ATN International, Inc.

At the federal level in the United States, we are regulated in large part by the FCC. Our operations in the United States are subject to the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, including the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (“Communications Act”), and the FCC’s implementing regulations.

The FCC provides regulations that impose certain disclosures, operational measures, and regulatory payment obligations applicable to both our fixed and wireless services. To date, that includes, but is not limited to:

The FCC generally exercises jurisdiction over the interstate and international fixed wireline telecommunications services that we provide as a regulated common carrier. The Communications Act and regulations promulgated thereunder require, among other things, that we offer regulated interstate telecommunications common carrier services at just, reasonable, and non-discriminatory rates and terms. The Communications Act also requires us to offer competing carriers interconnection and non-discriminatory access to certain facilities and services designated as essential for local competition.

We are subject to competitive market forces, as well as rate-of-return regulation for intrastate services that originate and terminate in Alaska and the US Virgin Islands and price-cap rate regulation for interstate services in Alaska and the US Virgin Islands regulated by the FCC. Because we face competition, we may not be able to charge the maximum permitted rates under price-cap regulation or realize the authorized intrastate rate of return. A broader range of data and information services are offered by our unregulated affiliates or as unregulated services by our regulated companies.

Wireless Services

The FCC regulates, among other things, the licensed and unlicensed use of radio spectrum; the ownership, lease, transfer of control, and assignment of wireless licenses; the ongoing technical, operational, and service requirements applicable to such licenses; the timing, nature, and scope of network construction; the provision of certain services, such as enhanced 911 (“E-911”); and the interconnection of communications networks in the United States. Although some of these regulations apply to both our services to retail customers and our wholesale services to wireless carriers, many apply only to our retail services. As we reduce the markets in which we provide retail wireless services, the significance to our business of regulatory obligations applicable only to our retail services will diminish.

Spectrum Licenses. We provide our wireless services pursuant to various commercial mobile radio services (“CMRS”) licenses issued by the FCC. Some of these licenses are site-based while others cover specified geographic market areas. The specific radio frequencies, the authorized spectrum amounts, and certain of the technical and service rules vary depending on the licensed service. In addition to CMRS licenses, our wireless business relies on common carrier and non-common carrier fixed point-to-point microwave licenses issued by the FCC. Most of our license grants are for a period of ten years and are renewable upon application to the FCC. The FCC conditions some spectrum licenses on the satisfaction of certain obligations to construct networks covering a specified geographic area or population by specific dates. We are substantially in compliance with the applicable construction requirements that have arisen for the licenses we currently hold and at this time, do not expect to be in violation of future construction requirements.

Public Interest and Safety Obligations. The Communications Act and the FCC’s rules impose additional requirements upon wireless service providers. The radio systems towers that we own and lease are subject to Federal Aviation Administration and FCC regulations that govern the location, marking, lighting, and construction of towers and are subject to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and other environmental statutes enforced by the FCC. In addition, the FCC has also adopted guidelines and methods for evaluating human exposure to emissions of radiofrequency radiation from radio equipment.

The FCC has adopted requirements for CMRS providers to promote access toreliable 911, hearing aid compatible devices, emergency alerting, and first responder communications. For example, wireless providers are obligated to transmit all 911 calls to an appropriate PSAP based on geographic data generated by increasingly accurate location information technologies mandated by the FCC. The FCC also has adopted obligations on wireless providers related to network reliability and resiliency and disaster management. To our knowledge, we comply with the foregoing obligations currently applicable to our operations, and we devote resources necessary to meet these obligations and maintain network services.

Universal Service Support and Contributions

In general, all telecommunications providers are obligated to contribute to the Universal Service Fund (“USF”), which is used to promote the availability of qualifying telecommunications and broadband service to low-income households, households located in rural and high-cost areas, and to schools, libraries, and rural health care providers. We contribute to the USF and also receive various forms of USF support. We are subject to audit by the Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) with respect to our federal contributions and our receipts of universal service funding. To our knowledge, we comply in all material respects with applicable federal and state USF assessment and support requirements.

*USF High-Cost Support.*The FCC’s high-cost USF (or alternatives to former high-cost USF) mechanisms promote the deployment and operation of voice and broadband networks in areas where high costs would otherwise undermine the availability of service to consumers, including in rural, insular, and remote areas. High-cost support mechanisms generally include explicit conditions to deploy broadband to new locations and provide service meeting specified standards.

We receive several forms of high-cost support, including but not limited to, as follows:

annual awards to other providers and returned $0.3 million of the annual awards to the FCC;

As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance in all material respects with our deployment and service requirements associated with such funding. If we fail to meet these obligations or require substantial additional capital expenditures to meet the obligations in a timely manner, our revenue, results of operations and liquidity may be materially adversely impacted.

Rural Health Care Universal Service Support Program. The FCC’s Rural Health Care Universal Service Support Mechanism (“RHC program”) provides funding to help make broadband telecommunications and Internet access services provided by us and other service providers affordable for eligible rural health care providers.

Subsidies for Low-Income Customers. The FCC’s Lifeline support mechanism provides a subsidy to eligible low-income consumers against the cost of voice services, as well as broadband in CAF II locations. In addition, from January 1, 2022, to June 1, 2024, the FCC administered the Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”), which provided eligible low-income consumers and students with a monthly subsidy for the purchase of broadband Internet access service from service providers that elected to participate in the program, which we did.

E-Rate. We have provided telecommunications services, broadband internet access services, and internal connections supported by the FCC’s Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism (“E-rate”) for many years. E-rate support provides an invaluable means by which elementary and secondary schools can afford those services, particularly in rural and remote, high-cost areas. Historically, E-rate has primarily supported services that connect eligible school buildings. To our knowledge, we comply with applicable E-Rate requirements.

In March 2025, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments about the constitutionality of the federal USF program. In July 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the statute creating the federal USF program constituted an unconstitutional delegation by Congress of its revenue-raising powers to the FCC and that the FCC’s further delegation of the administration of the fund to the Universal Service Administrative Company (a private company) was impermissible. Conversely, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Eleventh Circuit have upheld the constitutionality of the USF statute and the FCC’s administration of the USF program. The US Supreme Court is expected to render a decision regarding the constitutionality of USF in June or July 2025.

Video Services

Video services systems are regulated by the FCC under the Communications Act. We provide video services in the US Virgin Islands. The FCC regulates our programming selection through local broadcast TV station mandatory carriage obligations, constraints on our retransmission consent negotiations with local broadcast TV stations, and limited regulation of our carriage negotiations with cable programming networks. The FCC and federal laws also impose rules governing, among other things, leased cable set-top boxes, our ability to collect and disclose subscribers’ personally identifiable information, access to inside wiring in multiple dwelling units, cable pole attachments, customer service and technical standards, and disability access requirements. Failure to comply with these regulations could subject us to penalties. To our knowledge, we comply in all material respects with currently applicable FCC video services requirements.