Windstream 2013 Annual Report Download - page 108

10
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
We claim the protection of the safe-harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995 for this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties that could cause actual future
events and results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include,
but are not limited to, statements about our expectation to maintain our current dividend practice at the current rate of dividend,
expected levels of support from universal service funds or other government programs, expected rates of loss of voice lines or
intercarrier compensation, expected increases in business data connections, our expected ability to fund operations, expected required
contributions to our pension plan, capital expenditures, cash income tax payments, and certain debt maturities from cash flows from
operations, expected synergies and other benefits from completed acquisitions, expected effective federal income tax rates, the
amounts expected to be received from the Rural Utilities Service to fund a portion of our broadband stimulus projects and the
expected benefit of those projects, and forecasted capital expenditure amounts. These and other forward-looking statements are based
on estimates, projections, beliefs, and assumptions that we believe are reasonable but are not guarantees of future events and results.
Our actual future events and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements as a result of a
number of important factors.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in our forward looking statements include, among
others:
• further adverse changes in economic conditions in the markets;
• the extent, timing and overall effects of competition in the communications business;
• the impact of new, emerging or competing technologies;
• for certain operations where we lease facilities from other carriers, adverse effects on the availability, quality of service and
price of facilities and services provided by other carriers on which our services depend;
• the uncertainty regarding the implementation of the Federal Communications Commission's ("FCC") rules on intercarrier
compensation adopted in 2011, and the potential for the adoption of further rules by the FCC or Congress on intercarrier
compensation and/or universal service reform proposals that result in a significant loss of revenue to us;
• unfavorable rulings by state public service commissions in proceedings regarding universal service funds, inter-carrier
compensation or other matters that could reduce revenues or increase expenses;
• material changes in the communications industry that could adversely affect vendor relationships with equipment and
network suppliers and customer relationships with wholesale customers;
• earnings on pension plan investments significantly below our expected long term rate of return for plan assets or a significant
change in the discount rate;
• unfavorable results of litigation or intellectual property infringement claims asserted against us;
• our ability to continue to pay dividends, which may be affected by changes in our cash requirements, capital spending plan,
cash tax payment obligations, or financial position, and which is subject to our capital allocation policy and may be changed
at any time at the discretion of our board of directors;
• unanticipated increases or other changes in our future cash requirements, whether caused by unanticipated increases in capital
expenditures, increases in pension funding requirements, or otherwise;
• the availability and cost of financing in the corporate debt markets;
• the potential for adverse changes in the ratings given to our debt securities by nationally accredited ratings organizations;
• the risks associated with non-compliance with regulations or statutes applicable to government programs under which we
receive material amounts of end user revenue and subsidies or non-compliance by us, our partners, or our subcontractors with
any terms of our government contracts;
• the risks associated with the integration of acquired businesses or the ability to realize anticipated synergies, cost savings and
growth opportunities;