UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

 

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018

or

For the transition period from                  to                  .

Commission file number (000-21767)

 

VIASAT, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

6155 El Camino Real

Carlsbad, California 92009

(760)  476-2200

(Address of principal executive offices and telephone number)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of

1933.    ☒  Yes    ☐  No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.    ☐  Yes    ☒  No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    ☒  Yes    ☐  No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    ☒  Yes    ☐  No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    ☐  Yes    ☒  No

The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of September 30, 2017 was approximately $3,519,366,311 (based on the closing price on that date for shares of the registrant’s common stock as reported by the Nasdaq Global Select Market).

The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock, $0.0001 par value, as of May 11, 2018 was 58,908,061.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A in connection with its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K where indicated. Such Proxy Statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the registrant’s fiscal year ended March 31, 2018.

 

 

 

 

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VIASAT, INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

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PART I

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and our future results that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industries in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management. We use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” variations of such words and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, statements that refer to projections of earnings, revenue, costs or other financial items; anticipated growth and trends in our business or key markets; future economic conditions and performance; the development, customer acceptance and anticipated performance of technologies, products or services; satellite construction and launch activities; the performance and anticipated benefits of our ViaSat-2 and ViaSat-3 class satellites and any future satellite we may construct or acquire; the impacts on overall coverage area, planned services and financial results of the identified antenna deployment issue on the ViaSat-2 satellite; the expected completion, capacity, service, coverage, service speeds and other features of our satellites, and the timing, cost, economics and other benefits associated therewith; anticipated subscriber growth; plans, objectives and strategies for future operations; and other characterizations of future events or circumstances, are forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the ViaSat-2 and ViaSat-3 class satellites and any future satellite we may construct or acquire; unexpected expenses related to our satellite projects; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of our strategic partnering arrangement with Eutelsat S.A. (together with its affiliates, Eutelsat) or any of our acquisitions; our ability to successfully implement our business plan for our broadband services on our anticipated timeline or at all; risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; our ability to successfully develop, introduce and sell new technologies, products and services; audits by the U.S. government; changes in the global business environment and economic conditions; delays in approving U.S. government budgets and cuts in government defense expenditures; our reliance on U.S. government contracts, and on a small number of contracts which account for a significant percentage of our revenues; reduced demand for products and services as a result of continued constraints on capital spending by customers; changes in relationships with, or the financial condition of, key customers or suppliers; our reliance on a limited number of third parties to manufacture and supply our products; increased competition; introduction of new technologies and other factors affecting the communications and defense industries generally; the effect of adverse regulatory changes on our ability to sell products and services; the effect of recent changes to U.S. tax laws; our level of indebtedness and ability to comply with applicable debt covenants; our involvement in litigation, including intellectual property claims and litigation to protect our proprietary technology; our dependence on a limited number of key employees; and other factors identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this report, elsewhere in this report and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). Therefore, actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Corporate Information

We were incorporated in California in 1986 under the name Viasat, Inc., and subsequently reincorporated in Delaware in 1996. The mailing address of our worldwide headquarters is 6155 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, California 92009, and our telephone number at that location is (760) 476-2200. Our website address is www.viasat.com. The information on our website does not constitute part of this report.

Company Overview

We are an innovator in broadband technologies and services. Our end-to-end platform of high-capacity Ka-band satellites, ground infrastructure and user terminals enables us to provide cost-effective, high-speed, high-quality broadband solutions to enterprises, consumers and government users around the globe, whether on the ground, on the move or in flight. In addition, we develop and provide advanced wireless communications systems, secure networking systems and cybersecurity and information assurance products and services. Our product, system and service offerings are often linked through common underlying technologies, customer applications and market relationships. We believe that our portfolio of products and services, combined with our ability to effectively cross-deploy technologies between government and commercial segments and across different geographic markets, provides us with a strong foundation to sustain and enhance our leadership in advanced communications and networking technologies.

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During the third quarter of fiscal year 2017, we completed the sale of an aggregate of 7,475,000 shares of Viasat common stock in an underwritten public offering. Our net proceeds from the offering were approximately $503.1 million after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. We used $225.0 million of the net proceeds from the offering to repay the then-outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility (the Revolving Credit Facility).

We conduct our business through three segments: satellite services, commercial networks and government systems. Financial information regarding our reporting segments and the geographic areas in which we deliver our services and products is included in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

Satellite Services

Our satellite services segment provides satellite-based high-speed broadband services to consumers, enterprises, commercial airlines and mobile broadband customers both in the United States and abroad. Our Viasat Internet and Viasat Business Internet fixed broadband services (formerly provided under the Exede^® and WildBlue^® brands) offer high-speed, high-quality broadband internet access. We also offer high-speed internet and other in-flight services for a growing number of commercial aircraft. Our satellite services business also provides a platform for the provision of network management services to domestic and international satellite service providers.

Our satellite services business uses our proprietary technology platform to provide satellite-based high-speed broadband services with multiple applications to consumers, enterprises, commercial airlines and mobile broadband customers. Our proprietary Ka-band satellites are at the core of our technology platform. The ViaSat-1 satellite (our first-generation high-capacity Ka-band spot-beam satellite) was placed into service in January 2012. On June 1, 2017, our second-generation ViaSat-2 satellite was successfully launched into orbit. In January 2018, we reported an antenna deployment issue identified by the satellite manufacturer, for which root cause analysis is still under investigation. Based on measured data and analysis of the current in-orbit performance of the satellite as well as the network as a whole, we currently expect that the issue will not materially impact the overall coverage area of the satellite, nor materially impact the planned services and the expected financial results from the ViaSat-2 system. In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018, we launched commercial broadband services on our ViaSat-2 satellite. Our ViaSat-2 satellite significantly expands our data throughput capacity and supports the flexible allocation of capacity, enabling us to improve the speed, availability and geographic coverage area of our broadband services and dynamically respond to changing capacity demands across different geographic areas and service offerings. We currently have two ViaSat-3 class satellites under construction, and anticipate commencing construction on a third ViaSat-3 class satellite in the future. Our ViaSat-3 class satellites are our third-generation high-capacity Ka-band satellite design and are designed to further expand our data throughput capacity and geographic coverage area and enhance our ability to flexibly allocate capacity, thereby improving the speed, availability and cost-efficiency of our proprietary Ka-band satellite network. Launch of commercial service on the first ViaSat-3 class satellite is currently targeted for the second half of calendar year 2020. We also own the WildBlue-1 satellite, which was placed into service in March 2007.

We believe that growth in our satellite services segment will be driven in the coming years by continued rapid growth in demand for high-speed broadband services across the globe, driven both by continued increases in the number of internet users and connected devices and by increasing data usage, including for video streaming and mobile and in-flight connectivity (IFC). Growth in our in-flight services business in the coming years is also expected to be driven by the installation of our IFC systems on additional commercial aircraft, with installations anticipated on approximately 955 additional aircraft under our existing customer agreements with commercial airlines as of March 31, 2018. The primary services offered by our satellite services segment are comprised of:

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We also offer a variety of other broadband services, including business connectivity, live on-line event streaming, oil and natural gas data gathering services and high-definition satellite news gathering.

Commercial Networks

Our commercial networks segment develops and produces a variety of advanced satellite and wireless products, systems and solutions that enable the provision of high-speed fixed and mobile broadband services. Our products, systems and solutions include an array of satellite-based and wireless broadband platforms, networking equipment, space hardware, radio frequency and advanced microwave solutions, space-to-earth connectivity systems, customer premise equipment (CPE), satellite modems and antenna technologies, as well as satellite payload development and ASIC chip design. Our products, systems and solutions are generally developed through a combination of customer and discretionary internal research and development funding, are utilized to provide services through our satellite services segment and are also sold to commercial networks customers (with sales of complementary products, systems and solutions to government customers included in our government systems segment).

We believe growth in our commercial networks segment will be driven in the coming years by continued growth in worldwide demand for mobile and fixed connectivity, ground networking equipment and products that enable or support access to high-speed broadband services, and by the increasing cost-effectiveness of satellite technologies to rapidly deploy broadband services across wide geographic areas and to large numbers of people within the satellite footprint. Our commercial networks segment also leverages the deployment of our own proprietary high-capacity Ka-band satellites, as well as Ka-band satellites operated or being built for third parties around the world, by providing the ground infrastructure and user terminals that access the satellites. The primary products, systems, solutions and services offered by our commercial networks segment are comprised of:

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Government Systems

Our government systems segment provides global mobile broadband services to military and government users, and develops and produces network-centric Internet Protocol (IP)-based fixed and mobile secure communications products and solutions that are designed to enable the collection and dissemination of secure real-time digital information between individuals on the tactical edge, command centers, strategic communications nodes, ground and maritime platforms and airborne intelligence and defense platforms. Customers of our government systems segment include the U.S. Department of Defense (the DoD), allied foreign governments, allied armed forces, public safety first-responders and remote government employees.

We believe growth in our government systems segment in the coming years will be driven by continued growth in demand for secure, higher-capacity, higher-quality broadband services, associated ground systems and advanced cybersecurity protections. This continued demand reflects the U.S. military’s emphasis on “network-centric” highly mobile warfare over geographically dispersed areas (which requires the development and deployment of secure, IP-based communications networks, products and service offerings capable of supporting real-time dissemination of data using multiple transmission media) and increased use of IP-based network-centric and bandwidth-intensive applications at all organizational levels. Satellite-based systems are increasingly seen as the most reliable method of connecting rapidly moving armed forces that may out-run the range of terrestrial line-of-sight radio links. High-speed broadband beyond-line-of-sight connectivity is increasingly required to support real-time command and control decision-making and enhanced situational awareness.

The primary products and services of our government systems segment include:

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Our Strengths

We believe the following strengths position our business to capitalize on the attractive growth opportunities presented in our business segments:

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Our Strategy

Our business strategy is to be a leading provider of high-speed and cost-effective broadband and advanced communications products and services, utilizing our leading satellite and Wi-Fi technologies and capabilities. The principal elements of our strategy include:

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Our Customers

Our customer base is highly diversified. Customers in our satellite services segment include residential customers, commercial airlines, small businesses and other enterprise customers of our broadband services. The customers of our government systems and commercial networks segments include the DoD, U.S. National Security Agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, allied foreign governments, select other U.S. federal, state and local government agencies, commercial and defense contractors, satellite network integrators, large communications service providers and enterprises requiring complex communications and networking solutions. We enter into government contracts either directly with U.S. or foreign governments, or indirectly through domestic or international partners or resellers. In our commercial networks segment, we also act as both a prime contractor and subcontractor for the sale of equipment and services.

Revenues from the U.S. government as an individual customer comprised approximately 31%, 29% and 24% of total revenues for fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. None of our other customers comprised 10% or more of total revenues in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016.

U.S. Government Contracts

Substantial portions of our revenues are generated from contracts and subcontracts with the DoD and other federal government agencies. Many of our contracts are subject to a competitive bid process and are awarded on the basis of technical merit, personnel qualifications, experience and price. We also receive some contract awards involving special technical capabilities on a negotiated, noncompetitive basis due to our unique technical capabilities in special areas. The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 has encouraged the use of commercial type pricing, such as firm fixed-price contracts, on dual use products. Our future revenues and income could be materially affected by changes in government procurement policies and related oversight, a reduction in expenditures for the products and services we provide, and other risks generally associated with federal government contracts.

We provide products under federal government contracts that usually require performance over a period of several months to multiple years. Long-term contracts may be conditioned upon continued availability of congressional appropriations. Variances between anticipated budget and congressional appropriations may result in a delay, reduction or termination of these contracts.

Our federal government contracts are performed under cost-reimbursement contracts, time-and-materials contracts and fixed-price contracts. Cost-reimbursement contracts provide for reimbursement of costs and payment of a fee. The fee may be either fixed by the contract or variable, based upon cost control, quality, delivery and the customer’s subjective evaluation of the work. Under time-and-materials contracts, we receive a fixed amount by labor category for services performed and are reimbursed for the cost of materials purchased to perform the contract. Under a fixed-price contract, we agree to perform specific work for a fixed price and, accordingly, realize the benefit or detriment to the extent that the actual cost of performing the work differs from the contract price. In fiscal year 2018, approximately 14% of our total government revenues was generated from cost-reimbursement contracts with the federal government or our prime contractors, approximately 1% from time-and-materials contracts and approximately 85% from fixed-price contracts.

Our allowable federal government contract costs and fees are subject to audit and review by the Defense Contracting Management Agency (DCMA) and the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), as discussed below under “— Regulatory Environment — Other Regulations.”

Our federal government contracts may be terminated, in whole or in part, at the convenience of the U.S. government. If a termination for convenience occurs, the U.S. government generally is obligated to pay for work completed or services rendered and/or the cost incurred by us under the contract, which may include a fee or allowance for profit. Contracts with prime contractors may have negotiated termination schedules that apply. When we participate as a subcontractor, we are at risk if the prime contractor does not perform its contract. Similarly, when we act as a prime contractor employing subcontractors, we are at risk if a subcontractor does not perform its subcontract.

Some of our federal government contracts contain options that are exercisable at the discretion of the customer. An option may extend the period of performance for one or more years for additional consideration on terms and conditions similar to those contained in the original contract. An option may also increase the level of effort and assign new tasks to us. In our experience, options are exercised more often than not.

Our eligibility to perform under our federal government contracts requires us to maintain adequate security measures. We have implemented security procedures that we believe adequately satisfy the requirements of our federal government contracts.

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Research and Development

The industries in which we compete are subject to rapid technological developments, evolving standards, changes in customer requirements and continuing developments in the communications and networking environment. Our continuing ability to adapt to these changes, and to develop innovative satellite technologies and new and enhanced products and services, is a significant factor in maintaining or improving our competitive position and our prospects for growth. Therefore, we continue to make significant investments in next-generation satellite technologies and product development.

We conduct the majority of our research and product development activities in-house and have a research and development and engineering staff, which includes over 2,500 engineers. Our product development activities focus on products that we consider viable revenue opportunities to support all of our business segments. A portion of our research and development efforts for our products has been conducted in direct response to the specific requirements of a customer’s order and, accordingly, these amounts are included in the cost of sales when incurred and the related funding is included in revenues at that time.

The portion of our contract revenues which includes research and development funded by government and commercial customers was approximately 19%, 19% and 20% of our total revenues during fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In addition, we incurred $168.3 million, $129.6 million and $77.2 million during fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, on independent research and development (IR&D) expenses, which comprise research and development not directly funded by a third party. Funded research and development contains a profit component and is therefore not directly comparable to IR&D. As a U.S. government contractor, we also are able to recover a portion of our IR&D expenses, consisting primarily of salaries and other personnel-related expenses, supplies and prototype materials related to research and development programs.

Intellectual Property

We seek to establish and maintain our proprietary rights in our technology and products through a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and contractual rights. We also seek to maintain our trade secrets and confidential information through nondisclosure policies, the use of appropriate confidentiality agreements and other security measures. We have registered a number of patents and trademarks in the United States and in other countries and have a substantial number of patent filings pending determination. There can be no assurance, however, that these rights can be successfully enforced against competitive products in any particular jurisdiction. Although we believe the protection afforded by our patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and contracts has value, the rapidly changing technology in the networking, satellite and wireless communications industries and uncertainties in the legal process make our future success dependent primarily on the innovative skills, technological expertise and management abilities of our employees rather than on the protections afforded by patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws and contractual rights. Accordingly, while these legal protections are important, they must be supported by other factors such as the expanding knowledge, ability and experience of our personnel, and the continued development of new products and product enhancements.

Certain of our products include software or other intellectual property licensed from third parties. While it may be necessary in the future to seek or renew licenses relating to various aspects of our products, we believe, based upon past experience and standard industry practice, that such licenses generally could be obtained on commercially reasonable terms. Nonetheless, there can be no assurance that the necessary licenses would be available on acceptable terms, if at all. Our inability to obtain these licenses or other rights or to obtain such licenses or rights on favorable terms, or the need to engage in litigation regarding these matters, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

The industry in which we compete is characterized by rapidly changing technology, a large number of patents, and frequent claims and related litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights. We cannot assure you that our patents and other proprietary rights will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, that others will not assert intellectual property rights to technologies that are relevant to us, or that our rights will give us a competitive advantage. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries may not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States.

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Sales and Marketing

We have a sales presence in various domestic and foreign locations, and we sell our products and services both directly and indirectly through channel partners, as described below:

Our marketing team works closely with our sales, research and product development organizations and our customers to increase the awareness of the Viasat brand through a mix of positive program performance and our customers’ recommendation as well as corporate and marketing communications, public relations, advertising, trade show participation and conference speaking engagements by providing communications that keep the market current on our products and features. In the third quarter of fiscal year 2018, we undertook a major rebranding effort to introduce “Viasat” as a unified master global brand under a new logo and visual identity system, while phasing out legacy sub-brand names. Our new unified brand is intended to grow market and consumer awareness of our company and our product and service offerings both domestically and internationally across all of our markets, as well as attract the best talent around the world. Our marketing team also identifies and sizes new target markets for our products and services, creates awareness of our company and our portfolio of offerings, and generates contacts and leads within these targeted markets.

Competition

The markets in which we compete are characterized by rapid change, converging technologies and a migration to solutions that offer higher capacity and speed and other superior advantages. These market factors represent both an opportunity and a competitive threat to us. In many cases our competitors can also be our customers or partners. Accordingly, maintaining an open and cooperative relationship is important. The overall number of our competitors may increase, and the identity and composition of competitors may change. As we continue to expand our business globally, we may see new competition in different geographic regions.

To compete, we emphasize:

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While we believe we compete successfully on each of these factors, we expect to continue to face intense competition in each of our markets.

In our satellite services segment, we face competition for fixed broadband services both from existing competitors and emerging technologies. Our fixed broadband service offerings compete with broadband service offerings from wireline and wireless telecommunications companies, cable companies, satellite companies and internet service providers. Many of our competitors are larger than us, have substantial capital resources, have greater brand recognition, have access to spectrum or technologies not available to us, or are able to offer bundled service offerings that we are not able to duplicate, all of which may reduce demand for our broadband services. In addition, the broadband services market continues to see industry consolidation and vertical integration, which may enable our competitors to provide competing services to broader customer segments. New entrants, some with significant financial resources, and new emerging technologies (including 5G) may compete with our broadband service offerings. Additionally, wireless telecommunications carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon are currently offering unlimited data plans that could attract our existing and future subscribers. Our in-flight internet service offerings compete against air-to-ground mobile services and other satellite-based services, such as the services offered by Global Eagle, Gogo, Inmarsat and Panasonic Avionics Corporation. We believe that our Ka-band satellite-based in-flight internet services offer a competitive combination of high-speed and data throughput capacity, that enable commercial airlines to offer more passengers on more flights the ability to enjoy high-speed broadband services such as streaming video.

In our commercial networks segment, we compete with numerous other providers of satellite and terrestrial communications systems, products and equipment, including: Airbus, ASC Signal, Comtech, General Dynamics, Gilat, EchoStar (Hughes Network Systems), iDirect Technologies, L-3 Communications, Newtec, Panasonic, Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) (MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates), Thales and Zodiac Data Systems. In addition, some of our customers continuously evaluate whether to develop and manufacture their own products and could elect to compete with us at any time.

Within our government systems segment, we generally compete with government communications service providers and manufacturers of defense electronics products, systems or subsystems, such as BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Harris, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Rockwell Collins and similar companies. We may also compete directly with the largest defense prime contractors, including The Boeing Company (Boeing), Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Systems. In many cases we partner with our competitors, and therefore maintaining an open and cooperative relationship is important.

Many of our competitors in our commercial networks and government systems segments have significant competitive advantages, including strong customer relationships, more experience with regulatory compliance, greater financial and management resources and access to technologies not available to us. Many of our competitors are also substantially larger than we are and may have more extensive engineering, manufacturing and marketing capabilities than we do. As a result, these competitors may be able to adapt more quickly to changing technology or market conditions or may be able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products.

Manufacturing

Our manufacturing objective is to produce high-quality products that conform to specifications at the lowest possible manufacturing cost. To achieve this objective, we primarily utilize a range of contract manufacturers that are selected based on the production volumes and complexity of the product. By employing contract manufacturers, we are able to reduce the costs of products and support rapid fluctuations in delivery rates when needed. As part of our manufacturing process, we conduct extensive testing and quality control procedures for all products before they are delivered to customers.

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Contract manufacturers produce products for many different customers and are able to pass on the benefits of large-scale manufacturing to their customers. These manufacturers are able to produce high quality products at lower costs by: (1) exercising their high-volume purchasing power, (2) employing advanced and efficient production equipment and capital intensive systems whose costs are leveraged across their broad customer base, and (3) using a cost-effective skilled workforce. Our primary contract manufacturers include Benchmark, CyberTAN, Davida Technology Partners, Harris, Hensoldt, IEC Electronics Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Plexus, Regal Technology Partners and Sanmina-SCI.

Our experienced management team facilitates an efficient contract manufacturing process through the development of strong relationships with a number of different domestic and off-shore contract manufacturers. By negotiating beneficial contract provisions and purchasing some of the equipment needed to manufacture our products, we retain the ability to move the production of our products from one contract manufacturing source to another if required. Our operations management has experience in the successful transition from in-house production to contract manufacturing. The degree to which we employ contract manufacturing depends on the maturity of the product and the forecasted production life cycle. We intend to limit our internal manufacturing capacity to supporting new product development activities, building customized products that need to be manufactured in strict accordance with a customer’s specifications or delivery schedules, and building proprietary, highly sensitive Viasat-designed products and components for use in our proprietary technology platform. Therefore, our internal manufacturing capability for standard products has been, and is expected to continue to be, very limited and we intend to continue to rely on contract manufacturers for large-scale manufacturing. We also rely on outside vendors to manufacture specific components and subassemblies used in the production of our products. Some components, subassemblies and services necessary for the manufacture of our products are obtained from a sole source supplier or a limited group of suppliers.

Regulatory Environment

We are required to comply with the laws and regulations of, and often obtain approvals from, national and local authorities in connection with the services that we provide. In particular, we provide a number of services that rely on the use of radio-frequency spectrum, and the provision of such services is highly regulated. National authorities generally require that the satellites they authorize be operated in a manner consistent with the regulations and procedures of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, which require the coordination of the operation of satellite systems in certain circumstances, and more generally are intended to avoid the occurrence of harmful interference among different users of the radio spectrum.

We also produce a variety of communications systems and networking equipment, the design, manufacture, and marketing of which are subject to the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which we sell such equipment. We are subject to export control laws and regulations, and trade and economic sanctions laws and regulations, with respect to the export of such systems and equipment. As a government contractor, we are subject to U.S. procurement laws and regulations.

Radio-frequency and Communications Regulation

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

The orbital location and frequencies for our satellites are subject to the ITU’s regulations, including its frequency registration and coordination procedures. Those procedures are specified in the ITU Radio Regulations and seek to facilitate shared international use of limited spectrum and orbital resources in a manner that avoids harmful interference. Among other things, the ITU regulations set forth procedures for establishing international priority with respect to the use of such resources, deadlines for bringing satellite networks into use in order to maintain such priority, and coordination rights and obligations with respect to other networks, which vary depending on whether such networks have higher or lower ITU priority. On our behalf, various countries have made filings, and may in the future make additional filings, for the frequency assignments at particular orbital locations that are used, or may in the future be used, by our current satellite networks and potential future satellite networks we may build or acquire. In the event that any international coordination process that is triggered by such an ITU filing is not successfully completed, or bringing into use deadlines are not satisfied, we may be compelled to accept more limited or suboptimal orbital and spectrum rights, to operate the applicable satellite(s) on a non-interference basis, or to cease operating such satellite(s) altogether.

US Regulation

The commercial use of radio-frequency spectrum in the United States is subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications Act). The FCC is responsible for licensing the operation of satellite earth stations and spacecraft, regulating the technical and other aspects of the operation of these facilities, and regulating certain aspects of the provision of services to customers.

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Earth Stations. The Communications Act requires a license for the operation of transmitting satellite earth station facilities and certain receiving satellite earth station facilities in the United States. We currently hold licenses authorizing us to operate various earth stations within the United States, including but not limited to user terminals and facilities that aggregate traffic and interconnect with the internet backbone and network hubs. These licenses typically are granted for 15 year terms, and typically are renewed in the ordinary course. Material changes in earth station operations would require prior approval by the FCC. The operation of our earth stations is subject to various license conditions, as well as the technical and operational requirements of the FCC’s rules and regulations.

Space Stations. In the United States, the FCC authorizes the launch and operation of commercial spacecraft, and also authorizes non-U.S. licensed spacecraft to be used to serve the United States. The FCC has authorized the use of the ViaSat-1, ViaSat-2, WildBlue-1 and Anik F2 spacecraft to serve the United States. The FCC also has granted us the right to use certain future spacecraft to serve the United States, as long as we implement those spacecraft by certain deadlines. The use of these spacecraft in our business is subject to various conditions in the underlying authorizations, as well as the technical and operational requirements of the FCC’s rules and regulations.

Universal Service. Certain of our services may constitute the provision of telecommunications to, from or within the United States, and may require us to contribute a percentage of our revenues from such services to universal service support mechanisms that subsidize the provision of services to low-income consumers, high-cost areas, schools, libraries and rural health care providers. This percentage is set each calendar quarter by the FCC, and currently is 18.4%. Current FCC rules permit us to pass this universal service contribution through to our customers. The FCC has established a universal service funding mechanism to support the provision of voice and broadband services in certain high-cost areas of the United States, known as the Connect America Fund (the CAF). Among other things, the CAF mechanism provides, or will likely provide, support to terrestrial service providers under terms and conditions that are not available to satellite-based service providers. The CAF could provide other service providers a competitive advantage in providing broadband services in supported areas, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

CALEA. We are obligated to comply with the requirements of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which requires telecommunications providers and broadband internet access providers to ensure that law enforcement agencies are able to conduct lawfully-authorized surveillance of users of their services.

Net Neutrality. In February 2015, the FCC adopted new rules intended to preserve the openness of the internet, a concept generally referred to as “net neutrality” or “open internet.” The FCC’s “net neutrality” rules, among other things, prohibit all ISPs from: (i) blocking access to legal content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices (subject to an exception for “reasonable network management”); (ii) impairing or degrading lawful internet traffic on the basis of content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices (subject to the same exception); (iii) favoring some lawful internet traffic over other lawful traffic in exchange for consideration of any kind whatsoever; and (iv) unreasonably interfering with or unreasonably disadvantaging the ability of end users to access content or the ability of content providers to access end users (again subject to the exception for “reasonable network management”). ISPs also are obligated to make certain disclosures to consumers with respect to their network management policies.

In adopting these rules, the FCC relied on Title II of the Communications Act, which authorizes the FCC to regulate telecommunications common carriers. More specifically, the FCC reclassified mass-market retail broadband internet access service as a “telecommunications service” subject to common-carrier regulation under Title II, reversing longstanding precedent classifying broadband as a lightly regulated “information service” not subject to such regulation. The FCC then took the further step of forbearing from applying most Title II requirements to internet service providers (ISPs). As a result, ISPs that provide mass-market, retail service offerings are subject to specific “net neutrality” rules and general common-carrier obligations (e.g., those requiring rates, terms, and conditions of service to be “just and reasonable”) but are not subject to many of the specific common-carrier requirements found in the Communications Act and the FCC’s rules.

In November 2016, the FCC adopted broadband-specific requirements intended to protect customer privacy and reduce the potential for data breaches. The FCC has received several petitions to reconsider that order and also has stayed the effectiveness of that order.

In January 2018, the FCC adopted an order restoring the classification of broadband internet access service as a lightly regulated information service, ending the Title II regulatory approach adopted in 2015. The order eliminated explicit requirements against blocking or throttling traffic and paid prioritization of traffic.  At the same time, the FCC maintained the consumer disclosure requirements with some modifications and acknowledged the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission to enforce consumer protection measures.  The order is subject to pending appeals, and we cannot predict the outcome of these pending proceedings on ISPs. In addition, some states have recently adopted portions of the net neutrality requirements.

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Satellite Spectrum. The space stations and ground network we use to provide our broadband services operate using Ka-band spectrum that is designated for use on a primary basis for certain types of the satellite services we provide, as well as additional Ka-band spectrum that is designated primarily for terrestrial wireless and other uses but that we are authorized to use on a secondary or non-interference basis. The FCC has issued orders in recent years designating a portion of the Ka-band that we use on a secondary basis, as well as other bands above 24 GHz, to be used for “5G” wireless mobile and other terrestrial broadband services. We believe that these rules provide an approach for our satellite operations to coexist and expand alongside terrestrial wireless mobile networks. The orders recognize the need for additional study of technical sharing issues, and we intend to continue working with the FCC and other stakeholders to address those concerns. The FCC separately has adopted new rules that define the terms and conditions under which our spacecraft share spectrum with other spacecraft that operate in different orbits, and the FCC has granted authority to operate large numbers of spacecraft in those other orbits, and currently is considering additional applications for such authority, consistent with these new rules. If the deployment of these new terrestrial or satellite networks results in harmful interference into our satellite operations, or if the implementation of these networks under the new rules constrains or prohibits the types of uses we have planned for this spectrum in a manner that we do not anticipate, such a development could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Foreign Licensing

The spacecraft we use in our business are subject to the regulatory authority of, and conditions imposed by, foreign governments, as well as contractual arrangements with third parties and the rules and procedures of the ITU. Our ViaSat-1 satellite operates under authority granted to ManSat Limited by the governments of the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom (as well as authority from the FCC), and pursuant to contractual arrangements we have with ManSat Limited that extend past the expected useful life of ViaSat-1. ViaSat-2 operates under the authority of the United Kingdom. We also use Ka-band capacity on the Anik F2 satellite to provide our broadband services under an agreement with Telesat Canada, and we may do so until the end of the useful life of that satellite. Telesat Canada operates that satellite under authority granted to it by the government of Canada. We also currently use the WildBlue-1 satellite, which we own, and which is co-located with Anik F2 under authority granted to Telesat Canada by the government of Canada, and pursuant to an agreement we have with Telesat Canada that expires upon the end of the useful life of Anik F2. Accordingly, we are reliant upon ManSat Limited and Telesat Canada to maintain their respective governmental rights on which our operating rights are based. The use of these spacecraft in our business is subject to various conditions in the underlying authorizations held by us, ManSat Limited and Telesat Canada, as well as the technical and operational requirements of the rules and regulations of those jurisdictions.

Equipment Design, Manufacture, and Marketing

We must comply with the applicable laws and regulations and, where required, obtain the approval of the regulatory authority of each country in which we design, manufacture, or market our communications systems and networking equipment. Applicable laws and regulatory requirements vary from country to country, and jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The increasing demand for wireless communications has exerted pressure on regulatory bodies worldwide to adopt new standards for these products, generally following extensive investigation and deliberation over competing technologies. The delays inherent in this government approval process have in the past caused and may in the future cause the cancellation, postponement or rescheduling of the installation of communication systems by our customers, which in turn may have a material adverse impact on the sale of our products to the customers.

Equipment Testing and Verification. In the United States, certain equipment that we manufacture must comply with applicable technical requirements intended to minimize radio interference to other communications services and ensure product safety. In the United States, the FCC is responsible for ensuring that communications devices comply with technical requirements for minimizing radio interference and human exposure to radio emissions. The FCC requires that equipment be tested either by the manufacturer or by a private testing organization to ensure compliance with the applicable technical requirements. For other classes of device, the FCC requires submission of an application, which must be approved by the FCC or a private testing organization accredited by the FCC.

Export Controls. Due to the nature and sophistication of our communications products, we must comply with applicable U.S. government and other agency regulations regarding the handling and export of certain of our products. This often requires extra or special handling of these products and could increase our costs. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in substantial harm to the company, including fines, penalties and the forfeiture of future rights to sell or export these products.

Other Regulations

As a government contractor, we are routinely subject to audit and review by the DCMA, the DCAA and other U.S. government agencies of our performance on government contracts, indirect rates and pricing practices, accounting

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and management internal control business systems, and compliance with applicable contracting and procurement laws, regulations and standards. Both contractors and the U.S. government agencies conducting these audits and reviews have come under increased scrutiny. In particular, audits and reviews have become more rigorous and the standards to which we are held are being more strictly interpreted, increasing the likelihood of an audit or review resulting in an adverse outcome. Increases in congressional scrutiny and investigations into business practices and major programs supported by contractors may lead to increased legal costs and may harm our reputation and profitability if we are among the targeted companies. An adverse outcome to a review or audit or other failure to comply with applicable contracting and procurement laws, regulations and standards could result in material civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions being imposed on us, which may include termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, triggering of price reduction clauses, suspension of payments, significant customer refunds, fines and suspension, or a prohibition on doing business with U.S. government agencies. In addition, if we fail to obtain an “adequate” determination of our various accounting and management internal control business systems from applicable U.S. government agencies or if allegations of impropriety are made against us, we could suffer serious harm to our business or our reputation, including our ability to bid on new contracts or receive contract renewals or our competitive position in the bidding process. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are also subject to a variety of U.S. and international regulations relating to the storage, discharge, handling, emission, generation, manufacture and disposal of toxic or other hazardous substances used to manufacture our products. The failure to comply with current or future regulations could result in the imposition of substantial fines on us, suspension of production, alteration of our manufacturing processes or cessation of operations. To date, these regulations have not had a material effect on our business, as we have neither incurred significant costs to maintain compliance nor to remedy past noncompliance, and we do not expect such regulations to have a material effect on our business in the current fiscal year.

Seasonality

In our satellite services segment, historically subscriber activity for our consumer broadband services has been influenced by seasonal effects related to traditional retail selling periods, with new sales activity generally anticipated to be higher in the second half of the calendar year. However, sales activity and churn can be strongly affected by other factors which may either offset or magnify any anticipated seasonal effects, including availability of capacity, promotional and subscriber retention efforts, changes in our resellers, distributors and wholesalers, changes in the competitive landscape, economic conditions, changes in credit check and subscriber approval processes and satellite beam congestion.

Our commercial networks segment is not generally affected by seasonal impacts. In our government systems segment, our results are impacted by various factors including the timing of contract awards and the timing and availability of U.S. Government funding, as well as the timing of product deliveries and customer acceptance.

Availability of Public Reports

Through a link on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.viasat.com, we make available the following filings as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC: our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All such filings are available free of charge. They are also available free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, any materials filed with the SEC may be read and copied by the public at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The information on our website is not part of this report or any other report that we furnish to or file with the SEC.

Employees

As of March 31, 2018, we employed approximately 5,200 individuals worldwide. We consider the relationships with our employees to be positive. Competition for technical personnel in our industry is intense. We believe our future success depends in part on our continued ability to hire, assimilate and retain qualified personnel. To date, we believe we have been successful in recruiting qualified employees, but there is no assurance we will continue to be successful in the future.

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Executive Officers

Set forth below is information concerning our executive officers and their ages:

 

Mark Dankberg is a founder of Viasat and has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Viasat since its inception in May 1986. Mr. Dankberg provides our Board with significant operational, business and technological expertise in the satellite and communications industry, and intimate knowledge of the issues facing our management. Mr. Dankberg also has significant expertise and perspective as a member of the boards of directors of companies in various industries, including communications. Mr. Dankberg serves as a director of TrellisWare Technologies, Inc. (TrellisWare), a 52% majority-owned subsidiary of Viasat that develops advanced signal processing technologies for communication applications. He also currently serves on the boards of Minnetronix, Inc., a privately-held medical device and design company, and Lytx, Inc., a privately-held company that provides fleet safety management solutions. In addition, Mr. Dankberg was elected to the Rice University Board of Trustees in 2013, and was a member of the board of directors of REMEC, Inc. from 1999 to 2010. Prior to founding Viasat, he was Assistant Vice President of M/A-COM Linkabit, a manufacturer of satellite telecommunications equipment, from 1979 to 1986, and Communications Engineer for Rockwell International Corporation from 1977 to 1979. Mr. Dankberg holds B.S.E.E. and M.E.E. degrees from Rice University.

Richard Baldridge joined Viasat in April 1999, serving as our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer from 2000 and as our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from 2002. Mr. Baldridge assumed his current role as President and Chief Operating Officer in 2003. Mr. Baldridge was elected to the Board of Directors of Viasat in 2016. In addition, Mr. Baldridge serves as a director of Ducommun Incorporated, a provider of engineering and manufacturing services to the aerospace and defense industries, and EvoNexus, a San Diego based non-profit technology incubator. Prior to joining Viasat, Mr. Baldridge served as Vice President and General Manager of Raytheon Corporation’s Training Systems Division from January 1998 to April 1999. From June 1994 to December 1997, Mr. Baldridge served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Hughes Information Systems and Hughes Training Inc., prior to their acquisition by Raytheon in 1997. Mr. Baldridge’s other experience includes various senior financial and general management roles with General Dynamics Corporation. Mr. Baldridge holds a B.S.B.A. degree in Information Systems from New Mexico State University.

Doug Abts joined Viasat in September 2015 as Vice President, Strategy Development, Broadband Services, and in May 2018, he assumed his current role as Vice President, Global Mobility. Mr. Abts has over 20 years of experience in the areas of general management, business development, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic planning. From July 2010 to August 2015, Mr. Abts served as Executive Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development of Bridgepoint Education. From August 2003 to June 2010, Mr. Abts operated in key management and business development roles at Science Applications International Corporation. Early in his career, he served with distinction as an officer in the United States Navy SEALs. Mr. Abts earned a B.A. degree from Stanford University and an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School.

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Marc Agnew joined Viasat in 1988 and has held various technical, management and business positions with Viasat over the past 30 years. From 2003 to 2004, Mr. Agnew served as Vice President, Government Broadband, from 2005 to 2012, he served as Vice President and General Manager, Broadband Systems, and from February 2012 to October 2014, he served as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Broadband Services. From November 2014 to January 2017, Mr. Agnew worked to create Viasat’s European broadband joint venture, where he then served as Chief Technology Officer until May 2018, while also leading Viasat’s office in the United Kingdom from September 2016 to September 2017. Mr. Agnew was appointed to his current position of Vice President, Commercial Networks in May 2018. Prior to joining Viasat, Mr. Agnew worked at Comsat Telesystems and M/A-Com Linkabit. Mr. Agnew earned a B.S.E.E degree from The George Washington University and an M.S.E.E degree from The University of California, Berkeley.

Robert Blair joined Viasat in May 2008 as Assistant General Counsel. In April 2009, Mr. Blair was appointed Associate General Counsel and in 2014 was appointed Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. In May 2017, Mr. Blair assumed his current position as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. In addition, Mr. Blair has served as a director of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation since 2015. Prior to joining Viasat, Mr. Blair was an associate at the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP. Mr. Blair holds a J.D. degree from Stanford University and A.B. degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Policy Studies from Syracuse University.

Girish Chandran joined Viasat in October 2007 as a Principal Engineer. In September 2013, Mr. Chandran was appointed Chief Technology Officer — Commercial Networks. In May 2017, he assumed his current position as Vice President and Chief Technical Officer. Mr. Chandran has extensive experience building multimedia networks. Prior to joining Viasat, from 2001 to 2007, Mr. Chandran served as Vice President of Engineering at Newtec America Inc., a satellite communications equipment provider. From 1995 to 2001, he held several roles, including Vice President of Systems Engineering, at Tiernan Communications Inc. (acquired by Radyne Comstream Inc.), a provider of video compression and transmission solutions. Mr. Chandran earned a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, an M.S. degree in Electrical Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science and a BSc. degree in Physics from the University of Kerala.

Melinda Del Toro joined Viasat in 2001 as Manager of Learning and Development. In 2003 she began to assume a broader role with the Human Resources organization. In 2008 she was appointed Director of Human Resources and in 2011 was appointed Vice President — Human Resources. In April 2016, she assumed the position of Senior Vice President — Human Resources, which was retitled Senior Vice President — People and Culture in April 2017. In May 2018, she was also named Chief People Officer. Ms. Del Toro currently serves on the board of trustees at the San Diego Museum of Art. Ms. Del Toro started her career teaching at San Diego State University within the School of Communication. Prior to joining Viasat she held roles in corporate learning and organizational development for Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management, Qualcomm Personal Electronics and Sony Electronics. Ms. Del Toro holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Communication from San Diego State University.

Bruce Dirks joined Viasat in April 2013 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He assumed his current position as Senior Vice President — Treasury and Corporate Development in June 2014. Prior to joining Viasat, Mr. Dirks served as a portfolio manager at Fidelity Management & Research Company from 2000 to April 2013, and was Vice President — Investments at TRW Investment Management Company from 1993 to 2000. Mr. Dirks began his career at Raytheon Company as a financial analyst and also worked on the corporate finance team at General Dynamics Corporation. Mr. Dirks earned a B.A. degree in Economics from Amherst College and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Chicago.

Shawn Duffy joined Viasat in 2005 as Corporate Controller. In 2009, she was appointed Viasat’s Vice President and Corporate Controller and in 2012 was appointed Vice President — Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. From August 2012 until April 2013, Ms. Duffy also served as interim Chief Financial Officer. She assumed her current position as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in June 2014. Prior to joining Viasat, Ms. Duffy was a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young, LLP, serving the technology and consumer product markets. Ms. Duffy is a certified public accountant in the State of California, and earned a B.S.B.A. degree in Accounting from San Diego State University.

Kevin Harkenrider joined Viasat in October 2006 as Director — Operations, served as Vice President — Operations from January 2007 until December 2009, served as Vice President of Viasat and Chief Operating Officer of Viasat Communications Inc. from December 2009 to April 2011, as Senior Vice President — Infrastructure Operations from April 2011 to May 2012, and as Senior Vice President — Broadband Services from May 2012 to May 2015, and as Senior Vice President — Commercial Networks from May 2015 to May 2018. Mr. Harkenrider assumed his current position as Senior Vice President and President, Broadband Systems in May 2018. Prior to joining Viasat, Mr. Harkenrider served as Account Executive at Computer Sciences Corporation from 2002 through October 2006. From 1992 to 2001, Mr. Harkenrider held several positions at BAE Systems, Mission Solutions (formerly GDE Systems, Marconi Integrated Systems and General Dynamics Corporation, Electronics Division), including Vice President and Program Director, Vice

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President — Operations and Vice President — Material. Prior to 1992, Mr. Harkenrider served in several director and program manager positions at General Dynamics Corporation. Mr. Harkenrider holds a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Union College and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Keven Lippert joined Viasat in May 2000 as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. In April 2007, he was appointed Viasat’s Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, in 2012 he was appointed Senior Vice President — General Counsel and Secretary, and in June 2014 he was appointed Executive Vice President — General Counsel and Secretary. In May 2017, he was appointed President, Broadband Services and Chief Legal Officer, and in May 2018, he assumed his current position as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Administrative Officer. Prior to joining Viasat, Mr. Lippert was a corporate associate at the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP. Mr. Lippert holds a J.D. degree from the University of Michigan and a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Mark Miller is a founder of Viasat and served as Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Viasat from March 1993 to June 2014, when he assumed his current position as Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer. From 1986 through 1993, Mr. Miller served as Engineering Manager. Prior to joining Viasat, Mr. Miller was a Staff Engineer at M/A-COM Linkabit from 1983 to 1986. Mr. Miller holds a B.S.E.E. degree from the University of California, San Diego and an M.S.E.E. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ken Peterman joined Viasat in April 2013 as Vice President — Government Systems. In June 2014, he was appointed Senior Vice President — Government Systems. Mr. Peterman assumed his current position as President, Government Systems in May 2017. Mr. Peterman has over 35 years of experience in general management, systems engineering, strategic planning, portfolio management, and business leadership in the aerospace and defense industries. From July 2012 to April 2013, Mr. Peterman served as President and Chief Executive Officer of SpyGlass Group, a company he founded which provides executive strategic advisory services to the aerospace and defense industries. From 2011 to July 2012, Mr. Peterman served as President of Exelis Communications and Force Protection Systems, and from 2007 to 2011, he served as President of ITT Communications Systems, which are both developers and providers of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products and systems. Previously, Mr. Peterman was Vice President and General Manager of Rockwell Collins Government System’s Integrated C3 Systems and Rockwell Collins Displays and Awareness Systems. Mr. Peterman earned a B.S.E.E. degree from Tri-State University (now Trine).

David Ryan joined Viasat in May 2016 as Vice President — Intelligence Programs, and was appointed Vice President and President, Viasat Space Systems in May 2018. Prior to joining Viasat, Mr. Ryan held several roles at Northrop Grumman Corporation from 2005 to 2014, including Sector Vice President and General Manager of the Intelligence Systems Division. He also served in various roles at The Boeing Company from 1990 to 2005, including President of Boeing Space Systems International. Mr. Ryan currently serves as a director of Space Micro Inc., a satellite electronics product company. Mr. Ryan earned a B.S.E.E and an M.E.E degree from Rice University.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

You should consider each of the following factors as well as the other information in this Annual Report in evaluating our business and prospects. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business and financial results could be harmed. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline. You should also refer to the other information set forth in this Annual Report, including our financial statements and the related notes.

Our Operating Results Are Difficult to Predict

Our operating results have varied significantly from quarter to quarter in the past and may continue to do so in the future. The factors that cause our quarter-to-quarter operating results to be unpredictable include:

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Any of the foregoing factors, or any other factors discussed elsewhere herein, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations that could adversely affect our stock price. In addition, it is likely that in one or more future quarters our results may fall below the expectations of analysts and investors, which would likely cause the trading price of our common stock to decrease.

Satellite Failures or Degradations in Satellite Performance Could Affect Our Business, Financial Condition and Results of Operations

We own three satellites in service: ViaSat-2 (our second-generation high-capacity Ka-band spot-beam satellite, which was placed into service in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018), ViaSat-1 (our first-generation high-capacity Ka-band spot-beam satellite, which was placed into service in January 2012) and WildBlue-1 (which was placed into service in March 2007). In addition, two ViaSat-3 class satellites (our third-generation high-capacity Ka-band satellite design) are currently under construction. We also have an exclusive prepaid lifetime capital lease of Ka-band capacity over the contiguous United States on Telesat Canada’s Anik F2 satellite (which was placed into service in April 2005). We utilize capacity primarily on our ViaSat-1 and WildBlue-1 satellites to support our broadband services in the United States. We also lease capacity on multiple satellites related to the provision of our international broadband services. We may construct, acquire or use additional satellites in the future, including a third ViaSat-3 class satellite.

Satellites utilize highly complex technology and operate in the harsh environment of space and, accordingly, are subject to significant operational risks while in orbit. These risks include malfunctions (commonly referred to as anomalies), including malfunctions in the deployment of subsystems and/or components, interference from electrostatic storms, and collisions with meteoroids, decommissioned spacecraft or other space debris. Our satellites have experienced various anomalies in the past and we will likely experience anomalies in the future. Anomalies can occur as a result of various factors, such as:

Any single anomaly or series of anomalies, or other operational failure or degradation, on any of the satellites we own and operate or use could have a material adverse effect on our operations and revenues and our relationships with current customers and distributors, as well as our ability to attract new customers for our satellite services. Anomalies may also reduce the expected useful life of a satellite, thereby creating additional expense due to the need to provide replacement or backup capacity and potentially reducing revenues if service is interrupted or degraded on the satellites we utilize. We may not be able to obtain backup capacity or a replacement satellite on reasonable economic terms, a reasonable schedule or at all. In addition, anomalies may also cause a reduction of the revenues generated by the applicable satellite or the recognition of an impairment loss, and in some circumstances could lead to claims from third parties for damages, for example, if a satellite experiencing an anomaly were to cause physical damage to another satellite, create interference to the transmissions on another satellite or cause another satellite operator to incur expenses to avoid such physical damage or interference. Finally, the occurrence of anomalies may adversely affect our ability to insure our satellites at commercially reasonable premiums or terms, if at all. While some anomalies are covered by insurance policies, others are not or may not be covered, or may be subject to large deductibles.

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Although our satellites have redundant or backup systems and components that operate in the event of an anomaly, operational failure or degradation of primary critical components, these redundant or backup systems and components are subject to risk of failure similar to those experienced by the primary systems and components. The occurrence of a failure of any of these redundant or backup systems and components could materially impair the useful life, capacity, coverage or operational capabilities of the satellite.

Satellites Have a Finite Useful Life, and Their Actual Operational Life May Be Shorter than Their Design Life

Our ability to earn revenues from our satellite services depends on the continued operation of ViaSat-2, ViaSat-1 and WildBlue-1 and any other satellite we may acquire or use in the future, such as our ViaSat-3 class satellites. Each satellite has a limited useful life, referred to as its design life. There can be no assurance as to the actual operational life of a satellite, which may be shorter than its design life. A number of 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 and back-up units, the ability to continue to maintain proper orbit and control over the satellite’s functions, the efficiency of the launch vehicle used, consumption of remaining on-board fuel following orbit insertion, degradation and durability of solar panels, the actual space environment experienced compared to the assumed space environment for which the satellites were designed and tested, and the occurrence of any anomaly or series of anomalies or other in-orbit risks affecting the satellite. In addition, continued improvements in satellite technology may make obsolete our existing satellites or any other satellite we may own or acquire in the future prior to the end of its life.

New or Proposed Satellites Are Subject to Significant Risks Related to Construction and Launch that Could Limit Our Ability to Utilize these Satellites

We currently have two ViaSat-3 class satellites under construction, and anticipate commencing construction on a third ViaSat-3 class satellite in the future. We may construct and launch additional satellites in the future. The design and construction of satellites require significant investments of capital and management time. Satellite construction and launch are also subject to significant risks, including construction delays, manufacturer error, cost overruns, regulatory conditions or delays, unavailability of launch opportunities, launch failure, damage or destruction during launch and improper orbital placement, any of which could result in significant additional cost or materially impair the useful life, capacity, coverage or operational capabilities of the satellite. Unlike our ViaSat-1 and ViaSat-2 satellites, which were constructed in their entirety by the satellite manufacturer, we are for the first time constructing the payload for our ViaSat-3 class satellites ourselves at our own facilities, and Boeing will integrate the completed payload into the satellite bus at their facilities. Moreover, the technologies in our ViaSat-3 satellite design are very complex, and there can be no assurance that the technologies will work as we expect or that we will realize any or all of the anticipated benefits of our ViaSat-3 satellite design. Difficulties or delays in the construction or integration of the payload for our ViaSat-3 class satellites or the implementation of our ViaSat-3 satellite design could adversely affect our business plan for these satellites and result in significant additional cost. We have in the past experienced delays in satellite construction and launch, such as the delay that occurred in the launch of our ViaSat-2 satellite caused by civil unrest in French Guiana (the location of the satellite launch). Moreover, we have in the past identified construction-related issues in our satellites. For example, in January 2018, we reported an antenna deployment issue identified by the satellite manufacturer in the ViaSat-2 satellite, although based on measured data and analysis of the current in-orbit performance of the satellite as well as the network as a whole, we currently expect that the issue will not materially impact the overall coverage area of the satellite, nor materially impact the planned services and the expected financial results from the ViaSat-2 system. If satellite construction schedules are not met or other events prevent satellite launch on schedule, a launch opportunity may not be available at the time the satellite is ready to be launched. In addition, delays in construction or launch could impact our ability to meet milestone conditions in our satellite authorizations and/or to maintain the rights we may enjoy under various ITU filings. A significant delay in the construction, delivery or launch of a satellite may have a material adverse effect on our operations or our business plan for the satellite.

Satellites are also subject to certain risks related to failed launches. Launch failures result in significant delays in the deployment of satellites because of the need both to construct replacement satellites, which can take up to 36 months or longer, and to obtain other launch opportunities. Such significant delays could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The overall historical loss rate in the satellite industry for all launches of commercial satellites in fixed orbits in the last five years is estimated by some industry participants to be approximately 4% but could at any time be higher. Launch vehicles may also under perform, in which case the satellite may still be able to be placed into service by using its onboard propulsion systems to reach the desired orbital location, but this would cause a reduction in its useful life. Moreover, even if launch is successful, following launch the satellite will need to reach its desired orbital location and undergo in-orbit testing and there can be no assurance that the satellite will successfully reach its geostationary orbital slot and pass in-orbit testing prior to transfer of control of the satellite to us. The failure to implement our satellite deployment plan on schedule could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Potential Satellite Losses May Not Be Fully Covered By Insurance, or at All

We currently hold in-orbit insurance for our ViaSat-2, ViaSat-1, WildBlue-1 and Anik F2, satellites. We intend to seek launch and in-orbit insurance for any satellite we may construct or acquire in the future. However, we may not be able to obtain insurance, or renew existing insurance, for our satellites on reasonable economic terms or at all. If we are able to obtain or renew our insurance, it may contain customary exclusions and exclusions for past satellite anomalies. A failure to obtain or renew our satellite insurance may also result in a default under our debt instruments. In addition, the occurrence of any anomalies on other satellites, including other Ka-band satellites, or any failures of a satellite using similar components or failures of a similar launch vehicle to any launch vehicle we intend to use for any future satellite (including our ViaSat-3 class satellites), may materially adversely affect our ability to insure the satellites at commercially reasonable premiums or terms, if at all.

The policies covering our insured satellites will not cover the full cost of constructing and launching or replacing a satellite nor fully cover our losses in the event of a satellite failure or significant degradation. Moreover, such policies do not cover, and we do not have protection against, lost profits, business interruptions, fixed operating expenses, loss of business or similar losses, including contractual payments that we may be required to make under our agreements with our customers for interruptions or degradations in service. Our insurance contains customary exclusions, material change and other conditions that could limit recovery under those policies. Further, any insurance proceeds may not be received on a timely basis in order to launch a spare satellite or construct and launch a replacement satellite or take other remedial measures. In addition, the policies are subject to limitations involving uninsured losses, large satellite performance deductibles and policy limits.

The Markets in Which We Compete Are Highly Competitive and Our Competitors May Have Greater Resources than Us

The markets in which we compete are highly competitive and competition is increasing. In addition, because the markets in which we operate are constantly evolving and characterized by rapid technological change, it is difficult for us to predict whether, when and by whom new competing technologies, products or services may be introduced into our markets. Currently, we face substantial competition in each of our business segments. In our satellite services segment, we face competition for fixed broadband services both from existing competitors and emerging technologies. Our fixed broadband service offerings compete with broadband service offerings from wireline and wireless telecommunications companies, cable companies, satellite companies and internet service providers. Many of our competitors are larger than us, have substantial capital resources, have greater brand recognition, have access to spectrum or technologies not available to us, or are able to offer bundled service offerings that we are not able to duplicate, all of which may reduce demand for our broadband services. In addition, the broadband services market continues to see industry consolidation and vertical integration, which may enable our competitors to provide competing services to broader customer segments. New entrants, some with significant financial resources, and new emerging technologies (including 5G) may compete with our broadband service offerings. Additionally, wireless telecommunications carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon are currently offering unlimited data plans that could attract our existing and future fixed broadband subscribers. Our in-flight internet service offerings compete against air-to-ground mobile services and other satellite-based services, such as the services offered by Global Eagle, Gogo, Inmarsat and Panasonic Avionics Corporation. In our commercial networks segment, we compete with numerous other providers of satellite and terrestrial communications systems, products and equipment, including: Airbus, ASC Signal, Comtech, General Dynamics, Gilat, EchoStar (Hughes Network Systems), iDirect Technologies, L-3 Communications, Newtec, Panasonic, SS/L (MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates), Thales and Zodiac Data Systems. In addition, some of our customers continuously evaluate whether to develop and manufacture their own products and could elect to compete with us at any time. Within our government systems segment, we generally compete with government communications services providers and manufacturers of defense electronics products, systems or subsystems, such as BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Harris, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Rockwell Collins and similar companies. We may also compete directly with the largest defense prime contractors, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Systems. Many of our competitors in our commercial networks and government systems segments have significant competitive advantages, including strong customer relationships, more experience with regulatory compliance, greater financial and management resources and access to technologies not available to us. Many of our competitors are also substantially larger than we are and may have more extensive engineering, manufacturing and marketing capabilities than we do. As a result, these competitors may be able to adapt more quickly to changing technology or market conditions or may be able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products. Our ability to compete in each of our segments may also be adversely affected by limits on our capital resources and our ability to invest in maintaining and expanding our market share.

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Our Broadband Services Business Strategy May Not Succeed in the Long Term

A major element of our broadband services business strategy is to utilize our proprietary high-capacity Ka-band satellites and any additional satellites we may construct or acquire in the future to continue to expand our provision of high-speed broadband services around the globe. We may be unsuccessful in implementing our business plan for our broadband services business, or we may not be able to achieve the revenues that we expect from our broadband services business. Any failure to realize our anticipated benefits of our high-capacity Ka-band satellites, to attract a sufficient number of distributors or customers for our fixed broadband services and in-flight services, to expand our broadband services business internationally or to grow our subscriber base for fixed broadband services or number of commercial airlines utilizing our IFC systems as quickly as we anticipate, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

In connection with the development of any new generation satellite design, and the launch of any new satellite and the commencement of the related service, we expect to incur additional operating costs that negatively impact our financial results. For example, with ViaSat-2 placed in service in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018, we expect additional operating costs to be incurred in fiscal year 2019 in our satellite services segment. These increased operating costs are expected to include depreciation, amortization of capitalized software development, earth station connectivity, marketing and advertising costs, logistics, customer care and various support systems. In addition, we expect interest expense to increase during fiscal year 2019 as we no longer capitalize the interest expense relating to the debt incurred for the construction of ViaSat-2 and the related gateway and networking equipment now that the satellite is in service. We have also incurred significant IR&D investments relating to our ViaSat-3 class satellites currently under construction, which negatively impacted our financial results in our commercial networks segment in fiscal year 2018 in particular (with total IR&D expenses for fiscal year 2018 reaching $168.3 million). Although we expect IR&D expenses for fiscal year 2019 to be lower, IR&D investments are expected to continue throughout fiscal year 2019 and beyond relating to ViaSat-3 ground infrastructure and support of our growing government and commercial air mobility businesses. If our business strategy for our satellite services segment does not succeed, we may be unable to recover our significant investments in our high-capacity Ka-band satellites, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We May Be Unable to Obtain or Maintain Required Authorizations or Contractual Arrangements

Various types of U.S. domestic and international authorizations and contractual arrangements are required in connection with the products and services that we provide. See “Regulatory Environment.” Compliance with certain laws, regulations, conditions and other requirements, including the payment of fees, may be required to maintain the rights provided by such authorizations, including the rights to operate satellite networks at certain orbital slots in certain radio frequencies. Failure to comply with such requirements, or comply in a timely manner, could lead to the loss of such authorizations and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We currently hold authorizations to, among other things, operate various satellite earth stations (including but not limited to user terminals, facilities that interconnect with the internet backbone, and network hubs) and operate satellite space stations and/or use those space stations to provide service to certain jurisdictions. While we anticipate that these authorizations will be renewed in the ordinary course to the extent that they otherwise would expire, or replaced by authorizations covering more advanced facilities, we can provide no assurance that this will be the case. Our inability to timely obtain or maintain such authorizations could delay or preclude our operation of such satellites or our provision of products and services that rely upon such satellites. Further, changes to the laws and regulations under which we operate could adversely affect our ability to obtain or maintain authorizations. Any of these circumstances could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The spacecraft we use in our business are subject to the regulatory authority of, and conditions imposed by, foreign governments, as well as contractual arrangements with third parties and the regulations and procedures of the ITU governing access to orbital and spectrum rights and the international coordination of satellite networks. Our ViaSat-1 satellite operates under authority granted to ManSat Limited by the governments of the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom (as well as authority from the FCC), and pursuant to contractual arrangements we have with ManSat Limited that extend past the expected useful life of ViaSat-1. Our ViaSat-2 satellite operates under the authority of the United Kingdom. We also use Ka-band capacity on the Anik F2 satellite to provide our broadband services under an agreement with Telesat Canada, and we may do so until the end of the useful life of that satellite. Telesat Canada operates that satellite under authority granted to it by the government of Canada. We also currently use the WildBlue-1 satellite, which we own, and which is co-located with Anik F2 under authority granted to Telesat Canada by the government of Canada, and pursuant to an agreement we have with Telesat Canada that expires upon the end of the useful life of Anik F2. Accordingly, we are reliant upon ManSat Limited and Telesat Canada to maintain their respective governmental rights on which our operating rights are based. The use of these spacecraft in our business is subject to various conditions in the underlying authorizations held by us, ManSat Limited and Telesat Canada, as well as the requirements of the laws and

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regulations of those jurisdictions. Any failure to meet these types of requirements in a timely manner, maintain our contractual arrangements, obtain or maintain our authorizations, or manage potential conflicts with the orbital slot rights afforded to third parties, could lead to us losing our rights to operate from these orbital locations or may otherwise require us to modify or limit our operations from these locations, which could materially adversely affect our ability to operate a satellite at full capacity or at all, and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Acquisitions, Joint Ventures and Other Strategic Alliances May Have an Adverse Effect on Our Business

In order to position ourselves to take advantage of growth opportunities, from time to time we make strategic acquisitions and enter into joint ventures and other strategic alliances that involve significant risks and uncertainties. For example, in March 2017, we consummated a strategic partnering arrangement with Eutelsat to expand broadband services in Europe and the Mediterranean region using the KA-SAT satellite. Risks and uncertainties relating to acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic alliances include:

In connection with the Eutelsat strategic partnering arrangement and any future acquisitions, joint ventures or strategic alliances, we may incur debt, issue equity securities, assume contingent liabilities or have amortization expenses and write-downs of acquired assets, which could cause our earnings per share to decline. Mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances are inherently risky and subject to many factors outside of our control, and we cannot be certain that our previous or future acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances will be successful and will not materially adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition. We do not know whether we will be able to successfully integrate the businesses, products, technologies or personnel that we might acquire in the future or that any strategic investments we make will meet our financial or other investment objectives. Any failure to do so could seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Our International Sales and Operations Are Subject to Applicable Laws Relating to Trade, Export Controls and Foreign Corrupt Practices, the Violation of Which Could Adversely Affect Our Operations

We must comply with all applicable export control laws and regulations of the United States and other countries. U.S. laws and regulations applicable to us include the Arms Export Control Act, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the trade sanctions laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The export of certain satellite hardware, services and technical data relating to satellites is regulated by the U.S. Department of State under ITAR. Other items are controlled for export by the U.S. Department of Commerce under the EAR. We cannot provide services to certain countries subject to U.S. trade sanctions unless we first obtain the necessary authorizations from OFAC. In addition, we are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which generally bars bribes or unreasonable gifts to foreign governments or officials. Violations of these laws or regulations could result in significant additional sanctions including fines, more onerous compliance requirements, more extensive debarments from export privileges or loss of authorizations needed to conduct aspects of our international business. A violation of ITAR or the other regulations enumerated above could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in the Regulatory Environment Could Have a Material Adverse Impact on Our Competitive Position, Growth and Financial Performance

Our business is highly regulated. We are subject to the regulatory authority of the jurisdictions in which we operate, including the United States and other jurisdictions around the world. Those authorities regulate, among other things, the launch and operation of satellites, the use of radio spectrum, the licensing of earth stations and other radio transmitters, the provision of communications services, and the design, manufacture and marketing of communications systems and networking infrastructure. The space stations and ground network we use to provide our broadband services operate using spectrum that is regulated for use on a primary basis for certain types of the satellite services we provide, as well as additional spectrum that is regulated primarily for terrestrial wireless and other uses but that we are authorized to use on a secondary or non-interference basis.

Laws and regulations affecting our business are subject to change in response to industry developments, new technology, and political considerations, among other things. Legislators and regulatory authorities in various countries are considering, and may in the future adopt, new laws, policies and regulations, as well as changes to existing regulations. We cannot predict when or whether applicable laws or regulations may come into effect or change, or what the cost and time necessary to comply with such new or updated laws or regulations may be.

Changes in laws or regulations, including changes in the way spectrum is regulated and/or is used by others, and in regulations governing our products and services, could, directly or indirectly, affect our operations or the operations of our distribution partners, increase the cost of providing our products and services and make our products and services less competitive in our core markets; in certain instances, such changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Trump Administration has called for substantial changes to regulatory policies. We cannot predict the impact, if any, of these changes to our business or the industries in which we operate. However, it is possible that these changes could adversely affect our business. It is likely that some policies adopted by the new administration will benefit us and others will negatively affect us. Until we know what changes are enacted, we will not know whether in total we benefit from, or are negatively affected by, the changes. At various times, President Trump has expressed antipathy towards existing trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and has called for greater restrictions on free trade generally. Additionally, the Trump administration has suggested introducing and has imposed tariffs or other restrictions on goods imported into the United States. Changes in U.S. political, regulatory and economic conditions or in laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, development and investment in the countries where we do business or source goods and materials for our products, and any negative sentiments towards the United States as a result of such changes, could adversely affect our business.

Among other things, changes to laws and regulations could materially harm our business by (1) affecting our ability to obtain or retain required governmental authorizations, (2) restricting our ability to provide certain products or services, (3) restricting development efforts by us and our customers, (4) making our current products and services less attractive or obsolete, (5) increasing our operational costs, or (6) making it easier or less expensive for our competitors to compete with us. Failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations could result in the imposition of financial penalties against us, the adverse modification or cancellation of required authorizations, or other material adverse actions. Any such matters could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

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Recent U.S. Tax Legislation May Materially Adversely Affect our Financial Condition, Results of Operations and Cash Flows

Recently enacted U.S. tax legislation has significantly changed the U.S. federal income taxation of U.S. corporations, including by reducing the U.S. corporate income tax rate, limiting interest deductions, permitting immediate expensing of certain capital expenditures, adopting elements of a territorial tax system, imposing a one-time transition tax (or repatriation tax) on all undistributed earnings and profits of certain U.S.-owned foreign corporations, revising the rules governing net operating losses and the rules governing foreign tax credits, and introducing new anti-base erosion provisions. Many of these changes are effective immediately, without any transition periods or grandfathering for existing transactions. The legislation is unclear in many respects and could be subject to potential amendments and technical corrections, as well as interpretations and implementing regulations by the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS), any of which could lessen or increase certain adverse impacts of the legislation. In addition, it is unclear how these U.S. federal income tax changes will affect state and local taxation, which often uses federal taxable income as a starting point for computing state and local tax liabilities.

While our analysis and interpretation of this legislation is preliminary and ongoing, based on our current evaluation, we have preliminarily concluded that these changes, including the one-time transition tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings, will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements or ability to realize our deferred tax assets. However, we believe that the limitation on interest deductions could negatively impact our cash flows going forward. Further, there may be other material adverse effects resulting from the legislation that we have not yet identified.

While some of the changes made by the tax legislation may adversely affect us in one or more reporting periods and prospectively, other changes may be beneficial on a going forward basis. We continue to work with our tax advisors and auditors to determine the full impact that the recent tax legislation as a whole will have on us. We urge our investors to consult with their legal and tax advisors with respect to such legislation and the potential tax consequences of investing in our securities.

Our Reliance on U.S. Government Contracts Exposes Us to Significant Risks

Our government systems segment revenues were approximately 48%, 44% and 43% of our total revenues in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and were derived primarily from U.S. government applications. Therefore, any significant disruption or deterioration of our relationship with the U.S. government would significantly reduce our revenues. U.S. government business exposes us to various risks, including:

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We must comply with and are affected by laws and regulations relating to the award, administration and performance of U.S. government contracts. Government contract laws and regulations affect how we do business with our customers and, in some instances, impose added costs on our business, including the establishment of compliance procedures. A violation of specific laws and regulations could result in the imposition of fines and penalties, the termination of our contracts or debarment from bidding on contracts. For example, in March 2016, our 52% majority-owned subsidiary TrellisWare was informed by the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California that it was investigating TrellisWare’s eligibility for certain prior government contracts and whether TrellisWare’s conduct in connection therewith violated the False Claims Act. In February 2017, based on further developments in that investigation, including TrellisWare’s discussions with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we accrued a total loss contingency of $11.8 million in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses in our government systems segment, which consisted of $11.4 million in uncharacterized damages and $0.4 million in penalties. The impact of the loss contingency on net income attributable to ViaSat, Inc. stockholders for fiscal year 2017, net of tax, was $4.0 million, with the related amount of $3.7 million recorded to net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax. The impact of the loss contingency on basic and diluted net income per share attributable to ViaSat, Inc. common stockholders for fiscal year 2017 was $0.08 per share and $0.07 per share, respectively. In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018, the TrellisWare investigation was settled, resulting in a payment by TrellisWare of $11.4 million in uncharacterized damages and $0.4 million in penalties. Refer to Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the False Claims Act civil investigation.

Substantially all of our U.S. government backlog scheduled for delivery can be terminated at the convenience of the U.S. government because our contracts with the U.S. government typically provide that orders may be terminated with limited or no penalties. If we are unable to address any of the risks described above, or if we were to lose all or a substantial portion of our sales to the U.S. government, it could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

The funding of U.S. government programs is subject to congressional appropriations. Congress generally appropriates funds on a fiscal year basis even though a program may extend over several fiscal years. Consequently, programs are often only partially funded initially and additional funds are committed only as Congress makes further appropriations. In the event that appropriations for one of our programs become unavailable, or are reduced or delayed, our contract or subcontract under such program may be terminated or adjusted by the government, which could have a negative impact on our future sales and results of operations. Budget cuts to defense spending, such as those that took effect in March 2013 under the Budget Control Act of 2011, can exacerbate these problems. From time to time, when a formal appropriation bill has not been signed into law before the end of the U.S. government’s fiscal year, Congress may pass a continuing resolution that authorizes agencies of the U.S. government to continue to operate, generally at the same funding levels from the prior year, but does not authorize new spending initiatives, during a certain period. During such period (or until the regular appropriation bills are passed), delays can occur in procurement of products and services due to lack of funding, and such delays can affect our results of operations during the period of delay.

Our Business Could Be Adversely Affected by a Negative Audit by the U.S. Government

As a government contractor, we are routinely subject to audit and review by the DCMA, the DCAA and other U.S. government agencies of our performance on government contracts, indirect rates and pricing practices, accounting and management internal control business systems, and compliance with applicable contracting and procurement laws, regulations and standards. Both contractors and the U.S. government agencies conducting these audits and reviews have come under increased scrutiny. In particular, audits and reviews have become more rigorous and the standards to which we are held are being more strictly interpreted, increasing the likelihood of an audit or review resulting in an adverse outcome. Increases in congressional scrutiny and investigations into business practices and major programs supported by contractors may lead to increased legal costs and may harm our reputation and profitability if we are among the targeted companies.

An adverse outcome to a review or audit or other failure to comply with applicable contracting and procurement laws, regulations and standards could result in material civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions being imposed on us, which may include termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, triggering of price reduction clauses, suspension of payments, significant customer refunds, fines and suspension, or a prohibition on doing business with U.S. government agencies. In addition, if we fail to obtain an “adequate” determination of our various accounting and management internal control business systems from applicable U.S. government agencies or if allegations of impropriety

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are made against us, we could suffer serious harm to our business or our reputation, including our ability to bid on new contracts or receive contract renewals and our competitive position in the bidding process. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our incurred cost audits by the DCAA have not been concluded for fiscal year 2016 and subsequent fiscal years. As of March 31, 2018, the DCAA had completed its incurred cost audit for fiscal year 2004 and approved our incurred cost claims for fiscal years 2005 through 2015 without further audit. Although we have recorded contract revenues subsequent to fiscal year 2015 based upon an estimate of costs that we believe will be approved upon final audit or review, we do not know the outcome of any ongoing or future audits or reviews and adjustments, and if future adjustments exceed our estimates, our profitability would be adversely affected. For example, in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011, based on communications with the DCMA, changes in the regulatory environment for federal government contractors, the status of current government audits and other events, we recorded an additional $5.0 million in contract-related reserves for our estimate of potential refunds to customers for possible cost adjustments on several multi-year U.S. government cost reimbursable contracts. There can be no assurance that audits or reviews of our incurred costs and cost accounting systems for other fiscal years will not be subject to further audit, review or scrutiny by the DCAA or other government agencies.

Our Success Depends on the Investment in and Development of New Broadband Technologies and Advanced Communications and Secure Networking Systems, Products and Services, as well as their Market Acceptance

Broadband, advanced communications and secure networking markets are subject to rapid technological change, frequent new and enhanced product and service introductions, product obsolescence and changes in user requirements. Our ability to compete successfully in these markets depends on our success in applying our expertise and technology to existing and emerging broadband, advanced communications and secure networking markets, as well as our ability to successfully develop, introduce and sell new products and services on a timely and cost-effective basis that respond to ever-changing customer requirements, which depends on several factors, including:

We cannot assure you that our new technology, product or service offerings will be successful or that any of the new technologies, products or services we offer will achieve sufficient market acceptance. The period of time from conception through satellite launch for a new satellite design may be three or four years or longer, thereby delaying our ability to realize the benefits of our investments in new satellite designs and technologies. We may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent us from successfully selecting, developing, manufacturing or marketing new technologies, products or services, and these efforts could divert our attention and resources from other projects. We cannot be sure that such efforts and expenditures will ultimately lead to the timely development of new offerings and technologies. Any delays could result in increased costs of development or divert resources from other projects. In addition, defects may be found in our products after we begin deliveries that could result in degradation of service quality, and the delay or loss of market acceptance. If we are unable to design, manufacture, integrate and market profitable new products and services for existing or emerging markets, it could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations, and impair the value of our common stock.

In addition, we believe that significant investments in next-generation broadband satellites and associated infrastructure will continue to be required as demand for broadband services and satellite systems with higher capacity and higher speed continues to grow. We are constantly evaluating the opportunities and investments related to the development of these next-generation broadband systems. The development of these capital-intensive next-generation

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systems may require us to undertake debt financing and/or the issuance of additional equity, which could expose us to increased risks and impair the value of our common stock. In addition, if we are unable to effectively or profitably design, manufacture, integrate and market such next-generation technologies, it could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations, and impair the value of our common stock.

Because Our Products Are Complex and Are Deployed in Complex Environments, Our Products May Have Defects that We Discover Only After Full Deployment, which Could Seriously Harm Our Business

We produce highly complex products that incorporate leading-edge technology, including both hardware and software. Software typically contains defects or programming flaws that can unexpectedly interfere with expected operations. In addition, our products are complex and are designed to be deployed across complex networks, which in some cases may include over a million users. Because of the nature of these products, there is no assurance that our pre-shipment testing programs will be adequate to detect all defects. As a result, our customers may discover errors or defects in our hardware or software, or our products may not operate as expected after they have been fully deployed. If we are unable to cure a product defect, we could experience damage to our reputation, reduced customer satisfaction, loss of existing customers and failure to attract new customers, failure to achieve market acceptance, cancellation of orders, loss of revenues, reduction in backlog and market share, increased service and warranty costs, diversion of development resources, legal actions by our customers, product returns or recalls, issuance of credit to customers and increased insurance costs. Further, due to the high volume nature of our consumer broadband business, defects of products in this business could significantly increase these risks. Defects, integration issues or other performance problems in our products could also result in financial or other damages to our customers. Our customers could seek damages for related losses from us, which could seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. A product liability claim brought against us, even if unsuccessful, would likely be time consuming and costly. The occurrence of any of these problems would seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our Reputation and Business Could Be Materially Harmed as a Result of Data Breaches, Data Theft, Unauthorized Access or Hacking

Our success depends, in part, on the secure and uninterrupted performance of our information technology systems. An increasing number of companies have disclosed breaches of their security, some of which have involved sophisticated and highly targeted attacks on their computer networks. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems, change frequently and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. If unauthorized parties gain access to our information technology systems, they may be able to misappropriate assets or sensitive information (such as personally identifiable information of our customers, business partners and employees), cause interruption in our operations, corruption of data or computers, or otherwise damage our reputation and business. In such circumstances, we could be held liable to our customers or other parties, or be subject to regulatory or other actions for breaching privacy rules. Any compromise of our security could result in a loss of confidence in our security measures, and subject us to litigation, civil or criminal penalties, and negative publicity that could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Further, if we are unable to comply with the security standards established by banks and the payment card industry, we may be subject to fines, restrictions, and expulsion from card acceptance programs, which could adversely affect our operations.

A Significant Portion of Our Revenues Is Derived from a Few of Our Contracts

A small number of our contracts account for a significant percentage of our revenues. Our five largest contracts generated approximately 20%, 20% and 19% of our total revenues in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Our largest revenue-producing contracts are related to our tactical data links products and fixed satellite networks. The failure of these customers or any of our key distributors to place additional orders or to maintain their contracts with us for any reason, including any downturn in their business or financial condition or our inability to renew our contracts with these customers or obtain new contracts when they expire, could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

A number of our commercial customers have in the past, and may in the future, experience financial difficulties. Many of our commercial customers face risks that are similar to those we encounter, including risks associated with market growth, product defects, acceptance by the market of products and services, and the ability to obtain sufficient capital. Further, many of our customers and strategic partners that provide satellite-based services (including Xplornet and Eutelsat) could be materially affected by a satellite failure as well as by partial satellite failure, satellite performance degradation, satellite manufacturing errors and other failures resulting from operating satellites in the harsh environment of space. We cannot assure you that our customers will be successful in managing these risks. If our customers do not successfully manage these types of risks, it could impair our ability to generate revenues and collect amounts due from these customers and materially harm our business.

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Our Development Contracts May Be Difficult for Us to Comply with and May Expose Us to Third-Party Claims for Damages

We are often party to government and commercial contracts involving the development of new products. We derived approximately 19%, 19% and 20% of our total revenues in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, from these development contracts. These contracts typically contain strict performance obligations and project milestones. We cannot assure you we will comply with these performance obligations or meet these project milestones in the future. If we are unable to comply with these performance obligations or meet these milestones, our customers may terminate these contracts and, under some circumstances, recover damages or other penalties from us. We are not currently, nor have we always been, in compliance with all outstanding performance obligations and project milestones in our contracts. We cannot assure you that the other parties to any such contract will not terminate the contract or seek damages from us. If other parties elect to terminate their contracts or seek damages from us, it could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

We May Experience Losses from Our Fixed-Price Contracts

Of our total government systems and commercial networks segments revenues, approximately 88%, 87% and 90% were derived from contracts with fixed prices in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. These contracts carry the risk of potential cost overruns because we assume all of the cost burden. We assume greater financial risk on fixed-price contracts than on other types of contracts because if we do not anticipate technical problems, estimate costs accurately or control costs during performance of a fixed-price contract, it may significantly reduce our net profit or cause a loss on the contract. In the past, we have experienced significant cost overruns and losses on fixed-price contracts. For example, in June 2010, we performed extensive integration testing of numerous system components that had been separately developed as part of a government satellite communication program. As a result of this testing and subsequent internal reviews and analyses, we determined that significant additional rework was required in order to complete the program requirements and specifications and to prepare for a scheduled customer test. This additional rework and engineering effort resulted in a substantial increase in estimated labor and material costs to complete the program. Accordingly, during the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, we recorded an additional forward loss of $8.5 million related to this estimate of program costs. Because many of these contracts involve new technologies and applications and can last for years, unforeseen events, such as technological difficulties, fluctuations in the price of raw materials, problems with our suppliers and cost overruns, can result in the contractual price becoming less favorable or even unprofitable to us over time. Furthermore, if we do not meet contract deadlines or specifications, we may need to renegotiate contracts on less favorable terms, be forced to pay penalties or liquidated damages or suffer major losses if the customer exercises its right to terminate. We believe a high percentage of our contracts in our government systems and commercial networks segments will be at fixed prices in the future. Although we attempt to accurately estimate costs for fixed-price contracts, we cannot assure you our estimates will be adequate or that substantial losses on fixed-price contracts will not occur in the future. If we are unable to address any of the risks described above, it could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations, and impair the value of our common stock.

Our Reliance on a Limited Number of Third Parties to Manufacture and Supply Our Products and the Components Contained therein Exposes Us to Various Risks

We expect our internal manufacturing capacity to be limited to supporting new product development activities, building customized products that need to be manufactured in strict accordance with a customer’s specifications or delivery schedules, and building proprietary, highly sensitive Viasat-designed products and components for use in our proprietary technology platform. Therefore, our internal manufacturing capacity has been, and is expected to continue to be, very limited and we intend to continue to rely on contract manufacturers to produce the majority of our products. In addition, some components, subassemblies and services necessary for the manufacture of our products are obtained from a sole source supplier or a limited group of suppliers.

Our reliance on contract manufacturers and on sole source suppliers or a limited group of suppliers involves several risks. We may not be able to obtain an adequate supply of required components, and our control over the price, timely delivery, reliability and quality of finished products may be reduced. The process of manufacturing our products and some of our components and subassemblies is extremely complex. We have in the past experienced and may in the future experience delays in the delivery of and quality problems with products and components and subassemblies from vendors. Some of the suppliers we rely upon have relatively limited financial and other resources. Some of our vendors have manufacturing facilities in areas that may be prone to natural disasters and other natural occurrences that may affect their ability to perform and deliver under our contract. If we are not able to obtain timely deliveries of components and subassemblies of acceptable quality or if we are otherwise required to seek alternative sources of supply or to substitute alternative technology, or to manufacture our finished products or components and subassemblies internally, our ability to satisfactorily and timely complete our customer obligations could be negatively impacted which could result in reduced sales, termination of contracts and damage to our reputation and relationships with our customers. This failure could also

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result in a customer terminating our contract for default. A default termination could expose us to liability and have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete for future contracts and orders. In addition, a delay in our ability to obtain components and equipment parts from our suppliers may affect our ability to meet our customers’ needs and may have an adverse effect upon our profitability.

Our Level of Indebtedness May Adversely Affect Our Ability to Operate Our Business, Remain in Compliance with Debt Covenants, React to Changes in Our Business or the Industry in which We Operate, or Prevent Us from Making Payments on Our Indebtedness

We have a significant amount of indebtedness. As of March 31, 2018, the aggregate principal amount of our total outstanding indebtedness was $1.1 billion, which comprised $700.0 million in principal amount of 5.625% Senior Notes due 2025 (the 2025 Notes), no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and $362.4 million in principal amount of outstanding borrowings under our direct loan facility with the Export-Import Bank of the United States for ViaSat-2 (the Ex-Im Credit Facility and, together with the Revolving Credit Facility, the Credit Facilities). 

Our high level of indebtedness could have important consequences. For example, it could:

Any of these risks could materially impact our ability to fund our operations or limit our ability to expand our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We May Incur Additional Indebtedness, which Could Further Increase the Risks Associated with Our Leverage

We may incur significant additional indebtedness in the future, which may include financing relating to future satellites, potential acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, working capital, capital expenditures or general corporate purposes. For example, we may incur additional indebtedness to fund our investments in our ViaSat-3 class satellites. As of March 31, 2018, we had undrawn availability of $770.4 million under our Revolving Credit Facility. In addition, our Credit Facilities and the indenture governing the 2025 Notes permit us, subject to specified limitations, to incur additional indebtedness, including secured indebtedness. In February 2016, we filed a universal shelf registration statement with the SEC for the future sale of an unlimited amount of debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants and rights. The securities may be offered from time to time, separately or together, directly by us, by selling security holders, or through underwriters, dealers and agents at amounts, prices, interest rates and other terms to be determined at the time of the offering. If our level of indebtedness increases significantly, the related risks that we now face would intensify.

We May Not Be Able to Generate Sufficient Cash to Service All of Our Indebtedness and Fund Our Working Capital and Capital Expenditures, and May Be Forced to Take Other Actions to Satisfy Our Obligations under Our Indebtedness, which May Not Be Successful

Our ability to make scheduled payments on or to refinance our indebtedness will depend upon our future operating performance and on our ability to generate cash flow in the future, which is subject to general economic, financial, business, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings, including borrowings under our Credit Facilities, will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness, or to fund our other liquidity needs. If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and could be forced to reduce or delay investment and capital expenditures or to dispose of material assets or operations, seek additional debt or equity capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. We may

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not be able to effect any such alternative measures, if necessary, on commercially reasonable terms or at all and, even if successful, such alternative actions may not allow us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. Our Credit Facilities and the indenture governing the 2025 Notes restrict our ability to dispose of assets and use the proceeds from the disposition, and may also restrict our ability to raise debt or equity capital to repay or service our indebtedness. If we cannot make scheduled payments on our debt, we will be in default and, as a result, the lenders under our Credit Facilities and the holders of the 2025 Notes could declare all outstanding principal and interest to be due and payable, the lenders under our Credit Facilities could terminate their commitments to loan money and foreclose against the assets securing the borrowings under our Credit Facilities, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation, which could result in you losing your investment in our company.

We May Be Unable to Refinance Our Indebtedness

We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness before maturity, including the 2025 Notes and any indebtedness under our Credit Facilities. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain sufficient funds to enable us to repay or refinance our debt obligations on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

Covenants in Our Debt Agreements Restrict Our Business and Could Limit Our Ability to Implement Our Business Plan

The Credit Facilities and the indenture governing the 2025 Notes contain covenants that may restrict our ability to implement our business plan, finance future operations, respond to changing business and economic conditions, secure additional financing, and engage in opportunistic transactions, such as strategic acquisitions. In addition, if we fail to satisfy the covenants contained in our Credit Facilities, our ability to borrow under our Credit Facilities may be restricted. The Credit Facilities and the indenture governing the 2025 Notes include covenants restricting, among other things, our ability to do the following:

In addition, our Credit Facilities require us to comply with certain financial covenants, including a maximum total leverage ratio and minimum interest coverage ratio. Our Revolving Credit Facility is secured by first-priority liens on substantially all of the assets of our company, including the stock of our significant subsidiaries, and the assets of the subsidiary guarantors under our Revolving Credit Facility. Our Ex-Im Credit Facility is guaranteed by Viasat and is secured by first-priority liens on the ViaSat-2 satellite and related assets, as well as the stock of our foreign subsidiary that owns the ViaSat-2 satellite.

If we default under our Credit Facilities or the indenture governing the 2025 Notes because of a covenant breach or otherwise, all outstanding amounts thereunder could become immediately due and payable. In the past we have violated covenants in our former revolving credit facilities and received waivers for these violations. We cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with our financial or other covenants under our Credit Facilities or the indenture governing the 2025 Notes or that any covenant violations will be waived in the future. Any violation that is not waived could result in an event of default, permitting our lenders to declare outstanding indebtedness and interest thereon due and payable, and permitting the lenders under our Credit Facilities to suspend commitments to make any advance or, with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility, require any outstanding letters of credit to be collateralized by an interest bearing cash account, any or all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if we fail to comply with our financial or other covenants under our Credit Facilities or the indenture governing the 2025 Notes, we may need additional financing in order to service or extinguish our indebtedness. We may not be able to obtain financing or refinancing on terms acceptable to us, if at all. We cannot assure you that we would have sufficient funds to repay all the outstanding amounts under our Credit Facilities or the indenture governing the 2025 Notes, and any acceleration of amounts due would have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.

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We Depend on a Limited Number of Key Employees Who Would Be Difficult to Replace

We depend on a limited number of key technical, marketing and management personnel to manage and operate our business. In particular, we believe our success depends to a significant degree on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel, including our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Dankberg, and those highly skilled design, process and test engineers involved in the manufacture of existing products and the development of new products and processes. The competition for these types of personnel is intense, and the loss of key employees could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock. To the extent that the demand for qualified personnel exceeds supply, we could experience higher labor, recruiting or training costs in order to attract and retain such employees, or could experience difficulties in performing under our contracts if our needs for such employees were unmet.

The Global Business Environment and Economic Conditions Could Negatively Affect Our Business, Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Our business and operating results are affected by the global business environment and economic conditions, including changes in interest rates, consumer credit conditions, consumer debt levels, consumer confidence, rates of inflation, unemployment rates, energy costs, geopolitical issues and other macro-economic factors. For example, high unemployment levels or energy costs may impact our consumer customer base in our satellite services segment by reducing consumers’ discretionary income and affecting their ability to subscribe for our broadband services. Our commercial networks segment similarly depends on the economic health and willingness of our customers and potential customers to make and adhere to capital and financial commitments to purchase our products and services. During periods of slowing global economic growth or recession, our customers or key suppliers may experience deterioration of their businesses, cash flow shortages, difficulty obtaining financing or insolvency. Existing or potential customers may reduce or postpone spending in response to tighter credit, negative financial news or declines in income or asset values, which could have a material negative effect on the demand for our products and services. Any of these factors could result in reduced demand for, and pricing pressure on, our products and services, which could lead to a reduction in our revenues and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, U.S. credit and capital markets have experienced significant dislocations and liquidity disruptions from time to time. Uncertainty or volatility in credit or capital markets may negatively impact our ability to access additional debt or equity financing or to refinance existing indebtedness in the future on favorable terms or at all. Any of these risks could impair our ability to fund our operations or limit our ability to expand our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Because We Conduct Business Internationally, We Face Additional Risks Related to Global Political and Economic Conditions, Changes in Regulation and Currency Fluctuations

Approximately 12%, 13% and 15% of our total revenues in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, were derived from international sales. Many of our international sales may be denominated in foreign currencies. Because we do not currently engage in, nor do we anticipate engaging in, material foreign currency hedging transactions related to international sales, a decrease in the value of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar could result in losses from transactions denominated in foreign currencies. This decrease in value could also make our products less price-competitive.

There are additional risks in conducting business internationally, including:

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In addition, some of our customer purchase agreements are governed by foreign laws, which may differ significantly from U.S. laws. We may be limited in our ability to enforce our rights under these agreements and to collect damages, if awarded. If we are unable to address any of the risks described above, it could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

Our Ability to Protect Our Proprietary Technology Is Limited

Our success depends significantly on our ability to protect our proprietary rights to the technologies we use in our products and services. We generally rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret laws and contractual rights to protect our proprietary rights in our technology and products. We also enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants and corporate partners, and control access to and distribution of our proprietary information. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our products or technology. If we are unable to protect our proprietary rights adequately, our competitors could use the intellectual property we have developed to enhance their own products and services, which could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock. Monitoring and preventing unauthorized use of our technology is difficult. From time to time, we undertake actions to prevent unauthorized use of our technology, including sending cease and desist letters. In addition, we may be required to commence litigation to protect our intellectual property rights or to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. For example, in February 2012 we successfully sued SS/L and its former parent company Loral Space & Communications, Inc. (Loral) for patent infringement and breach of contract relating to the manufacture of ViaSat-1. If we are unsuccessful in any such litigation in the future, our rights to enforce such intellectual property may be impaired or we could lose some or all of our rights to such intellectual property. We do not know whether the steps we have taken will prevent unauthorized use of our technology, including in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights as extensively as in the United States. If we are unable to protect our proprietary rights, we may find ourselves at a competitive disadvantage to others who need not incur the substantial expense, time and effort required to create the innovative products. Also, we have delivered certain technical data and information to the U.S. government under procurement contracts, and the U.S. government may have unlimited rights to use that technical data and information. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government will not authorize others to use that data and information to compete with us.

Our Involvement in Litigation Relating to Intellectual Property Claims May Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our Business

We may be party to intellectual property infringement, invalidity, right to use or ownership claims by third parties or claims for indemnification resulting from infringement claims. Regardless of the merit of these claims, intellectual property litigation can be time consuming and costly and may result in the diversion of the attention of technical and management personnel. An adverse result in any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Asserted claims or initiated litigation can include claims against us or our manufacturers, suppliers or customers alleging infringement of their proprietary rights with respect to our existing or future products, or components of those products. If our products are found to infringe or violate the intellectual property rights of third parties, we may be forced to (1) seek licenses or royalty arrangements from such third parties, (2) stop selling, incorporating or using products that included the challenged intellectual property, or (3) incur substantial costs to redesign those products that use the technology. We cannot assure you that we would be able to obtain any such licenses or royalty arrangements on reasonable terms or at all or to develop redesigned products or, if these redesigned products were developed, they would perform as required or be accepted in the applicable markets.

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We Rely on the Availability of Third-Party Licenses

Many of our products are designed to include software or other intellectual property licensed from third parties. It may be necessary in the future to seek or renew licenses relating to various elements of the technology used to develop these products. We cannot assure you that our existing or future third-party licenses will be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Our inability to maintain or obtain any third-party license required to sell or develop our products and product enhancements could require us to obtain substitute technology of lower quality or performance standards, or at greater cost.

Adverse Resolution of Litigation May Harm Our Operating Results or Financial Condition

We are a party to various lawsuits and claims in the normal course of our business. Litigation can be expensive, lengthy and disruptive to normal business operations. Moreover, the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict. An unfavorable resolution of a particular lawsuit could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Future Sales of Our Common Stock Could Lower Our Stock Price and Dilute Existing Stockholders

In February 2016, we filed a universal shelf registration statement with the SEC for the future sale of an unlimited amount of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depositary shares, warrants and rights. The securities may be offered from time to time, separately or together, directly by us, by selling security holders, or through underwriters, dealers or agents at amounts, prices, interest rates and other terms to be determined at the time of the offering. For example, during the third quarter of fiscal year 2017 we completed the sale of approximately 7.5 million shares of our common stock in an underwritten public offering.

We may also issue additional shares of common stock to finance future acquisitions through the use of equity. For example, during the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 we issued approximately 4.3 million shares of our common stock to former equity and debt holders of WildBlue Holding, Inc. (WildBlue) in connection with our acquisition of WildBlue. Additionally, a substantial number of shares of our common stock are available for future sale pursuant to stock options, warrants or issuance pursuant to our 1996 Equity Participation Plan of ViaSat, Inc. and the ViaSat, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan. We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock or the effect, if any, that future sales and issuances of shares of our common stock will have on the market price of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares issued upon the exercise of stock options and warrants or in connection with acquisition financing), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock. In addition, these sales may be dilutive to existing stockholders.

We Expect Our Stock Price to Be Volatile, and You May Lose All or Some of Your Investment

The market price of our common stock has been volatile in the past. For example, since April 1, 2015, the market price of our common stock has ranged from $56.02 to $82.19. Trading prices may continue to fluctuate in response to a number of events and factors, including the following:

Any of these events may cause the market price of our common stock to fall. In addition, the stock market in general and the market prices for technology companies in particular have experienced significant volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of these companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance.

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We May Not Be Able to Utilize All of Our Deferred Tax Assets

We currently believe that we are likely to have sufficient taxable income in the future to realize the benefit of all of our net deferred tax assets (consisting primarily of net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, reserves and accruals that are not currently deductible for tax purposes). However, some or all of these deferred tax assets could expire unused if we are unable to generate sufficient taxable income in the future to take advantage of them or we enter into transactions that limit our right to use them. If it became more likely than not that deferred tax assets would expire unused, we would have to increase our valuation allowance against deferred tax assets to reflect this fact, which could materially increase our income tax expense, and therefore adversely affect our results of operations and tangible net worth in the period in which it is recorded.

Moreover, our ability to utilize our net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards to offset future taxable income and reduce future cash tax liabilities would be negatively impacted if we were to experience an “ownership change,” as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). In general terms, an “ownership change” can occur whenever the ownership of a company by one or more “5% shareholders” changes by more than 50 percentage points within a three-year period. The determination of whether an ownership change has occurred for purposes of Section 382 of the Code is complex and requires significant judgment. Moreover, the number of shares of our common stock outstanding at any particular time for purposes of Section 382 of the Code may differ from the number of shares that we report as outstanding in our filings with the SEC. In the event that an ownership change occurs, our ability to utilize our net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards would be negatively impacted, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Under recently enacted U.S. federal tax legislation, although the treatment of net operating loss carryforwards arising in tax years beginning on or before December 31, 2017 has generally not changed, net operating loss carryforwards arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 may be used to offset only 80% of taxable income. In addition, net operating losses arising in tax years ending after December 31, 2017 may be carried forward indefinitely, as opposed to the 20-year carryforward under prior law.

Our Executive Officers and Directors Own a Significant Percentage of Our Common Stock and May Exert Significant Influence over Matters Requiring Stockholder Approval

As of March 31, 2018, our executive officers and directors and their affiliates beneficially owned an aggregate of approximately 8% of our common stock. Accordingly, these stockholders may be able to significantly influence matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and the approval of mergers or other business combination transactions. Circumstances may arise in which the interests of these stockholders could conflict with the interests of our other stockholders. These stockholders could delay or prevent a change in control of Viasat even if such a transaction would be beneficial to our other stockholders.

Provisions in Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, under Delaware Law and in Our Credit Facilities May Discourage, Delay or Prevent a Change in Control or Prevent an Acquisition of Our Business at a Premium Price

Some of the provisions of our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent an acquisition of our business, even if a change in control of Viasat would be beneficial to the interests of our stockholders and was made at a premium price. These provisions:

We are also subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which imposes restrictions on mergers and other business combinations between us and any holder of 15% or more of our common stock. In addition, under the indenture governing the 2025 Notes, if certain “change of control” events occur, each holder of 2025 Notes may require us to repurchase all of such holder’s 2025 Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of such notes. Additionally, our Credit Facilities provide for an event of default upon the occurrence of certain specified “change of control” events.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

Our worldwide headquarters are located at our Carlsbad, California campus, consisting of approximately 695,000 square feet under various leases. In addition to our Carlsbad campus, we have facilities under various leases consisting of approximately: (1) 4,000 square feet in San Diego, California, (2) 158,000 square feet in Englewood, Colorado, (3) 215,000 square feet in Duluth, Georgia, (4) 75,000 square feet in Germantown, Maryland, (5) 151,000 square feet in Tempe, Arizona, (6) 31,000 square feet in Cleveland, Ohio and (7) 20,000 square feet in San Jose, California. We also maintain offices or a sales presence in Washington, D.C., Marlborough and Boston (Massachusetts), Linthicum Heights (Maryland), Tampa (Florida), Austin, Bryan and College Station (Texas), Fort Bragg (North Carolina), Seattle (Washington), Australia, China, India, Israel, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and operate 47 earth station locations to support our satellite broadband services business across the United States and Canada. Although we believe that our existing facilities are suitable and adequate for our present purposes, we anticipate operating additional regional sales offices in fiscal year 2019 and beyond. Each of our segments uses each of these facilities.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, we are involved in a variety of claims, suits, investigations and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, including government investigations and claims, and other claims and proceedings with respect to intellectual property, breach of contract, labor and employment, tax and other matters. Such matters could result in fines; penalties, compensatory, treble or other damages; or non-monetary relief. A violation of government contract laws and regulations could also result in the termination of our government contracts or debarment from bidding on future government contracts. Although claims, suits, investigations and proceedings are inherently uncertain and their results cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the resolution of our current pending matters will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense costs, diversion of management resources and other factors. In addition, it is possible that an unfavorable resolution of one or more such proceedings could in the future materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity in a particular period. For further information on the risks we face from existing and future claims, suits, investigations and proceedings, see “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this report.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

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PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Price Range of Common Stock

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “VSAT.” The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the range of high and low sales prices of our common stock as reported by Nasdaq.

 

 

As of May 11, 2018, there were approximately 575 holders of record of our common stock. A substantially greater number of holders of Viasat common stock are “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.

Dividend Policy

To date, we have neither declared nor paid any dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain all future earnings, if any, for use in the operation and development of our business and, therefore, do not expect to declare or pay any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to pay cash dividends will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, general business condition and such other factors as the Board of Directors may deem relevant. In addition, as more fully described in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7, the existing terms of our Credit Facilities and the indenture governing our 2025 Notes restrict our ability to declare or pay dividends on our common stock.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table provides our selected financial information for each of the fiscal years in the five-year period ended March 31, 2018. The data as of and for each of the fiscal years in the five-year period ended March 31, 2018 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, except as otherwise noted. You should consider the financial statement data provided below in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and notes which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

 

 

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Our fiscal year 2015 information presented reflects the amounts realized under our settlement agreement with SS/L and Loral (the Settlement Agreement) of $53.7 million, of which $33.0 million was recognized as product revenues in our satellite services segment, $18.7 million was recognized as a reduction to SG&A expenses in our satellite services segment, and $2.0 million was recognized as interest income in the consolidated financial statements. Our fiscal year 2016 information presented reflects the amounts realized under the Settlement Agreement of $27.5 million, of which $25.3 million was recognized as product revenues in our satellite services segment, and $2.2 million was recognized as interest income in the consolidated financial statements. Our fiscal year 2017 information presented reflects amounts realized under the Settlement Agreement of $27.5 million, of which $26.8 million was recognized as product revenues in our satellite services segment, and an insignificant amount was recognized as interest income in the consolidated financial statements. As of March 31, 2017 all payments pursuant to the Settlement Agreement had been made. Our fiscal year 2017 information presented also reflects the amounts accrued for uncharacterized damages and penalties of $11.4 million and $0.4 million, respectively, in connection with the False Claims Act civil investigation related to our 52% majority-owned subsidiary TrellisWare, recognized in SG&A expenses in our government systems segment. The impact of the loss contingency on net income attributable to Viasat, Inc. stockholders for fiscal year 2017, net of tax, was $4.0 million, with the related amount of $3.7 million recorded to net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax. The impact of the loss contingency on basic and diluted net income per share attributable to Viasat, Inc. common stockholders for fiscal year 2017 was $0.08 per share and $0.07 per share, respectively. In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018, the TrellisWare investigation was settled and the accrued amount of loss contingency was paid out in full. Refer to Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the False Claims Act civil investigation. Our fiscal year 2018 information presented reflects the repurchase and redemption of our former 2020 Notes and the associated $10.2 million loss on extinguishment of debt.  Refer to Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements for discussion of the repurchase and redemption of all of the 2020 Notes and loss on extinguishment of debt.

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Company Overview

We are an innovator in broadband technologies and services. Our end-to-end platform of high-capacity Ka-band satellites, ground infrastructure and user terminals enables us to provide cost-effective, high-speed, high-quality broadband solutions to enterprises, consumers and government users around the globe, whether on the ground, on the move or in flight. In addition, we develop and provide advanced wireless communications systems, secure networking systems and cybersecurity and information assurance products and services. Our product, system and service offerings are often linked through common underlying technologies, customer applications and market relationships. We believe that our portfolio of products and services, combined with our ability to effectively cross-deploy technologies between government and commercial segments and across different geographic markets, provides us with a strong foundation to sustain and enhance our leadership in advanced communications and networking technologies. Viasat operates in three segments: satellite services, commercial networks and government systems.

During the third quarter of fiscal year 2017, we completed the sale of an aggregate of 7,475,000 shares of Viasat common stock in an underwritten public offering. Our net proceeds from the offering were approximately $503.1 million after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. We used $225.0 million of the net proceeds from the offering to repay the then-outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility.

Satellite Services

Our satellite services segment provides satellite-based high-speed broadband services to consumers, enterprises, commercial airlines and mobile broadband customers both in the United States and abroad. Our Viasat Internet and Viasat Business Internet fixed broadband services offer high-speed, high-quality broadband internet access. We also offer high-speed internet and other in-flight services for a growing number of commercial aircraft. Our satellite services business also provides a platform for the provision of network management services to domestic and international satellite service providers.

Our satellite services business uses our proprietary technology platform to provide satellite-based high-speed broadband services with multiple applications to consumers, enterprises, commercial airlines and mobile broadband customers. Our proprietary Ka-band satellites are at the core of our technology platform. Our ViaSat-1 satellite (our first-generation high-capacity Ka-band spot-beam satellite) was placed into service in January 2012. On June 1, 2017, our second-generation ViaSat-2 satellite was successfully launched into orbit, and in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018 we launched commercial broadband services on the ViaSat-2 satellite. We currently have two third-generation ViaSat-3 class satellites under construction, and anticipate commencing construction on a third ViaSat-3 class satellite in the future. We also own the WildBlue-1 satellite, which was placed into service in March 2007.

The primary services offered by our satellite services segment are comprised of:

We also offer a variety of other broadband services, including business connectivity, live on-line event streaming, oil and natural gas data gathering services and high-definition satellite news gathering.

In September 2014, we entered into the Settlement Agreement with SS/L and Loral, pursuant to which SS/L and Loral were required to pay us a total of $108.7 million, inclusive of interest, over a two and a half year period from the date of settlement. In exchange, we dismissed both lawsuits against SS/L and Loral. The parties further agreed not to sue each other with respect to the patents and intellectual property that were the subject of the lawsuits and, for a period of two years, not to sue each other or each other’s customers for any intellectual property claims. We recorded payments under the Settlement Agreement as product revenues and as a reduction of SG&A expenses in our satellite services segment, and as interest income. As of March 31, 2017, all payments pursuant to this Settlement Agreement had been recorded and no further impacts to our consolidated financial statements are anticipated related to this Settlement Agreement.

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Commercial Networks

Our commercial networks segment develops and produces a variety of advanced satellite and wireless products, systems and solutions that enable the provision of high-speed fixed and mobile broadband services. Our products, systems and solutions include an array of satellite-based and wireless broadband platforms, networking equipment, space hardware, radio frequency and advanced microwave solutions, space-to-earth connectivity systems, CPE, satellite modems and antenna technologies, as well as satellite payload development and ASIC chip design. Our products, systems and solutions are generally developed through a combination of customer and discretionary internal research and development funding, are utilized to provide services through our satellite services segment and are also sold to commercial networks customers (with sales of complementary products, systems and solutions to government customers included in our government systems segment). The primary products, systems, solutions and services offered by our commercial networks segment are comprised of:

Government Systems

Our government systems segment provides global mobile broadband services to military and government users, and develops and produces network-centric IP-based fixed and mobile secure communications products and solutions that are designed to enable the collection and dissemination of secure real-time digital information between individuals on the tactical edge, command centers, strategic communications nodes, ground and maritime platforms and airborne intelligence and defense platforms. Customers of our government systems segment include the DoD, allied foreign governments, allied armed forces, public safety first-responders and remote government employees.

The primary products and services of our government systems segment include:

Sources of Revenues

Our satellite services segment revenues are primarily derived from our fixed broadband services business, our in-flight services business and our worldwide managed network services.

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Revenues in our commercial networks and government systems segments are primarily derived from three types of contracts: fixed-price, time-and-materials and cost-reimbursement contracts. Fixed-price contracts (which require us to provide products and services under a contract at a specified price) comprised approximately 88%, 87% and 90% of our total revenues for these segments for fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The remainder of our revenues in these segments for such periods was derived primarily from cost-reimbursement contracts (under which we are reimbursed for all actual costs incurred in performing the contract to the extent such costs are within the contract ceiling and allowable under the terms of the contract, plus a fee or profit) and from time-and-materials contracts (which reimburse us for the number of labor hours expended at an established hourly rate negotiated in the contract, plus the cost of materials utilized in providing such products or services).

Our ability to grow and maintain our revenues in our commercial networks and government systems segments has to date depended on our ability to identify and target markets where the customer places a high priority on the technology solution, and our ability to obtain additional sizable contract awards. Due to the nature of this process, it is difficult to predict the probability and timing of obtaining awards in these markets.

Historically, a significant portion of our revenues in our commercial networks and government systems segments has been derived from customer contracts that include the research and development of products. The research and development efforts are conducted in direct response to the customer’s specific requirements and, accordingly, expenditures related to such efforts are included in cost of sales when incurred and the related funding (which includes a profit component) is included in revenues. Revenues for our funded research and development from our customer contracts were approximately 19%, 19% and 20% of our total revenues during fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

We also incur IR&D expenses, which are not directly funded by a third party. IR&D expenses consist primarily of salaries and other personnel-related expenses, supplies, prototype materials, testing and certification related to research and development projects. IR&D expenses were approximately 11%, 8% and 5% of total revenues in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As a government contractor, we are able to recover a portion of our IR&D expenses pursuant to our government contracts.

Approximately 12%, 13% and 15% of our total revenues in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, were derived from international sales. Doing business internationally creates additional risks related to global political and economic conditions and other factors identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A and elsewhere in this report.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations discusses our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We consider the policies discussed below to be critical to an understanding of our financial statements because their application places the most significant demands on management’s judgment, with financial reporting results relying on estimation about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. We describe the specific risks for these critical accounting policies in the following paragraphs. For all of these policies, we caution that future events rarely develop exactly as forecast, and even the best estimates routinely require adjustment.

Revenue recognition

A substantial portion of our revenues is derived from long-term contracts requiring development and delivery of complex equipment built to customer specifications. Sales related to these contracts are accounted for under the authoritative guidance for the percentage-of-completion method of accounting (Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 605-35). Sales and earnings under these contracts are recorded either based on the ratio of actual costs incurred to date to total estimated costs expected to be incurred related to the contract, or as products are shipped under the units-of-delivery method.

The percentage-of-completion method of accounting requires management to estimate the profit margin for each individual contract and to apply that profit margin on a uniform basis as sales are recorded under the contract. The estimation of profit margins requires management to make projections of the total sales to be generated and the total costs that will be incurred under a contract. These projections require management to make numerous assumptions and estimates relating to items such as the complexity of design and related development costs, performance of subcontractors, availability and cost of materials, labor productivity and cost, overhead and capital costs and manufacturing efficiency. These contracts often include purchase options for additional quantities and customer change

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orders for additional or revised product functionality. Purchase options and change orders are accounted for either as an integral part of the original contract or separately depending upon the nature and value of the item. For contract claims or similar items, we apply judgment in estimating the amounts and assessing the potential for realization. These amounts are only included in contract value when they can be reliably estimated and realization is considered probable. Anticipated losses on contracts are recognized in full in the period in which losses become probable and estimable. During fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, we recorded losses of approximately $10.2 million, $6.0 million and $5.1 million, respectively, related to loss contracts.

Assuming the initial estimates of sales and costs under a contract are accurate, the percentage-of-completion method results in the profit margin being recorded evenly as revenue is recognized under the contract. Changes in these underlying estimates due to revisions in sales and future cost estimates or the exercise of contract options may result in profit margins being recognized unevenly over a contract as such changes are accounted for on a cumulative basis in the period estimates are revised. We believe we have established appropriate systems and processes to enable us to reasonably estimate future costs on our programs through regular evaluations of contract costs, scheduling and technical matters by business unit personnel and management. Historically, in the aggregate, we have not experienced significant deviations in actual costs from estimated program costs, and when deviations that result in significant adjustments arise, we disclose the related impact in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. However, these estimates require significant management judgment and a significant change in future cost estimates on one or more programs could have a material effect on our results of operations. A one percent variance in our future cost estimates on open fixed-price contracts as of March 31, 2018 would change our loss before income taxes by an insignificant amount.

We also derive a substantial portion of our revenues from contracts and purchase orders where revenue is recorded on delivery of products or performance of services in accordance with the authoritative guidance for revenue recognition (ASC 605). Under this standard, we recognize revenue when an arrangement exists, prices are determinable, collectability is reasonably assured and the goods or services have been delivered.

We also enter into certain leasing arrangements with customers and evaluate the contracts in accordance with the authoritative guidance for leases (ASC 840). Our accounting for equipment leases involves specific determinations under the authoritative guidance for leases, which often involve complex provisions and significant judgments. In accordance with the authoritative guidance for leases, we classify the transactions as sales type or operating leases based on: (1) review for transfers of ownership of the equipment to the lessee by the end of the lease term, (2) review of the lease terms to determine if it contains an option to purchase the leased equipment for a price which is sufficiently lower than the expected fair value of the equipment at the date of the option, (3) review of the lease term to determine if it is equal to or greater than 75% of the economic life of the equipment, and (4) review of the present value of the minimum lease payments to determine if they are equal to or greater than 90% of the fair market value of the equipment at the inception of the lease. Additionally, we consider the cancelability of the contract and any related uncertainty of collections or risk in recoverability of the lease investment at lease inception. Revenue from sales type leases is recognized at the inception of the lease or when the equipment has been delivered and installed at the customer site, if installation is required. Revenues from equipment rentals under operating leases are recognized as earned over the lease term, which is generally on a straight-line basis.

In accordance with the authoritative guidance for revenue recognition for multiple element arrangements, ASU 2009-13, Revenue Recognition (ASC 605) Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements, which updates ASC 605-25, Revenue Recognition-Multiple element arrangements, of FASB codification, for substantially all of the arrangements with multiple deliverables, we allocate revenue to each element based on a selling price hierarchy at the arrangement inception. The selling price for each element is based upon the following selling price hierarchy: vendor specific objective evidence (VSOE) if available, third-party evidence (TPE) if VSOE is not available, or estimated selling price (ESP) if neither VSOE nor TPE are available (a description as to how we determine VSOE, TPE and ESP is provided below). If a tangible hardware systems product includes software, we determine whether the tangible hardware systems product and the software work together to deliver the product’s essential functionality and, if so, the entire product is treated as a nonsoftware deliverable. The total arrangement consideration is allocated to each separate unit of accounting for each of the nonsoftware deliverables using the relative selling prices of each unit based on the aforementioned selling price hierarchy. Revenue for each separate unit of accounting is recognized when the applicable revenue recognition criteria for each element have been met.

To determine the selling price in multiple-element arrangements, we establish VSOE of the selling price using the price charged for a deliverable when sold separately. We also consider specific renewal rates offered to customers for software license updates, product support and hardware systems support, and other services. For nonsoftware multiple-element arrangements, TPE is established by evaluating similar and/or interchangeable competitor products or services in standalone arrangements with similarly situated customers and/or agreements. If we are unable to determine the selling price because VSOE or TPE doesn’t exist, we determine ESP for the purposes of allocating the arrangement by reviewing historical transactions, including transactions whereby the deliverable was sold on a standalone basis and considering

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several other external and internal factors including, but not limited to, pricing practices including discounting, margin objectives, competition, the geographies in which we offer our products and services, the type of customer (i.e. distributor, value added reseller, government agency or direct end user, among others), volume commitments and the stage of the product lifecycle. The determination of ESP considers our pricing model and go-to-market strategy. As our, or our competitors’, pricing and go-to-market strategies evolve, we may modify our pricing practices in the future, which could result in changes to our determination of VSOE, TPE and ESP. As a result, our future revenue recognition for multiple-element arrangements could differ materially from those in the current period.

Collections in excess of revenues and deferred revenues represent cash collected from customers in advance of revenue recognition and are recorded in accrued liabilities for obligations within the next 12 months. Amounts for obligations extending beyond the 12 months are recorded within other liabilities in the consolidated financial statements.

Warranty reserves

We provide limited warranties on our products for periods of up to five years. We record a liability for our warranty obligations when we ship the products or they are included in long-term construction contracts based upon an estimate of expected warranty costs. Amounts expected to be incurred within 12 months are classified as accrued liabilities and amounts expected to be incurred beyond 12 months are classified as other liabilities in the consolidated financial statements. For mature products, we estimate the warranty costs based on historical experience with the particular product. For newer products that do not have a history of warranty costs, we base our estimates on our experience with the technology involved and the types of failures that may occur. It is possible that our underlying assumptions will not reflect the actual experience, and in that case, we will make future adjustments to the recorded warranty obligation.

Property, equipment and satellites

Satellites and other property and equipment are recorded at cost or in the case of certain satellites and other property acquired, the fair value at the date of acquisition, net of accumulated depreciation. Capitalized satellite costs consist primarily of the costs of satellite construction and launch, including launch insurance and insurance during the period of in-orbit testing, the net present value of performance incentive payments expected to be payable to the satellite manufacturers (dependent on the continued satisfactory performance of the satellites), costs directly associated with the monitoring and support of satellite construction, and interest costs incurred during the period of satellite construction. We also construct earth stations, network operations systems and other assets to support our satellites, and those construction costs, including interest, are capitalized as incurred. At the time satellites are placed in service, we estimate the useful life of our satellites for depreciation purposes based upon an analysis of each satellite’s performance against the original manufacturer’s orbital design life, estimated fuel levels and related consumption rates, as well as historical satellite operating trends.

We own three satellites in service: ViaSat-2 (our second-generation high-capacity Ka-band spot-beam satellite, which was placed into service in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018), ViaSat-1 (our first-generation high-capacity Ka-band spot-beam satellite, which was placed into service in January 2012) and WildBlue-1 (which was placed into service in March 2007). We currently have two third-generation ViaSat-3 class satellites under construction. In addition, we have an exclusive prepaid lifetime capital lease of Ka-band capacity over the contiguous United States on Telesat Canada’s Anik F2 satellite (which was placed into service in April 2005) and own related earth stations and networking equipment for all of our satellites. Property and equipment also includes the CPE units leased to subscribers under a retail leasing program as part of our satellite services segment.

Impairment of long-lived and other long-term assets (property, equipment and satellites, and other assets, including goodwill)

In accordance with the authoritative guidance for impairment or disposal of long-lived assets (ASC 360), we assess potential impairments to our long-lived assets, including property, equipment and satellites and other assets, when there is evidence that events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. We periodically review the remaining estimated useful life of the satellite to determine if revisions to the estimated life are necessary. We recognize an impairment loss when the undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by an asset (or group of assets) are less than the asset’s carrying value. Any required impairment loss would be measured as the amount by which the asset’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, and would be recorded as a reduction in the carrying value of the related asset and charged to results of operations. No material impairments were recorded by us for fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016.

We account for our goodwill under the authoritative guidance for goodwill and other intangible assets (ASC 350) and the provisions of ASU 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment, which simplifies how we test goodwill for impairment. Current authoritative guidance allows us to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. If, after completing the qualitative assessment, we determine that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair value is greater than the carrying value, we conclude that no impairment exists. If it is more likely than not that the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, we compare the fair

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value of the reporting unit to its carrying value. If the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, a second step is performed in which the implied fair value of goodwill is compared to its carrying value. If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying value, goodwill must be written down to its implied fair value, resulting in goodwill impairment. We test goodwill for impairment during the fourth quarter every fiscal year and when an event occurs or circumstances change such that it is reasonably possible that an impairment may exist.

The qualitative analysis includes assessing the impact of changes in certain factors including: (1) changes in forecasted operating results and comparing actual results to projections, (2) changes in the industry or our competitive environment since the acquisition date, (3) changes in the overall economy, our market share and market interest rates since the acquisition date, (4) trends in the stock price and related market capitalization and enterprise values, (5) trends in peer companies total enterprise value metrics, and (6) additional factors such as management turnover, changes in regulation and changes in litigation matters.

Based on our qualitative assessment performed during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018, we concluded that it was more likely than not that the estimated fair value of our reporting units exceeded their carrying value as of March 31, 2018 and, therefore, determined it was not necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.

Income taxes and valuation allowance on deferred tax assets

Management evaluates the realizability of our deferred tax assets and assesses the need for a valuation allowance on a quarterly basis to determine if the weight of available evidence suggests that an additional valuation allowance is needed. In accordance with the authoritative guidance for income taxes (ASC 740), net deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, based on all the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In the event that our estimate of taxable income is less than that required to utilize the full amount of any deferred tax asset, a valuation allowance is established which would cause a decrease to income in the period such determination is made. Our valuation allowance against deferred tax assets increased from $17.7 million at March 31, 2017 to $29.0 million at March 31, 2018. The valuation allowance primarily relates to state net operating loss carryforwards and state research and development tax credit carryforwards.

Our analysis of the need for a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets considered historical as well as forecasted future operating results. In addition, our evaluation considered other factors, including our contractual backlog, history of positive earnings, current earnings trends assuming our satellite services segment continues to grow, taxable income adjusted for certain items, and forecasted income by jurisdiction. We also considered the period over which these net deferred tax assets can be realized and our history of not having federal tax loss carryforwards expire unused.

Accruals for uncertain tax positions are provided for in accordance with the authoritative guidance for accounting for uncertainty in income taxes (ASC 740). Under the authoritative guidance, we may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position should be measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The authoritative guidance addresses the derecognition of income tax assets and liabilities, classification of deferred income tax assets and liabilities, accounting for interest and penalties associated with tax positions, and income tax disclosures.

We are subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. In the ordinary course of business, there are calculations and transactions where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. In addition, changes in tax laws and regulations as well as adverse judicial rulings could adversely affect the income tax provision. We believe we have adequately provided for income tax issues not yet resolved with federal, state and foreign tax authorities. However, if these provided amounts prove to be more than what is necessary, the reversal of the reserves would result in tax benefits being recognized in the period in which we determine that provision for the liabilities is no longer necessary. If an ultimate tax assessment exceeds our estimate of tax liabilities, an additional charge to expense would result.

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Results of Operations

The following table presents, as a percentage of total revenues, income statement data for the periods indicated.

 

Fiscal Year 2018 Compared to Fiscal Year 2017

Revenues

 

 

Our total revenues grew by $35.3 million as a result of a $41.6 million increase in product revenues, offset by a $6.3 million decrease in service revenues. The product revenue increase was driven by an increase of $82.1 million in our government systems segment, partially offset by decreases of $27.0 million in our satellite services segment and $13.4 million in our commercial networks segment. The decrease in product revenue in our satellite services segment reflected the completion in fiscal year 2017 of payments under the Settlement Agreement with SS/L recognized as product revenue. The service revenue decrease was driven by a decrease of $13.3 million in our satellite services segment, partially offset by increases of $5.0 million in our government systems segment and $2.0 million in our commercial networks segment.

Cost of revenues

 

 

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Cost of revenues increased by $71.8 million due to increases of $42.2 million in cost of service revenues and $29.7 million in cost of product revenues. The cost of service revenue increase mainly related to lower margins for Viasat Internet broadband services and in-flight internet services in our satellite services segment primarily due to preparation for the ViaSat-2 service launch in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018 and the ramp-up of large-scale commercial air in-flight IFC systems, partially offset by improved margins in global mobile broadband services in our government systems segment. The cost of product revenue increase was mainly due to increased revenues, causing a $52.2 million increase in cost of product revenues on a constant margin basis (excluding the effect of the payments under the Settlement Agreement in the prior year period recognized as product revenues), partially offset by improved margins mainly related to our tactical data links products, global mobile broadband products and cybersecurity and information assurance products in our government systems segment.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

The $52.0 million increase in SG&A expenses reflected a $34.2 million increase in support costs primarily in our satellite services and commercial networks segments, mainly due to the higher employee-related costs supporting the ViaSat-2 service launch and our commercial air growth activities, as well as in support of the expansion of our international business. In addition, selling costs increased $11.9 million, primarily due to an increase in our satellite services segment in preparation for the ViaSat-2 service launch in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018. New business proposal costs also increased $5.9 million, driven primarily by increases in our government systems and commercial networks segments. SG&A expenses consisted primarily of personnel costs and expenses for business development, marketing and sales, bid and proposal, facilities, finance, contract administration and general management.

Independent research and development

 

 

The $38.7 million increase in IR&D expenses was primarily the result of increases of $22.2 million in IR&D efforts in our commercial networks segment (primarily related to an increase in IR&D efforts relating to next-generation satellite payload technologies for our ViaSat-3 class satellites and next-generation consumer broadband integrated networking technologies) and $15.8 million in our government systems segment (primarily related to research increases in the development of next-generation dual band mobility solutions).

Amortization of acquired intangible assets

We amortize our acquired intangible assets from prior acquisitions over their estimated useful lives, which range from two to ten years. The $1.4 million increase in amortization of acquired intangible assets in fiscal year 2018 compared to fiscal year 2017 was primarily the result of our acquisition of Arconics in November 2016. Current and expected amortization expense for acquired intangible assets for each of the following periods is as follows: