inc.
     Clearwave Communications

     Allison D. Rule                                         Chérie R. Kiser
     Marashlian & Donahue, PLLC                              Angela F. Collins
     The CommLaw Group                                       Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
     1420 Spring Hill Road                                   1990 K Street, NW, Suite 950
     Suite 401                                               Washington, DC 20006
     McLean, VA 22102                                        202-862-8900 (telephone)
     703-714-1312 (telephone)                                ckiser@cahill.com
     adr@commlawgroup.com                                    acollins@cahill.com

         (d)      International Section 214 Authorizations (Answer to IBFS Main Form
                  Question 10).

         As stated above, Cable One and its affiliates are registered as interconnected VoIP

service providers, and do not hold any international Section 214 authority. Clearwave holds

blanket domestic Section 214 authority and global Section 214 authority to provide international
                                      12
facilities-based and resale services.

         (h)      Ten Percent Greater Interest Holders/Interlocking Directorates (Answer to
                  IBFS Main Form Question 11 and Question 12).

         After consummation of the Transaction, the following entities and individuals will hold a ten

percent (10%) or greater direct or indirect ownership interest in Clearwave:

         "     Cable One, Inc., a publicly traded Delaware corporation (NYSE: CABO), will hold
               100% of the membership interests of Clearwave. The address for Cable One is 210
               E. Earll Drive, Phoenix, Arizona 85012.

         "     As of March 16, 2018, to Cable One’s knowledge, the following stockholders
               beneficially owned a ten percent (10%) or greater share of Cable One’s outstanding
               common stock:

                  o T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (“T. Rowe”), a Maryland corporation,
                    beneficially owned 13.7% of Cable One’s outstanding common stock. T.
                    Rowe is a subsidiary of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., a publicly traded
12
         IB File No. ITC-214-20021022-00509; FCC Filer ID 819867.



                                                 7


                   Maryland corporation. The address for T. Rowe and T. Rowe Price Group,
                   Inc. is 100 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. No person or entity
                   holds ten percent (10%) or greater interest in T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

               o Donald E. Graham, a U.S. citizen, beneficially owned 13.2% of Cable One’s
                 outstanding common stock. The address for Mr. Graham is 1300 North 17th
                 Street, Arlington, Virginia 22209.

               o Daniel L. Mosley, a U.S. citizen and Trustee of various trusts, had shared
                 voting and investment power with respect to 11.6% of Cable One’s
                 outstanding common stock. The address for Mr. Mosely is 825 Eighth
                 Avenue, New York, New York 10019.

       Other than as set forth in this Application, to Cable One’s knowledge, no other entity or

individual will own a ten percent (10%) or greater direct or indirect equity or voting interest in

Cable One or Clearwave after consummation of the Transaction.

       No officer or director of Cable One is also an officer or director of any foreign carrier.

Cable One does not have any interlocking directorates with a foreign carrier, nor will Cable One

have any such directorates after consummation of the Transaction.

       Other than as stated in this Application, Cable One does not hold interests in other

telecommunications-related entities, and to Cable One’s knowledge, Mr. Graham does not hold

interests in other telecommunications-related entities. T. Rowe and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

may hold interests in other telecommunications-related entities in their role as investment

advisors. Mr. Mosely may hold interests in other telecommunications-related entities in his role

as Trustee for various trusts.

       (i)     Foreign Carrier Affiliation Certification (Answer to IBFS Main Form
               Questions 14-17).

       Cable One certifies that it is not a foreign carrier, it is not affiliated with a foreign carrier,

and it will not become affiliated with a foreign carrier as a result of this Transaction.




                                               8


          (j)    Foreign Carrier and Destination Countries (Answer to IBFS Main Form
                 Questions 14-17).

          Cable One certifies that, upon consummation of the Transaction, Clearwave will not

provide international telecommunications services to any destination country in which: (1)

Cable One or Clearwave is a foreign carrier in the destination market; (2) Cable One or

Clearwave controls a foreign carrier in the destination market; (3) any entity that owns more than

twenty-five percent (25%) of Cable One or Clearwave, or that controls Cable One or Clearwave,

controls a foreign carrier in that country; and (4) two or more foreign carriers (or parties that

control foreign carriers) own, in the aggregate, more than twenty-five percent (25%) of Cable

One or Clearwave and are parties to, or the beneficiaries of, a contractual relationship affecting

the provision or marketing of international basic telecommunications services in the United

States.

          (k)    WTO Membership of Destination Countries (Answer to IBFS Main Form
                 Questions 14-17).

          Not applicable.

          (l)    International Telecommunications Services (Answer to IBFS Main Form
                 Questions 14-17).

          Cable One and Clearwave will not resell the international switched services of an

unaffiliated U.S. carrier for the purpose of providing international telecommunications services

to a country where they are foreign carriers or are affiliated with a foreign carrier.

          (m)    Non-dominant Regulatory Classification (Answer to IBFS Main Form
                 Questions 14-17).

          Not applicable.




                                              9


       (n)     Special Concessions Certification (Answer to IBFS Main Form Question 21).

       Cable One and Clearwave have not agreed to accept special concessions directly or

indirectly from any foreign carrier with respect to any U.S. international route where the foreign

carrier possesses sufficient market power on the foreign end of the route to adversely affect

competition in the U.S. market, and will not enter into such agreements in the future.

       (o)     Federal Benefits/Anti-Drug Act of 1988 Certification (Answer to IBFS Main
               Form Question 25).

       The Applicants certify, pursuant to Sections 1.2001 through 1.2003 of the Commission’s

rules, that they are not subject to a denial of federal benefits pursuant to Section 5301 of the

Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, 21 U.S.C. § 862.

       (p)     Eligibility for Streamlined Processing (Answer to IBFS Main Form Question
               20).

       The Applicants request streamlined processing of this Application pursuant to

Section 63.12 of the Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. § 63.12, for the reasons set forth above.

VI.    INFORMATION REQUIRED BY SECTION 63.04(b) OF THE COMMISSION’S
       RULES FOR TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF ASSETS

       The additional information required by Section 63.04(b) of the Commission’s rules is

provided in Exhibit A.




                                            10


       WHEREFORE, for the forgoing reasons, the Applicants respectfully request that the

Commission act expeditiously to approve the Transaction.

                                                  Respectfully submitted,

DELTA COMMUNICATIONS, L.L.C.                      CABLE ONE, INC.


/s/ Matthew Dement                                /s/ Steven S. Cochran
Matthew Dement                                    Steven S. Cochran
President and Chief Executive Officer             Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Delta Communications, L.L.C.                       Officer
2 N. Vine Street                                  Cable One, Inc.
Harrisburg, Illinois 62946                        210 E. Earll Drive
                                                  Phoenix, Arizona 85012

Allison D. Rule                                   Chérie R. Kiser
Marashlian & Donahue, PLLC                        Angela F. Collins
The CommLaw Group                                 Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
1420 Spring Hill Road                             1990 K Street, N.W., Suite 950
Suite 401                                         Washington, D.C. 20006
McLean, VA 22102                                  202-862-8900 (telephone)
703-714-1312 (telephone)                          ckiser@cahill.com
adr@commlawgroup.com                              acollins@cahill.com

Its Attorneys                                     Its Attorneys



Dated: November 12, 2018




                                          11


                                              Exhibit A

                          INFORMATION REQUIRED BY 63.04(b)

       In accordance with the requirements of Section 63.04(b) of the Commission’s rules, the

Applicants provide the following information:

63.04(a)(6):   Description of the Transaction

       The Transaction is described in Section III of the Application.

63.04(a)(7):   Description of Geographic Service Area and Services in Each Area

       A description of the geographic service areas and services provided in each area is

described in Section II of the Application.

63.04(a)(8):   Presumption of Non-Dominance and Qualification for Streamlining

       This Application is eligible for streamlined processing pursuant to Section 63.03(b)(2) of

the Commission’s rules because: (1) the Transaction will result in the Applicants having a

market share in the interstate interexchange market of less than ten percent (10%); (2) Clearwave

will provide competitive telephone exchange services or exchange access services exclusively in

geographic areas served by a dominant local exchange carrier that is not a party to the

transaction; and (3) neither the Applicants nor any of their affiliates are regulated as dominant

with respect to any service.

63.04(a)(9):   Other Pending Commission Applications Concerning the Proposed
               Transaction

       None.

63.04(a)(10): Special Considerations

       None.

63.04(a)(11): Waiver Requests (If Any)

       None.


                                                 1


63.04(a)(12): Public Interest Statement

       The Transaction is in the public interest for the reasons detailed in Section IV of the

Application.




                                              2


                  Exhibit B

Pre- and Post-Transaction Organizational Charts


           CABLE ONE, INC. PRE-TRANSACTION



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      DELTA COMMUNICATIONS, L.L.C. PRE-TRANSACTION




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                         POST-TRANSACTION



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STATE OF ILLINOIS




                                                  con can uon
                                                                 88:
COUNTY OF SALINE


                                           VERIFICATION

        I, Matt Dement, state that I am the President & Chief Executive Officer of Delta

Communications, LLC d/b/a Clearwave Communications (the "Company"); that I am authorized

to make this Verification on behalf of the Company; that I have read the foregoing document;

and that any statements in the foregoing document with respect to the Company, except as

otherwise specifically attributed, are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information,

and belief.




                                                   Am. Dan
                                                   Matt Dement
                                                   President & Chief Executive Officer
                                                   Delta Communications, LLC d/b/a Clearwave
                                                                Communications



                                             MA
Sworn and subscribed before me this        g      day of November 2018.


           QFFICIAL SEAL
            LISA E. BERRY_
       Notary Public, State of lllinois            Notary Public           _     C   _J——
      My Commission Expires 11—03—2020

My commission expires           _ / / ~ 3 17/26\0(/(}


STATE OF ARIZONA
                                                    ss:
COUNTY OF MARICOPA


                                       VERIFICATION

       I, Steven S. Cochran, state that I am the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial


Officer of Cable One, Inc. (the "Company"); that I am authorized to make this Verification on


behalf of the Company and its affiliates; that I have read the foregoing document; and that any


statements in the foregoing document with respect to the Company and its affiliates, except as


otherwise specifically attributed, are tme and correct to the best of my knowledge, information,


and belief.




                                            Steven S. Cochran
                                            Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                                            Cable One, Inc.




Sworn and subscribed before me this i '=z1May of November 2018.

                                              M
                                            Notary Public

                                                              MARIANNE KUROSKI
                            i'o-^-g^i                         Notary PuMfc.State of Arizona
My commission expires                                           MARICOPA COUNTY
                                                              My Commission Expires
                                                                October 04, 2021



Document Created: 2018-11-12 16:40:00
Document Modified: 2018-11-12 16:40:00

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