7. Notes Payable

2023 Term Notes

On May 4, 2023 (the “Closing Date”), Tucows Inc. through its indirect and wholly owned subsidiaries, including Ting Fiber, LLC entered into a definitive agreement relating to a securitized financing facility related to a privately placed securitization transaction. On the Closing Date, Ting Issuer LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Issuer”), a limited purpose, bankruptcy-remote, indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company issued (i) $168,357,000 of its 5.95% Secured Fiber Revenue Notes, Series 2023-1, Class A-2, (ii) $23,289,000 of its 7.40% Secured Fiber Revenue Notes, Series 2023-1, Class B and (iii) $46,859,000 initial principal amount of 9.95% Secured Fiber Revenue Notes, Series 2023-1, Class C, together, the “2023 Term Notes”. The offering was exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2023 Term Notes were $220.5 million, after deducting a debt discount of $11.2 million and issuance costs of $6.7 million.

The debt discount and issuance costs of the 2023 Term Notes are being amortized using the straight-line method over a five-year period between the Closing Date and the anticipated repayment date.

The 2023 Term Notes are issued under an indenture, dated May 4, 2023 (the “Base Indenture”) between the Issuer and Citibank, N.A., as trustee (the “Indenture Trustee”) as supplemented by the Series 2023-1 supplemental indenture dated May 4, 2023, (the “Series 2023-1 Supplement” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), between the Issuer and the Trustee. Interest payments on the 2023 Term Notes are payable on a monthly basis. The legal final maturity date of the 2023 Term Notes is in April of 2053, but, unless earlier prepaid to the extent permitted under the Indenture, the anticipated repayment date of the 2023 Term Notes will be in April 2028. If the Issuer has not repaid or refinanced the 2023 Term Notes prior to the anticipated repayment date, additional interest will accrue on the 2023 Term Notes in an amount equal to the greater of (A) 5.00% per annum and (B) a per annum interest rate equal to the excess, if any, by which the sum of the following exceeds the original interest rate of such 2023 Term Note (i) the yield to maturity (adjusted to a “mortgage equivalent basis” pursuant to the standards and practices of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association) on such anticipated repayment date of the United States Treasury Security having a term closest to 10 years, plus (ii) 5.00%, plus (iii) (x) for the 2023 Class A-2 Notes, 3.50%, (y) for the 2023 Class B Notes, 5.00% and (z) for the 2023 Class C Notes, 7.82%.

2024 Term Notes 

On  August 20, 2024, Tucows Inc., through its indirect and wholly owned subsidiaries, including Ting Fiber, LLC, entered into a definitive agreement relating to a securitized financing facility related to a privately placed securitization transaction. On August 20, 2024, Ting Issuer LLC, the Issuer, a limited purpose, bankruptcy-remote, indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, issued: (i) $55,000,000 of its 5.63% Secured Fiber Revenue Notes, Series 2024-1, Class A-2 (the “2024 Class A-2 Notes”), (ii) $8,000,000 of its 6.85% Secured Fiber Revenue Notes, Series 2024-1, Class B (the “2024 Class B Notes”), and (iii) $16,000,000 initial principal amount of 9.15% Secured Fiber Revenue Notes, Series 2024-1, (the “Class C Notes” together with the 2024 Class A-2 Notes and the 2024 Class B Notes, the “2024 Term Notes”). The Tranche C notes were not sold in this transaction, and they remain available for future sale depending on market conditions. The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2024 Term Notes were $61.0 million, after deducting a debt discount of NIL and issuance costs of $2.0 million.

The 2024 Term Notes were issued under the Base Indenture (the “Base Indenture”) dated May 4, 2023, and the related Series 2024-1 Supplement (the “Series 2024-1 Supplement”), dated August 20, 2024, by and between the Issuer, the asset parties thereto, and Citibank, N.A., as trustee (in such capacity, the “Indenture Trustee”) and securities intermediary. The Base Indenture and the Series 2024-1 Supplement allow the Issuer to issue additional series of notes in the future, subject to certain conditions set forth therein. Interest payments on the 2024 Term Notes are payable on a monthly basis. The legal final maturity date of the 2024 Term Notes is in August of 2054, but, unless earlier prepaid to the extent permitted under the Indenture, the anticipated repayment date of the 2024 Term Notes will be in August 2029. 

The debt discount and issuance costs of the 2024 Term Notes are being amortized using the straight-line method over a five-year period between August 20, 2024 and the anticipated repayment date.

The 2023 Term Notes and 2024 Term Notes are secured by certain of the Company’s revenue-generating assets, consisting principally of fiber-network related agreements, fiber-network assets and customer contracts (collectively, the “Securitized Assets”) that are owned by certain other limited-purpose, bankruptcy-remote, wholly owned indirect subsidiaries of the Company that act as the guarantors (collectively with the Issuer, the “Obligor”) under the Base Indenture. The 2023 Term Notes and 2024 Term Notes are subject to a series of covenants, restrictions and other investor protections including (i) that the Issuer maintains specified reserve accounts to be used to make required payments in respect of the 2023 Term Notes and 2024 Term Notes, (ii) provisions relating to optional and mandatory prepayments and the related payment of specified amounts, (iii) certain indemnification payments, (iv) the guarantors comply with standard bankruptcy-remoteness covenants, including not guaranteeing or being liable for other affiliates debts or liabilities, and (v) covenants relating to recordkeeping, access to information, and similar matters.

As of March 31, 2025, the Company was in compliance with all required covenants. As of March 31, 2025, the Company’s scheduled principal repayments for the 2023 Term Notes of $238.5 million is due on April 2028 and 2024 Term Notes of $63.0 million is due on August 2029.

During the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, the Company recognized $1.0 million and $0.3 million of interest expense related to the amortization of the debt discount and issuance costs of the 2023 and 2024 Notes.

The following table summarizes Ting's borrowings under the 2023 and 2024 Term Notes (Dollar amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars): 

(1) During the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, the Company capitalized $0.1 million and $0.5 million of interest expenses pertaining to the 2023 and 2024 Term Notes directly attributable to the development of certain AUC assets, respectively. 

Restricted Cash

Under the terms of the Indenture, revenues generated from the Securitized Assets are deposited into accounts controlled by the Indenture Trustee within two business days of receipt. The Company has no access to or control of the funds held in trust until they are disbursed by the Indenture Trustee on the 20th day of each calendar month (the “Payment Date”). In accordance with the Indenture, on each Payment Date the Indenture Trustee disburses, on behalf of the Obligor, administration fees to service providers, interest payments to the noteholders, liquidity reserve top-ups (if required), and the remaining funds to accounts controlled by the Obligor. Funds held in trust with the Indenture Trustee at the reporting date are presented as “Restricted cash” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. 

As of  March 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, Restricted cash totaled $5.1 million and $4.6 million, respectively.

Under the terms of the Indenture, the Company is also required to maintain a liquidity reserve fund equal to the sum of (A) six times the total amount of fund administration fees payable on each payment date after May 20, 2023 and (B) six times the total amount of monthly interest on the 2023 and 2024 Term Notes due and payable on each payment date after May 20, 2023. The liquidity reserve is maintained with the Indenture Trustee until the maturity of the 2023 and 2024 Term Notes and the balance is presented as “Secured notes reserve funds” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

As of  March 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, secured notes reserve funds totaled $11.8 million and $11.7 million, respectively.