SATS, §1A diff (2019 → 2020)

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition, results of operation, prospects or ability to fund a share or debt repurchase program, invest capital in or otherwise run our business, execute on our strategic plans or return capital to our shareholders could be materially and adversely affected. GENERAL RISKS AFFECTING OUR BUSINESS We may pursue acquisitions, dispositions, capital expenditures, the development, acquisition and launch of new satellites and other strategic transactions to complement or expand our business, which may not be successful and we may lose a portion or all of our investment in these acquisitions and transactions. Our future success may depend on the existence of, and our ability to capitalize on, opportunities to acquire or develop other businesses or technologies or partner with other companies that could complement, enhance or expand our current business, services or products or that may otherwise offer us growth opportunities. We may pursue investments, commercial alliances, partnerships, joint ventures, acquisitions, dispositions or other strategic initiatives and transactions or development activities, including, without limitation, the design, development, construction, acquisition and launch of new satellites, to complement or expand our business and satellite fleet. Any such acquisitions, dispositions, activities, transactions or investments that we are able to identify and complete which may become substantial over time, involve a high degree of risk, including, but not limited to, the following: • the risks associated with developing and constructing new satellites; • the diversion of our management’s attention from our existing business to integrate or divide the operations and personnel of the acquired, disposed or combined business, technology or joint venture and/or to engage in such investments, dispositions and/or other activities; • the ability and capacity of our management team to carry out all of our business plans, including with respect to our existing businesses and any businesses we acquire or embark on in the future; • possible adverse effects on our and our targets’ and partners’ business, financial condition or operating results during the integration process; • exposure to significant financial losses if the transactions, activities, investments, dispositions and/or the underlying ventures are not successful and/or we are unable to achieve the intended objectives of the transaction, disposition or investment; • the inability to obtain in the anticipated time frame, or at all, any regulatory approvals required to complete proposed acquisitions, dispositions, activities, transactions or investments; • the risks associated with complying with regulations applicable to the acquired or developed business or technologies which may cause us to incur substantial expenses; • the inability to realize anticipated benefits or synergies from acquisitions, dispositions, investments, alliances and/or the development and launch of new satellites; • the disruption of relationships with employees, vendors or customers; and • the risks associated with foreign and international operations and/or investments or dispositions. New investments, commercial alliances, partnerships, joint ventures, acquisitions, dispositions, development activities, including, without limitation, the design, development, construction and launch of new satellites and other strategic initiatives may require the commitment of significant capital that may otherwise be directed to investments in our existing businesses or be distributed to shareholders. Our strategic initiatives may not be successfully implemented, may not elicit the expected customer response in the market and may result in competitive reactions. We intend to continue to selectively explore opportunities to pursue investments, commercial alliances, partnerships, joint ventures, acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic initiatives and transactions, domestically and internationally, that we believe may allow us to increase our existing market share, increase our satellite capacity, expand into new markets, obtain new customers, broaden our portfolio of services, products and intellectual property, make our business more valuable, align us for future growth and expansion, maximize the return on our investments and strengthen our business and relationships with our customers. We may allocate significant resources for long-term initiatives that may not have a short or medium-term or any positive impact on our revenue, results of operations, or cash flow. The successful implementation of our strategic initiatives requires an investment of time, talent and money and is dependent upon a number of factors some of which are not within our control. Those factors include the ability to execute such initiatives in new and existing markets, the response of existing and potential new customers and the actions or reactions of competitors. If we fail to properly execute or deliver products or services that address customers’ expectations, it may have an adverse effect on our ability to retain and attract customers and may increase our costs and reduce our revenue. Similarly, competitive actions or reactions to our initiatives or advancements in technology or competitive products or services could impair our ability to execute those strategic initiatives or advancements. In addition, new strategic initiatives may face barriers to entering new or existing markets with established or new competitors. There can be no assurance that we will successfully implement these strategic initiatives or that, if successfully pursued, they will have the desired effect on our business or results of operations. The failure to adequately anticipate the need for satellite capacity or the inability to obtain satellite capacity for our Hughes segment could harm our results of operations. Our Hughes segment has made substantial contractual commitments for satellite capacity based on our existing customer contracts and backlog. If our existing customer contracts were to be terminated prior to their respective expiration dates, we may be committed to maintaining excess satellite capacity for which we will have insufficient revenue to cover our costs, which would have a negative impact on our margins and results of operations. Alternatively, we may not have sufficient satellite capacity available from our satellites or purchased from third parties to meet demand and we may not be able to quickly or easily adjust our capacity to changes in demand. At present, until the launch and operation of additional satellites, there is limited availability of capacity on the frequencies we use in North America, including within our own fleet of satellites, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to provide services to customers and grow our revenue and business. In addition, following the consolidation of the FSS industry, the main FSS providers in North America and a number of smaller regional providers own and operate the current satellites that are available for our capacity needs. The failure of any of these FSS providers to replace existing satellite assets at the end of their useful lives or a downturn in their industry as a whole could reduce the satellite capacity available to us. Our business and results of operations could be adversely affected if we are not able to renew our capacity leases at economically viable rates, or if capacity is not available due to problems experienced by these FSS providers. Our ability to provide additional capacity for subscriber growth in our North American consumer market could also be adversely affected by regulations and/or legislation in the U.S. that enable or propose to enable the use of a portion of the frequency bands, we currently use or in the future intend to use for satellite services, 5G mobile terrestrial services or other uses. These bands include the Ka-band, where we operate our broadband gateway earth stations and other bands in which we may operate in the future. Such regulation or legislation could limit our ability to use the Ka-band and/or other bands, limit our flexibility to change the way in which we use the Ka-band and/or adversely impact our ability to use additional bands in the future. Other countries in which we currently, or may in the future, operate are also considering regulations that could similarly limit access to the Ka-band or other frequency bands. We could face decreased demand and increased pricing pressure to our products and services due to competition. Our business operates in an intensely competitive, consumer- and enterprise-driven and rapidly changing environment and competes with a growing number of companies that provide products and services to consumer and enterprise customers. There can be no assurance that we will be able to effectively compete against our competitors due to their significant resources and operating history. Risks to our business from competition include, but are not limited to, the following: • In our consumer market, our Hughes segment faces competition primarily from DSL, fiber, fixed wireless and cable internet service providers. Also, other telecommunications, satellite and wireless broadband companies have launched or are planning the launch of consumer internet access services in competition with our service offerings in North, Central and South America. Some of these competitors offer consumer services and hardware at lower prices, higher speeds and/or higher capacity than ours. In addition, terrestrial alternatives do not require our external dish, which may limit customer acceptance of our products. Further, government funding for competing products and services may reduce the demand for our products and services. We may be unsuccessful in competing effectively against DSL, fiber, fixed wireless and cable internet service providers and other satellite broadband providers, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. • In our enterprise network communications market, our Hughes segment faces competition from providers of terrestrial-based networks, such as fiber, DSL, cable modem service, multiprotocol label switching and internet protocol-based virtual private networks, which may have advantages over satellite networks for certain customer applications. Although we also sell terrestrial services to this market, we may not be as cost competitive as other providers and it may become more difficult for us to compete. The network communications industry is characterized by competitive pressures to provide enhanced functionality for the same or lower price with each new generation of technology. Terrestrial-based networks are offered by telecommunications carriers and other large companies, many of which have substantially greater financial resources and greater name recognition than ours. As the prices of our products decrease, we will need to sell more products and/or reduce the per-unit costs to improve or maintain our results of operations. The costs of a satellite network may exceed those of a terrestrial-based network or other networks, especially in areas that have experienced significant DSL and cable internet build-out. It may become more difficult for us to compete with terrestrial and other providers as the number of these areas continues to increase and the cost of their network and hardware services continues to decline. Terrestrial networks also have a competitive edge over satellite networks because of lower latency for data transmission. • Our ESS segment competes against larger, well-established satellite service companies. Because the satellite services industry is relatively mature, our strategy depends largely on our ability to displace current incumbent providers, which often have the benefit of long-term contracts with customers. These long-term contracts and other factors result in relatively high costs for customers to change service providers, making it more difficult for us to displace customers from their current relationships with our competitors. In addition, the supply of satellite capacity available in the market has increased in recent years, which makes it more difficult for us to sell our services in certain markets and to price our capacity at acceptable levels. Competition may continue to cause downward pressure on prices and further reduce the utilization of our capacity, both of which could have an adverse effect on our financial performance. Our ESS segment also competes with both fiber optic cable and terrestrial delivery systems, which may have a cost advantage, particularly in point-to-point applications where such delivery systems have been installed, and with new delivery systems being developed, which may have lower latency and other advantages. We are dependent upon third-party providers for components, manufacturing, installation services and customer support services, and our results of operations may be materially adversely affected if any of these third-party providers fail to appropriately deliver the contracted goods or services. We are dependent upon third-party services and products provided to us, including the following: • Components. A limited number of suppliers manufacture, and in some cases a single supplier manufactures, some of the key components required to build our products. These key components may not be continually available and we may not be able to forecast our component requirements sufficiently in advance, which may have a detrimental effect on supply. If we are required to change suppliers for any reason, we would experience a delay in manufacturing our products if another supplier is not able to meet our requirements on a timely basis. In addition, if we are unable to obtain the necessary volumes of components on favorable terms or prices on a timely basis, we may be unable to produce our products at competitive prices and we may be unable to satisfy demand from our customers. Our reliance on a single or limited group of suppliers, particularly foreign suppliers, and our reliance on subcontractors, involves several risks. These risks include a potential inability to obtain an adequate supply of required components, reduced control over pricing, quality and timely delivery of these components, and the potential bankruptcy, lack of liquidity or operational failure of our suppliers. We do not generally maintain long-term agreements with any of our suppliers or subcontractors for our products. An inability to obtain adequate deliveries or any other circumstances requiring us to seek alternative sources of supply could affect our ability to ship our products on a timely basis, which could damage our relationships with current and prospective customers and harm our business, resulting in a loss of market share and reduced revenue and income. • Commodity Price Risk. Fluctuations in pricing of raw materials can affect our product costs. To the extent that component pricing does not decline or increases, whether due to inflation, increased demand, decreased supply, trade policies, tariffs or other factors, we may not be able to pass on the impact of increasing raw materials prices, component prices or labor and other costs, to our customers, and we may not be able to operate profitably. Such changes could have an adverse impact on our product costs. • Manufacturing. While we develop and manufacture prototypes for certain of our products, we use contract manufacturers to produce a significant portion of our hardware. If these contract manufacturers fail to provide products that meet our specifications in a timely manner, then our customer relationships and revenue may be harmed. • Installation and customer support services. Some of our products and services, such as our North American and international operations, utilize a network of third-party installers to deploy our hardware. In addition, a portion of our customer support and management is provided by third-party call centers. A decline in levels of service or attention to the needs of our customers could adversely affect our reputation, renewal rates and ability to win new business. • Other services. Some of our products rely on third parties to provide services necessary for the operation of functionalities of the products, such as third-party cloud computing services and satellite uplink hosting services. The failure of these services could disrupt the operation of certain functionalities of our products, which could harm our customer relationship and result in a loss of sales. In addition, if the agreements for the provision of these services are terminated or not renewed, we could face difficulties replacing these service providers, which would adversely affect our ability to obtain and retain customers and result in reduced revenue and income. Our foreign operations and investments expose us to risks and restrictions not present in our domestic operations. Our sales outside the U.S. accounted for 20.4%, 19.2% and 22.2% of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. We expect our foreign operations to represent a significant and growing portion of our business. Over the last 10 years, we sold products in over 100 countries and began offering broadband internet services to consumers in several Central and South American countries. Our foreign operations involve varying degrees of risk and uncertainties inherent in doing business abroad. Such risks include: • Complications in complying with restrictions on foreign ownership and investment and limitations on repatriation. We may not be permitted to own our operations in some countries and may have to enter into partnership or joint venture relationships. Many foreign legal regimes and/or our contractual arrangements restrict our repatriation of earnings to the U.S. from our subsidiaries and joint venture entities. Applicable law in such foreign countries may also limit our ability to distribute or access our assets or offer our products and services in certain circumstances. In such event, we will not have access to the cash flow and assets of our subsidiaries and joint ventures. • Difficulties in following a variety of laws and regulations related to foreign operations. Our international operations are subject to the laws and regulations of many different jurisdictions that may differ significantly from U.S. laws and regulations. For example, local privacy or intellectual property laws may hold us responsible for the data that is transmitted over our network by our customers. In addition, we are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions that generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments or giving or promising to give anything of value to foreign officials and other individuals for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or gaining a competitive advantage. Our policies mandate compliance with these laws. However, we operate in many parts of the world that have experienced corruption to some degree. Compliance with these laws may lead to increased operations costs or loss of business opportunities. Violations of these laws could result in fines or other penalties or sanctions, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow. • Restrictions on space station landing/terrestrial rights. Satellite market access and landing rights and terrestrial wireless rights are dependent on the national regulations established by foreign governments, including, but not limited to obtaining national authorizations or approvals and meeting other regulatory, coordination and registration requirements for satellites. Because regulatory schemes vary by country, we may be subject to laws or regulations in foreign countries of which we may not be aware. Non-compliance with these requirements may result in the loss of the authorizations and licenses to conduct business in these countries, as well as fines or other financial and non-financial penalties for non-compliance with regulations. If that were to be the case, we could be subject to sanctions, penalties and/or other actions by a foreign government that could materially and adversely affect our ability to operate in that country. There is no assurance that any current regulatory approvals held by us are, or will remain, sufficient in the view of foreign regulatory authorities, or that any additional necessary approvals will be granted on a timely basis or at all, in all jurisdictions in which we wish to operate new satellites, or that applicable restrictions in those jurisdictions will not be unduly burdensome. Violations of laws or regulations may result in various sanctions including fines, loss of authorizations and the denial of applications for new authorizations or for the renewal of existing authorizations, and the failure to obtain or comply with the authorizations and regulations governing our international operations could have a material adverse effect on our ability to generate revenue and our overall competitive position. • Financial and legal constraints and obligations. Operating pursuant to foreign licenses subjects us to certain financial constraints and obligations, including, but not limited to: (a) tax liabilities that may or may not be dependent on revenue; (b) the regulatory requirements associated with maintaining such licenses, which may change over time, are subject to interpretation by foreign courts and regulatory bodies, and may result in additional costs to operate and/or fines, sanctions and penalties being imposed on us or our subsidiaries if found to be violating the terms of such licenses, any or all of which could be material; (c) the burden of creating and maintaining additional entities, branches, facilities and/or staffing in foreign jurisdictions; and (d) legal regulations requiring that we make certain satellite capacity available for “free,” which may impact our revenue. In addition, if we need to pursue legal remedies against our customers or our business partners located outside of the U.S., it may be difficult for us to enforce our rights against them. • Compliance with applicable export control laws and regulations in the U.S. and other countries. We must comply with all applicable export control and trade sanctions laws and regulations of the U.S. and other countries. U.S. laws and regulations applicable to us include the Arms Export Control Act, ITAR, EAR and trade sanctions laws and regulations administered by OFAC. The export of certain hardware, technical data and services relating to satellites is regulated by BIS under EAR. Other items are controlled for export by the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls under ITAR. We cannot provide equipment or services to certain countries subject to U.S. trade sanctions unless we first obtain the necessary authorizations from OFAC. Violations of these laws or regulations could result in significant sanctions including fines, more onerous compliance requirements, debarments from export privileges, or loss of authorizations needed to conduct aspects of our international business. A violation of ITAR or other export or trade-related regulations could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. • Changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. We conduct our business and incur cost in the local currency of a number of the countries in which we operate. Accordingly, our applicable results of operations are reported in the relevant local currency and then translated to U.S. dollars at the applicable currency exchange rate for inclusion in our financial statements. In addition, we sell our products and services and acquire supplies and components from countries that historically have been, and may continue to be, susceptible to recessions, instability or currency devaluation. These fluctuations in currency exchange rates, recessions and currency devaluations have affected, and may in the future affect, revenue, profits and cash earned on international sales. • Greater exposure to the possibility of economic instability, the disruption of operations from labor and political disturbances, expropriation or war. As we conduct operations throughout the world, we could be subject to regional or national economic downturns or instability, acts of terrorism, labor or political disturbances or conflicts of various sizes, including wars. Any of these disruptions could detrimentally affect our sales in the affected region or country or lead to damage to, or expropriation of, our property or danger to our personnel. • Competition with large or state-owned enterprises and/or regulations that effectively limit our operations and favor local competitors. Many of the countries in which we conduct business have traditionally had state-owned or state-granted monopolies on telecommunications services that favor an incumbent service provider. We face competition from these favored and entrenched companies in countries that have not deregulated. The slower pace of deregulation in these countries, including in Asia, Latin America, Middle East, India, Africa and Eastern Europe, has adversely affected, and is likely to continue to adversely affect, the development and growth of our business in these regions. • Customer credit risks. Customer credit risks are exacerbated in foreign operations because there is often little information available about the credit histories of customers in certain of the foreign countries in which we operate. We may experience loss from some of our customer contracts. We provide access to our telecommunications networks to customers that use a variety of platforms such as satellite, wireless 4G, 5G, cable, fiber optic and DSL. These customer contracts may require us to provide services at a fixed price for the term of the contract. To facilitate the provision of this access, we may enter into contracts with terrestrial platform providers. Our agreements with these subcontractors may allow for prices to be changed during the term of the contracts. We assume greater financial risk on these customer contracts than on other types of contracts because if we do not estimate costs accurately and there is an increase in our subcontractors’ prices, our net profit may be significantly reduced or there may be a loss on the contracts. We may experience significant financial losses on our existing investments. We have entered into certain strategic transactions and investments. These investments involve a high degree of risk and could diminish our financial condition or our ability to fund a share or debt repurchase program, invest capital in our business or return capital to our shareholders. The overall sustained economic uncertainty, as well as financial, operational and other difficulties encountered by certain companies in which we have invested increases the risk that the actual amounts realized in the future on our debt and equity investments will differ significantly from the fair values currently assigned to them. In addition, the companies in which we invest or with whom we partner may not be able to compete or operate effectively or may experience bankruptcy or other liquidity or other financial stress or there may be insufficient demand for the services and products offered by these companies. These investments could also expose us to significant financial losses and may restrict our ability to make other investments or limit alternative uses of our capital resources. If our investments suffer losses, our financial condition could be materially adversely affected. We may not be able to generate cash to meet our debt service needs or fund our operations. As of December 31, 2019, our total indebtedness was $2.4 billion. Our ability to make payments on or to refinance our indebtedness and to fund our operations will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future, which is subject in part to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. We may need to raise additional capital in order to fund ongoing operations or to capitalize on business opportunities. We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow from operations and future borrowings or equity may not be available in amounts sufficient to enable us to service or repay our indebtedness or to fund our operations or other liquidity needs. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash, we may be forced to take actions such as revising or delaying our strategic plans, reducing or delaying capital expenditures and/or the development, design, acquisition and construction of new satellites, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing our debt or seeking additional equity capital. We may not be able to implement any of these actions on satisfactory terms, or at all. The indentures governing our indebtedness limit our ability to dispose of assets and use the proceeds from such dispositions. Therefore, we may not be able to consummate those dispositions on satisfactory terms, or at all, or to use those proceeds in a manner we may otherwise prefer. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 enacted in December 2017 (the “2017 Tax Act”) limits the deductibility of interest expense for U.S. federal income tax purposes. While the 2017 Tax Act has reduced our federal income tax obligations, if these limitations or other newly enacted provisions become applicable to us, they could minimize such reductions or otherwise require us to pay additional federal income taxes, which in turn could result in additional liquidity needs. In addition, conditions in the financial markets could make it difficult for us to access equity or debt markets at acceptable terms or at all. Instability or other conditions in the equity markets could make it difficult for us to raise equity financing without incurring substantial dilution to our existing shareholders. In addition, sustained or increased economic weaknesses or pressures or new economic conditions may limit our ability to generate sufficient internal cash to fund investments, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other strategic transactions and/or the development, design, acquisition and construction of new satellites. We cannot predict with any certainty whether or not we will be impacted by economic conditions. As a result, these conditions make it difficult for us to accurately forecast and plan future business activities because we may not have access to funding sources necessary for us to pursue organic and strategic business development opportunities. Covenants in our indentures restrict our business in many ways. The indentures governing the Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation (“HSS”) 7 5/8% Senior Notes due 2021, 5.250% Senior Secured Notes due August 1, 2026 and 6.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due August 1, 2026 contain various covenants, subject to certain exceptions, that limit HSS’ ability and/or certain of its subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: • incur additional debt; • pay dividends or make distributions on HSS’ capital stock or repurchase HSS’ capital stock; • make certain investments; • create liens or enter into sale and leaseback transactions; • enter into transactions with affiliates; • merge or consolidate with another company; • transfer and sell assets; and • allow to exist certain restrictions on its or their ability to pay dividends, make distributions, make other payments, or transfer assets. Failure to comply with these and certain other financial covenants, if not cured or waived, may result in an event of default under the indentures, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. If certain events of default occur and are continuing under the respective indenture, the trustee under that indenture or the requisite holders of the notes under that indenture may declare all such notes to be immediately due and payable and, in the case of the indenture governing our secured notes, could proceed against the collateral that secures the secured notes. If certain other events of default occur, the indentures will become immediately due and payable. Certain of our subsidiaries have pledged a significant portion of our assets as collateral to secure the 5.250% Senior Secured Notes due August 1, 2026. If we do not have enough cash to service our debt or fund other liquidity needs, we may be required to take actions such as requesting a waiver from the holders of the notes, reducing or delaying capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing all or part of the existing debt, or seeking additional equity capital. We cannot assure you that any of these remedies can be implemented on commercially reasonable terms or at all, which could result in the trustee declaring the notes to be immediately due and payable and/or foreclosing on the collateral. To the extent we have available satellite capacity in our ESS segment, our results of operations may be materially adversely affected if we are not able to provide satellite services on this capacity to third parties. While we are currently evaluating various opportunities to make profitable use of our available satellite capacity (including, but not limited to, supplying satellite capacity for new domestic and international ventures), there can be no assurance that we can successfully develop these business opportunities. If we are unable to utilize our available satellite capacity for providing satellite services to third parties our margins could be negatively impacted, and we may be required to record impairments related to our satellites. We rely on key personnel and the loss of their services may negatively affect our businesses. We believe that our future success depends to a significant extent upon the performance of Mr. Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman, and certain other key executives. The loss of Mr. Ergen or of certain other key executives, the ability to effectively provide for the succession of our senior management, or the ability of Mr. Ergen or such other key executives to devote sufficient time and effort to our business could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although some of our key executives may have agreements relating to their equity compensation that limit their ability to work for or consult with competitors, under certain circumstances, we generally do not have employment agreements with them. To the extent Mr. Ergen is performing services for both DISH Network and us, his attention may be diverted away from our business and therefore adversely affect our business. A natural disaster could diminish our ability to provide service to our customers. Natural disasters could damage or destroy our ground stations and/or our other or our vendors’ infrastructure, equipment and facilities, resulting in a disruption of service to our customers. We currently have backup systems and technology in place to safeguard our antennas and protect our ground stations during natural disasters such as tornadoes, but the possibility still exists that our ground facilities and/or our other and our vendors’ infrastructure, equipment and facilities could be impacted during a major natural disaster. If a future natural disaster impairs or destroys any of our ground facilities and/or our other and our vendors’ infrastructure, equipment and facilities, we may be unable to provide service to our customers in the affected area for a period of time which may adversely affect our business and results of operations. We may have additional tax liabilities and changes in tax laws or regulations may have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial condition or results of operations. We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgments are required in determining our provisions for income taxes. In the course of preparing our tax provisions and returns, we must make calculations where the ultimate tax determination may be uncertain. Our tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), state, and foreign tax authorities. There can be no assurance as to the outcome of these examinations. If the ultimate determination of taxes owed is for an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, our operating results, cash flows, and financial condition could be adversely affected. Additionally, new or modified income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could affect the tax treatment of our domestic and foreign earnings. Any new taxes could adversely affect our domestic and international business operations and our business and financial performance. Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us. Future tax legislation could have a material impact on the value of our deferred tax assets and could result in increases in our future U.S. tax expense. Furthermore, changes to the taxation of undistributed foreign earnings could change our future intentions regarding reinvestment of such earnings. The foregoing items could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial condition or results of operations. We earn a portion of our operating income from outside the U.S., and any repatriation of funds currently held in foreign jurisdictions may result in higher effective tax rates for us. In addition, changes to U.S. tax laws have significantly impacted how U.S. multinational corporations are taxed on foreign earnings. Numerous countries are evaluating their existing tax laws due in part, to recommendations made by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project. Although we cannot predict whether or in what form any legislation based on such proposals may be adopted by the countries in which we do business, future tax reform based on such proposals or otherwise may increase the amount of taxes we pay and adversely affect our operating results and cash flows. Developments with respect to trade policies, trade agreements, tariffs and related government regulations could continue to increase our costs and impact the supply of certain products we import, decrease demand for certain of our products and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We source certain parts, components and items used in our products from manufacturers located outside of the U.S. and we sell certain of our products to customers located outside of the U.S. Concerns have been raised about certain countries potentially engaging in unfair trade practices and, as a result, tariffs have been increased on certain goods imported into the U.S. from those countries, including China and other countries from which we import components or raw materials, and there is the possibility of additional tariff increases. The imposition of tariffs on imported products by the U.S. has triggered actions from certain foreign governments, specifically China, resulting in a “trade war”. This trade war has materially increased the cost of certain products we import, impacted the supply of such products, and may require us to change our manufacturers. Although, the U.S. and China have agreed to a temporary trade deal, a potential long-term trade deal remains subject to ongoing trade talks while many of the tariffs remain in place. The outcome of the trade war, and any other governmental action related to tariffs, government regulations, or international trade agreements or policies could exacerbate adverse impacts incurred thus far and/or decrease demand for certain of our products, any or all of which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. RISKS RELATED TO OUR SATELLITES Our owned and leased satellites in orbit are subject to significant operational and environmental risks that could limit our ability to utilize these satellites. Satellites are subject to significant operational risks while in orbit. These risks include malfunctions, commonly referred to as anomalies, which have occurred and may occur in the future in our satellites and the satellites of other operators as a result of various factors, such as satellite design and manufacturing defects, problems with the power systems or control systems of the satellites, general failures resulting from operating satellites in the harsh environment of space and cyber-attacks on our satellites. Although we work closely with the satellite manufacturers to determine and eliminate the cause of anomalies in new satellites and provide for redundancies of many critical components in the satellites, we may not be able to prevent anomalies or outages from occurring and may experience anomalies and outages in the future, whether of the types described above or arising from the failure of other systems or components. The failure to perform of any of our manufacturers which provide in-orbit anomaly support for our satellites could result in our inability to determine, eliminate or manage anomalies for our satellites. Even if alternate in-orbit anomaly support services are available, we may have difficulty identifying them in a timely manner or we may incur significant additional expense in changing suppliers. Space Systems/Loral (“SSL”), a subsidiary of Maxar Techonologies Inc. (“Maxar”), provides in-orbit anomaly support for several of our satellites. A decision by Maxar to discontinue, wind down or otherwise significantly modify its geostationary communications satellite business could have a material adverse impact on the operation of several of our satellites, including our ability to remedy any anomalies or outages. Any single anomaly or outage or series of anomalies or outages could materially and adversely affect our ability to utilize the satellite, our operations, services and revenue as well as our relationships with current customers and our ability to attract new customers. In particular, future anomalies or outages may result in, among other things, the loss of individual transponders/beams and/or functional solar array circuits on a satellite, a group of transponders/beams on that satellite or the entire satellite, depending on the nature of the anomaly or outage. Anomalies or outages may also reduce the expected capacity, commercial operation and/or useful life of a satellite, thereby reducing the revenue that could be generated by that satellite, or create additional expenses due to the need to provide replacement or back-up satellites or satellite capacity earlier than planned and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The loss of a satellite or other satellite malfunctions or anomalies or outages could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance, which we may not be able to mitigate by using available capacity on other satellites. There can be no assurance that we can recover critical transmission capacity in the event one or more of our in-orbit satellites were to fail. In addition, the loss of a satellite or other satellite malfunctions or anomalies or outages could affect our ability to comply with FCC and other regulatory obligations and our ability to fund the construction or acquisition of replacement satellites for our in-orbit fleet in a timely fashion, or at all. There can be no assurance that anomalies or outages will not impact the remaining useful life and/or the commercial operation of any of the satellites in our fleet. In addition, there can be no assurance that we can recover critical transmission capacity in the event one or more of our in-orbit satellites were to fail. Meteoroid events pose a potential threat to all in-orbit satellites. The probability that meteoroids will damage those satellites increases significantly when the Earth passes through the particulate stream left behind by comets. Occasionally, increased solar activity also poses a potential threat to all in-orbit satellites. Some decommissioned satellites are in uncontrolled orbits, which pass through the geostationary belt at various points and present hazards to operational satellites, including our satellites. We may be required to perform maneuvers to avoid collisions and these maneuvers may prove unsuccessful or could reduce the useful life of the satellite through the expenditure of fuel to perform these maneuvers. The loss, damage or destruction of any of our satellites as a result of an electrostatic storm, collision with space debris, malfunction or other event could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We generally do not carry in-orbit insurance on our satellites or payloads because we have assessed that the cost of insurance is not economical relative to the risk of failures. If one or more of our in-orbit uninsured satellites or payloads fail, we could be required to record significant impairment charges for the satellite or payload. Our satellites have minimum design lives of 15 years, but could fail or suffer reduced capacity before then. Generally, the minimum design life of each of our satellites is 15 years. We can provide no assurance, however, as to the actual operational lives of our satellites, which may be shorter or longer than their design lives. Our ability to earn revenue depends on the continued operation of our satellites, each of which has a limited useful life. Several factors affect the useful lives of the satellites, including, among other things, the quality of their design and construction, the durability of their component parts, the ability to continue to maintain proper orbit and control over the satellite’s functions, the efficiency of the launch vehicle used, and the remaining on-board fuel following orbit insertion. In addition, continued improvements in satellite technology may make obsolete our existing satellites, or any satellites we may acquire in the future, prior to the end of their design lives. In the event of a failure or loss of any of our satellites, we may relocate another satellite and use it as a replacement for the failed or lost satellite, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, such relocation would require governmental approval. We cannot be certain that we could obtain such governmental approval. In addition, we cannot guarantee that another satellite will be available for use as a replacement for a failed or lost satellite, or that such relocation can be accomplished without a substantial utilization of fuel. Any such utilization of fuel would reduce the operational life of the replacement satellite. Our satellites under construction are subject to risks related to construction, technology, regulations and launch that could limit our ability to utilize these satellites and adversely affect our business and financial condition. Satellite construction and launch are subject to significant risks, including delays, anomalies, launch failure and incorrect orbital placement. The technologies in our satellite designs are very complex and difficulties in constructing our designs could result in delays in the deployment of our satellites or increased or unanticipated costs. There also can be no assurance that the technologies in our existing satellites or in new satellites that we design, acquire and build will work as we expect and/or will not become obsolete, that we will realize any or all of the anticipated benefits of our satellite designs or our new satellites, or that we will obtain all regulatory approvals required to operate our new or acquired satellites. In addition, certain launch vehicles that may be used by us have either unproven track records or have experienced launch failures in the past. The risks of launch delay, launch anomalies and launch failure are usually greater when the launch vehicle does not have a track record of previous successful flights. Launch anomalies and failures can result in significant delays in the deployment of satellites because of the need both to construct replacement satellites, which can take significant amounts of time, and to obtain other launch opportunities. Such significant delays could materially and adversely affect our business, expenses and results of operations, our ability to meet regulatory or contractual required milestones, the availability and our use of other or replacement satellite resources and our ability to provide services to customers as capacity becomes full on existing satellites. In addition, significant delays in a satellite program could give customers who have purchased or reserved capacity on that satellite a right to terminate their service contracts relating to the satellite. We may not be able to accommodate affected customers on other satellites until a replacement satellite is available. A customer’s termination of its service contracts with us as a result of a launch delay or failure would reduce our contracted backlog and our ability to generate revenue. One of our potential launch services providers is a Russian Federation state-owned company. Certain ongoing political events have created uncertainty as to the stability of U.S. and Russian Federation relations. This could add to risks relative to scheduling uncertainties and timing. If a launch delay, anomaly or failure were to occur, it could result in the revocation of the applicable license to operate the satellite, undermine our ability to implement our business strategy or develop or pursue existing or future business opportunities with applicable licenses and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, expenses, assets, revenue, results of operations and ability to fund future satellite procurement and launch opportunities. Historically, we have not always carried launch insurance for the launch of our satellites and the occurrence of launch anomalies and failures, whether on our satellites or those of others, may significantly reduce our ability to place launch insurance for our satellites or make launch insurance uneconomical. Our use of certain satellites is often dependent on satellite coordination agreements, which may be difficult to obtain. Satellite transmissions and the use of frequencies often are dependent on coordination with other satellite systems and telecommunications providers operated by U.S. or foreign entities, including governments, and it can be difficult to determine the outcome of these coordination agreements with these other entities and governments. The impact of a coordination agreement may result in the loss of rights to the use of certain frequencies or access to certain markets. The significance of such a loss would vary and it can therefore be difficult to determine which portion of our revenue will be impacted. In the event the international coordination process that is triggered by ITU filings under applicable rules is not successfully completed, or that the requests for modification of the broadcast satellite services plan regarding the allocation of orbital locations and frequencies are not granted by the ITU, we will have to operate the applicable satellite(s) on a non-interference basis, which could have an adverse impact on our business operations. If we cannot do so, we may have to cease operating such satellite(s) at the affected orbital locations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial position. Furthermore, the satellite coordination process is conducted under the guidance of the ITU radio regulations and the national regulations of the satellites involved in the coordination process. These rules and regulations could be amended and could therefore materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may face interference from other services sharing satellite spectrum. The FCC and other regulators have adopted rules or may adopt rules in the future that allow non-geostationary orbit satellite services and/or fixed and mobile terrestrial systems to operate on a co-primary basis in the same frequency band as MSS and FSS. In addition, the FCC and other regulators may make changes that could affect the use of spectrum for MSS and FSS. Despite regulatory provisions designed to protect MSS and FSS operations from harmful interference, there can be no assurance that operations by other satellites or terrestrial communication services in the MSS and FSS bands will not interfere with our MSS and FSS operations and adversely affect our business. Our dependence on outside contractors could result in delays related to the design, manufacture and launch of our new satellites, which could in turn adversely affect our operating results. There are a limited number of manufacturers that are able to design and build satellites according to the technical specifications and standards of quality we require, including Airbus Defence and Space, Boeing Satellite Systems, Lockheed Martin, SSL and Thales Alenia Space. There are also a limited number of launch service providers that are able to launch such satellites, including International Launch Services, Arianespace, Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services and Space Exploration. The failure to perform of any of our manufacturers or launch service providers could increase the cost and result in the delay of the design, construction or launch of our satellites. Even if alternate suppliers for such services are available, we may have difficulty identifying them in a timely manner or we may incur significant additional expense in changing suppliers, and this could result in difficulties or delays in the design, construction or launch of our satellites. For example, if SSL, the manufacturer of our EchoStar XXIV satellite, or any potential successor fails to meet or is delayed in meeting its contractual obligations regarding the timely manufacture and delivery of the satellite for any reason, including if Maxar decides to discontinue, wind down or otherwise significantly modify its geostationary communications satellite business, such failure could have a material adverse effect on completing the manufacture of the EchoStar XXIV satellite and, like any other delays in the design, construction or launch of our other satellites, could have a material adverse impact on our business operations, future revenues, financial position and prospects. RISKS RELATED TO OUR PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY If we are unable to properly respond to technological changes, our business could be significantly harmed. Our business and the markets in which we operate are characterized by rapid technological changes, evolving industry standards and frequent product and service introductions and enhancements. If we or our suppliers are unable to properly respond to or keep pace with technological developments, fail to develop new technologies, or if our competitors obtain or develop proprietary technologies that are perceived by the market as being superior to ours, our existing products and services may become obsolete and demand for our products and services may decline. Even if we keep up with technological innovation, we may not meet the demands of the markets we serve. Furthermore, after we have incurred substantial research and development costs, one or more of the technologies under our development, or under development by one or more of our strategic partners, could become obsolete prior to its introduction. If we are unable to respond to or keep pace with technological advances on a cost-effective and timely basis, or if our products, applications or services are not accepted by the market, then our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Our response to technological developments depends, to a significant degree, on the work of technically skilled employees. Competition for the services of such employees has become more intense as demand for these types of employees grows. We compete with other companies for these employees and although we strive to attract and retain these employees, we may not succeed in these respects. Additionally, if we were to lose certain key technically skilled employees, the loss of knowledge and intellectual capital might have an adverse impact on business, financial condition and results of operations. We have made and will continue to make significant investments in research, development, and marketing for new products, services, satellites and related technologies, as well as entry into new business areas. Investments in new technologies, satellites and business areas are inherently speculative and commercial success thereof depends on numerous factors including innovativeness, quality of service and support, and effectiveness of sales and marketing. We may not achieve revenue or profitability from such investments for a number of years, if at all. Moreover, even if such products, services, satellites, technologies and business areas become profitable, their operating margins may be minimal. Our future growth depends on growing demand for advanced technologies. Future demand and effective delivery for our products will depend significantly on the growing demand for advanced technologies, such as broadband internet connectivity. If the deployment of, or demand for, advanced technologies is not as widespread or as rapid as we or our customers expect, our revenue growth will be negatively impacted. Our business depends on certain intellectual property rights and on not infringing the intellectual property rights of others. The loss of our intellectual property rights or our infringement of the intellectual property rights of others could have a significant adverse impact on our business. We rely on our patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, as well as licenses and other agreements with our vendors and other parties, to use our technologies, conduct our operations and sell our products and services. Legal challenges to our intellectual property rights and claims by third parties of intellectual property infringement could require that we enter into royalty or licensing agreements on unfavorable terms, incur substantial monetary liability or be enjoined preliminarily or permanently from further use of the intellectual property in question or from the continuation of our businesses as currently conducted or as we plan to conduct it, which could require us to change our business practices or limit our ability to compete effectively or could otherwise have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Even if any such challenges or claims prove to be without merit, they can be time-consuming and costly to defend and may divert management’s attention and resources away from our business. Moreover, due to the rapid pace of technological change, we rely in part on technologies developed or licensed by third parties, and if we are unable to obtain or continue to obtain licenses or other required intellectual property rights from these third parties on reasonable terms, our business, financial position and results of operations could be adversely affected. Technology licensed from third parties or developed by us may have undetected errors that impair the functionality or prevent the successful integration of our products or services. As a result of any such changes or loss, we may need to incur additional development costs to ensure continued performance of our products or suffer delays until replacement technology, if available, can be obtained and integrated. In addition, we work with third parties such as vendors, contractors and suppliers for the development and manufacture of components that are integrated into our products and our products may contain technologies provided to us by these third parties. We may have little or no ability to determine in advance whether any such technology infringes the intellectual property rights of others, or whether such vendors have obtained or continue to obtain the appropriate licenses or other intellectual property rights to use such technology. Our vendors, contractors and suppliers may not be required to indemnify us in the event that a claim of infringement is asserted against us, or they may be required to indemnify us only up to a maximum amount, above which we would be responsible for any further costs or damages. Legal challenges to these intellectual property rights may impair our ability to use the products and technologies that we need in order to operate our business and may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We are, and may become, party to various lawsuits which, if adversely decided, could have a significant adverse impact on our business, particularly lawsuits regarding intellectual property. We are, and may become, subject to various legal proceedings and claims, which arise both in and out of the ordinary course of our business. Many entities, including some of our competitors, have or may in the future obtain patents and other intellectual property rights that cover or affect products or services related to those that we offer. In general, if a court determines that one or more of our products or services infringes valid intellectual property rights held by others, we may be required to cease developing or marketing those products or services, to obtain licenses from the holders of the intellectual property at a material cost, to pay damages or to redesign those products or services in such a way as to avoid infringement. If those intellectual property rights are held by a competitor, we may be unable to license the necessary intellectual property rights at any price, which could adversely affect our competitive position. We may not be aware of all patents and other intellectual property rights that our products and services may potentially infringe. In addition, patent applications in the U.S. and foreign countries are confidential until the appropriate patent governing body either publishes the application or issues a patent (whichever arises first) and, accordingly, our products may infringe claims contained in pending patent applications of which we are not aware. Further, the process of determining definitively whether a patent claim is valid and whether a particular product infringes a valid patent claim often involves expensive and protracted litigation, even if we are ultimately successful on the merits. We cannot estimate the extent to which we may be required in the future to obtain licenses with respect to intellectual property rights held by others and the availability and cost of any such licenses. Those costs, and their impact on our results of operations, could be material. Damages in patent infringement cases can be substantial, and in certain circumstances, can be trebled. To the extent that we are required to pay unanticipated royalties to third parties, these increased costs of doing business could negatively affect our liquidity and operating results. We from time to time may defend patent infringement actions and may from time to time assert our own actions against parties we suspect of infringing our patents and trademarks. We cannot be certain the courts will conclude these companies do not own the rights they claim, that these rights are not valid, or that our products and services do not infringe on these rights. We also cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain licenses from these persons on commercially reasonable terms or, if we were unable to obtain such licenses, that we would be able to redesign our products and services to avoid infringement. The legal costs associated with defending patent suits and pursuing patent claims against others may be borne by us if we are not awarded reimbursement through the legal process. See further discussion under Item 1. Business - Patents and Trademarks and Item 3. Legal Proceedings of this Form 10-K. Litigation or governmental proceedings could result in material adverse consequences, including judgments or settlements. We are involved in lawsuits, regulatory inquiries, audits, consumer claims and governmental and other legal proceedings arising from of our business, including new products and services that we may offer. Some of these proceedings may raise difficult and complicated factual and legal issues and can be subject to uncertainties and complexities. The timing of the final resolutions to lawsuits, regulatory inquiries, audits, and governmental and other legal proceedings is typically uncertain. Additionally, the possible outcomes of, or resolutions to, these proceedings could include adverse judgments, settlements, injunctions or liabilities, any of which could require substantial payments or have other adverse impacts on our revenue, results of operations or cash flow. If the encryption and related security technology used in our products is compromised, sales of our products may decline. Our customers use encryption and related security technology obtained from us or our suppliers in the products that they purchase from us to protect their data and products from unauthorized access to the features or functionalities of such products. Such encryption and related security technology has been compromised in the past and may be compromised in the future even though we continue to respond with significant investment in security measures, such as updates in security software, that are intended to make data theft more difficult. It has been our prior experience that security measures may only be effective for short periods of time or not at all. We cannot ensure that we will be successful in reducing or controlling theft of our customers’ data. As a result, sales of our products may decline, our reputation and customer relationship could be damaged and we may incur additional costs or financial liability in the future if security of our customers’ system is compromised. We may be exposed to financial and reputational damage to our business by cybersecurity incidents. We and third parties with whom we work face a constantly developing landscape of cybersecurity threats in which hackers and other parties use a complex assortment of techniques and methods to execute cyber-attacks, including but not limited to the use of stolen access credentials, social engineering, malware, ransomware, phishing, insider threats (which may be malicious or erroneous), structured query language injection attacks and distributed denial-of-service attacks. Cybersecurity incidents such as these have increased significantly in quantity and severity and are expected to continue to increase. Additionally, the risk of cyber-attacks and compromises will likely increase as we continue to expand our business into other areas of the world outside of North America, some of which are still developing their cybersecurity infrastructure maturity. Should we be affected by a material cyber-related incident, we may incur substantial costs and suffer other negative consequences, which may include: • significant remediation costs, such as liability for stolen assets or information, repairs of system damage and/or incentives to customers or business partners in an effort to maintain relationships after an attack; • significant increased cybersecurity protection costs, which may include the costs of making organizational changes, deploying additional personnel and protection technologies, training employees and engaging third party experts and consultants; • material increased liability due to financial or other harm inflicted on our partners; • loss of material revenues resulting from attacks on our satellites or technology, the unauthorized use of proprietary information or the failure to retain or attract customers following an attack; • significant litigation and legal risks, including regulatory actions by state, federal and international regulators; and • loss of or damage to reputation. Our business is subject to varying degrees of regulation that include programs designed to review our protections against cybersecurity threats and risks. If it is determined that our systems do not reasonably protect our partners’ assets and data and/or that we have violated these regulations, we could be subject to enforcement activity and sanctions. We regularly review and revise our internal cybersecurity policies and procedures, invest in and maintain internal and external cybersecurity teams and systems and software to detect, deter, prevent and/or mitigate cyber-attacks and review, modify and supplement our defenses through the use of various services, programs and outside vendors. It is impossible, however, for us to know when or if any particular cyber-attack may arise or the impact on our business and operations of any such incident. We expect to continue to incur increasing costs in preparing our infrastructure and maintaining it to resist any such attacks. There can be no assurance that we can successfully detect, deter, prevent or mitigate the effects of cyber-attacks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, costs, operations, prospects, results of operation or financial position. Furthermore, the amount and scope of insurance that we maintain against losses resulting from these events may not be sufficient to compensate us adequately for any disruptions to our business or otherwise cover our losses, including reputational harm and negative publicity as well as any litigation liability. Compliance with data privacy laws may be costly, and non-compliance with such laws may result in significant liability. The personal information and data that we process and store is increasingly subject to the data security and data privacy laws of many jurisdictions. These laws may conflict with one another, and many of them are subject to frequent modification and differing interpretations. The laws impose a significant compliance burden and complying with them has required us to change our business practices or the functionality of our products and services. Although we have made efforts to design our policies, procedures, and systems to comply with the current requirements of applicable state, federal, and foreign laws, changes to applicable laws and regulations and the implementation of new laws and regulations in this area could subject us to additional regulation and oversight, any of which could significantly increase our operating costs, restrict our business operations and result in changes that are adverse to our customers. In addition, violations of these laws can result in significant fines, penalties, claims by regulators or other third parties, and damage to our brand and business. If our products contain defects, we could be subject to significant costs to correct such defects and our product and network service contracts could be delayed or cancelled, which could adversely affect our revenue. The products and the networks we deploy are highly complex, and some may contain defects when first introduced or when new versions or enhancements are released, despite testing and our quality control procedures. For example, our products may contain software “bugs” that can unexpectedly interfere with their operation. Defects may also occur in components and products that we purchase from third parties. In addition, many of our products and network services are designed to interface with our customers’ existing networks, each of which has different specifications and utilize multiple protocol standards. Our products and services must interoperate with the other products and services within our customers’ networks, as well as with future products and services that might be added to these networks, to meet our customers’ requirements. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix all defects in the products and networks we sell. The occurrence of any defects, errors or failures in our products or network services could result in (i) additional costs to correct such defects; (ii) cancellation of orders and lost revenue; (iii) a reduction in revenue backlog; (iv) product returns or recalls; (v) diversion of our resources; (vi) the issuance of credits to customers and other losses to us, our customers or end-users; (vii) liability for harm to persons and property caused by defects in or failures of our products or services; and (viii) harm to our reputation if we fail to detect or effectively address such issues through design, testing or warranty repairs. Any of these occurrences could also result in the loss of or delay in market acceptance of our products and services and loss of sales, which would harm our reputation and our business and materially adversely affect our revenue and profitability. RISKS RELATED TO THE REGULATION OF OUR BUSINESS Our business is subject to risks of adverse government regulation. Our business is subject to varying degrees of regulation in the U.S. by the FCC, and other federal, state and local entities, and in foreign countries by similar entities and internationally by the ITU. These regulations are subject to the administrative and political process and do change, for political and other reasons, from time to time and may limit or constrain and/or have other adverse effects on and implications for our business and operations. The U.S. and foreign countries in which we currently, or may in the future, operate may not authorize us access to all of the spectrum that we need to provide service in a particular country. Moreover, the U.S. and a substantial number of foreign countries in which we have, or may in the future make, an investment, regulate, in varying degrees, the ownership of satellites and other telecommunication facilities/networks and foreign investment in telecommunications companies. Violations of laws or regulations may result in various sanctions including fines, loss of authorizations and the denial of applications for new authorizations or for the renewal of existing authorizations. Further material changes in law and regulatory requirements may also occur, and there can be no assurance that our business and the business of our subsidiaries and affiliates will not be adversely affected by future legislation, new regulation or deregulation. The failure to obtain or comply with the authorizations and regulations governing our operations could have a material adverse effect on our ability to generate revenue or pursue our business strategies and our overall competitive position and could result in our suffering serious harm to our reputation. Our business depends on regulatory authorizations issued by the FCC and state and foreign regulators that can expire, be revoked or modified, and applications for licenses and other authorizations that may not be granted. Generally all satellite, earth stations and other licenses granted by the FCC and most other countries are subject to expiration unless renewed by the regulatory agency. Our satellite licenses are currently set to expire at various times. In addition, we occasionally receive special temporary authorizations that are granted for limited periods of time (e.g., 180 days or less) and subject to possible renewal. Generally, our licenses and special temporary authorizations have been renewed on a routine basis, but there can be no assurance that this will continue. In addition, we must obtain new licenses from the FCC and other countries’ regulators for the operation of new satellites that we may build and/or acquire. There can be no assurance that the FCC or other regulators will continue granting applications for new licenses or for the renewal of existing ones. If the FCC or other regulators were to cancel, revoke, suspend, or fail to renew any of our licenses or authorizations, fail to grant or impose conditions on our applications for FCC or other licenses, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Specifically, loss of a frequency authorization or limitations on our ability to use the frequencies we currently use and/or intend to use in the future would reduce the amount of spectrum available to us, potentially reducing the amount of services we provide to our customers. The significance of such a loss of authorizations would vary based upon, among other things, the orbital location, the frequency band and the availability of replacement spectrum. In addition, the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government and foreign governments often consider legislation and regulatory requirements that could affect us, as could the actions that the FCC and foreign regulatory bodies take. We cannot predict the outcomes of these legislative or regulatory proceedings or their effect on our business. In addition, third parties have or may oppose some of our license applications and pending and future requests for extensions, modifications, waivers and approvals of our licenses. Even if we have fully complied with all of the required reporting, filing and other requirements in connection with our authorizations, it is possible a regulator could decline to grant certain of our applications or requests for authority, or could revoke, terminate, condition or decline to modify, extend or renew certain of our authorizations or licenses. Further, we rely on subcontractors to provide us with certain goods and services that may require their compliance with our licenses and other authorizations. In the event that their provision of these goods and services are not in compliance with such licenses and other authorizations, we may be subject to fines or other penalties and/or the applicable regulator may cancel, revoke, suspend, or fail to renew any of our licenses or authorizations. We may face difficulties in accurately assessing and collecting contributions towards the USF. Because our customer contracts often include both telecommunications services, which create obligations to contribute to the USF, and other goods and services, which do not, it can be difficult to determine what portion of our revenue forms the basis for our required contribution to the USF and the amount that we can recover from our customers. If the FCC, which oversees the USF, or a court or other governmental entity were to determine that we computed our USF contribution obligation incorrectly or passed the wrong amount onto our customers, we could become subject to additional assessments, liabilities, or other financial penalties. In addition, the FCC is considering substantial changes to its USF contribution and distribution rules. These changes could impact our future contribution obligations and those of third parties that provide communication services to our business. Any such change to the USF contribution rules could adversely affect our costs of providing service to our customers. In addition, changes to the USF distribution rules could intensify the competition we face by offering subsidies to competing firms and/or technologies. Restrictions on immigration or increased enforcement of immigration laws could limit our access to qualified and skilled professionals, increase our cost of doing business or otherwise disrupt our operations. The success of our business is dependent on our ability to recruit engineers and other professionals. Immigration laws in the U.S. and other countries in which we operate are subject to legislative changes, as well as variations in the standards of application and enforcement due to political forces and economic conditions. It is difficult to predict the political and economic events that could affect immigration laws, or the restrictive impact they could have on obtaining or renewing work visas for our professionals. If immigration laws are changed or if new more restrictive government regulations are enacted or increased, our access to qualified and skilled professionals may be limited, the costs of doing business may increase and our operations may be disrupted. RISKS RELATING TO THE BSS TRANSACTION Certain of our directors and executive officers have interests in the BSS Transaction that may be different from, or in addition to, those of our other stockholders. Certain of our directors and executive officers have interests in the BSS Transaction that may be different from, or in addition to, the interests of our stockholders generally. Our directors and executive officers who own shares of our common stock participated in the Distribution and the Merger on the same terms as our other stockholders. Additionally, Mr. Ergen, director and Chairman of both us and DISH, serves as a director and executive officer of BSS Corp. following the consummation of the BSS Transaction. The EchoStar parties that approved the BSS Transaction, as described below, were aware of and considered these interests, among other things, in deciding to approve the terms of the Master Transaction Agreement and the BSS Transaction. The BSS Transaction was approved, in accordance with our longstanding related party transaction policy, by (i) our independent management, (ii) our non-interlocking directors (i.e., directors who are not also directors or employees of DISH Network), with our director, Mr. R. Stanton Dodge, recusing himself to avoid the appearance of any potential conflict resulting from his prior employment with DISH Network and our director, Mr. Anthony M. Federico, recusing himself to avoid the appearance of any potential conflict resulting from his service on DISH’s special litigation committee, (iii) our audit committee, with Mr. Federico recusing himself and, after all such approvals were obtained (iv) our board of directors, with, our chairman, Mr. Ergen, recusing himself. Applicable portions of the BSS Transaction were also approved by HSS’ board of directors. If the Distribution and the Merger do not qualify as a tax-free distribution and merger under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), then we and/or our stockholders may be required to pay substantial U.S. federal income taxes and under certain circumstances we may have indemnification obligations to DISH Network. The parties to the BSS Transaction received a tax opinion from their respective counsels as to the tax-free nature of the transactions. They did not obtain a private letter ruling from the IRS with respect to the Distribution and the Merger and instead are relying solely on their respective tax opinions for comfort that the Distribution and the Merger qualify for tax-free treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the Code. The tax opinions were based on, among other things, certain undertakings made by us and DISH Network, as well as certain representations and assumptions as to factual matters made by us, DISH Network, and Mr. and Mrs. Ergen. The failure of any factual representation or assumption to be true, correct and complete, or any undertaking to be fully complied with, could affect the validity of the tax opinions. An opinion of counsel represents counsel’s best legal judgment, is not binding on the IRS or the courts, and the IRS or the courts may not agree with the conclusions set forth in the tax opinions. In addition, the tax opinions were based on then-current law, and cannot be relied upon if current law changes with retroactive effect. If the Distribution does not qualify as a tax-free distribution under Section 355 of the Code, then the Distribution would be taxable to our stockholders, we would recognize a substantial gain on the Distribution, we and our stockholders could incur significant U.S. federal income tax liabilities, and we could be required to indemnify DISH Network for the tax on such gain if the failure of the Distribution to so qualify is the result of certain actions or misrepresentations by us, but we will not be required to indemnify any of our stockholders. In the event we are required to indemnify DISH Network for taxes incurred in connection with the BSS Transaction, the indemnification obligation could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results or operations and cash flow. Even if the Distribution otherwise qualifies as a tax-free distribution, the Distribution would be taxable to us (but not to our stockholders) pursuant to Section 355(e) of the Code if one or more persons acquire a 50% or greater interest (measured by vote or value) in our or BSS Corp.’s stock, directly or indirectly (including through acquisitions of the BSS Common Stock or DISH Common Stock after the completion of the BSS Transaction), as part of a plan or series of related transactions that includes the Distribution. If there is a change of control of DISH Network or BSS Corp. after the completion of the BSS Transaction or a transfer of stock or assets of DISH Network or BSS Corp. that results in the Distribution being taxable to us under Section 355(e) of the Code, DISH Network would be required to indemnify us (but not our stockholders) for such taxes only if DISH Network took an action or knowingly facilitated, consented to or assisted with an action by a DISH shareholder that caused the Distribution to fail to qualify as a tax-free distribution. If the Merger were taxable, our stockholders would be considered to have made a taxable sale of their BSS Common Stock to DISH Network and, consequently, our stockholders would recognize taxable gain or loss on their receipt of DISH Common Stock in the Merger. In addition, the Merger being taxable could cause the Distribution to fail to qualify as a tax-free distribution. A putative class action lawsuit relating to the BSS Transaction has been filed against us, DISH Network, Mr. Ergen and certain of our officers and other lawsuits related to the BSS Transaction may be filed against us, DISH Network and other persons which could result in substantial costs. On July 2, 2019, a complaint was filed by purported EchoStar stockholders. See Note 20 in our Accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for more information about litigation related to the BSS Transaction that has been commenced prior to the date of this report. There can be no assurance that additional complaints will not be filed with respect to the BSS Transaction. Even if this lawsuit and any others that may be filed are without merit, defending against these claims can result in substantial costs and divert management time and resources. An adverse judgment could result in monetary damages, which could have a negative impact on our liquidity and financial condition. Our ability to operate and control our satellites is subject to risks related to DISH Network’s operation of the BSS Business. In connection with the BSS Transaction, we transferred our satellite operation centers, which are used to monitor and control our satellites, to DISH Network. DISH Network may not be able to successfully or profitably operate, maintain and manage the BSS Business and its employees, including the operations and employees of the satellite operations centers. DISH Network may not be able to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies or comply with regulations with respect to the satellite operations centers, and this may lead to operational failures or inefficiencies. A failure or inefficiency at any of the satellite operations centers could cause a significant loss of service for our customers or might cause the transmission of incorrect commands to the affected satellite(s), which could lead to a temporary or permanent degradation in satellite performance or to the loss of one or more of our satellites. Any such failure could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We may be more susceptible to adverse events as a result of the BSS Transaction. We have divested the BSS Business and our business will be subject to increased concentration of risks that affect our retained businesses. We are now a smaller, less diversified and more narrowly focused business, which makes us more vulnerable to changing market and economic conditions. Operating as a smaller entity may reduce or eliminate some of the benefits and synergies which previously existed across our business platforms, including our operating diversity, purchasing and borrowing leverage, available capital, and relationships and opportunities to pursue integrated strategies within our businesses and attract, retain and motivate key employees. In addition, as a smaller company, our ability to absorb costs may be negatively impacted, including the significant cost of the BSS Transaction and/or litigations or other adverse rulings or proceedings, and we may be unable to obtain financing, goods or services at prices or on terms as favorable as those obtained prior to the BSS Transaction. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, business prospects and the trading price of our common stock. We might not be able to engage in certain strategic transactions because we have agreed to certain restrictions to comply with U.S. federal income tax requirements for a tax-free spin-off. To preserve the intended tax treatment of the Distribution, we have agreed to comply with certain restrictions under current U.S. federal income tax laws for spin-offs, including: (i) refraining from engaging in certain transactions that would result in a fifty percent or greater change by vote or by value in our stock ownership; (ii) continuing to own and manage our historic business; and (iii) limiting sales or redemptions of our common stock. These restrictions could result in our inability to respond effectively to competitive pressures, industry developments and future opportunities, prevent us from pursuing otherwise attractive business opportunities and/or harm our business, financial results and operations. If these restrictions, among others, are not followed, the Distribution could be taxable to us and possibly our stockholders. In addition, we could be required to indemnify DISH Network for any tax liability incurred by DISH Network as a result of our non-compliance with these restrictions, and such indemnity obligations could be substantial. OTHER RISKS We are controlled by one principal stockholder who is our Chairman. Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman, beneficially owns approximately 51% of our total equity securities (assuming conversion of only the Class B common stock beneficially owned by Mr. Ergen into Class A common stock and giving effect to the exercise of options held by Mr. Ergen that are either currently exercisable as of, or may become exercisable within 60 days after, February 10, 2020) and beneficially owns approximately 91% of the total voting power of all classes of shares (assuming no conversion of any Class B common stock and giving effect to the exercise of options held by Mr. Ergen that are either currently exercisable as of, or may become exercisable within 60 days after, February 10, 2020). Through his beneficial ownership of our equity securities, Mr. Ergen has the ability to elect a majority of our directors and to control all other matters requiring the approval of our stockholders. As a result of Mr. Ergen’s voting power, we are a “controlled company” as defined in the NASDAQ listing rules and, therefore, are not subject to NASDAQ requirements that would otherwise require us to have (i) a majority of independent directors; (ii) a nominating committee composed solely of independent directors; (iii) compensation of our executive officers determined by a majority of the independent directors or a compensation committee composed solely of independent directors; (iv) a compensation committee charter which provides the compensation committee with the authority and funding to retain compensation consultants and other advisors; and/or (v) director nominees selected, or recommended for the Board’s selection, either by a majority of the independent directors or a nominating committee composed solely of independent directors. We have potential conflicts of interest with DISH Network due to our common ownership. Questions relating to conflicts of interest may arise between DISH Network and us in a number of areas relating to our past and ongoing relationships. Areas in which conflicts of interest between DISH Network and us could arise include, but are not limited to, the following: • Cross directorships and stock ownership. Charles W. Ergen serves as the Chairman of our and DISH’s board of directors, is employed by both companies and has fiduciary duties to our and DISH’s shareholders. Mr. Ergen may have actual or apparent conflicts of interest with respect to matters involving or affecting each company. For example, there is potential for a conflict of interest when we or DISH Network look at acquisitions and other corporate opportunities that may be suitable for both companies. In addition, some of our directors and officers, including Mr. Ergen, own DISH stock and options to purchase DISH stock, certain of which they acquired or were granted prior to our spin-off from DISH in 2008 (the “Spin-off”). These ownership interests could create actual, apparent or potential conflicts of interest when these individuals are faced with decisions that could have different implications for our company and DISH Network. • Intercompany agreements with DISH Network. We have entered into various agreements with DISH Network. Pursuant to certain agreements, we obtain certain products, services and rights from DISH Network; DISH Network obtains certain products, services and rights from us; and we and DISH Network indemnify each other against certain liabilities arising from our respective businesses. Generally, the amounts paid for products and services provided under the agreements are based on cost plus a fixed margin, which varies depending on the nature of the products and services provided. Certain other intercompany agreements cover matters such as tax sharing and our responsibility for certain liabilities previously undertaken by DISH Network for certain of our businesses. We have also entered into certain commercial agreements with DISH Network. The terms of certain of these agreements were established while we were a wholly-owned subsidiary of DISH and were not the result of arm’s length negotiations. The allocation of assets, liabilities, rights, indemnifications and other obligations between DISH Network and us under certain agreements we have entered into with DISH Network may not necessarily reflect what two unaffiliated parties might have agreed to. Had these agreements been negotiated with unaffiliated third parties, their terms may have been more or less favorable to us. In addition, DISH Network or its affiliates will likely continue to enter into transactions, including joint ventures, acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic initiatives and transactions, with us or other affiliates. Although the terms of any such transactions will be established based upon negotiations between us and DISH Network and, when appropriate, subject to approval by a committee of non-interlocking directors or in certain instances non-interlocking management, there can be no assurance that the terms of any such transactions will be as favorable to us or our subsidiaries or affiliates as may otherwise be obtained in negotiations between unaffiliated third parties. • Competition for business opportunities. DISH Network may have interests in various companies that have subsidiaries or controlled affiliates that own or operate domestic or foreign services that may compete with services offered by our businesses. DISH Network also has a distribution agreement with ViaSat, a competitor of our Hughes segment, to sell services similar to those offered by our Hughes segment. We may also compete with DISH Network when we participate in auctions for spectrum or orbital slots for our satellites or other business opportunities. We may not be able to resolve any potential conflicts of interest with DISH Network and, even if we do so, the resolution may be less favorable to us than if we were dealing with an unaffiliated party. We do not have any agreements not to compete with DISH Network. However, many of our potential customers who compete with DISH Network have historically perceived us as a competitor due to our affiliation with DISH Network. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in entering into any commercial relationships with potential customers who are competitors of DISH Network (particularly if we continue to be perceived as affiliated with DISH Network as a result of common ownership, certain shared management services and other arrangements with DISH Network). It may be difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so may be beneficial to our shareholders, because of our capital structure and certain provisions of the BSS Transaction. Certain provisions of our articles of incorporation and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company that a shareholder may consider favorable. These provisions include the following: • a capital structure with multiple classes of common stock: a Class A that entitles the holders to one vote per share; a Class B that entitles the holders to ten votes per share; a Class C that entitles the holders to one vote per share, except upon a change in control of our company in which case the holders of Class C are entitled to ten votes per share; and a non-voting Class D; • a provision that authorizes the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock, which could be issued by our board of directors to increase the number of outstanding shares and thwart a takeover attempt; • a provision limiting who may call special meetings of shareholders; and • a provision establishing advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by shareholders at shareholder meetings. As discussed above, Mr. Ergen beneficially owns approximately 51% of our total equity securities and approximately 91% of the total voting power of all classes of shares and such ownership may make it impractical for any third party to obtain control of us. In addition, pursuant to our articles of incorporation we have a significant amount of authorized and unissued stock that would allow our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, thereby protecting the continuity of management, or which could be used to dilute the stock ownership of persons seeking to obtain control of us. Additionally, in order to preserve the intended tax treatment of the Distribution, we have agreed to comply with certain restrictions under current U.S. federal income tax laws for spin-offs, including, refraining from engaging in certain transactions that would result in a fifty percent or greater change by vote or by value in our stock ownership. This restriction could discourage third parties from seeking to acquire us. Our articles of incorporation designate the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County of the State of Nevada as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents. Our articles of incorporation provide that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County of the State of Nevada will be the sole and exclusive forum for any and all actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, administrative or investigative or that asserts any claim or counterclaim brought in our name or on our behalf, asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders, arising or asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Nevada Restated Statutes Chapters 78 or 92A, our articles of incorporation or our bylaws, interpreting, applying, enforcing or determining the validity of our articles of incorporation or bylaws or asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this provision of our articles of incorporation. This choice of forum provision may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring certain claims, including claims against our directors, officers or employees, in a judicial forum that the stockholder finds favorable and therefore the choice of forum provision may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. Stockholders who do bring a claim in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near Nevada. The Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to us than to our stockholders. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our articles of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. We may face other risks described from time to time in periodic and current reports we file with the SEC. ITEM 1B.