VIASAT INC - Annual Report: 2019 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019

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 every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).    ☒  Yes    ☐  No

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, 2018 was approximately $3,576,870,841 (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 10, 2019 was 60,597,718.

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 2019 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, 2019.

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, and the entry into a construction contract for our third ViaSat-3 class satellite to replace and supersede our existing limited agreement to proceed for the satellite; 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 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 realize the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions or strategic partnering arrangements; 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 (including changes affecting spectrum availability or permitted uses) on our ability to sell or deploy our products and services; changes in the way others use spectrum; our inability to access additional spectrum, use spectrum for additional purposes, and/or operate satellites at additional orbital locations; competing uses of the same spectrum or orbital locations that we utilize or seek to utilize; 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.

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Company Overview

We are an innovator in communications 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, military tactical data link 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.

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 uses our proprietary technology platform to provide satellite-based high-speed broadband services with multiple applications to consumers, enterprises, and mobile broadband customers (including commercial airlines and maritime vessels) 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. For commercial aircraft, we offer high-speed internet and other in-flight services, including our wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) platform. Our Community and Urban Wi-Fi hotspot services provide satellite-powered Wi-Fi to rural, suburban and urban areas in a number of countries in the Americas. Our satellite services business also provides a platform for the provision of network management services to satellite service providers.

Our proprietary Ka-band satellites are at the core of our technology platform. We own three Ka-band 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 also have two third-generation ViaSat-3 class satellites that have entered the phase of full construction, and in January 2019 we signed an agreement to proceed for a third ViaSat-3 class satellite.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018, shortly before the launch of commercial broadband services on our ViaSat-2 satellite, we reported an antenna deployment issue. We worked with the satellite manufacturer to determine the root cause of the antenna deployment issue, potential correcting measures, and resulting damage. In the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, the root cause analysis was completed. Based on that analysis, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, we recorded a reduction to the carrying value of the ViaSat-2 satellite of $177.4 million, with a corresponding insurance receivable of $177.4 million, based on our estimated ViaSat-2 output capabilities as compared to the anticipated, potential and configured capacity of the ViaSat-2 satellite. During fiscal year 2019, we received $185.7 million in insurance recovery proceeds related to such claims. We recorded an insurance receivable of $2.3 million as of March 31, 2019 with respect to probable remaining ViaSat-2 related insurance claims. As a result, during fiscal year 2019, we recorded a $7.5 million gain related to ViaSat-2 insurance claims in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive incomes (loss). The ViaSat-2 satellite was primarily financed by our direct loan facility with the Export-Import Bank of the United States for ViaSat-2 (the Ex-Im Credit Facility) (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources—Ex-Im Credit Facility” below). Pursuant to the terms of the Ex-Im Credit Facility, insurance proceeds received from such claims were used to pay down outstanding borrowings under the Ex-Im Credit Facility. Our ViaSat-2 satellite, despite this anomaly, significantly expanded 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.

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. The first ViaSat-3 class satellite is expected to provide broadband services over the Americas, the second is expected to provide broadband services over the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, and the third is expected to provide broadband services over the Asia and Pacific (APAC) region, enabling us to deliver affordable connectivity worldwide. The first ViaSat-3 class satellite is currently targeted to launch in early calendar 2021, although the actual launch date will be dependent on the completion of deliverables by our contract manufacturers, subcontractors and other third-party service providers, available launch windows and other variables.

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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 490 additional aircraft under our existing customer agreements with commercial airlines as of March 31, 2019. The primary services offered by our satellite services segment are comprised of:

We also offer a variety of other broadband services and capabilities, including, live on-line event streaming and oil and natural gas data gathering services.

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 Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip design. Our products, systems and solutions are generally developed through a combination of customer and discretionary internal research and development (R&D) 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. Our government systems products and solutions are designed to enable the collection and dissemination of secure real-time digital information and intelligence between individuals on the tactical edge, in command centers, leveraging strategic communications nodes, and those individuals on the ground, in the air or on a maritime platform. Customers of our government systems segment include the U.S. Department of Defense (the DoD), those serving the Five Eye (FVEY) intelligence alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States), 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 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 services capable of supporting real-time dissemination of data and intelligence 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 (LOS) radio links. High-speed broadband beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) 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, high-value and cost-effective broadband and advanced communications products and services, utilizing our leading space, wireless and ground networking 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 those customers leveraging our broadband internet and Wi-Fi services—obtained through either our direct or U.S. or international partner distribution channels—and include: residential customers, customers accessing our services via our Community or Urban Wi-Fi hotspots, small and medium-sized businesses, enterprise customers and commercial airlines, among others sectors. 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, FVEY and other allied foreign governments and militaries, 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 26%, 31% and 29% of total revenues for fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. None of our other customers comprised 10% or more of total revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017.

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 mix of communication products, satellite services, engineering capabilities and technical expertise in specialized 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, which may include product R&D, 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 2019, approximately 11% of our total government revenues was generated from cost-reimbursement contracts with the federal government or our prime contractors, less than 1% from time-and-materials contracts and approximately 89% 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.”

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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.

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.

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 and communications 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 communications product development.

We conduct the majority of our R&D activities in-house and have R&D and engineering staff, which includes over 2,800 engineers worldwide. Our product development activities focus on products that we consider viable revenue opportunities to support all of our business segments. We incurred $123.0 million, $168.3 million and $129.6 million during fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, on independent research and development (IR&D) expenses, which comprise R&D not directly funded by a third party. Funded R&D 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 R&D 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 international 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. During 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 and entertainment 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 IFC systems offer a competitive combination of high-speed and data throughput capacity, that enable more passengers and crew on more flights, across commercial and business aircraft, the ability to leverage high-speed internet 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, CPI Antenna Systems Division, Comtech, EchoStar (Hughes Network Systems), General Dynamics, Gilat, iDirect Technologies, L-3 Communications, Newtec, Panasonic, Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) (MAXAR), Thales and Safran Aerosystems. 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, Collins Aerospace 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, Harris, IEC Electronics Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Plexus, Regal Technology Partners and Sanmina.

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, and its various provisions on spectrum usage. 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.

The ITU regulations provide allocations or designations for how spectrum can be used for various purposes, and whether such uses operate on a primary or secondary basis with one another. Secondary uses may not cause harmful interference to primary uses, and may not claim interference protection from primary uses.

On our behalf, various countries have made ITU 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 or requirements 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. The orbital arc is becoming increasingly congested with respect to such ITU filings and the satellite networks operated under those filings.

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In addition, the ITU’s Radio Regulations are subject to change at periodic ITU World Radio-communication Conferences (WRCs), and their application is determined by various governing bodies within the ITU. WRCs typically are convened approximately every four years, with the next one occurring at the end of 2019.  The next WRC is considering various changes to the Radio Regulations that address the terms and conditions under which spectrum is used for satellite and terrestrial and purposes, and future WRCs are likely to do the same.

Spectrum

The space stations and ground networks we use to provide our broadband services rely on access to spectrum within each country in which we do business. Use of such spectrum is authorized by regulatory authorities within each country (or a regional authority whose jurisdiction over spectrum rights encompasses that country), which determines the terms and conditions for access to and use of that spectrum in that particular country. The terms and conditions for access can and do vary by country, may differ from the ITU’s Radio regulations, and may change over time. In particular, the growing demand for both satellite and terrestrial communications services is causing many countries to evaluate how spectrum is used within their borders, and to consider changes in the local terms and conditions for access to and use of spectrum. Those terms and conditions affect, among other things, the extent to which, and how, we must share spectrum with other spectrum users, including terrestrial and satellite uses, and whether we must operate on a secondary basis in some cases. Most of the spectrum on which we rely is shared with other satellite networks, including those operating in different orbits that could cross our orbital location and result in interference conditions. In many countries, portions of the spectrum on which we rely also are shared with terrestrial wireless services.

If the deployment of new terrestrial or satellite networks results in harmful interference into our satellite operations, or if the implementation of those networks under newly adopted terms and conditions constrains or prohibits the types of spectrum uses for which we have planned in a manner that we do not anticipate, such developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Broadband Services

We provide high-speed broadband internet access and VoIP services to customers in the United States, as well as in Europe, Latin America, and on commercial aircraft travelling around the world. Our provision of these services is subject to a number of legal obligations, including requirements to obtain licenses, authorizations and/or registrations to provide service in or to a given jurisdiction, implementation of certain network capabilities to assist law enforcement, and open internet requirements. Legislators and regulators often consider changes to existing statutes, rules and requirements, or prescribe new ones, which could significantly impact the ability to comply, or the costs of complying with, these types of obligations, or that otherwise could materially and adversely affect our ability to provide service in a given jurisdiction.    

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.

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.

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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 18.8%. 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.

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 2018 order is currently under review in the D.C. Circuit. In addition, legislative proposals that would restore net neutrality requirements are being considered in Congress, and some states have recently adopted portions of the net neutrality requirements. Some legislative actions at the state level are being challenged in courts on federal preemption and other grounds, and in some cases, the requirements currently are not being enforced.  We cannot predict the outcome of these pending appeals and legislative efforts, or any resulting impact on ISPs.

Foreign Regulation

Our operation of spacecraft and ground network, and our provision of services to customers outside of the United States are subject to legal requirements of the jurisdictions issuing the satellite authorizations and in which Viasat provides services. These include obtaining the market access, and the spectrum service and licenses, authorizations and/or registrations that are necessary to operate or provide service in or to a given jurisdiction, and in many cases licenses for the operation of transmitting satellite earth station facilities and certain receiving satellite earth station facilities. In particular, we must obtain authority to operate various earth stations outside the United States, including but not limited to user terminals and facilities that aggregate traffic and interconnect with the internet backbone and network hubs. This authority is subject to conditions and limitations that vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction

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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 maintaining 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. 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. Other regulators perform similar functions around the world. These types of requirements typically provide for equipment to be tested either by the manufacturer or by a private testing organization to ensure compliance with the applicable technical requirements. In some cases, the regulator requires submission of an application, which must be approved by the regulator or a private testing organization accredited by the regulator.

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.

Aviation-Related Regulation

Aircraft Modification. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for the regulation and oversight of civil aviation within the United States. The FAA develops and enforces airworthiness standards and regulations that certify the industry’s ability to manufacture aircraft and aircraft components, perform modification and maintenance activities on aircraft, and repair equipment previously installed on aircraft. We interact with the FAA regarding aircraft modification through two main activities: (1) supporting Type Certificate (TC) activity with an aircraft original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to obtain linefit certification of our IFC and W-IFE equipment and (2) obtaining a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to enable the retrofit of our IFC and W-IFE equipment. With respect to TC activity, the OEM is responsible for full certification and FAA regulatory compliance and we are responsible for providing certified equipment to the OEM. With respect to STC activity, we typically use Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) to support holding and maintaining our STCs to ensure FAA regulatory compliance. Our commercial air business depends on our ability to interact with the FAA and ODAs, as well as FAA-certified engineering professionals, in order to access data and obtain authorizations and approvals.

Parts Manufacturing Approval. We have a wide range of products supporting both commercial and business aviation customers. The FAA, under its Part Manufacturing Approval (PMA) program, provides authorization to entities like us and our vendors to manufacture and deliver IFC and W-IFE equipment. These approvals are provided through assigned FAA Manufacturing Inspection District Offices and are subject to strict rules and ongoing oversight. We have been able to obtain PMA on our entire fleet of current IFC and W-IFE product offerings due to multiple licensing agreements with both OEMs for linefit installations and ODAs for retrofit installations.

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FAA Part 145 Repair Stations. The FAA has approved several of our locations as 14 CFR Part 145 repair stations, which enables us to provide ongoing support to customers with respect to our IFC and W-IFE systems. These repair stations support both line-replaceable unit (LRU) and line maintenance activities associated with our IFC and W-IFE products. These approvals are provided and overseen by FAA Flight Standards District Offices. We have also obtained European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval for our repair stations dedicated to LRU repair and maintenance for our IFC and W-IFE 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 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. 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, 2019, we employed approximately 5,600 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 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 2017, 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, 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 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.

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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 the position as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Administrative Officer. Effective September 2018, he assumed his current position as Executive Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Chief Commercial 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 Senior Vice President and 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. In May 2018, Mr. Ryan was appointed Vice President and President, Viasat Space Systems, and in March 2019, he assumed his current role as a Vice President, Viasat Commercial Networks. 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 third-generation ViaSat-3 class satellites (our third-generation high-capacity Ka-band satellite design) have entered the phase of full construction, and in January 2019 we signed an agreement to proceed for a third ViaSat-3 class satellite. 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 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.

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, 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

Two third-generation ViaSat-3 class satellites (our third-generation high-capacity Ka-band satellite design) have entered the phase of full construction, and in January 2019 we signed an agreement to proceed for a third ViaSat-3 class satellite. 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 the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018, shortly before the launch of commercial broadband services on our ViaSat-2 satellite, we reported an antenna deployment issue. We worked with the satellite manufacturer to determine the root cause of the antenna deployment issue, potential correcting measures, and resulting damage. In the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, the root cause analysis was completed. Based on that analysis, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, we recorded a reduction to the carrying value of the ViaSat-2 satellite of $177.4 million, with a corresponding insurance receivable of $177.4 million, based on our estimated ViaSat-2 output capabilities as compared to the anticipated, potential and configured capacity of the ViaSat-2 satellite. 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 3% 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 pre-launch insurance for the payloads for our first two ViaSat-3 satellites and 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 and entertainment 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, CPI Antenna Systems Division, Comtech, EchoStar (Hughes Network Systems), General Dynamics, Gilat, iDirect Technologies, L-3 Communications, Newtec, Panasonic, Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) (MAXAR), Thales and Safran Aerosystems. 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, Collins Aerospace 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 have incurred additional operating costs in fiscal year 2019 in our satellite services segment. These increased operating costs include depreciation, amortization of capitalized software development, earth station connectivity, marketing and advertising costs, logistics, customer care and various support systems. In addition, interest expense increased 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). We expect to continue to invest in IR&D at a significant level as we continue our focus on leadership and innovation in satellite and space technologies, although the level of investment in a given fiscal year will depend on a variety of factors, including the stage of development of our satellite projects, new market opportunities and our overall operating performance. 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. Such authorizations are conditioned upon meeting certain milestone conditions and/or due diligence requirements, which if not met could result in loss of the authorization. In addition, 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 maintaining their respective governmental rights on

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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 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. Risks and uncertainties relating to acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic alliances include:

In connection with 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 ability to operate satellites at specific orbital locations in space, 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 some spectrum that is regulated for use on a primary basis for certain types of the satellite services we provide, some spectrum that is regulated for use on a shared basis with terrestrial wireless services, and some 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. Moreover, spectrum availability varies from country to country, and even within countries, within our service areas.

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 in regulations governing our products and services, changes in the way spectrum is made available to us, or is allowed to be used by others, or competing uses of spectrum or orbital locations, 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. Some regulators are considering new or additional terrestrial services in the spectrum in which we operate, which may not be compatible with the way we use, or plan to use, that same spectrum. 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 Trump 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.

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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.

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

Our government systems segment revenues were approximately 46%, 48% and 44% of our total revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, 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:

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 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.

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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 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 2019. As of March 31, 2019, the DCAA had completed its incurred cost audit for fiscal years 2004 and 2016 and approved our incurred costs for those fiscal years, as well as approved our incurred costs for fiscal years 2005 through 2015, 2017 and 2018 without further audit based on determination of low risk. Although we have recorded contract revenues subsequent to fiscal year 2018 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. 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.

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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 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.

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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% of our total revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017. 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% of our total revenues for fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 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 90%, 88% and 87% were derived from contracts with fixed prices in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, 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.

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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 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, 2019, the aggregate principal amount of our total outstanding indebtedness was $1.4 billion, which was comprised of $700.0 million in principal amount of 5.625% Senior Notes due 2025 (the 2025 Notes), $600.0 million in principal amount of 5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 (the 2027 Notes), no outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility (the Revolving Credit Facility) and $139.6 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). As of March 31, 2019, we had undrawn availability of $680.4 million under our Revolving Credit Facility and no remaining availability under our Ex-Im Credit Facility. 

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, 2019, we had undrawn availability of $680.4 million under our Revolving Credit Facility. In addition, the Credit Facilities and the indentures governing the 2025 Notes and the 2027 Notes (collectively, the Indentures) permit us, subject to specified limitations, to incur additional indebtedness, including secured indebtedness.

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In February 2019, 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 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 Indentures 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 and the 2027 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, the 2027 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 Indentures 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 Indentures include covenants restricting, among other things, our ability to do the following:

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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 and the 2027 Notes are equally and ratably 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 and the indenture governing the 2027 Notes. 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 Indentures 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 Indentures 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 Indentures, 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 Indentures, and any acceleration of amounts due would have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.

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.

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

Approximately 11%, 12% and 13% of our total revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, 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:

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

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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.

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 2019, 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.

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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, 2016, the market price of our common stock has ranged from $55.93 to $97.31. 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.

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 U.S federal tax legislation, although the treatment of net operating loss carryforwards arising in tax years ending 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, 2019, 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.

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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 Indentures, if certain “change of control” events occur, each holder of 2025 Notes and the 2027 Notes may require us to repurchase all of such holder’s 2025 Notes or 2027 Notes, as applicable, 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.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

Our worldwide headquarters are located at our Carlsbad, California campus, consisting of approximately 1,065,000 square feet under various leases. In addition to our Carlsbad campus, we have facilities under various leases consisting of approximately: (1) 3,700 square feet in San Diego, California, (2) 183,000 square feet in Englewood, Colorado, (3) 215,000 square feet in Duluth, Georgia, (4) 171,000 square feet in Germantown, Maryland, (5) 177,000 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, Netherlands, Mexico and the United Kingdom, and operate 63 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 2020 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

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “VSAT.” As of May 10, 2019, there were approximately 486 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 Indentures 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, 2019. The data as of and for each of the fiscal years in the five-year period ended March 31, 2019 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. Our fiscal year 2019 information presented reflects a $7.5 million gain related to ViaSat-2 insurance claims in SG&A expenses in our satellite services segment. Refer to Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the ViaSat-2 insurance claims.

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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 communications 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, military tactical data link 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.

We conduct our business through three segments: satellite services, commercial networks and government systems.

Satellite Services

Our satellite services segment uses our proprietary technology platform to provide satellite-based high-speed broadband services with multiple applications to consumers, enterprises and mobile broadband customers (including commercial airlines and maritime vessels) 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. For commercial aircraft, we offer high-speed internet and other in-flight services, including our wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) platform. Our Community and Urban Wi-Fi hotspot services provide satellite-powered Wi-Fi to rural, suburban and urban areas in a number of countries in the Americas.

Our proprietary Ka-band satellites are at the core of our technology platform. We own three Ka-band 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 also have two third-generation ViaSat-3 class satellites that have entered the phase of full construction, and in January 2019 we signed an agreement to proceed for a third ViaSat-3 class satellite.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018, shortly before the launch of commercial broadband services on our ViaSat-2 satellite, we reported an antenna deployment issue. We worked with the satellite manufacturer to determine the root cause of the antenna deployment issue, potential correcting measures, and resulting damage. In the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, the root cause analysis was completed. Based on that analysis, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, we recorded a reduction to the carrying value of the ViaSat-2 satellite of $177.4 million, with a corresponding insurance receivable of $177.4 million, based on our estimated ViaSat-2 output capabilities as compared to the anticipated, potential and configured capacity of the ViaSat-2 satellite. During fiscal year 2019, we received $185.7 million in insurance recovery proceeds related to such claims. We recorded an insurance receivable of $2.3 million as of March 31, 2019 with respect to probable remaining ViaSat-2 related insurance claims. As a result, during fiscal year 2019, we recorded a $7.5 million gain related to ViaSat-2 insurance claims in SG&A expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive incomes (loss). The ViaSat-2 satellite was primarily financed by the Ex-Im Credit Facility (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources—Ex-Im Credit Facility” below). Pursuant to the terms of the Ex-Im Credit Facility, insurance proceeds received from such claims were used to pay down outstanding borrowings under the Ex-Im Credit Facility.

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 and capabilities, including live on-line event streaming and oil and natural gas data gathering services.

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 R&D 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. Our government systems products and solutions are designed to enable the collection and dissemination of secure real-time digital information and intelligence between individuals on the tactical edge, in command centers, leveraging strategic communications nodes, and those individuals on the ground, in the air or on a maritime platform. Customers of our government systems segment include the DoD, those serving the FVEY intelligence alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States), 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:

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Sources of Revenues

Our satellite services segment revenues are primarily derived from our fixed broadband services, in-flight services (including services using our IFC systems and W-IFE platform) and worldwide managed network services.

Revenues in our commercial networks and government systems segments are primarily derived from three types of contracts: fixed-price, cost-reimbursement and time-and-materials contracts. Fixed-price contracts (which require us to provide products and services under a contract at a specified price) comprised approximately 90%, 88% and 87% of our total revenues for these segments for fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, 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 development of products. The 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 development from our customer contracts were approximately 19% of our total revenues for fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017.

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 R&D projects. IR&D expenses were approximately 6%, 11% and 8% of total revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. As a government contractor, we are able to recover a portion of our IR&D expenses pursuant to our government contracts.

Approximately 11%, 12% and 13% of our total revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, 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

We apply the five-step revenue recognition model under ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (commonly referred to as Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606) to our contracts with our customers. Under this model, we (1) identify the contract with the customer, (2) identify our performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price for the contract, (4) allocate the transaction price to our performance obligations and (5) recognize revenue when or as we satisfy our performance obligations. These performance obligations generally include the purchase of services (including broadband capacity and the leasing of broadband equipment), the purchase of products, and the development and delivery of complex equipment built to customer specifications under long-term contracts.

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The timing of satisfaction of performance obligations may require judgment. We derive a substantial portion of our revenues from contracts with customers for services, primarily consisting of connectivity services including leasing of related broadband equipment. These contracts typically require advance or recurring monthly payments by the customer. Our obligation to provide connectivity services is satisfied over time as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided. The measure of progress over time is based upon either a period of time (e.g., over the estimated contractual term) or usage (e.g., bandwidth used/bytes of data processed). From a recognition perspective, the leasing of broadband equipment is evaluated in accordance with the authoritative guidance for leases (ASC 840). Our accounting for equipment leases involves specific determinations under ASC 840, which may involve complex provisions and significant judgments. In accordance with ASC 840, we apply the following criteria to determine the nature of the lease (e.g., as an operating or sales type lease): (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.

We also derive a portion of our revenues from contracts with customers to provide products. Performance obligations to provide products are satisfied at the point in time when control is transferred to the customer. These contracts typically require payment by the customer upon passage of control and determining the point at which control is transferred may require judgment. To identify the point at which control is transferred to the customer, we consider indicators that include, but are not limited to, whether (1) we have the present right to payment for the asset, (2) the customer has legal title to the asset, (3) physical possession of the asset has been transferred to the customer, (4) the customer has the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the asset, and (5) the customer has accepted the asset. For product revenues, control generally passes to the customer upon delivery of goods to the customer.

The vast majority of our revenues from long-term contracts to develop and deliver complex equipment built to customer specifications are derived from contracts with the U.S. government (including foreign military sales contracted through the U.S. government). Our contracts with the U.S. government typically are subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and are priced based on estimated or actual costs of producing goods or providing services. The FAR provides guidance on the types of costs that are allowable in establishing prices for goods and services provided under U.S. government contracts. The pricing for non-U.S. government contracts is based on the specific negotiations with each customer. Under the typical payment terms of our U.S. government fixed-price contracts, the customer pays us either performance-based payments (PBPs) or progress payments. PBPs are interim payments based on quantifiable measures of performance or on the achievement of specified events or milestones. Progress payments are interim payments based on a percentage of the costs incurred as the work progresses. Because the customer can often retain a portion of the contract price until completion of the contract, our U.S. government fixed-price contracts generally result in revenue recognized in excess of billings which we present as unbilled accounts receivable on the balance sheet. Amounts billed and due from our customers are classified as receivables on the balance sheet. The portion of the payments retained by the customer until final contract settlement is not considered a significant financing component because the intent is to protect the customer. For our U.S. government cost-type contracts, the customer generally pays us for our actual costs incurred within a short period of time. For non-U.S. government contracts, we typically receive interim payments as work progresses, although for some contracts, we may be entitled to receive an advance payment. We recognize a liability for these advance payments in excess of revenue recognized and present it as collections in excess of revenues and deferred revenues on the balance sheet. An advance payment is not typically considered a significant financing component because it is used to meet working capital demands that can be higher in the early stages of a contract and to protect us from the other party failing to adequately complete some or all of its obligations under the contract.

Performance obligations related to developing and delivering complex equipment built to customer specifications under long-term contracts are recognized over time as these performance obligations do not create assets with an alternative use to us and we have an enforceable right to payment for performance to date. To measure the transfer of control, revenue is recognized based on the extent of progress towards completion of the performance obligation. The selection of the method to measure progress towards completion requires judgment and is based on the nature of the products or services to be provided. We generally use the cost-to-cost measure of progress for our contracts because that best depicts the transfer of control to the customer which occurs as we incur costs on our contracts. Under the cost-to-cost measure of progress, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation. When estimates of total costs to be incurred on a contract exceed total estimates of revenue to be earned, a provision for the entire loss on the contract is recognized in the period the loss is determined. A one percent variance in our future cost estimates on open fixed-price contracts as of March 31, 2019 would change our loss before income taxes by an insignificant amount.

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The evaluation of transaction price, including the amounts allocated to performance obligations, may require significant judgments. Due to the nature of the work required to be performed on many of our performance obligations, the estimation of total revenue, and where applicable the cost at completion, is complex, subject to many variables and requires significant judgment. Our contracts may contain award fees, incentive fees, or other provisions, including the potential for significant financing components, that can either increase or decrease the transaction price. These amounts, which are sometimes variable, can be dictated by performance metrics, program milestones or cost targets, the timing of payments, and customer discretion. We estimate variable consideration at the amount to which we expect to be entitled. We include estimated amounts in the transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. Our estimates of variable consideration and determination of whether to include estimated amounts in the transaction price are based largely on an assessment of our anticipated performance and all information (historical, current and forecasted) that is reasonably available to us. In the event an agreement includes embedded financing components, we recognize interest expense or interest income on the embedded financing components using effective interest method. This methodology uses an implied interest rate which reflects the incremental borrowing rate which would be expected to be obtained in a separate financing transaction. We have elected the practical expedient not to adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component if we expect, at contract inception, that the period between when we transfer a promised good or service to a customer and when the customer pays for that good or service will be one year or less.

If a contract is separated into more than one performance obligation, the total transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation in an amount based on the estimated relative standalone selling prices of the promised goods or services underlying each performance obligation. Estimating standalone selling prices may require judgment. When available, we utilize the observable price of a good or service when we sell that good or service separately in similar circumstances and to similar customers. If a standalone selling price is not directly observable, we estimate the standalone selling price by considering all information (including market conditions, specific factors, and information about the customer or class of customer) that is reasonably available.

Deferred costs to obtain or fulfill contract

Under ASC 340-40, Other Assets and Deferred Costs – Contracts with Customers, we recognize an asset from the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer, if we expect to recover those costs. The incremental costs of obtaining a contract are those costs that we incur to obtain a contract with a customer that we would not have incurred if the contract had not been obtained. ASC 340-40 also requires the recognition of an asset from the costs incurred to fulfill a contract when (1) the costs relate directly to a contract or to an anticipated contract that we can specifically identify, (2) the costs generate or enhance our resources that will be used in satisfying (or in continuing to satisfy) performance obligations in the future, and (3) the costs are expected to be recovered. We recognize an asset related to commission costs incurred primarily in our satellite services segment and recognize an asset related to costs incurred to fulfill contracts. Costs to acquire customer contracts are amortized over the estimated customer contract life. Costs to fulfill customer contracts are amortized in proportion to the revenue to which the costs relate. For contracts with an estimated amortization period of less than one year, we expense incremental costs immediately.

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

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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 also have two third-generation ViaSat-3 class satellites that have entered the phase of full construction, and in January 2019 we signed an agreement to proceed for a third ViaSat-3 class satellite. 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 2019, 2018 and 2017.

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 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 2019, 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, 2019 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 $29.0 million at March 31, 2018 to $33.5 million at March 31, 2019. The valuation allowance relates to state and foreign net operating loss carryforwards, state R&D tax credit carryforwards and foreign tax credit carryforwards.

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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, our 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.

Results of Operations

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

Fiscal Year 2019 Compared to Fiscal Year 2018

Revenues

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Our total revenues grew by $473.6 million as a result of a $337.1 million increase in product revenues and a $136.5 million increase in service revenues. The product revenue increase was driven primarily by increases of $185.5 million in our commercial networks segment and $152.3 million in our government systems segment. The service revenue increase was due to increases of $95.6 million in our satellite services segment, $31.2 million in our government systems segment and $9.7 million in our commercial networks segment.

Cost of revenues

Cost of revenues increased by $416.9 million due to increases of $280.8 million in cost of product revenues and $136.1 million in cost of service revenues. The cost of product revenue increase was primarily due to increased revenues, mainly from our mobile broadband satellite communication systems products and antenna systems products in our commercial networks segment and tactical data link products and government satellite communication systems products in our government systems segment, causing a $247.1 million increase in cost of product revenues on a constant margin basis. Additionally, cost of product revenues increased due to lower margins, primarily from our antenna systems products in our commercial networks segment and government satellite communication systems products in our government systems segment. The cost of service revenue increase mainly related to increased revenues, mainly from our fixed broadband services and in-flight internet services, causing a $92.3 million increase in cost of service revenues on a constant margin basis. Additionally cost of service revenues increased due to lower margins for fixed broadband services in our satellite services segment, primarily due to the ViaSat-2 service launch in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018. 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

The $73.0 million increase in SG&A expenses reflected an increase in support costs of $39.9 million and an increase in selling costs of $37.1 million, partially offset by a gain of approximately $7.5 million related to our ViaSat-2 satellite insurance claims recorded as a reduction to SG&A expenses in our satellite services segment during fiscal year 2019 (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources–Satellite-related activities” for additional information). The increase in support costs was reflected in all three segments, however we experienced the largest increase from our satellite services segment, mainly due to the higher employee-related costs supporting the ViaSat-2 service launch. The increase in selling costs was primarily due to an increase in our satellite services segment due to the ViaSat-2 service launch in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018. 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 $45.3 million decrease in IR&D expenses was primarily the result of a decrease of $45.2 million in IR&D efforts in our commercial networks segment (primarily related to a decrease in IR&D expenses related to next-generation satellite payload technologies for our ViaSat-3 class satellites, as the first two ViaSat-3 class satellites have entered the phase of full construction, and mobile broadband satellite communication systems).

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 $2.6 million decrease in amortization of acquired intangible assets in fiscal year 2019 compared to fiscal year 2018 was primarily the result of certain acquired customer relationship intangibles in our satellite

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services segment becoming fully amortized during the prior fiscal year. Current and expected amortization expense for acquired intangible assets for each of the following periods is as follows:

Interest income

The insignificant decrease in interest income for fiscal year 2019 compared to fiscal year 2018 was primarily the result of lower average invested cash balances during fiscal year 2019 compared to fiscal year 2018.

Interest expense

The $46.0 million increase in interest expense in fiscal year 2019 compared to fiscal year 2018 was primarily due to a decrease in the amount of interest capitalized, a net increase in interest expense related to our Ex-Im Credit Facility mainly due to the increased interest accretion related to required payments of outstanding borrowings under our Ex-Im Credit Facility upon receipt of insurance proceeds related to the ViaSat-2 satellite (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources – Ex-Im Credit Facility” for additional information) and higher outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility (which outstanding borrowings were repaid prior to March 31, 2019 with proceeds from the issuance of our 2027 Notes in March 2019). Capitalized interest expense during fiscal year 2019 related to the construction of our ViaSat-3 class satellites, gateway and networking equipment and other assets. Capitalized interest expense during fiscal year 2018 related to the construction of our ViaSat-2 satellite, ViaSat-3 class satellites, gateway and networking equipment and other assets.

Income taxes

The income tax benefit in fiscal years 2019 and 2018 reflected the tax benefit from our loss before income taxes and the benefit from federal and state R&D tax credits. Fiscal year 2018 also included an income tax expense due to the revaluation of net deferred tax assets resulting from the lowering of the corporate federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% under H.R.1, informally known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was enacted into law on December 22, 2017 (the Tax Reform).

Segment Results for Fiscal Year 2019 Compared to Fiscal Year 2018

Satellite services segment

Revenues

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Our satellite services segment revenues increased by $94.9 million primarily as a result of a $95.6 million increase in service revenues. The increase in service revenues was primarily driven by the expansion of our fixed broadband services and in-flight internet services. The fixed broadband service revenue increase was driven by higher average revenue per fixed broadband subscriber in the United States when compared to the same period last fiscal year, reflecting a higher mix of new and existing subscribers choosing Viasat’s premium highest speed plans. Total subscribers at March 31, 2019 were approximately 586,000 compared to 576,000 subscribers at March 31, 2018. The in-flight service revenue increase was driven primarily by the increase in the number of commercial aircraft receiving our in-flight services through our IFC systems, with 1,312 commercial aircraft in service utilizing our IFC systems as of March 31, 2019, compared to 635 commercial aircraft in service as of March 31, 2018. 

Segment operating (loss) profit

The decrease in our satellite services segment operating profit was driven primarily by higher selling costs of $36.8 million due to the increased promotion of our fixed broadband services following ViaSat-2 service launch, as well as an increase in support costs of $21.6 million, mainly due to the higher employee-related costs supporting the ViaSat-2 service launch. In addition, our fixed broadband services also experienced lower earnings contributions of $27.1 million, primarily due to lower margins, driven also by the ViaSat-2 service launch in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018. This decrease in operating profit was partially offset by a gain of approximately $7.5 million related to our ViaSat-2 satellite insurance claims recorded as a reduction to SG&A expenses in our satellite services segment during fiscal year 2019 (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources–Satellite-related activities” for additional information).

Commercial networks segment

Revenues

Our commercial networks segment revenues increased by $195.2 million, primarily due to a $185.5 million increase in product revenues. The increase in product revenues was primarily due to increases of $147.5 million in mobile broadband satellite communication systems products and $37.4 million in antenna systems products. The service revenue increase was mainly due to an $8.9 million increase in mobile broadband satellite communication systems services.

Segment operating loss

The $62.5 million decrease in our commercial networks segment operating loss was driven primarily by a $45.2 million decrease in IR&D expenses related to next-generation satellite payload technologies for our ViaSat-3 class satellites, as the first two ViaSat-3 class satellites have entered the phase of full construction, and mobile broadband satellite communication systems. In addition, we experienced higher earnings contributions of $27.9 million, primarily due to increased revenues and improved margins in our mobile broadband satellite communication systems products and satellite networking development programs. The decrease in operating loss was partially offset by higher SG&A costs of $10.7 million.

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Government systems segment

Revenues

Our government systems segment revenues increased by $183.5 million due to increases of $152.3 million in product revenues and $31.2 million in service revenues. The product revenue increase was due to a $62.0 million increase in tactical data link products, a $31.5 million increase in government satellite communication systems, a $27.0 million increase in cybersecurity and information assurance products and a $25.6 million increase in tactical satcom radio products. The service revenue increase was primarily due to an $18.0 million increase in government mobile broadband services, a $7.8 million increase in tactical data link services and a $4.7 million increase in government satellite communication systems services.

Segment operating profit

The $42.8 million increase in our government systems segment operating profit was primarily due to higher earnings contributions of $55.9 million, primarily due to an increase in revenues from our tactical data link products and increased revenues and improved margins in our government mobile broadband services. This increase was partially offset by higher SG&A costs of $11.6 million.

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 of payments under the Settlement Agreement with SS/L in fiscal year 2017, which were previously 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 fixed 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 R&D 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 Aerodocs Limited in November 2016. Current and expected amortization expense for acquired intangible assets for each of the following periods is as follows:

Interest income

The slight decrease in interest income for fiscal year 2018 compared to fiscal year 2017 was primarily due to payments in the prior year period under the Settlement Agreement recognized as interest income. This decrease was

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partially offset by slightly higher average interest rates on our investments coupled with higher average invested cash balances during fiscal year 2018 compared to fiscal year 2017.

Interest expense

The $8.1 million decrease in interest expense in fiscal year 2018 compared to fiscal year 2017 was primarily due to an increase of $9.2 million in the amount of interest capitalized during fiscal year 2018 compared to fiscal year 2017. Capitalized interest expense during fiscal years 2018 and 2017 related to the construction of our ViaSat-2 satellite and related gateway and networking equipment, construction of our ViaSat-3 class satellites and other assets.

Income taxes

The income tax benefit in fiscal year 2018 reflected the tax benefit from our loss before income taxes and the benefit from federal and state R&D tax credits. The income tax expense in fiscal year 2017 reflected the tax expense from our income before income taxes and the benefit from federal and state R&D tax credits. Fiscal year 2018 also included an expense due to the revaluation of net deferred tax assets resulting from the lowering of the corporate federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% under tax legislation enacted in December 2017.

Segment Results for Fiscal Year 2018 Compared to Fiscal Year 2017

Satellite services segment

Revenues

Our satellite services segment revenues decreased by $40.4 million as a result of a $27.0 million decrease in product revenues and a $13.3 million decrease in service revenues. The $27.0 million decrease in product revenue in our satellite services segment reflected the completion in fiscal year 2017 of payments under the Settlement Agreement. The decrease in service revenues was primarily driven by a decrease in our fixed broadband services due to a decrease in the overall number of subscribers, partially offset by higher average revenue per fixed broadband subscriber in the United States compared to the prior year period and the expansion of our in-flight internet services. As of March 31, 2018, 635 commercial aircraft were in service utilizing our IFC systems, compared to 559 commercial aircraft in service as of March 31, 2017. Total subscribers of our fixed broadband services decreased year over year, with approximately 576,000 subscribers at March 31, 2018 compared to 659,000 subscribers at March 31, 2017.

Segment operating profit

The decrease in our satellite services segment operating profit was driven primarily by lower earnings contributions of $82.7 million, reflecting the decrease in product revenues resulting from the completion in fiscal year 2017 of payments under the Settlement Agreement, as well as lower margins related to in-flight internet services and fixed broadband services due to large-scale commercial air IFC ramp-up and preparation for the ViaSat-2 service launch in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018. The decrease in operating profit was further impacted by higher SG&A costs of $35.6 million compared to the prior year period mainly due to the higher employee-related costs supporting the ViaSat-2 service launch, as well as in support of the expansion of our international businesses and higher selling costs due to promotion of our fixed broadband services in preparation for the ViaSat-2 service launch.

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Commercial networks segment

Revenues

Our commercial networks segment revenues decreased by $11.4 million, due to a $13.4 million decrease in product revenues, partially offset by a $2.0 million increase in service revenues. The decrease in product revenues was primarily due to a decrease of $52.1 million in fixed satellite networks products (mainly due to a decrease in broadband terminal orders from our large-scale Australian Ka-band infrastructure project that completed last fiscal year and a decrease from our next-generation Ka-band system contract in Canada) and a decrease of $3.7 million in satellite networking development programs products, partially offset by an increase of $34.4 million in mobile broadband satellite communication systems products and an increase of $7.8 million in antenna systems products. The increase in service revenues was primarily due to an increase of $2.6 million in mobile broadband satellite communication systems services.

Segment operating loss

The $48.6 million increase in our commercial networks segment operating loss was driven primarily by a $22.2 million increase in IR&D expenses (primarily due 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). In addition, we experienced lower earnings contributions of $15.1 million (primarily due to lower margins in our satellite networking development programs products) and an $11.4 million increase in overall SG&A costs (primarily due to the higher employee-related costs supporting our commercial air growth activities and the ViaSat-2 service launch).

Government systems segment

Revenues