Exhibit 4.1(e)
INDENTURE, dated as of November 4, 1998 between Qwest
Communications International Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing
under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the "Company"), having
its principal office at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, and
Bankers Trust Company, a New York banking corporation, Trustee (herein called
the "Trustee").
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the creation of an issue of
7.50% Senior Notes Due 2008 (herein called the "Initial Securities") and 7.50%
Series B Senior Notes Due 2008 (the "Exchange Securities" and, together with the
Initial Securities, the "Securities"), of substantially the tenor and amount
hereinafter set forth, and to provide therefor the Company has duly authorized
the execution and delivery of this Indenture.
All things necessary have been done to make the Securities,
when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered hereunder and duly
issued by the Company, the valid obligations of the Company and to make this
Indenture a valid agreement of each of the Company and the Trustee, in
accordance with their and its terms.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of
the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for
the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities, as
follows:
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
OF GENERAL APPLICATION
SECTION 101. Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise
expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings
assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the
singular;
(b) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust
Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the
meanings assigned to them therein, and the terms "cash transaction" and
"self-liquidating paper", as used in TIA Section311,
NYDOCS01/566567 3
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the rules of the Commission
adopted under the Trust Indenture Act;
(c) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the
meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and, except as otherwise herein expressly
provided, the term "generally accepted accounting principles" with
respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean
such accounting principles as are generally accepted at the date of
such computation;
(d) the words "herein", "hereof" and "hereunder" and other
words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to
any particular Article, Section, paragraph or other subdivision; and
(e) unless otherwise indicated, references to Articles,
Sections, paragraphs or other subdivisions are references to such
Articles, Sections, paragraphs or other subdivisions of this Indenture.
"Acquired Debt" means, with respect to any specified Person,
(i) Debt of any other Person existing at the time such Person merges with or
into or consolidates with or becomes a Subsidiary of such specified Person and
(ii) Debt secured by a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified
Person, which Debt was not incurred in anticipation of, and was outstanding
prior to, such merger, consolidation or acquisition.
"Act", when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning
specified in Section104.
"Affiliate" of any Person means any other Person directly or
indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common
control with such Person. For the purposes of this definition, "control" when
used with respect to any Person means the power to direct the management and
policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership
of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms "controlling" and
"controlled" have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
"Agent Member" has the meaning specified in Section 312.
"Applicable Make-Whole Premium" means, with respect to any
Security, the excess of (A) the present value at the Redemption Date of the
required interest and principal payments due on such Security, computed using a
discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate plus 37.5 basis points, computed on the
basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months, over (B) the then
outstanding principal amount of such Security.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Asset Disposition" means any transfer, conveyance, sale,
lease or other disposition by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in one or
more related transactions occurring within any 12-month period (including a
consolidation or merger or other sale of any such Restricted Subsidiary with,
into or to another Person in a transaction in which such Restricted Subsidiary
ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, but excluding a disposition
by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or by the
Company to a Restricted Subsidiary) of (i) shares of Capital Stock or other
ownership interests of a Restricted Subsidiary (other than as permitted by
clauses (iii), (iv) and (v) of Section 1019), (ii)substantially all of the
assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary representing a division or
line of business or (iii) other assets or rights of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary outside of the ordinary course of business (excluding any
transfer, conveyance, sale, lease or other disposition of equipment that is
obsolete or no longer used by or useful to the Company, provided that the
Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that such
criteria are satisfied); provided in each case that the aggregate consideration
for such transfer, conveyance, sale, lease or other disposition is equal to
$500,000 or more in any 12-month period and provided further that the following
shall not be Asset Dispositions: (x) Permitted Telecommunications Capital Asset
Dispositions, (y)exchanges of Telecommunications Assets for other
Telecommunications Assets where the Fair Market Value of the Telecommunications
Assets received is at least equal to the Fair Market Value of the
Telecommunications Assets disposed of or, if less, the difference is received in
cash and such cash is Net Available Proceeds and (z)Liens permitted to be
Incurred pursuant to the second paragraph of Section 1015.
"Attributable Value" means, as to any particular lease under
which any Person is at the time liable other than a Capital Lease Obligation,
and at any date as of which the amount thereof is to be determined, the total
net amount of rent required to be paid by such Person under such lease during
the initial term thereof as determined in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, discounted from the last date of such initial term to the
date of determination at a rate per annum equal to the discount rate which would
be applicable to a Capital Lease Obligation with like term in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles. The net amount of rent required to be
paid under any such lease for any such period shall be the aggregate amount of
rent payable by the lessee with respect to such period after excluding amounts
required to be paid on account of insurance, taxes, assessments, utility,
operating and labor costs and similar charges. In the case of any lease which is
terminable by the lessee upon the payment of penalty, such net amount shall also
include the lesser of the amount of such penalty (in which case no rent shall be
considered as required to be paid under such lease subsequent to the first date
upon which it may be so terminated) or the rent which would otherwise be
required to be paid if such lease is not so terminated. "Attributable Value"
means, as to a Capital Lease Obligation, the principal amount thereof.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Board of Directors" means the board of directors of the
Company.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution certified by
the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted
by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such
certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
"Business Day" means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in The City of
NewYork are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
"Capital Lease Obligation" of any Person means the obligation
to pay rent or other payment amounts under a lease of (or other Debt
arrangements conveying the right to use) real or personal property of such
Person which is required to be classified and accounted for as a capital lease
or a liability on the face of a balance sheet of such Person in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles (a "Capital Lease"). The stated
maturity of such obligation shall be the date of the last payment of rent or any
other amount due under such lease prior to the first date upon which such lease
may be terminated by the lessee without payment of a penalty. The principal
amount of such obligation shall be the capitalized amount thereof that would
appear on the face of a balance sheet of such Person in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles.
"Capital Stock" of any Person means any and all shares,
interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate
stock or other equity participations, including partnership interests, whether
general or limited, of such Person.
"Cash Equivalents" means (i)any Debt with a maturity of 365
days or less issued or directly and fully guaranteed as insured by the United
States or any agency or instrumentality thereof (provided that the full faith
and credit of the United States is pledged in support thereof or such Debt
constitutes a general obligation of such country); (ii)deposits, certificates of
deposit or acceptances with a maturity of 365 days or less of any financial
institution that is a member of the Federal Reserve System, in each case having
combined capital and surplus and undivided profits (or any similar capital
concept) of not less than $500 million and whose senior unsecured debt is rated
at least "A-1" by Standard & Poor's Ratings Service, a division of McGraw Hill,
Inc., or "P-1" by ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ Investors Service, Inc.; (iii)commercial paper with a
maturity of 365 days or less issued by a Corporation (other than an Affiliate of
the Company) organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof
and rated at least "A-1" by Standard & Poor's Ratings Service, a division of
McGraw Hill, Inc., or "P-1" by ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ Investors Service, Inc.; and
(iv)repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements relating to
marketable direct obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United
States or issued by any agency or instrumentality thereof and backed
NYDOCS01/566567 3
by the full faith and credit of the United States maturing within 365 days from
the date of acquisition.
"Change of Control" has the meaning specified in Section 1010.
"Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as
from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any
time after the execution of this Indenture such Commission is not existing and
performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the
body performing such duties at such time.
"Common Stock" of any Person means Capital Stock of such
Person that does not rank prior, as to the payment of dividends or as to the
distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of such Person, to shares of Capital Stock of any
other class of such Person.
"Company" means the Person named as the "Company" in the first
paragraph of this Indenture, until a successor Person shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Company" shall mean such successor Person.
"Company Order" or "Company Request" means a written request
or order signed in the name of the Company by the Chief Executive Officer, the
President or a Vice President, and by the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief
Accounting Officer, the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee.
"Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury
security selected by a Reference Treasury Dealer appointed by the Company has
having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Securities to be
redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with
customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities
of comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Securities.
"Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any
Redemption Date, (i) the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable
Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount)
on the third business day preceding such Redemption Date, as set forth in the
daily statistical release (or any successor release) published by the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York and designated "Composite 3:30 p.m. Quotations for U.S.
Government Securities" or (ii) if such release (or any successor release) is not
published or does not contain such prices on such business day, (A) the average
of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such Redemption Date, after
excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or
(B) if the Company obtains fewer
NYDOCS01/566567 3
than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations
"Consolidated Capital Ratio" of any Person as of any date
means the ratio of (i)the aggregate consolidated principal amount of Debt of
such Person then outstanding to (ii)the greater of either (a)the aggregate
consolidated paid-in capital of such Person as of such date or (b)the
stockholders' equity as of such date as shown on the consolidated balance sheet
of such Person in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
"Consolidated Cash Flow Available for Fixed Charges" for any
period means the Consolidated Net Income of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries for such period increased by the sum of (i) Consolidated Interest
Expense of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, plus
(ii) Consolidated Income Tax Expense of the Company and its Subsidiaries for
such period, plus (iii) the consolidated depreciation and amortization expense
or other non-cash write-offs of assets included in the income statement of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, plus (iv) any charge
related to any premium or penalty paid in connection with redeeming or retiring
any Debt prior to its stated maturity; provided, however, that there shall be
excluded therefrom the Consolidated Cash Flow Available for Fixed Charges (if
positive) of any Restricted Subsidiary (calculated separately for such
Restricted Subsidiary in the same manner as provided above for the Company) that
is subject to a restriction which prevents the payment of dividends or the
making of distributions to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary to the
extent of such restriction.
"Consolidated Income Tax Expense" for any period means the
aggregate amounts of the provisions for income taxes of the Company and its
Subsidiaries for such period calculated on a consolidated basis in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles.
"Consolidated Interest Expense" means for any period the
interest expense included in a consolidated income statement (excluding interest
income) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including without
limitation or duplication (or, to the extent not so included, with the addition
of), (i)the amortization of Debt discounts; (ii) any payments or fees with
respect to letters of credit, bankers' acceptances or similar facilities; (iii)
fees with respect to interest rate swap or similar agreements or foreign
currency hedge, exchange or similar agreements; (iv)Preferred Stock dividends of
the Company and its Subsidiaries (other than dividends paid in shares of
Preferred Stock that is not Disqualified Stock) declared and paid or payable;
(v)accrued Disqualified Stock dividends of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries, whether or not declared or paid; (vi) interest on Debt guaranteed
by the Company and its
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Restricted Subsidiaries; and (vii)the portion of any Capital Lease Obligation
paid during such period that is allocable to interest expense.
"Consolidated Net Income" for any period means the net income
(or loss) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles; provided that there shall be excluded therefrom (a) the
net income (or loss) of any Person acquired by the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary in a pooling-of-interests transaction for any period prior to the
date of such transaction, (b) the net income (or loss) of any Person that is not
a Restricted Subsidiary except to the extent of the amount of dividends or other
distributions actually paid to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary by such
Person during such period, (c) gains or losses on Asset Dispositions by the
Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries, (d) all extraordinary gains and
extraordinary losses, determined in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, (e)the cumulative effect of changes in accounting
principles, (f) non-cash gains or losses resulting from fluctuations in currency
exchange rates, (g) any non-cash expense related to the issuance to employees or
directors of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or any Affiliate of the
Company of (i) options to purchase Capital Stock of the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary or (ii) other compensatory rights (including under the
Company's Growth Share Plan), provided, in either case, that such options or
rights, by their terms, can be redeemed only for Capital Stock, (h) with respect
to a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary, any aggregate
net income (or loss) in excess of the Company's or any Restricted Subsidiary's
pro rata share of the net income (or loss) of such Restricted Subsidiary that is
not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary shall be excluded and (i) the tax effect of any of
the items described in clauses (a) through (h) above; provided further that for
purposes of any determination pursuant to Section 1013, there shall further be
excluded therefrom the net income (but not net loss) of any Restricted
Subsidiary that is subject to a restriction which prevents the payment of
dividends or the making of distributions to the Company or another Restricted
Subsidiary to the extent of such restriction.
"Consolidated Net Worth" of any Person means the stockholders'
equity of such Person, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, less amounts attributable to
Disqualified Stock of such Person; provided that, with respect to the Company,
adjustments following March 31, 1997 to the accounting books and records of the
Company in accordance with Accounting Principles Board Opinions Nos. 16 and 17
(or successor opinions thereto) or otherwise resulting from the acquisition of
control of the Company by another Person shall not be given effect to.
"Consolidated Tangible Assets" of any Person means the total
amount of assets (less applicable reserves and other properly deductible items)
which under generally accepted accounting principles would be included on a
consolidated balance sheet of such Person and its Subsidiaries after deducting
therefrom all goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents,
NYDOCS01/566567 3
unamortized debt discount and expense and other like intangibles, which in each
case under generally accepted accounting principles would be included on such
consolidated balance sheet.
"Continuing Director" means, as of any date of determination,
any member of the Board of Directors who (i) was a member of such Board of
Directors on March 31, 1997 or (ii) was nominated for election or elected to the
Board of Directors with the affirmative vote of a majority of the Continuing
Directors who were members of the Board of Directors at the time of such
nomination or election or the affirmative vote of Permitted Holders.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the principal corporate trust
office of the Trustee, at which at any particular time its corporate trust
business shall be administered, which office at the date of execution of this
Indenture is located at Four ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, except
that, with respect to presentation of Securities for payment or for registration
of transfer or exchange, such term shall mean the office or agency of the
Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate agency business shall be
conducted.
"Corporation" includes corporations, associations, companies
and business trusts.
"Credit Facilities" means one or more credit agreements, loan
agreements or similar facilities, secured or unsecured, entered into from time
to time by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, and including any
related notes, Guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements
executed in connection therewith, as the same may be amended, supplemented,
modified, restated or replaced from time to time.
"Debt" means (without duplication), with respect to any
Person, whether recourse is to all or a portion of the assets of such Person and
whether or not contingent, (i)every obligation of such Person for money
borrowed, (ii) every obligation of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures,
notes or other similar instruments, including obligations incurred in connection
with the acquisition of property, assets or businesses, (iii) every
reimbursement obligation of such Person with respect to letters of credit,
bankers' acceptances or similar facilities issued for the account of such
Person, (iv) every obligation of such Person issued or assumed as the deferred
purchase price of property or services (including securities repurchase
agreements but excluding trade accounts payable or accrued liabilities arising
in the ordinary course of business), (v) every Capital Lease Obligation of such
Person, (vi) all Receivables Sales of such Person, together with any obligation
of such Person to pay any discount, interest, fees, indemnities, penalties,
recourse, expenses or other amounts in connection therewith, (vii) all
obligations to redeem Disqualified Stock issued by such Person, (viii) every
obligation under Interest Rate and Currency Protection Agreements of such Person
and (ix) every obligation of the type referred to in clauses (i) through (viii)
of another Person and all dividends of another Person the payment of which, in
either case, such Person has
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Guaranteed. The "amount" or "principal amount" of Debt at any time of
determination as used herein represented by (a) any Debt issued at a price that
is less than the principal amount at maturity thereof shall be the amount of the
liability in respect thereof determined in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, (b)any Receivables Sale shall be the amount of the
unrecovered capital or principal investment of the purchaser (other than the
Company or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Company) thereof, excluding amounts
representative of yield or interest earned on such investment, or (c)any
Disqualified Stock shall be the maximum fixed redemption or repurchase price in
respect thereof.
"Debt Securities" means any debt securities (including any
guarantee of such securities) issued by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
of the Company in connection with a public offering or a private placement
(excluding Debt permitted to be Incurred pursuant to paragraph(b) of
Section1011).
"Default" means any event, act or condition the occurrence of
which is, or after notice or the passage of time or both would be, an Event of
Default.
"Defaulted Interest" has the meaning specified in Section307.
"Depository" means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees
and successors.
"Designation" and "Designation Amount" have the respective
meanings specified in Section1021.
"Disqualified Stock" of any Person means any Capital Stock of
such Person which, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it
is convertible or for which it is exchangeable), or upon the happening of any
event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund
obligation or otherwise, or is redeemable at the option of such Person, any
Subsidiary of such Person or the holder thereof, in whole or in part, on or
prior to the final Stated Maturity of the Securities, provided, however, that
any Preferred Stock which would not constitute Disqualified Stock but for
provisions thereof giving holders thereof the right to require the Company to
repurchase or redeem such Preferred Stock upon the occurrence of a Change of
Control occurring prior to the final Stated Maturity of the Securities shall not
constitute Disqualified Stock if the change of control provisions applicable to
such Preferred Stock are no more favorable to the holders of such Preferred
Stock than the provisions applicable to the Securities contained in Section1010
and such Preferred Stock specifically provides that the Company shall not
repurchase or redeem any such stock pursuant to such provisions prior to the
Company's repurchase of such Securities as are required to be repurchased
pursuant to Section1010.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Eligible Institution" means a commercial banking institution
that has combined capital and surplus of not less than $500 million or its
equivalent in foreign currency, whose debt is rated "A" (or higher) according to
Standard & Poor's Ratings Service, a division of McGraw Hill, Inc. (or any
successor to the rating agency business thereof), or ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ Investors Service,
Inc. (or any successor to the rating agency business thereof) at the time as of
which any investment or rollover therein is made.
"Eligible Receivables" means, at any time, Receivables of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, as evidenced on the most recent
quarterly consolidated balance sheet of the Company as at a date at least 45
days prior to such time, less Receivables of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary employed to secure Debt Incurred pursuant to clause(vii) of
paragraph(b) of Section1011.
"Event of Default" has the meaning specified in Section501.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (or any successor act), and the rules and regulations thereunder (or
respective successors thereto).
"Exchange Offer" means the exchange offer that may be effected
pursuant to the Registration Agreement.
"Exchange Offer Registration Statement" means the Exchange
Offer Registration Statement as defined in the Registration Agreement.
"Exchange Securities" has the meaning stated in the first
recital of this Indenture and refers to any Exchange Securities containing terms
substantially identical to the Initial Securities (except that such Exchange
Securities shall not contain terms with respect to transfer restrictions) that
are issued and exchanged for the Initial Securities pursuant to the Registration
Agreement and this Indenture.
"Expiration Date" has the meaning specified in "Offer to
Purchase" below.
"Fair Market Value" means, with respect to any asset or
property, the price that could be negotiated in an arm's-length free market
transaction, for cash, between a willing seller and a willing buyer, neither of
whom is under pressure or compulsion to complete the transaction. Fair Market
Value shall be determined by the Board of Directors acting in good faith and
shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution delivered to the Trustee.
"Federal Bankruptcy Code" means the Bankruptcy Act of Title11
of the United States Code, as amended from time to time.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Global Security" means a Rule 144A Global Security or a
Regulation S Global Security, as the case may be.
"Government Securities" means direct obligations of, or
obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which
guarantee or obligations the full faith and credit of the United States is
pledged and which have a remaining weighted average life to maturity of not less
than one year from the date of investment therein.
"Group" has the meaning specified in Section1010.
"Guarantee" by any Person means any obligation, contingent or
otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing, or having the economic effect of
guaranteeing, any Debt of any other Person (the "primary obligor") in any
manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including, without limitation, any
obligation of such Person (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for
the purchase or payment of) such Debt or to purchase (or to advance or supply
funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment of such Debt, (ii)to
purchase property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the holder
of such Debt of the payment of such Debt or (iii) to maintain working capital,
equity capital or other financial statement condition or liquidity of the
primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Debt (and
"Guaranteed", "Guaranteeing" and "Guarantor" shall have meanings correlative to
the foregoing); provided, however, that the Guarantee by any Person shall not
include endorsements by such Person for collection or deposit, in either case,
in the ordinary course of business.
"Guarantor" means a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that
has executed a Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee.
"Holder" means a Person in whose name a Security is registered
in the Security Register.
"Incur" means, with respect to any Debt or other obligation of
any Person, to create, issue, incur (by conversion, exchange or otherwise),
assume, Guarantee or otherwise become liable in respect of such Debt or other
obligation including by acquisition of Subsidiaries or the recording, as
required pursuant to generally accepted accounting principles or otherwise, of
any such Debt or other obligation on the balance sheet of such Person (and
"Incurrence", "Incurred", "Incurrable" and "Incurring" shall have meanings
correlative to the foregoing); provided, however, that a change in generally
accepted accounting principles that results in an obligation of such Person that
exists at such time becoming Debt shall not be deemed an Incurrence of such Debt
and that neither the accrual of interest nor the accretion of original issue
discount shall be deemed an Incurrence of Debt.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Indenture" means this instrument as originally executed and
as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures
supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof.
"Indenture Obligations" means the obligations of the Company
and any other obligor under this Indenture or under the Securities to pay
principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities when due and
payable, whether at maturity, by acceleration, call for redemption or repurchase
or otherwise, and all other amounts due or to become due under or in connection
with this Indenture or the Securities and the performance of all other
obligations to the Trustee (including, but not limited to, payment of all
amounts due the Trustee under Section607), Paying Agent, Security Registrar and
the Holders of the Securities under this Indenture and the Securities according
to the terms thereof.
"Initial Purchaser" means ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc.
"Initial Securities" has the meaning provided in the recitals
to this Indenture.
"Interest Payment Date" means the Stated Maturity of an
installment of interest on the Securities.
"Interest Rate or Currency Protection Agreement" of any Person
means any forward contract, futures contract, swap, option or other financial
agreement or arrangement (including, without limitation, caps, floors, collars
and similar agreements) relating to, or the value of which is dependent upon,
interest rates or currency exchange rates or indices.
"Investment" by any Person means any direct or indirect loan,
advance or other extension of credit or capital contribution (by means of
transfers of cash or other property to others or payments for property or
services for the account or use of others, or otherwise) to, or purchase or
acquisition of Capital Stock, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities or
evidence of Debt issued by, any other Person, including any payment on a
Guarantee of any obligation of such other Person.
"Investment Grade Rating" means, (i) with respect to Moodys
Investors Service, Inc. (or any successor to the rating agency business
thereof), a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent), and (ii)
with respect to Standard & Poors Ratings Service, a division of McGraw Hill,
Inc. (or any successor to the rating agency business thereof), a rating equal to
or higher than BBB- (or the equivalent).
"Lien" means, with respect to any property or assets, any
mortgage or deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, Receivables Sale,
deposit arrangement, security interest, lien, charge, easement (other than any
easement not materially impairing usefulness),
NYDOCS01/566567 3
encumbrance, preference, priority or other security agreement or preferential
arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever on or with respect to such property
or assets (including, without limitation, any conditional sale or other title
retention agreement having substantially the same economic effect as any of the
foregoing). For purposes of this definition the sale, lease, conveyance or other
transfer by the Company or any Subsidiary of, including the grant of
indefeasible rights of use or equivalent arrangements with respect to, dark or
lit communications fiber capacity or communications conduit shall not constitute
a Lien.
"Liquidated Interest" has the meaning specified in Exhibit A.
"Maturity", when used with respect to any Security, means the
date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal
becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated
Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, notice of redemption or otherwise.
"Net Available Proceeds" from any Asset Disposition by any
Person means cash or cash equivalents received (including amounts received by
way of sale or discounting of any note, installment receivable or other
receivable, but excluding any other consideration received in the form of
assumption by the acquiror of Debt or other obligations relating to such
properties or assets) therefrom by such Person, net of (i) any portion thereof
invested within 360 days of such Asset Disposition in Telecommunications Assets,
(ii) all legal, title and recording tax expenses, commissions and other fees and
expenses Incurred and all federal, state, provincial, foreign and local taxes
required to be accrued as a liability as a consequence of such Asset
Disposition, (iii)all payments made by such Person or its Subsidiaries on any
Debt which is secured by such assets in accordance with the terms of any Lien
upon or with respect to such assets or which must by the terms of such Lien, or
in order to obtain a necessary consent to such Asset Disposition or by
applicable law, be repaid out of the proceeds from such Asset Disposition,
(iv)all distributions and other payments made to minority interest holders in
Subsidiaries of such Person or Permitted Joint Ventures as a result of such
Asset Disposition and (v) appropriate amounts to be provided by such Person or
any Subsidiary thereof, as the case may be, as a reserve in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles against any liabilities associated with
such assets and retained by such Person or any Subsidiary thereof, as the case
may be, after such Asset Disposition, including, without limitation, liabilities
under any indemnification obligations and severance and other employee
termination costs associated with such Asset Disposition, in each case as
determined by the Board of Directors of such Person, in its reasonable good
faith judgment evidenced by Board Resolution filed with the Trustee; provided,
however, that any reduction in such reserve within twelve months following the
consummation of such Asset Disposition shall be for all purposes of this
Indenture and the Securities treated as a new Asset Disposition at the time of
such reduction with Net Available Proceeds equal to the amount of such
reduction.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Notice of Default" has the meaning specified in Section501.
"Offer" has the meaning specified in "Offer to Purchase"
below.
"Offer to Purchase" means a written offer (the "Offer") sent
by the Company by first class mail, postage prepaid, to each Holder of
Securities at his address appearing in the Security Register on the date of the
Offer offering to purchase up to the principal amount of Securities specified in
such Offer at the purchase price specified in such Offer (as determined pursuant
to Section1010). Unless otherwise required by applicable law, the Offer shall
specify an expiration date (the "Expiration Date") of the Offer to Purchase
which shall be, subject to any contrary requirements of applicable law, not less
than 30 days or more than 60 days after the date of such Offer and a settlement
date (the "Purchase Date") for purchase of Securities within five Business Days
after the Expiration Date. The Company shall notify the Trustee at least 15
Business Days (or such shorter period as is acceptable to the Trustee) prior to
the mailing of the Offer of the Company's obligation to make an Offer to
Purchase, and the Offer shall be mailed by the Company or, at the Company's
request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company. The Offer
shall contain information concerning the business of the Company and its
Subsidiaries which the Company in good faith believes will enable such Holders
to make an informed decision with respect to the Offer to Purchase (which at a
minimum will include (i) the most recent annual and quarterly financial
statements and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations" contained in the documents required to be filed with the
Trustee pursuant to Section1008 (which requirements may be satisfied by delivery
of such documents together with the Offer), (ii) a description of material
developments in the Company's business subsequent to the date of the latest of
such financial statements referred to in clause (i) (including a description of
the events requiring the Company to make the Offer to Purchase), (iii) if
applicable, appropriate pro forma financial information concerning the Offer to
Purchase and the events requiring the Company to make the Offer to Purchase and
(iv) any other information required by applicable law to be included therein).
The Offer shall contain all instructions and materials necessary to enable such
Holders to tender Securities pursuant to the Offer to Purchase. The Offer shall
also state:
(a) the Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the Offer to Purchase
is being made;
(b) the Expiration Date and the Purchase Date;
(c) the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities offered to
be purchased by the Company pursuant to the Offer to Purchase (including, if
less than 100%, the manner by which such has been determined pursuant to the
Section hereof requiring the Offer to Purchase) (the "Purchase Amount");
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(d) the purchase price to be paid by the Company for each $1,000 aggregate
principal amount of Securities accepted for payment (as specified pursuant to
Section1010) (the "Purchase Price");
(e) that the Holder may tender all or any portion of the Securities
registered in the name of such Holder and that any portion of a Security
tendered must be tendered in an integral multiple of $1,000 principal amount;
(f) the place or places where Securities are to be surrendered for tender
pursuant to the Offer to Purchase;
(g) that any Securities not tendered or tendered but not purchased by the
Company will continue to accrue interest;
(h) that on the Purchase Date the Purchase Price will become due and
payable upon each Security being accepted for payment pursuant to the Offer to
Purchase and that interest thereon, if any, shall cease to accrue on and after
the Purchase Date;
(i) that each Holder electing to tender a Security pursuant to the Offer to
Purchase will be required to surrender such Security at the place or places
specified in the Offer prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date
(such Security being, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, duly endorsed
by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to
the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or its attorney
duly authorized in writing);
(j) that Holders will be entitled to withdraw all or any portion of
Securities tendered if the Company (or their Paying Agent) receives, not later
than the close of business on the Expiration Date, a telegram, telex, facsimile
transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal
amount of the Security the Holder tendered, the certificate number of the
Security the Holder tendered and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing all
or a portion of its tender;
(k) that (i) if Securities in an aggregate principal amount less than or
equal to the Purchase Amount are duly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the
Offer to Purchase, the Company shall purchase all such Securities and (ii) if
Securities in an aggregate principal amount in excess of the Purchase Amount are
tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, the Company shall
purchase Securities having an aggregate principal amount equal to the Purchase
Amount on a pro rata basis (with such adjustments as may be deemed appropriate
so that only Securities in denominations of $1,000 or integral multiples thereof
shall be purchased); and
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(l) that in the case of any Holder whose Security is purchased only in
part, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver
to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or
Securities, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in an
aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unpurchased portion
of the Security so tendered.
Any Offer to Purchase shall be governed by and effected in accordance with the
Offer for such Offer to Purchase.
"Offering Memorandum" means the Offering Memorandum dated
October 28, 1998 pursuant to which the Securities were offered, and any
supplement thereto.
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by the
Chairman of the board of directors of the Company, a Vice Chairman of the board
of directors of the Company, the President or a Vice President, and by the Chief
Financial Officer, the Chief Accounting Officer, the Treasurer, an Assistant
Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered
to the Trustee, which shall comply with the Indenture.
"Opinion of Counsel" means an opinion of counsel acceptable to
the Trustee (who may be counsel to the Company, including an employee of the
Company).
"Outstanding", when used with respect to Securities, means, as
of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and
delivered under this Indenture, except:
(i) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the
Trustee for cancellation;
(ii) Securities, or portions thereof, for whose payment or redemption money
in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any
Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in
trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the
Holders of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be
redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this
Indenture;
(iii) Securities, except to the extent provided in Sections1202 and 1203,
with respect to which the Company has effected defeasance and/or covenant
defeasance as provided in Article Twelve; and
(iv) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section306 or in exchange
for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered
pursuant
NYDOCS01/566567 3
to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there
shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such
Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands the Securities are
valid obligations of the Company;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite
principal amount of Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand,
authorization, direction, consent, notice or waiver hereunder, and for the
purpose of making the calculations required by TIA Section313, Securities owned
by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the
Company or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be
Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected
in making such calculation or in relying upon any such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which any
Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded.
Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as
Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the
pledgee's right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee
is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of
the Company or such other obligor.
"Paying Agent" means any Person (including the Company acting
as Paying Agent) authorized by the Company to pay the principal of (and premium,
if any) or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.
"Permitted Holders" means any Person who was the beneficial
owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of stock of the
Company on March 31, 1997, and any Affiliates of such Person (i) who were
Affiliates of such Person on March 31, 1997 or (ii) who were formed, directly or
indirectly, by any such Person after March 31, 1997; provided, however, that
Persons who were beneficial owners (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the
Exchange Act) of such Person on March 31, 1997 continued to be beneficial owners
(within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) at the time of
formation of such Affiliate.
"Permitted Interest Rate or Currency Protection Agreement" of
any Person means any Interest Rate or Currency Protection Agreement entered into
with one or more financial institutions in the ordinary course of business that
is designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in interest rates or
currency exchange rates with respect to Debt Incurred and which shall have a
notional amount no greater than the payments due with respect to the Debt being
hedged thereby and not for purposes of speculation.
"Permitted Investments" means (a) Cash Equivalents; (b)
Investments in prepaid expenses, negotiable instruments held for collection and
lease, utility and workers'
NYDOCS01/566567 3
compensation, performance and other similar deposits; (c)loans, advances or
extensions of credit to employees and directors made in the ordinary course of
business and consistent with past practice; (d) obligations under Interest Rate
or Currency Protection Agreements; (e)bonds, notes, debentures and other
securities received as a result of Asset Dispositions pursuant to and in
compliance with Section1018; (f)Investments made in the ordinary course of
business as partial payment for constructing a network relating to a
Telecommunications Business; (g)commercially reasonable extensions of trade
credit; (h)Investments in any Person as a result of which such Person becomes a
Restricted Subsidiary; (i)Investments in Permitted Joint Ventures in an
aggregate amount not to exceed $25 million; (j)Investments in Affiliates or
Related Persons in an aggregate amount not to exceed $11million, provided that
the making of such Investments is permitted pursuant to Section1020; and
(k)Investments in an aggregate amount not to exceed $15 million consisting of
the contribution by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of assets located
in Mexico to joint ventures in which the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary has
an interest.
"Permitted Joint Venture" means a Corporation, partnership or
other entity other than a Restricted Subsidiary engaged in one or more
Telecommunications Businesses over which the Company and/or one or more
Strategic Investors have, directly or indirectly, the power to direct the
policies, management and affairs.
"Permitted Liens" means (a) Liens for taxes, assessments,
governmental charges, levies or claims which are not yet delinquent or which are
being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, if a reserve or other
appropriate provision, if any, as shall be required in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles shall have been made therefor; (b)other Liens
incidental to the conduct of the Company's and its Restricted Subsidiaries'
business or the ownership of its property and assets not securing any Debt, and
which do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of the Company's
and its Restricted Subsidiaries' property or assets when taken as a whole, or
materially impair the use thereof in the operation of its business; (c) Liens
with respect to assets of a Restricted Subsidiary granted by such Restricted
Subsidiary to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to secure Debt owing to the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary; (d) Liens, pledges and deposits made in
the ordinary course of business in connection with workers' compensation,
unemployment insurance and other types of statutory obligations; (e) Liens,
pledges or deposits made to secure the performance of tenders, bids, leases,
public or statutory obligations, sureties, stays, appeals, indemnities,
performance or other similar bonds and other obligations of like nature Incurred
in the ordinary course of business (exclusive of obligations for the payment of
borrowed money); (f) zoning restrictions, servitudes, easements, rights-of-way,
restrictions and other similar charges or encumbrances Incurred in the ordinary
course of business which, in the aggregate, do not materially detract from the
value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary
conduct of the business of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries; (g) Liens
arising out of judgments or awards against or
NYDOCS01/566567 3
other court proceedings concerning the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary with
respect to which the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary is prosecuting an
appeal or proceeding for review and the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary is
maintaining adequate reserves in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles; and (h) any interest or title of a lessor in the property subject to
any lease other than a Capital Lease.
"Permitted Telecommunications Capital Asset Disposition" means
the transfer, conveyance, sale, lease or other disposition of a capital asset
that is a Telecommunications Asset (including fiber, conduit and related
equipment) (i) the proceeds of which are treated as revenues by the Company in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and (ii)that, in the
case of the sale of fiber, would not result in the Company retaining less than
24 fibers per route mile on any segment of the Company's network.
"Person" means any individual, Corporation, partnership, joint
venture, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization,
government or agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.
"Physical Security" means Securities issued in registered
definitive form without coupons substantially in the form of Exhibit A.
"Predecessor Security" of any particular Security means every
previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced
by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any
Security authenticated and delivered under Section306 in exchange for a
mutilated security or in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be
deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen
Security.
"Preferred Dividends" for any Person means for any period the
quotient determined by dividing the amount of dividends and distributions paid
or accrued (whether or not declared) on Preferred Stock of such Person during
such period calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, by 1 minus the maximum statutory income tax rate then applicable to
the Company (expressed as a decimal).
"Preferred Stock" of any Person means Capital Stock of such
Person of any class or classes (however designated) that ranks prior, as to the
payment of dividends or as to the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or
involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of such Person, to shares of
Capital Stock of any other class of such Person.
"Primary Treasury Dealer" means a primary Government
Securities dealer in The City of New York.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Private Placement Legend" means the third paragraph of the
legend set forth in the Securities in the form set forth in ExhibitA.
"Purchase Amount" has the meaning specified in "Offer to
Purchase" above.
"Purchase Date" has the meaning specified in "Offer to
Purchase" above.
"Purchase Money Debt" means Debt Incurred at any time within
270 days of, and for the purposes of financing all or any part of the cost of,
the construction, installation, acquisition or improvement by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of any new Telecommunications Assets
constructed, installed, acquired or improved after March 31, 1997, provided that
the proceeds of such Debt are expended for such purposes within such 270-day
period.
"Purchase Price" has the meaning specified in "Offer to
Purchase" above.
"Qualified Institutional Buyer" or "QIB" has the meaning
specified in Rule 144A.
"Rating Agencies" means Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (or any
successor to the rating agency business thereof) and Standard & Poors Ratings
Service, a division of McGraw Hill, Inc. (or any successor to the rating agency
business thereof).
"Rating Decline" means the Securities cease to be rated B+ (or
the equivalent thereof) or better by Standard & Poor's Ratings Service, a
division of McGraw Hill, Inc., or B2 (or the equivalent thereof) or better by
▇▇▇▇▇'▇ Investors Service, Inc.
"Receivables" means receivables, chattel paper, instruments,
documents or intangibles evidencing or relating to the right to payment of
money, excluding allowances for doubtful accounts.
"Receivables Sale" of any Person means any sale of Receivables
of such Person (pursuant to a purchase facility or otherwise), other than in
connection with a disposition of the business operations of such Person relating
thereto or a disposition of defaulted Receivables for purposes of collection and
not as a financing arrangement.
"Redemption Date", when used with respect to any Security to
be redeemed, in whole or in part, means the date fixed for such redemption by or
pursuant to this Indenture.
"Redemption Price", when used with respect to any Security to
be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this
Indenture.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Reference Treasury Dealer" means each of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Barney
Inc., ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Lufkin &
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Corporation and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Brothers Inc. and their respective
successors; provided, however, that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a
Primary Treasury Dealer, the Company shall substitute therefor another Primary
Treasury Dealer.
"Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations" means, with respect to
each Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as
determined by the Company, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable
Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount)
quoted in writing to the Company by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m.
on the third business day preceding such Redemption Date.
"Registration Agreement" means the Registration Agreement
between the Company and the Initial Purchaser named therein, dated as of
November 4, 1998, relating to the Securities.
"Registration Statement" means the Registration Statement as
defined in the Registration Agreement.
"Regular Record Date" for the interest payable on any Interest
Payment Date means the April 15 or October 15 (whether or not a Business Day),
as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date.
"Regulation S" means Regulation S under the Securities Act.
"Regulation S Global Security" has the meaning specified in
Section 303.
"Related Person" of any Person means any other Person directly
or indirectly owning (a)5% or more of the outstanding Common Stock of such
Person (or, in the case of a Person that is not a Corporation, 5% or more of the
outstanding equity interest in such Person) or (b)5% or more of the combined
outstanding voting power of the Voting Stock of such Person.
"Responsible Officer", when used with respect to the Trustee,
means any officer within the Trustee's Corporate Trust Office, including any
vice president, the Managing Director, the secretary, any assistant secretary,
any assistant treasurer, or any other officer of the Trustee customarily
performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above-designated
officers, and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter,
any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of
and familiarity with the particular subject.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Restricted Payment" has the meaning specified in Section1013.
"Restricted Subsidiary" means a Subsidiary of the Company, or
of a Restricted Subsidiary that is a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Company,
that has not been designated by the Board of Directors (by a Board Resolution
delivered to the Trustee) as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to and in
compliance with Section1021.
"Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee" means a supplemental
indenture to this Indenture, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, executed in
accordance with Article Nine, providing for an unconditional Guarantee of
payment in full of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the
Securities. Any such Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee shall not be subordinate in
right of payment to any Debt of the Restricted Subsidiary providing the
Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee.
"Revocation" has the meaning specified in Section1021.
"Rule 144A" means Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
"Rule 144A Global Security" has the meaning specified in
Section 303.
"Sale and Leaseback Transaction" of any Person means an
arrangement with any lender or investor or to which such lender or investor is a
party providing for the leasing by such Person of any property or asset of such
Person which has been or is being sold or transferred by such Person more than
365 days after the acquisition thereof or the completion of construction or
commencement of operation thereof to such lender or investor or to any Person to
whom funds have been or are to be advanced by such lender or investor on the
security of such property or asset. The stated maturity of such arrangement
shall be the date of the last payment of rent or any other amount due under such
arrangement prior to the first date on which such arrangement may be terminated
by the lessee without payment of a penalty.
"Securities" means any of the Securities, as defined in the
recitals of this Indenture, that are authenticated and delivered under this
Indenture. For all purposes of this Indenture, the "Securities" shall include
the Initial Securities initially issued on November 4, 1998 and any Exchange
Securities to be issued and exchanged for any Initial Securities pursuant to the
Registration Agreement and this Indenture and any other Notes issued after
November 4, 1998 under this Indenture. For purposes of this Indenture, all
Securities shall vote together as one series of Securities under this Indenture.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Security Register" and "Security Registrar" have the
respective meanings specified in Section 305.
"Senior Note Indentures" means (i) the Indenture dated as of
March 31, 1997 between the Company and Bankers Trust Company, as trustee
thereunder, relating to the Company's 107/8% Senior Notes Due 2007 (which were
subsequently exchanged for the Company's 107/8% Series B Senior Notes Due 2007)
and the Indenture dated as of August 28, 1997, pursuant to which such 107/8%
Series B Senior Notes Due 2007 were issued, (ii) the Indenture dated as of
October 15, 1997 between the Company and Bankers Trust Company, as trustee
thereunder, relating to the Company's 9.47% Series B Senior Discount Notes Due
2007, and (iii) the Indenture dated as of January 28, 1998 between the Company
and Bankers Trust Company, as trustee thereunder, relating to the Companys 8.29%
Series B Senior Discount Notes Due 2008.
"Shelf Registration Statement" means the Shelf Registration
Statement as defined in the Registration Agreement.
"Special Record Date" for the payment of any Defaulted
Interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section307.
"Stated Maturity", when used with respect to any Security or
any installment of interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security
as the fixed date on which the principal amount of such Security or such
installment of interest is due and payable.
"Strategic Investor" means a Corporation, partnership or other
entity engaged in one or more Telecommunications Businesses that has, or 80% or
more of the Voting Stock of which is owned by a Person that has, an equity
market capitalization, at the time of its initial Investment in the Company or
in a Permitted Joint Venture with the Company, in excess of $2 billion.
"Subordinated Debt" means Debt of the Company as to which the
payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest and other payment
obligations in respect of such Debt shall be subordinate to the prior payment in
full of the Securities to at least the following extent: (i)no payments of
principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on or otherwise due in respect of
such Debt may be permitted for so long as any default in the payment of
principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on the Securities exists; (ii)in
the event that any other Default exists with respect to the Securities, upon
notice by 25% or more in principal amount of the Securities, to the Trustee, the
Trustee shall have the right to give notice to the Company and the holders of
such Debt (or trustees or agents therefor) of a payment blockage, and thereafter
no payments of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on or otherwise due
in respect of such Debt may be made for a period of 179 days from the
NYDOCS01/566567 3
date of such notice; and (iii) such Debt may not (x) provide for payments of
principal of such Debt at the stated maturity thereof or by way of a sinking
fund applicable thereto or by way of any mandatory redemption, defeasance,
retirement or repurchase thereof by the Company (including any redemption,
retirement or repurchase which is contingent upon events or circumstances but
excluding any retirement required by virtue of acceleration of such Debt upon an
event of default thereunder), in each case prior to the final Stated Maturity of
the Securities or (y) permit redemption or other retirement (including pursuant
to an offer to purchase made by the Company) of such other Debt at the option of
the holder thereof prior to the final Stated Maturity of the Securities, other
than a redemption or other retirement at the option of the holder of such Debt
(including pursuant to an offer to purchase made by the Company) which is
conditioned upon a change of control of the Company pursuant to provisions
substantially similar to those described in Section1010 (and which shall provide
that such Debt shall not be repurchased pursuant to such provisions prior to the
Company's repurchase of the Securities required to be repurchased by the Company
pursuant to the provisions of Section1010).
"Subsidiary" of any Person means (i) a Corporation more than
50% of the combined voting power of the outstanding Voting Stock of which is
owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more other
Subsidiaries of such Person or by such Person and one or more Subsidiaries
thereof or (ii) any other Person (other than a Corporation) in which such
Person, or one or more other Subsidiaries of such Person or such Person and one
or more other Subsidiaries thereof, directly or indirectly, has at least a
majority ownership and power to direct the policies, management and affairs
thereof.
"Suspended Covenants" has the meaning specified in Section
1025.
"Suspension Period" has the meaning specified in Section 1025.
"Telecommunications Assets" means all assets, rights
(contractual or otherwise) and properties, whether tangible or intangible, used
or intended for use in connection with a Telecommunications Business.
"Telecommunications Business" means the business of (i)
transmitting, or providing services relating to the transmission of, voice, data
or video through owned or leased transmission facilities, (ii)constructing,
creating, developing or marketing communications related network equipment,
software and other devices for use in a telecommunications business or
(iii)evaluating, participating or pursuing any other activity or opportunity
that is primarily related to those identified in (i) or (ii) above, provided
that the determination of what constitutes a Telecommunications Business shall
be made in good faith by the Board of Directors.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
"Treasury Rate" means, with respect to any Redemption Date,
the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity of the
Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable
Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.
"Trust Indenture Act" or "TIA" means the Trust Indenture Act
of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this Indenture was executed, except
as provided in Section905.
"Trustee" means the Person named as the "Trustee" in the first
paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Trustee shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Trustee" shall mean such successor Trustee.
"Unrestricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company
designated as such pursuant to and in compliance with Section1021.
"Vice President", when used with respect to the Company or the
Trustee, means any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a
word or words added before or after the title "vice president".
"Voting Stock" of any Person means Capital Stock of such
Person which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors (or
persons performing similar functions) of such Person, whether at all times or
only for so long as no senior class of securities has such voting power by
reason of any contingency.
"Wholly Owned Subsidiary" of any Person means a Subsidiary of
such Person all of the outstanding Voting Stock or other ownership interests
(other than directors' qualifying shares) of which shall at the time be owned by
such Person or by one or more Wholly Owned Subsidiaries of such Person or by
such Person and one or more Wholly Owned Subsidiaries of such Person.
SECTION 102. Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee
to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall
furnish to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that all conditions
precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture (including any covenant
compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent) relating to the
proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that
in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been
complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to
which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision
of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no
additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a
condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than pursuant to
Section1009(a))shall include:
(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate
or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions
herein relating thereto;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the
examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions
contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual,
he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable
him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant
or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such
individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
SECTION 103. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified
by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that
all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such
Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one
such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one
or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify
or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be
based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of,
or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of
reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations
with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are
erroneous. Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as
it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the
information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the
Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should
know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such
matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or
more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or
other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated
(with proper identification of each matter covered therein) and form one
instrument.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 104. Acts of Holders.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken
by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of
substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agents duly
appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such
action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered
to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such
instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced
thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the "Act" of the Holders signing
such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of
a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this
Indenture and (subject to Section 601) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and
the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any
such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such
execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by
law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing
such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such
execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual
capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof
of authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or
writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved
in any other manner that the Trustee deems sufficient.
(c) The principal amount and serial numbers of Securities held
by any Person, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Security
Register.
(d) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders of
Securities any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent,
waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, by or pursuant to a Board
Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders
entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so.
Notwithstanding TIA Section316(c), such record date shall be the record date
specified in or pursuant to such Board Resolution, which shall be a date not
earlier than the date 30 days prior to the first solicitation of Holders
generally in connection therewith and not later than the date such solicitation
is completed. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be given
before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of
business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of
determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding
Securities have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that
purpose the Outstanding Securities shall be computed as of such record date;
provided that no such
NYDOCS01/566567 3
authorization, agreement or consent by the Holders on such record date shall be
deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of
this Indenture not later than eleven months after the record date.
(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of any Security shall bind every
future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon
the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof
in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or
the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made
upon such Security.
SECTION 105. Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by
this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,
(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for
every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing to or with
the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention: Corporate Market Services,
or
(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for
every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in
writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it
at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this
Indenture, or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the
Trustee by the Company.
SECTION 106. Notice to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Indenture provides for notice of any event to
Holders by the Company or the Trustee, such notice shall be sufficiently given
(unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed,
first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at the
address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register, not later than
the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the
giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail,
neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed,
to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with
respect to other Holders. Any notice mailed to a Holder in the manner herein
prescribed shall be conclusively deemed to have been received by such Holder,
whether or not such Holder actually receives such notice. Where this Indenture
provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the
Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and
such waiver shall be the equivalent of such
NYDOCS01/566567 3
notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such
filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in
reliance upon such waiver.
In case by reason of the suspension of or irregularities in
regular mail service or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impracticable
to mail notice of any event to Holders when such notice is required to be given
pursuant to any provision of this Indenture, then any manner of giving such
notice as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee shall be deemed to be a
sufficient giving of such notice for every purpose hereunder.
SECTION 107. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of
Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
SECTION 108. Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company
shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
SECTION 109. Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities
shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and
enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or
impaired thereby.
SECTION 110. Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or
implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Paying
Agent, any Security Registrar and their successors hereunder and the Holders any
legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
SECTION 111. Governing Law.
This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the law of the State of NewYork.
SECTION 112. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
Prior to the issuance of the Exchange Securities or the
effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement, the Trust Indenture Act shall
apply as a matter of contract to this
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Indenture for purposes of interpretation, construction and defining the rights
and obligations hereunder. Upon the issuance of the Exchange Securities or the
effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement, this Indenture shall be
subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be
part of this Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such
provisions. If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with any
provision of the Trust Indenture Act or another provision which is required or
deemed to be included in this Indenture by any of the provisions of the Trust
Indenture Act, such provision or requirement of the Trust Indenture Act shall
control.
If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any
provision of the Trust Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the
latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or
excluded, as the case may be.
SECTION 113. Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date,
or Stated Maturity or Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then
(notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities)
payment of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest need not be made on
such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same
force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date or
at the Stated Maturity or Maturity; provided that no interest shall accrue for
the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Stated
Maturity or Maturity, as the case may be.
SECTION 114. No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and
Stockholders.
No director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder of
the Company, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the
Company under the Securities or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in
respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation, solely by
reason of its status as a director, officer, employee, incorporator or
stockholder of the Company. By accepting a Security, each Holder waives and
releases all such liability (but only such liability). The waiver and release
are part of the consideration for issuance of the Securities.
SECTION 115. Independence of Covenants.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture shall be given
independent effect so that if a particular action or condition is not permitted
by any of such covenants, the fact that it would be permitted by an exception
to, or be otherwise within the limitations of, another covenant shall not avoid
the occurrence of a Default if such action is taken or condition exists.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 116. Exhibits.
All exhibits attached hereto are by this reference made a part
hereof with the same effect as if herein set forth in full.
SECTION 117. Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be an original; but such counterparts shall together
constitute but one and the same instrument.
SECTION 118. Duplicate Originals.
The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture.
Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the
same agreement.
ARTICLE TWO
SECURITY FORMS
SECTION 201. Forms Generally.
The Securities and the Trustee's certificate of authentication
with respect thereto shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit A
hereto, with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other
variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such
letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or
endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any
securities exchange or system on which the Securities may be listed or eligible
for trading or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers
executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of the Securities.
Any portion of the text of any Security may be set forth on the reverse thereof,
with an appropriate reference thereto on the face of the Security.
The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or
engraved on steel-engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner
permitted by the rules of any securities exchange or system on which the
Securities may be listed or eligible for trading, all as determined by the
officers of the Company executing such Securities, as evidenced by their
execution of such Securities.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
ARTICLE THREE
THE SECURITIES
SECTION 301. Title and Terms.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be
authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is limited to $750,000,000,
except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer
of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities pursuant to Section304,
305, 306, 906, 1010, 1018 or 1108.
The Initial Securities shall be known and designated as the
"7.50% Senior Notes Due 2008" and the Exchange Securities shall be known as the
"7.50% SeriesB Senior Notes". The final Stated Maturity of the Securities shall
be November 1, 2008. Interest on the Securities will accrue at a rate of 7.50%
per annum accruing from November 4, 1998 or from the most recent Interest
Payment Date to which cash interest has been paid or duly provided for, and will
be payable semiannually in arrears on May 1 and November 1 of each year,
commencing May 1, 1999, to the Holders of record on the immediately preceding
Regular Record Date. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year
comprised of twelve 30-day months.
Principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities
will be payable, and the Securities may be exchanged or transferred, at the
office or agency of the Company in The City of New York, which, unless otherwise
provided by the Company, will be the offices of the Trustee. At the option of
the Company, interest may be paid by check mailed to addresses of the Persons
entitled thereto as such addresses shall appear on the Security Register.
The interest rate on the Securities is subject to increase by
the addition of Liquidated Interest and otherwise, all as set forth or referred
to in the text of the Securities appearing in ExhibitA hereto.
The Securities shall be redeemable as provided in
ArticleEleven.
At the election of the Company, the entire Debt on the
Securities or certain of the Company's obligations and covenants and certain
Events of Default thereunder may be defeased as provided in Article Twelve.
The Securities will be senior unsecured obligations of the
Company, ranking pari passu in right of payment with all existing and future
senior unsecured Debt of the
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Company, and will be senior in right of payment to all existing and future
Subordinated Debt of the Company.
SECTION 302. Denominations.
The Securities will be issued without coupons and in fully
registered form only, in minimum denominations of $1,000 principal amount and
integral multiples thereof.
SECTION 303. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by
its Chief Executive Officer, its President or a Vice President under its
corporate seal reproduced thereon. The signature of any of these officers on the
Securities may be manual or facsimile signatures of the present or any future
such authorized officer and may be imprinted or otherwise reproduced on the
Securities. The seal of the Company may be in the form of a facsimile thereof
and may be impressed, affixed, imprinted or otherwise reproduced on the
Securities.
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of
individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind
the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to
hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or
did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities. In addition, any
Security may be signed on behalf of the Company by such Persons as, at the
actual date of the execution of such Security, shall be the proper officers of
the Company, although at the date of such Security or of the execution of this
Indenture any such Person was not such officer.
At any time and from time to time after the execution and
delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities executed by the
Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the
authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance
with such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this
Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such
Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for
herein duly executed by the Trustee by manual signature of an authorized
signatory, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence,
and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and
delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
The Trustee shall authenticate Securities for original issue
in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $750,000,000 upon receipt of a
Company Order, which shall specify the amount of Securities to be authenticated,
the names of the Persons in which such Securities shall be registered and the
date on which such Securities are to be authenticated and direct the Trustee to
authenticate such Securities together with an Officers' Certificate certifying
that all conditions precedent to the issuance of such Securities contained
herein have been complied with. The aggregate principal amount of Securities
Outstanding at any time shall not exceed $750,000,000, except as provided in
Section 304.
Except as described below, the Securities will be deposited
with, or on behalf of, the Depository, and registered in the name of Cede & Co.
as the Depository's nominee in the form of one or more global note
certificate(s) substantially in the form of Exhibit A (each, a "Rule 144A Global
Security"), for credit to the respective accounts of the beneficial owners of
the Securities represented thereby.
Securities purchased by Persons outside the United States
pursuant to sales in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act shall
be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depository, and registered in the name
of Cede & Co. as the Depository's nominee in the form of one or more global note
certificates substantially in the form of Exhibit A (each, a "Regulation S
Global Security"), for credit to the respective accounts of the beneficial
owners of the Securities represented thereby (or such other accounts as they may
direct), provided that upon such deposit all such Securities shall be credited
to or through accounts maintained at the Depository by or on behalf of the
Euroclear System or Cedel Bank, socit anonyme. Securities represented by a
Regulation S Global Security will not be exchangeable for Physical Securities
until the expiration of the "40-day distribution compliance period" within the
meaning of Rule 903(c)(3) of Regulation S under the Securities Act.
In case the Company, pursuant to Article Eight, shall be
consolidated or merged with or into any other Person or shall convey, transfer,
lease or otherwise dispose of its properties and assets substantially as an
entirety to any Person, and the successor Person resulting from such
consolidation, or surviving such merger, or into which the Company shall have
been merged, or the Person which shall have received a conveyance, transfer,
lease or other disposition as aforesaid, shall have executed an indenture
supplemental hereto with the Trustee pursuant to Article Eight, any of the
Securities authenticated or delivered prior to such consolidation, merger,
conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition may, from time to time, at the
request of the successor Person, be exchanged for other Securities executed in
the name of the successor Person with such changes in phraseology and form as
may be appropriate, but otherwise in substance of like tenor as the Securities
surrendered for such exchange and of like principal amount; and the Trustee,
upon Company Request of the successor Person, shall authenticate and deliver
Securities as specified in such request for the purpose of such exchange. If
Securities shall at any time be authenticated and delivered in any new name of a
NYDOCS01/566567 3
successor Person pursuant to this Section in exchange or substitution for or
upon registration of transfer of any Securities, such successor Person, at the
option of the Holders but without expense to them, shall provide for the
exchange of all Securities at the time Outstanding for Securities authenticated
and delivered in such new name.
SECTION 304. Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities, the Company
may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver,
temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed
or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the
tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued and with
such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as
the officers executing such Securities may determine, as conclusively evidenced
by their execution of such Securities.
If temporary Securities are issued, the Company will cause
definitive Securities to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the
preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall be
exchangeable for definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary
Securities at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose
pursuant to Section1002, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for
cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities, the Company shall execute
and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like
principal amount of definitive Securities of authorized denominations. Until so
exchanged, the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the
same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities.
SECTION 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust
Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office and in
any other office or agency designated pursuant to Section1002 being herein
sometimes referred to as the "Security Register") in which, subject to such
reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the
registration of Securities and of transfers and exchange of Securities. The
Security Register shall be in written form or any other form capable of being
converted into written form within a reasonable time. At all reasonable times,
the Security Register shall be open to inspection by the Trustee. The Trustee is
hereby initially appointed as security registrar (the "Security Registrar") for
the purpose of registering Securities and transfers and exchanges of Securities
as herein provided.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security at
the office or agency of the Company designated pursuant to Section1002, the
Company shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, and the
Security Registrar shall register, if the
NYDOCS01/566567 3
requirements, of such transfer are met, in the name of the designated transferee
or transferees, one or more new Securities of any authorized denomination or
denominations of a like aggregate principal amount.
At the option of the Holder, Securities may be exchanged for
other Securities of any authorized denomination and of a like aggregate
principal amount (including an exchange of Initial Securities for Exchange
Securities), upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or
agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company
shall execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, and the Security
Registrar shall register, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is
entitled to receive, provided that no exchange of Initial Securities for
Exchange Securities shall occur until an Exchange Offer Registration Statement
shall have been declared effective by the Commission (confirmed in an Officer's
Certificate) and that the Initial Securities to be exchanged for the Exchange
Securities shall be cancelled by the Trustee.
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or
exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing
the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the
Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of
transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Security
Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of
transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar, duly
executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of
transfer or exchange or redemption of Securities, but the Company may require
payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that
may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of
Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section304, 906, 1010, 1018 or 1108
not involving any transfer.
The Company shall not be required (i)to issue, register the
transfer of or exchange any Security during a period beginning at the opening of
business 15 days before the selection of Securities to be redeemed under
Section1104 and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing of
the relevant notice of redemption or (ii)to register the transfer of or exchange
any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the
unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If (i)any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee or
(ii)the Company and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the
destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and there is delivered to the
Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to
save each of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the
Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the
Company shall execute and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and
deliver, in exchange for any such mutilated Security or in lieu of any such
destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of like tenor and principal
amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security
has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion
may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the
Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other
expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of
any mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original
additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the mutilated,
destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone,
and shall be entitled to all benefits of this Indenture equally and
proportionately with any and all other Securities duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall
preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to
the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
SECTION 307. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually
paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the
Person in whose name such Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is
registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest
at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose pursuant to
Section1002; provided, however, that each installment of interest may at the
Company's option be paid (i) by mailing a check for such interest, payable to or
upon the written order of the Person entitled thereto pursuant to Section308, to
the address of such Person as it appears in the Security Register, or (ii) by
wire transfer of such interest in
NYDOCS01/566567 3
immediately available funds to an account located in the United States
maintained by the Depository.
Any interest on any Security which is payable, but is not
punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall
forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the Regular Record Date by virtue
of having been such Holder, and such defaulted interest and (to the extent
lawful) interest on such defaulted interest at the rate borne by the Securities
(such defaulted interest and interest thereon herein collectively called
"Defaulted Interest") may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case,
as provided in paragraph(1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted
Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities (or their
respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of
business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted
Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company
shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest
proposed to be paid on each Security and the date of the proposed
payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the
Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be
paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements
satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the
proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the
benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this
clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date
for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than
15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed
payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of
the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify
the Company of such Special Record Date, and in the name and at the
expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of
such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be
given in the manner provided for in Section106, not less than 10 days
prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of
such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having
been so given, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in
whose names the Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities)
are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and
shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following paragraph(2).
(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in
any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any
securities exchange or system on which the Securities may be listed or
eligible for trading, and upon such notice as may be required by such
exchange or system, if, after notice given by the Company to the
Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of
payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each
Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in
exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest
accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.
SECTION 308. Persons Deemed Owners.
Prior to the due presentment of a Security for registration of
transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee
may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of
such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of (and premium,
if any) and (subject to Sections305 and 307) interest on such Security and for
all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and none
of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be
affected by notice to the contrary.
SECTION 309. Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption,
registration of transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other
than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by
it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any
Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company
may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or
to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities
previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold,
and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. If
the Company shall so acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition
shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness
represented by such Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the
Trustee for cancellation. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in
exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as
expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the
Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in accordance with its customary
procedures and certification of their disposal delivered to the Company unless
by Company Order the Company shall direct that cancelled Securities be returned
to it.
SECTION 310. Computation of Interest.
Interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a
360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 311. CUSIP Number.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use a "CUSIP" number
(if then generally in use), and if so, the Trustee may use the CUSIP numbers in
notices of redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders; provided,
however, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the
correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number printed in the notice or on the
Securities, and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification
numbers printed on the Securities. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee
in writing of any change in the CUSIP number of the Securities.
SECTION 312. Book-Entry Provisions for Global Securities.
(a) The Global Securities initially shall (i) be registered in
the name of the Depository or the nominee of such Depository, (ii) be delivered
to the Trustee as custodian for such Depository and (iii) bear legends as set
forth in Exhibit A.
Members of, or participants in, the Depository ("Agent
Members") shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global
Security held on their behalf by the Depository, or the Trustee as its
custodian, or under the Global Security, and the Depository may be treated by
the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the
absolute owner of the Global Security for all purposes whatsoever.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the
Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any
written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depository
or impair, as between the Depository and its Agent Members, the operation of
customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a beneficial owner
of any Security.
(b) Transfers of Global Securities shall be limited to
transfers in whole, but not in part, to the Depository, its successors or their
respective nominees. Interests of beneficial owners in a Rule 144A Global
Security may be transferred or exchanged for interests in a Regulation S Global
Security, and interests of beneficial owners in a Regulation S Global Security
may be transferred or exchanged for interests in a Rule 144A Global Security, in
each case in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depository and the
provisions of Section 313. In addition, Physical Securities shall be transferred
to all beneficial owners in exchange for their beneficial interests in a Global
Security if (i)the Depository notifies the Company that it is unwilling or
unable to continue as a depository for such Global Security or if at any time
the Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act,
and a successor depository is not appointed by the Company within 90 days,
(ii)the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee a notice that such Global
Security shall be so transferable, registrable and exchangeable, and such
transfer shall be registrable, or (iii)there shall have
NYDOCS01/566567 3
occurred and be continuing a Default or Event of Default with respect to the
Securities represented by such Global Security.
(c) In connection with the transfer of Global Securities as an
entirety to beneficial owners pursuant to paragraph (b), the Global Securities
shall be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the
Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, to each
beneficial owner identified by the Depository in exchange for its beneficial
interest in the Global Securities, an equal aggregate principal amount of
Physical Securities of like tenor of authorized denominations.
(d) Any Physical Security delivered in exchange for an
interest in a Global Security pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section 312
shall, except as otherwise provided by (b)(1)(x) and paragraph (d) of Section
313, bear the legend regarding transfer restrictions applicable to the Physical
Securities set forth in Exhibit A.
(e) The Holder of any Global Security may grant proxies and
otherwise authorize any person, including Agent Members and persons that may
hold interests through Agent Members, to take any action which a Holder is
entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities.
SECTION 313. Special Transfer Provisions.
(a) Transfers to Non-QIB Institutional Accredited Investors. Except as
provided in paragraph (d) of this Section 313, the Initial Securities shall not
be transferred to any Person that is not a QIB or a non-U.S. Person.
(b) Transfers to Non-U.S. Persons. The following provisions shall apply
with respect to the registration of any proposed transfer of an Initial Security
to any non-U.S. Person:
(1) the Security Registrar shall register the transfer of any
Initial Security if (x) the requested transfer is not prior to the date
which is two years (or such shorter period as may be prescribed by Rule
144(k) under the Securities Act or any successor provision thereunder)
after the later of the original issue date of such Initial Security (or
of any Predecessor Security) or the last day on which the Company or
any Affiliate of the Company was the owner of such Initial Security or
any Predecessor Security or (y) the proposed transferee has delivered
to the Security Registrar a certificate substantially in the form of
Exhibit B hereto; and
(2) the Security Registrar shall register the transfer of any
Initial Security if the proposed transferor is an Agent Member holding
a beneficial interest in a Rule
NYDOCS01/566567 3
144A Global Security, upon receipt by the Security Registrar of (x) the
certificate, if any, required by paragraph (1) above and (y)
instructions given in accordance with the Depository's and the Security
Registrar's procedures;
whereupon the Security Registrar shall reflect on its books and records the date
of such transfer and (A)(if the transfer involves a transfer of a beneficial
interest in a Rule 144A Global Security) a decrease in the principal amount of
such Rule 144A Global Security in an amount equal to the principal amount to be
transferred and (B) an increase in the principal amount of a Regulation S Global
Security in an amount equal to the principal amount to be transferred.
(c) Private Placement Legend. Upon the registration of
transfer, exchange or replacement of Initial Securities, the Security Registrar
shall deliver only Initial Securities that bear the Private Placement Legend
unless (i) (x) the circumstances contemplated by clause (b)(1)(x) of this
Section 313 exist or (y) such Security has been sold pursuant to an effective
registration statement under the Securities Act and (ii) there is delivered to
the Security Registrar and the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel reasonably
satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee to the effect that neither such
legend nor the related restrictions on transfer are required in order to
maintain compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act.
(d) Other Transfers. If a Holder proposes to transfer an
Initial Security pursuant to any exemption from the registration requirements of
the Securities Act other than as provided for by Section 313(a) and 313(b), the
Security Registrar shall only register such transfer or exchange if such
transferor delivers to the Security Registrar and the Trustee an Opinion of
Counsel satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar that such
transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and the terms of this
Indenture; provided that the Company may, based upon the opinion of its counsel,
instruct the Security Registrar by a Company Order not to register such transfer
in any case where the proposed transferee is not a QIB or a non-U.S. Person.
(e) General. By its acceptance of any Security bearing the
Private Placement Legend, each Holder of such a Security acknowledges the
restrictions on transfer of such Security set forth in this Indenture and in the
Private Placement Legend and agrees that it will transfer such Security only as
provided in this Indenture.
The Security Registrar shall retain copies of all letters,
notices and other written communications received pursuant to Section 312 or
this Section 313 for a period of two years, after which time such letters,
notices and other written communications shall at the written request of the
Company be delivered to the Company. The Company shall have the right to inspect
and make copies of all such letters, notices or other written communications at
any reasonable time upon the giving of reasonable prior written notice to the
Security Registrar.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
ARTICLE FOUR
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
SECTION 401. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of
further effect (except as to surviving rights of registration of transfer or
exchange of Securities expressly provided for herein or pursuant hereto) and the
Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments
acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture when
(1) either
(a) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than
(i)Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been
replaced or paid as provided in Section306 and (ii)Securities for whose payment
money has theretofore been deposited in trust with the Trustee or any Paying
Agent or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to
the Company or discharged from such trust as provided in Section1003) have been
delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(b) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation
(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year,
or
(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under irrevocable
arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption
by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,
and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has irrevocably
deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for
such purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness
on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation,
for principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such deposit (in
the
NYDOCS01/566567 3
case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity
or Redemption Date, as the case may be;
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable
hereunder by the Company; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate and
an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein
provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have
been complied with.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this
Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section607 and,
if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause(1)(b) of
this Section 401, the obligations of the Trustee under Section402 and the last
paragraph of Section1003 shall survive.
SECTION 402. Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of
Section1003, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section401 shall
be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the
Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any
Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the
Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and
premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited
with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except
to the extent required by law.
ARTICLE FIVE
REMEDIES
SECTION 501. Events of Default.
"Event of Default", wherever used herein, means any one of the
following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it
shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant
to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation
of any administrative or governmental body):
(1) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any
Security at its Maturity; or
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(2) default in the payment of any interest on any Security when it becomes
due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(3) default in the payment of principal and interest on any Security
required to be purchased pursuant to an Offer to Purchase pursuant to Section
1010 or 1018; or
(4) default in the performance, or breach, of Section801 or 1018; or
(5) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of
the Company in this Indenture or in any Security (other than a covenant or
warranty a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this
Section specifically dealt with), and continuance of such default or breach for
a period of 60days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail,
to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders
of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities a
written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied
and stating that such notice is a "Notice of Default" hereunder; or
(6) a default or defaults under any bond(s), debenture(s), note(s) or other
evidence(s) of indebtedness by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or under
any mortgage(s), indenture(s) or instrument(s) under which there may be issued
or by which there may be secured or evidenced any indebtedness of such type by
the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary with a principal amount then
outstanding, individually or in the aggregate, in excess of $10million, whether
such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, which default or
defaults shall result in the acceleration of the payment of such indebtedness or
shall constitute a failure to pay the principal of such indebtedness when due at
the final maturity thereof, or shall have resulted in excess of $10 million of
indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on
which it would otherwise have become due and payable (after expiration of any
applicable grace period); or
(7) a final judgment or final judgments for the payment of money are
entered against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in an aggregate amount
in excess of $10million by a court or courts of competent jurisdiction, which
judgment or judgments remain undischarged or unbonded for a period (during which
execution shall not be effectively stayed) of 45days after the date on which the
right to appeal all such judgments has expired; or
(8) the entry of a decree or order by a court having jurisdiction in the
premises adjudging the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary a bankrupt or
insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization,
arrangement,
NYDOCS01/566567 3
adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary under the Federal Bankruptcy Code or any other applicable federal or
state law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee or
sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding
up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or
order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or
(9) the institution by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of
proceedings to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to
the institution of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against it, or the
filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief
under the Federal Bankruptcy Code or any other applicable federal or state law,
or the consent by it to the filing of any such petition or to the appointment of
a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee or sequestrator (or other similar
official) of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or of any substantial part
of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of
creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts
generally as they become due.
SECTION 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default
specified in Section501(8) or (9)) occurs and is continuing, then and in every
such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities may declare the principal of all the Securities to be
due and payable immediately by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the
Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal shall
become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in
Section501(8) or (9) occurs and is continuing, then the principal of all the
Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without
any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after a declaration of acceleration has been made
and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained
by the Trustee as hereinafter provided in this Article Five, the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, by written notice to
the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its
consequences if
(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to
pay
(A) all overdue interest on all Outstanding Securities,
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(B) all unpaid principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Outstanding
Securities which has become due otherwise than by such declaration of
acceleration, and interest on such unpaid principal at the rate borne by the
Securities,
(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest on
overdue interest at the rate borne by the Securities, and
(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable
compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents
and counsel; and
(2) all Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of amounts of
principal of (or premium, if any, on) Securities which have become due solely by
such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in
Section513.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right
consequent thereon.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in the event that a
declaration of acceleration in respect of the Securities due to an Event of
Default specified in Section501(6) shall have occurred and be continuing, such
declaration of acceleration shall be automatically annulled if the Debt that is
the subject of such Event of Default has been discharged or the holders thereof
have rescinded their declaration of acceleration in respect of such Debt, and
written notice of such discharge or rescission, as the case may be, shall have
been given to the Trustee by the Company and countersigned by the holders of
such Debt or a trustee, fiduciary or agent for such holders, within 30 days
after such declaration of acceleration in respect of the Securities, and no
other Event of Default has occurred during such 30-day period which has not been
cured or waived during such period.
SECTION 503. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by
Trustee.
The Company covenants that if
(a) default is made in the payment of any installment of interest on any
Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues
for a period of 30 days, or
(b) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any,
on) any Security at the Maturity thereof,
NYDOCS01/566567 3
the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee for the benefit
of the Holders of such Securities the whole amount then due and payable on such
Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, and interest on any
overdue principal (and premium, if any) and, to the extent that payment of such
interest shall be legally enforceable, upon any overdue installment of interest,
at the rate borne by the Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further
amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection,
including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of
the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such
demand, the Trustee, in its own name as trustee of an express trust, may
institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and
unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may
enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities
and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided
by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the
Securities, wherever situated.
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee
may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights
of the Holders by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall
deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the
specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of
the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
SECTION 504. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency,
liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or
other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the
Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their
creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities
shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise
and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the
Company for the payment of overdue principal, premium, if any, or interest)
shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or
otherwise,
(i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal (and
premium, if any) and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and
to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order
to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable
compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee and its agents
and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(ii) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or
deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator or sequestrator (or
other similar official) in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by
each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the
Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to
pay the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee and its agents and counsel, and any
other amounts due the Trustee under Section607.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the
Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder
any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the
Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to
vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
SECTION 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the
Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession
of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating
thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in
its own name and as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment
shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee and its agents and counsel, be for the
ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such
judgment has been recovered.
SECTION 506. Application of Money Collected.
Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article
Five shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the
Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal
(or premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the
notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender
thereof if fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section607;
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of
(and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for
the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference
or priority
NYDOCS01/566567 3
of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for
principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and
THIRD: The balance, if any, to the Person or Persons entitled thereto.
SECTION 507. Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Securities shall have any right to institute
any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for
the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder,
unless
(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a
continuing Event of Default;
(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities shall have made written request to the Trustee to
institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as
Trustee hereunder;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity reasonably
satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in
compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and
offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to
the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority or more in
aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities;
it being understood and intended that no one or more Holders shall have any
right in any manner whatsoever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of
this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holders,
or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other Holders
or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein
provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all the Holders.
SECTION 508. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium
and Interest.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the
Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and
unconditional, to receive payment as provided herein (including, if applicable,
Article Twelve) and in such Security of the principal
NYDOCS01/566567 3
of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section307) interest on such Security
on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case
of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement
of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent
of such Holder.
SECTION 509. Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to
enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been
discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to
the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any
determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall
be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and
thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue
as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
SECTION 510. Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement
or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last
paragraph of Section306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to
the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or
remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be
cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or
now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or
employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the
concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
SECTION 511. Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any
Security to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default
shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event
of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this
Article Five or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from
time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the
Holders, as the case may be.
SECTION 512. Control by Holders.
The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the Outstanding Securities shall have the right to direct the time,
method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the
Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, provided
that
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with
this Indenture,
(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee
which is not inconsistent with such direction, and
(3) the Trustee need not take any action which might involve it in personal
liability or be unjustly prejudicial to the Holders not consenting.
SECTION 513. Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the Outstanding Securities may on behalf of the Holders of all the
Securities waive any past default hereunder and its consequences, except a
default
(1) in respect of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or
interest on any Security, or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Nine
cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each
Outstanding Security affected.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and
any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for
every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any
subsequent or other default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent
thereon.
SECTION 514. Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do
so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner
whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law
wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the
covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent
that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of
any such law and covenants that it shall not hinder, delay or impede the
execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but shall suffer and
permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
ARTICLE SIX
THE TRUSTEE
SECTION601. Certain Duties and Responsibilities.
(a) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default,
(1) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only
such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no
implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture
against the Trustee; and
(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may
conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the
correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or
opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of
this Indenture; but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions
which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished
to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same
to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this
Indenture.
(b) In case an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in
it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their
exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the
conduct of his own affairs.
(c) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to
relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own
negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that
(1) this paragraph (c) shall not be construed to limit the effect of
paragraph (a) of this Section 601;
(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good
faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was
negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or
omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities relating
to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy
available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the
Trustee, under this Indenture; and
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(4) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or
risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance
of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or
powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such
funds or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against such risk or liability
is not reasonably assured to it.
(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every
provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability
of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of
this Section 601.
SECTION 602. Notice of Default.
Within 60 days after the occurrence of any Default hereunder,
the Trustee shall transmit, in the manner and to the extent provided in TIA
Section313(c), notice of such Default hereunder known to any Responsible Officer
of the Trustee, unless such Default shall have been cured or waived; provided,
however, that, except in the case of a Default in the payment of the principal
of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security, the Trustee shall be
protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors,
the executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or Responsible
Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such
notice is in the interest of the Holders; and provided further that in the case
of any Default of the character specified in Section501(5) no such notice to
Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof.
SECTION 603. Certain Rights of Trustee.
Subject to Section 601 and to the provisions of TIA Sections315(a) through
315(d):
(1) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully
protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution,
certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request,
direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of
indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine
and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(2) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein
shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order
and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently
evidenced by a Board Resolution;
(3) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the
Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established
prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the
Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically
NYDOCS01/566567 3
prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, receive and rely upon
an Officers' Certificate;
(4) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written
advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and
complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken,
suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance
thereon;
(5) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any
of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request
or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless
such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity
reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and
liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such
request or direction;
(6) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation
into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate,
statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction,
consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness
or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may
make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters
as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such
further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the
books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or
attorney;
(7) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers
hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or
through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible
for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney
appointed with due care by it hereunder;
(8) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken,
suffered or omitted by it in good faith and believed by it to be
authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon
it by this Indenture; and
(9) the Trustee shall have no duties, obligations or liability
in connection with any Event of Default hereunder unless a Responsible
Officer of the Trustee has knowledge thereof.
The Trustee shall not be required to expend or risk its own
funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of
its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it
shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to
it.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 604. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of
Securities.
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except
for the Trustee's certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the
statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their
correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or
sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities, except that the Trustee
represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture,
authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations hereunder. The Trustee
shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities
or the proceeds thereof.
SECTION 605. May Hold Securities.
The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any
other agent of the Company or of the Trustee, in its individual or any other
capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to TIA
Sections310(b) and 311, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights
it would have if it were not Trustee, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such
other agent.
SECTION 606. Money Held in Trust.
Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be
segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee
shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder
except as otherwise agreed with the Company.
SECTION 607. Compensation and Reimbursement.
TheCompany agrees:
(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which
compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to
the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);
(2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to
reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses,
disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in
accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the
reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its
agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance
as may be attributable to the Trustee's negligence or bad faith; and
(3) to indemnify the Trustee and its directors, officers,
employees and agents for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss,
liability or expense incurred without
NYDOCS01/566567 3
negligence or bad faith on the part of any of them, arising out of or
in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust,
including the costs and expenses of defending itself or themselves
against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or
performance of any of its or their powers or duties hereunder.
The obligations of the Company under this Section 607 to
compensate the Trustee, to pay or reimburse the Trustee for expenses,
disbursements and advances and to indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee shall
constitute additional indebtedness hereunder and shall survive the satisfaction
and discharge of this Indenture or the earlier resignation or removal of the
Trustee. As security for the performance of such obligations of the Company, the
Trustee shall have a claim prior to the Securities upon all property and funds
held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the
payment of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on particular
Securities.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in
connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 501(8) or (9), the
expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) of and
the compensation for such services are intended to constitute expenses of
administration under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or
other similar law.
The provisions of this Section 607 shall survive the
termination of this Indenture or the earlier resignation or removal of the
Trustee.
SECTION 608. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility; Conflicting
Interests.
(a) There shall be at all times a Trustee hereunder which
shall be subject to and comply with the provisions of Section310(a)(1) of the
Trust Indenture Act and shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least
$50,000,000. If such Corporation publishes reports of condition at least
annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of federal, state, territorial
or District of Columbia supervising or examining authority, then, for the
purposes of this Section608, the combined capital and surplus of such
Corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth
in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee
shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section
608, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter
specified in this Article Six.
(b) The Trustee shall be subject to and comply with Section 310(b) of the
Trust Indenture Act.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 609. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no
appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become
effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in
accordance with the applicable requirements of Section610.
(b) The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written
notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor
Trustee required by Section610 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee
within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning
Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of
a successor Trustee.
(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time by Act of the
Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities, delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.
(d) If at any time:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of
TIA Section310(b) after written request therefor by the Company or by
any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least
six months, or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section608(a)
and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company
or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at
least six months, or
(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be
adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its
property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or
control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of
rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,
then, in any such case, (i)the Company, by a Board Resolution, may remove the
Trustee or (ii)subject to TIA Section315(e), any Holder who has been a bona fide
Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all
others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the
removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become
incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for
any cause, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a
successor Trustee. If, within one year after such
NYDOCS01/566567 3
resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a
successor Trustee shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities delivered to the
Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall,
forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment, become the successor Trustee
and supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor
Trustee shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted
appointment in the manner hereinafter provided, any Holder who has been a bona
fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and
all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for
the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each
removal of the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to the
Holders of Securities in the manner provided for in Section106. Each notice
shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its Corporate
Trust Office.
(g) The retiring Trustee shall not be liable for any of the
acts or omissions of any successor Trustee appointed hereunder.
SECTION 610. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
Every successor Trustee appointed hereunder shall execute,
acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument
accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the
retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any
further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights,
powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on request of the
Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of
its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor
Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly
assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money
held by such retiring Trustee hereunder. Upon request of any such successor
Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and
certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights,
powers and trusts.
No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at
the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and
eligible under this Article.
SECTION 611. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any Corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Corporation resulting
from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a
party, or any Corporation succeeding to all or
NYDOCS01/566567 3
substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the
successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided that such Corporation shall be
otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article Six, without the execution
or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties
hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered,
by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or
consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and
deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such
successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities. In case at that time
any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor Trustee
may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder
or in the name of the successor Trustee. In all such cases such certificates
shall have the full force and effect which this Indenture provides that the
certificate of authentication of the Trustee shall have; provided, however, that
the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee
or to authenticate Securities in the name of any predecessor Trustee shall apply
only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.
ARTICLE SEVEN
HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
SECTION 701. Disclosure of Names and Addresses of Holders.
Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same,
agrees with the Company and the Trustee that none of the Company or the Trustee
or any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of the
disclosure of any such information as to the names and addresses of the Holders
in accordance with TIA Section312, regardless of the source from which such
information was derived, and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by
reason of mailing any material pursuant to a request made under TIA
Section312(b).
SECTION 702. Reports by Trustee.
Within 60 days after May15 of each year commencing with the
first May15 after the first issuance of Securities, the Trustee shall transmit
to the Holders, in the manner and to the extent provided in TIA Section313(c), a
brief report dated as of such May15 if required by TIA Section313(a).
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 703. Reports by Company.
The Company shall file with the Trustee and deliver to the
Holders of Securities the reports and other information required to be provided
by it pursuant to Section1008.
ARTICLE EIGHT
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
SECTION 801. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.
The Company shall not, except as provided in Section 1025, in
a single transaction or a series of related transactions, (i)consolidate with or
merge into any other Person or Persons or permit any other Person to consolidate
with or merge into the Company (other than a merger of Qwest Corporation into
the Company in which the Company shall be the surviving Person) or (ii) directly
or indirectly, transfer, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or
substantially all of its assets to any other Person or Persons, unless, in any
such transaction specified in clause (i) or (ii):
(1) in a transaction in which the Company is not the surviving
Person or in which the Company sells, leases or otherwise disposes of
all or substantially all of its assets to any other Person, the
resulting, surviving or transferee Person (the "successor entity") is
organized under the laws of the United States of America or any State
thereof or the District of Columbia and shall expressly assume, by a
supplemental indenture executed and delivered to the Trustee in form
satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the Company's obligations under
this Indenture;
(2) immediately before and after giving effect to such
transaction and treating any Debt which becomes an obligation of the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such transaction as
having been Incurred by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary at
the time of the transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing;
(3) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, the
Consolidated Net Worth of the Company (or other successor entity to the
Company) is equal to or greater than that of the Company immediately
prior to the transaction;
(4) immediately after giving effect to such transaction and
treating any Debt which becomes an obligation of the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such transaction as having been
Incurred by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary
NYDOCS01/566567 3
at the time of the transaction, the Company (including any successor
entity to the Company) could Incur at least $1.00 of additional Debt
pursuant to the provisions of paragraph(a) of Section 1011;
(5) if, as a result of any such transaction, property or
assets of the Company would become subject to a Lien prohibited by the
provisions of Section1015, the Company or the successor entity to the
Company shall have secured the Securities as required by such
Section1015; and
(6) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, stating that such
consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer, lease or acquisition and,
if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such
transaction, such supplemental indenture, complies with this Article
and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such
transaction have been complied with, and, with respect to such
Officers' Certificate, setting forth the manner of determination of the
Consolidated Net Worth, in accordance with clause(3) of this
Section801, of the Company or, if applicable, of the successor entity
as required pursuant to the foregoing.
SECTION 802. Successor Substituted.
Upon any consolidation of the Company with or merger of the
Company with or into any other Corporation or any conveyance, transfer or lease
of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety to any
Person or Persons in accordance with Section801, the successor Person formed by
such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such
conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for,
and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with
the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company
herein, and, in the event of any such conveyance or transfer, the Company (which
term shall for this purpose mean the Person named as the "Company" in the first
paragraph of this Indenture or any successor Person which shall have become such
in the manner described in Section801), except in the case of a lease, shall be
discharged of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the
Securities and may be dissolved and liquidated.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
ARTICLE NINE
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 901. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when
authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to
time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form and
substance satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
(1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the
assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company contained
herein and in the Securities; or
(2) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders
or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or
(3) to add any additional Events of Default; or
(4) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of
certificated Securities; or
(5) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by
a successor Trustee pursuant to the requirements of Section610; or
(6) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any
provision herein which may be inconsistent with any other provision
herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or
questions arising under this Indenture; provided that such action shall
not adversely affect the interests of the Holders in any material
respect; or
(7) to secure the Securities pursuant to the requirements of Section1015;
or
(8) to provide for a Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee pursuant
to the requirements of Section 1016.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 902. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, by Act of said Holders
delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a
Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures
supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in
any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of
modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders under this Indenture;
provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the
consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby:
(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of or any installment of
interest on any Security, or alter the redemption provisions thereof, or reduce
the principal amount thereof (or premium, if any) or the rate of interest
thereon or reduce the amount of the principal of the Securities that would be
due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof
pursuant to Section502 or the amount thereof provable in bankruptcy pursuant to
Section504, or change the place of payment where, or the coin or currency, in
which any Security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair
the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after
the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the
Redemption Date); or
(2) reduce the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental
indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver of
compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults
hereunder and their consequences provided for in this Indenture; or
(3) subordinate in right of payment, or otherwise subordinate, the Notes to
any other Debt; or
(4) modify any of the provisions of this Section 902, except to increase
any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this
Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each
Outstanding Security affected thereby.
It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this
Section 902 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental
indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance
thereof.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 903. Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by,
any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article Nine or the modifications
thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled
to receive, and shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel
stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or
permitted by this Indenture and an Officers' Certificate stating that all
conditions precedent to the execution of such supplemental indenture have been
fulfilled. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such
supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or
immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
SECTION 904. Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this
Article Nine, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such
supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and
every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered
hereunder shall be bound thereby.
SECTION 905. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article
Nine shall conform as a matter of contract or law to the requirements of the
Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
SECTION 906. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of
any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article Nine may bear a notation in
form approved by the Trustee and the Company as to any matter provided for in
such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities
so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any
such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and
authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding
Securities.
SECTION 907. Notice of Supplemental Indentures.
Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of
any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of Section902, the Company
shall give notice thereof to the Holders of each Outstanding Security affected,
in the manner provided for in Section106, setting forth in general terms the
substance of such supplemental indenture.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
ARTICLE TEN
COVENANTS
SECTION 1001. Payment of Principal, Premium, if Any, and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the
Holders that it shall duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium, if
any) and interest on the Securities in accordance with the terms of the
Securities and this Indenture.
SECTION 1002. Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company shall maintain in The City of NewYork an office or
agency where Securities may be presented or surrendered for payment, where
Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where
notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this
Indenture may be served. The Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee shall be such
office or agency of the Company, unless the Company shall designate and maintain
some other office or agency for one or more of such purposes. The Company shall
give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any change in the location of any
such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any
such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the
address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made
or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby
appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders,
notices and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more
other offices or agencies (in or outside of The City of NewYork) where the
Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may
from time to time rescind any such designation; provided, however, that no such
designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its
obligation to maintain an office or agency in The City of NewYork for such
purposes. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any
such designation or rescission and any change in the location of any such other
office or agency.
SECTION 1003. Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent,
it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of (or premium, if any) or
interest on any of the Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit
of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest so becoming due until such
NYDOCS01/566567 3
sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided
and shall promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for
the Securities, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest on any Securities, deposit with a Paying Agent a
sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so
becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons
entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent
is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of such action or
any failure so to act.
The Company shall cause each Paying Agent (other than the
Trustee) to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such
Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this
Section 1003, that such Paying Agent shall:
(1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal,
premium, if any, or interest on Securities in trust for the benefit of
the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such
Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or
any other obligor upon the Securities) in the making of any payment of
principal, premium, if any, or interest;
(3) at any time during the continuance of any such default,
upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee
all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent; and
(4) indemnify the Trustee and its officers, directors,
employees and agents against any loss, cost or liability caused by, or
incurred as a result of, such Paying Agent's acts or omissions.
The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the
satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or
by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in
trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee
upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or
such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee,
such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to
such sums.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or
then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium,
if any, or interest on any
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Security and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium or
interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company
Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust;
and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general
creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the
Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability
of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however,
that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such
repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a
newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each
Business Day and of general circulation in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of
NewYork, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date
specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such
publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid
to the Company.
SECTION 1004. Corporate Existence.
Subject to Article Eight, the Company shall do or cause to be
done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect the
corporate existence, rights (charter and statutory) and franchises of the
Company and each Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
required to preserve, with respect to the Company, any such right or franchise
or, with respect to any Subsidiary (subject to all the other covenants in this
Indenture), any such corporate existence, right or franchise, if the Board of
Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable
in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as a whole
and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the
Holders.
SECTION 1005. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.
The Company shall pay or discharge or cause to be paid or
discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, (a)all taxes, assessments
and governmental charges levied or imposed upon the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary or upon the income, profits or property of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary and (b)all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies
which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon the property of the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax,
assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 1006. Maintenance of Properties.
The Company shall cause all properties owned by the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary or used or held for use in the conduct of its business
or the business of any Restricted Subsidiary to be maintained and kept in good
condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment
and shall cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements,
betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Company may
be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be
properly and advantageously conducted at all times; provided, however, that
nothing in this Section 1006 shall prevent the Company from discontinuing the
maintenance of any of such properties if such discontinuance is, in the judgment
of the Company, desirable in the conduct of its business or the business of any
Subsidiary and not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.
SECTION 1007. Insurance.
The Company shall at all times keep all of its and its
Restricted Subsidiaries' properties which are of an insurable nature insured
with insurers, believed by the Company to be responsible, against loss or damage
to the extent that property of similar character is usually so insured by
Corporations similarly situated and owning like properties.
SECTION 1008. Provision of Financial Statements.
The Company will file with the Trustee on the date on which it
files them with the Commission copies of the annual and quarterly reports and
the information, documents, and other reports that the Company is required to
file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
("SEC Reports"). In the event the Company shall cease to be required to file SEC
Reports pursuant to the Exchange Act, the Company will nevertheless continue to
file such reports with the Commission (unless the Commission will not accept
such a filing) and the Trustee. The Company will furnish copies of the SEC
Reports to the Holders of Securities at the time the Company is required to file
the same with the Trustee and will make such information available to investors
who request it in writing.
SECTION 1009. Statement by Officers as to Default.
(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, on the date of
delivery of each quarterly report to be delivered pursuant to Section 1008, a
brief certificate from the principal executive officer, principal financial
officer or principal accounting officer as to his or her knowledge of the
Company's compliance with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture. For
purposes of this Section1009(a), such compliance shall be determined without
regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice under this Indenture.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(b) When any Default has occurred and is continuing under this
Indenture, or if the trustee for or the holder of any other evidence of Debt of
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary gives any notice or takes any other
action with respect to a claimed default (other than with respect to Debt in the
principal amount of less than $5,000,000), the Company shall deliver to the
Trustee by registered or certified mail or by telegram, telex or facsimile
transmission an Officers' Certificate specifying such event, notice or other
action within five Business Days of its occurrence.
SECTION 1010. Purchase of Securities upon Change of Control.
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each Holder
shall have the right to require that the Company repurchase such Holder's
Securities in whole or in part in integral multiples of $1,000 principal amount,
in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 1010 and this
Indenture.
(b) Within 30 days of the occurrence of a Change of Control,
the Company shall mail an Offer with respect to an Offer to Purchase all
Outstanding Securities at a price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount
of the Securities plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to such
Purchase Date. Installments of interest (including Liquidated Interest) whose
Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Purchase Date shall be payable to the
Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as
such at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their
terms and the provisions of Section 307. Each Holder shall be entitled to tender
all or any portion of the Securities owned by such Holder pursuant to the Offer
to Purchase, subject to the requirement that any portion of a Security tendered
must be tendered in an integral multiple of $1,000 principal amount.
(c) The Company and the Trustee shall perform their respective
obligations for the Offer to Purchase as specified in the Offer. Prior to the
Purchase Date, the Company shall (i) accept for payment Securities or portions
thereof tendered pursuant to the Offer, (ii) deposit with the Paying Agent (or,
if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as
provided in Section 1003) money sufficient to pay the purchase price of all
Securities or portions thereof so accepted and (iii) deliver or cause to be
delivered to the Trustee all Securities so accepted together with an Officers'
Certificate stating the Securities or portions thereof accepted for payment by
the Company. The Paying Agent shall promptly mail or deliver to Holders of
Securities so accepted payment in an amount equal to the Purchase Price, and the
Trustee shall promptly authenticate and mail or deliver to such Holders a new
Security or Securities equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of
the Security surrendered as requested by the Holder. Any Security not accepted
for payment shall be promptly mailed or delivered by the Company to the Holder
thereof.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(d) A "Change of Control" shall be deemed to have occurred at
such time as (i) a Rating Decline shall have occurred and (ii) either (A) the
sale, conveyance, transfer or lease of all or substantially all of the assets of
the Company to any Person or any Persons acting together that would constitute a
"group" (a "Group") for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, together
with any Affiliates or Related Persons thereof, other than any Permitted Holder
or any Restricted Subsidiary, shall have occurred; (B) any Person or Group,
together with any Affiliates or Related Persons thereof, other than any
Permitted Holder or any Restricted Subsidiary, shall beneficially own (within
the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, except that a Person shall be
deemed to have beneficial ownership of all shares that such Person has the right
to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the
passage of time) at least 50% of the aggregate voting power of all classes of
Voting Stock of the Company at a time when Permitted Holders own less than or
equal to 25% of the aggregate voting power of all classes of Voting Stock of the
Company; or (C) during any period of two consecutive years, Continuing Directors
cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board of Directors then in
office.
(e) In the event that the Company makes an Offer to Purchase
the Securities, the Company shall comply with any applicable securities laws and
regulations, including any applicable requirements of Section 14(e) of, and Rule
14e-1 under, the Exchange Act.
SECTION 1011. Limitation on Consolidated Debt.
(a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, Incur any Debt, unless, after giving effect to the application of
the proceeds thereof, no Default or Event of Default would occur as a
consequence of such Incurrence or be continuing following such Incurrence and
either (i)the ratio of (A)the aggregate consolidated principal amount of Debt of
the Company outstanding as of the most recent available quarterly or annual
balance sheet, after giving pro forma effect to the Incurrence of such Debt and
any other Debt Incurred or repaid since such balance sheet date and the receipt
and application of the proceeds thereof, to (B) Consolidated Cash Flow Available
for Fixed Charges for the four full fiscal quarters next preceding the
Incurrence of such Debt for which consolidated financial statements are
available, determined on a pro forma basis as if any such Debt had been Incurred
and the proceeds thereof had been applied at the beginning of such four fiscal
quarters, would be less than 5.5 to 1.0 for Debt Incurred on or prior to April
1, 2000 and 5.0 to 1.0 for Debt Incurred thereafter, or (ii) the Company's
Consolidated Capital Ratio as of the most recent available quarterly or annual
balance sheet, after giving pro forma effect to the Incurrence of such Debt and
any other Debt Incurred or repaid since such balance sheet date and the receipt
and application of the proceeds thereof, is less than 2.0 to 1.0.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, the Company and
any Restricted Subsidiary may Incur any and all of the following (each of which
shall be given independent effect):
(i) Debt under the Securities, this Indenture and any Restricted Subsidiary
Guarantee;
(ii) (A)Debt Incurred subsequent to March 31, 1997 under Credit Facilities
in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not to exceed $150
million plus (B)Debt Incurred subsequent to March 31, 1997 under one or more
Credit Facilities that are revolving credit facilities in an aggregate principal
amount at any time outstanding not to exceed the greater of (x)$100 million or
(y)85% of Eligible Receivables;
(iii) Purchase Money Debt, provided that the amount of such
Purchase Money Debt does not exceed 100% of the cost of the
construction, installation, acquisition or improvement of the
applicable Telecommunications Assets;
(iv) Debt owed by the Company to any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company
or Debt owed by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; provided, however, that upon either (x)
the transfer or other disposition by such Restricted Subsidiary or the Company
of any Debt so permitted to a Person other than the Company or another
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or (y)the issuance (other than directors'
qualifying shares), sale, lease, transfer or other disposition of shares of
Capital Stock (including by consolidation or merger) of such Restricted
Subsidiary to a Person other than the Company or another such Restricted
Subsidiary, the provisions of this clause (iv) shall no longer be applicable to
such Debt and such Debt shall be deemed to have been Incurred by the issuer
thereof at the time of such transfer or other disposition;
(v) Debt Incurred to renew, extend, refinance, defease or refund (each, a
"refinancing") the Securities, notes issued under the Senior Note Indentures or
Debt of the Company Incurred pursuant to clause (iii) of this paragraph (b), in
an aggregate principal amount not to exceed the aggregate principal amount of
and accrued interest on the Debt so refinanced plus the amount of any premium
required to be paid in connection with such refinancing pursuant to the terms of
the Debt so refinanced or the amount of any premium reasonably determined by the
Board of Directors as necessary to accomplish such refinancing by means of a
tender offer or privately negotiated repurchase, plus the expenses of the
Company Incurred in connection with such refinancing; provided, however, that
Debt the proceeds of which are used to refinance the Securities or Debt which is
pari passu to the Securities or Debt which is subordinate
NYDOCS01/566567 3
in right of payment to the Securities shall only be permitted under
this clause (v) if (A)in the case of any refinancing of the Securities
or Debt which is pari passu to the Securities, the refinancing Debt is
made pari passu to the Securities or constitutes Subordinated Debt,
and, in the case of any refinancing of Subordinated Debt, the
refinancing Debt constitutes Subordinated Debt, and (B)in any case, the
refinancing Debt by its terms, or by the terms of any agreement or
instrument pursuant to which such Debt is issued, (x)does not provide
for payments of principal of such Debt at Stated Maturity or by way of
a sinking fund applicable thereto or by way of any mandatory
redemption, defeasance, retirement or repurchase thereof by the Company
(including any redemption, retirement or repurchase which is contingent
upon events or circumstances, but excluding any retirement required by
virtue of the acceleration of any payment with respect to such Debt
upon any event of default thereunder), in each case prior to the time
the same are required by the terms of the Debt being refinanced, and
(y)does not permit redemption or other retirement (including pursuant
to an offer to purchase made by the Company) of such Debt at the option
of the holder thereof prior to the time the same are required by the
terms of the Debt being refinanced, other than a redemption or other
retirement at the option of the holder of such Debt (including pursuant
to an offer to purchase made by the Company) which is conditioned upon
a change of control pursuant to provisions substantially similar to
those described under Section1010;
(vi) Debt consisting of Permitted Interest Rate and Currency Protection
Agreements;
(vii) Debt secured by Receivables originated by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary and related assets, provided that such Debt is nonrecourse
to the Company and any of its other Restricted Subsidiaries and provided further
that Receivables shall not be available at any time to secure Debt of the
Company under this clause (vii) to the extent that they are used at such time as
the basis for the Incurrence of Debt in excess of $100 million pursuant to
clause (ii)(B)(y) of this paragraph (b); and
(viii) Debt not otherwise permitted to be Incurred pursuant to
clauses (i) through (vii) above, which, together with any other
outstanding Debt Incurred pursuant to this clause (viii), has an
aggregate principal amount not in excess of $25 million at any time
outstanding.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 1012. Limitation on Debt and Preferred Stock of Restricted
Subsidiaries.
The Company shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary that is
not a Guarantor to Incur any Debt or issue any Preferred Stock except any and
all of the following (each of which shall be given independent effect):
(i) Restricted Subsidiary Guarantees;
(ii) Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries under Credit Facilities
permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause (ii) of paragraph (b) of
Section 1011;
(iii) Purchase Money Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries permitted
to be Incurred pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (b) of Section
1011;
(iv) Debt owed by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to
the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company permitted to be
Incurred pursuant to clause (iv) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011;
(v) Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries consisting of Permitted
Interest Rate and Currency Protection Agreements permitted to be
Incurred pursuant to clause (vi) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011;
(vi) Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries secured by Receivables
originated by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and related
assets permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause (vii) of paragraph
(b) of Section 1011;
(vii) Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries permitted to be Incurred
pursuant to clause (viii) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011;
(viii) Preferred Stock issued to and held by the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary;
(ix) Debt Incurred or Preferred Stock issued by a Person prior to the time
(A)such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary, (B)such Person merges into or
consolidates with a Restricted Subsidiary or (C)another Restricted Subsidiary
merges into or consolidates with such Person (in a transaction in which such
Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary), which Debt or Preferred Stock was not
Incurred or issued in anticipation of such transaction and was outstanding prior
to such transaction; and
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(x) Debt or Preferred Stock which is exchanged for, or the proceeds of
which are used to renew, extend, refinance, defease, refund or redeem, any Debt
of a Restricted Subsidiary permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause (iii) of
this Section 1012 or any Debt or Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary
permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause (ix) of this Section 1012 (or any
extension or renewal thereof) (for purposes hereof, a "refinancing"), in an
aggregate principal amount, in the case of Debt, or with an aggregate
liquidation preference, in the case of Preferred Stock, not to exceed the
aggregate principal amount of the Debt so refinanced or the aggregate
liquidation preference of the Preferred Stock so refinanced, plus the amount of
any premium required to be paid in connection with such refinancing pursuant to
the terms of the Debt or Preferred Stock so refinanced or the amount of any
premium reasonably determined by the Company as necessary to accomplish such
refinancing by means of a tender offer or privately negotiated repurchase, plus
the amount of expenses of the Company and the applicable Restricted Subsidiary
Incurred in connection therewith, and provided the Debt or Preferred Stock
Incurred or issued upon such refinancing, by its terms, or by the terms of any
agreement or instrument pursuant to which such Debt or Preferred Stock is
Incurred or issued, (x) does not provide for payments of principal or
liquidation value at the Stated Maturity of such Debt or Preferred Stock or by
way of a sinking fund applicable to such Debt or Preferred Stock or by way of
any mandatory redemption, defeasance, retirement or repurchase of such Debt or
Preferred Stock by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (including any
redemption, retirement or repurchase which is contingent upon events or
circumstances, but excluding any retirement required by virtue of acceleration
of such Debt upon an event of default thereunder), in each case prior to the
time the same are required by the terms of the Debt or Preferred Stock being
refinanced and (y) does not permit redemption or other retirement (including
pursuant to an offer to purchase made by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary)
of such Debt or Preferred Stock at the option of the holder thereof prior to the
Stated Maturity of the Debt or Preferred Stock being refinanced, other than a
redemption or other retirement at the option of the holder of such Debt or
Preferred Stock (including pursuant to an offer to purchase made by the Company
or a Restricted Subsidiary) which is conditioned upon the change of control of
the Company pursuant to provisions substantially similar to those contained in
Section1010, and provided further that, in the case of any exchange or
redemption of Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary, such Preferred Stock
may only be exchanged for or redeemed with Preferred Stock of such Restricted
Subsidiary.
SECTION 1013. Limitation on Restricted Payments.
The Company (i) shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, declare or pay any dividend, or make any
distribution, in respect of its Capital Stock or to the holders thereof,
excluding any dividends or distributions which are
NYDOCS01/566567 3
made solely to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary (and, if such Restricted
Subsidiary is not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary, to the other stockholders of such
Restricted Subsidiary on a pro rata basis) or any dividends or distributions
payable solely in shares of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) or
in options, warrants or other rights to acquire its Capital Stock (other than
Disqualified Stock); (ii)shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, purchase, redeem or otherwise retire or acquire for value (x)any
Capital Stock of the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary or any Related Person of
the Company (other than a permitted refinancing) or (y) any options, warrants or
rights to purchase or acquire shares of Capital Stock of the Company, any
Restricted Subsidiary or any Related Person of the Company or any securities
convertible or exchangeable into shares of Capital Stock of the Company, any
Restricted Subsidiary or any Related Person of the Company (other than a
permitted refinancing), except, in any such case, any such purchase, redemption
or retirement or acquisition for value paid to the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary (or, in the event of any such purchase, redemption or other
retirement or acquisition for value with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary that
is not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary, paid to the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary, or to the other stockholders of such Restricted Subsidiary that is
not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary, on a pro rata basis); (iii) shall not make, or
permit any Restricted Subsidiary to make, any Investment in, or payment on a
Guarantee of any obligation of, any Person, other than the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary; and (iv) shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, redeem, defease, repurchase, retire or otherwise acquire or
retire for value, prior to any scheduled maturity, repayment or sinking fund
payment, Debt of the Company which is subordinate in right of payment to the
Securities (other than a permitted refinancing) (each of clauses (i) through
(iv) being a "Restricted Payment") if: (1) an Event of Default, or an event that
with the passing of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute an
Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing, or (2) upon giving
effect to such Restricted Payment, the Company could not Incur at least $1.00 of
additional Debt pursuant to the terms of paragraph (a) of Section 1011, or (3)
upon giving effect to such Restricted Payment, the aggregate of all Restricted
Payments from March 31, 1997 exceeds the sum of: (a)50% of cumulative
Consolidated Net Income (or, in the event that Consolidated Net Income shall be
negative, 100% of such negative amount) since the end of the last full fiscal
quarter prior to March 31, 1997 through the last day of the last full fiscal
quarter ending at least 45 days prior to the date of such Restricted Payment,
(b)plus $5 million, (c)less, in the case of any Designation with respect to a
Restricted Subsidiary that was made after March 31, 1997, an amount equal to the
Designation Amount with respect to such Restricted Subsidiary, (d)plus, in the
case of any Revocation made after March 31, 1997, an amount equal to the lesser
of the Designation Amount with respect to the Subsidiary with respect to which
such Designation was made or the Fair Market Value of the Investment of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in such Subsidiary at the time of
Revocation; provided, however, that the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of
the Company may make any Restricted Payment with the aggregate net cash proceeds
received after March 31, 1997 as capital contributions to the Company or from
the issuance (other than to a Subsidiary) of
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company and warrants,
rights or options on Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the
Company and the principal amount of Debt of the Company that has been converted
into Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock and other than by a
Subsidiary) of the Company after March 31, 1997.
Notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, (i) the Company and
any Restricted Subsidiary may make Permitted Investments; (ii) the Company may
pay any dividend on Capital Stock of any class of the Company within 60 days
after the declaration thereof if, on the date when the dividend was declared,
the Company could have paid such dividend in accordance with the foregoing
provisions; (iii) the Company may repurchase any shares of its Common Stock or
options to acquire its Common Stock from Persons who were formerly directors,
officers or employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates,
provided that the aggregate amount of all such repurchases made pursuant to this
clause (iii) shall not exceed $1 million in any twelve-month period; (iv) the
Company and any Restricted Subsidiary may refinance any Debt otherwise permitted
by clause (v) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011 or clause (x) of Section 1012;
and (v) the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary may retire or repurchase any
Capital Stock of the Company or of any Restricted Subsidiary in exchange for, or
out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale (other than to a
Subsidiary of the Company) of, Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of
the Company.
SECTION 1014. Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions
Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries.
(a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or suffer to
exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the
ability of any Restricted Subsidiary (i) to pay dividends (in cash or otherwise)
or make any other distributions in respect of its Capital Stock owned by the
Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary or to pay any Debt or other
obligation owed to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary; (ii) to make
loans or advances to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary; or (iii) to
transfer any of its property or assets to the Company or any other Restricted
Subsidiary.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, the Company may,
and may permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create or otherwise cause or suffer
to exist any such encumbrance or restriction (i) pursuant to any agreement in
effect on March 31, 1997; (ii) any customary encumbrance or restriction
applicable to a Restricted Subsidiary that is contained in an agreement or
instrument governing or relating to Debt contained in any Credit Facilities or
Purchase Money Debt, provided that the provisions of such agreement permit the
payment of interest and mandatory payment or prepayment of principal pursuant to
the terms of this Indenture and the Securities and other Debt that is solely an
obligation of the Company, but provided further that such agreement may
nevertheless contain customary net worth, leverage,
NYDOCS01/566567 3
invested capital and other financial covenants, customary covenants regarding
the merger of or sale of all or any substantial part of the assets of the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, customary restrictions on transactions
with Affiliates, and customary subordination provisions governing Debt owed to
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; (iii) pursuant to an agreement
relating to any Acquired Debt, which encumbrance or restriction is not
applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than
the Person so acquired; (iv) pursuant to an agreement effecting a renewal,
refunding, permitted refinancing or extension of Debt Incurred pursuant to an
agreement referred to in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (b),
provided, however, that the provisions contained in such renewal, refunding,
permitted refinancing or extension agreement relating to such encumbrance or
restriction are no more restrictive in any material respect than the provisions
contained in the agreement the subject thereof; (v) in the case of clause (iii)
of paragraph (a) of this Section 1014, restrictions contained in any security
agreement (including a Capital Lease Obligation) securing Debt of the Company or
a Restricted Subsidiary otherwise permitted under this Indenture, but only to
the extent such restrictions restrict the transfer of the property subject to
such security agreement; (vi) in the case of clause (iii) of paragraph (a) of
this Section 1014, customary nonassignment provisions entered into in the
ordinary course of business in leases and other agreements and customary
restrictions contained in asset sale agreements limiting the transfer of such
property or assets pending the closing of such sale; (vii) any restriction with
respect to a Restricted Subsidiary imposed pursuant to an agreement which has
been entered into for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the
Capital Stock or assets of such Restricted Subsidiary, provided that the
consummation of such transaction would not result in a Default or an Event of
Default, that such restriction terminates if such transaction is not consummated
and that the consummation or abandonment of such transaction occurs within one
year of the date such agreement was entered into; (viii) pursuant to applicable
law; and (ix) pursuant to this Indenture, the Securities, notes issued under the
Senior Note Indentures and the Senior Note Indentures.
SECTION 1015. Limitation on Liens.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, Incur or suffer to exist any Lien on or with respect to any
property or assets now owned or acquired after March 31, 1997 to secure any Debt
without making, or causing such Restricted Subsidiary to make, effective
provision for securing the Securities (x) equally and ratably with such Debt as
to such property for so long as such Debt will be so secured or (y) in the event
such Debt is Debt of the Company which is subordinate in right of payment to the
Securities, prior to such Debt as to such property for so long as such Debt will
be so secured.
The foregoing restrictions shall not apply to: (i) Liens
existing on March 31, 1997 and securing Debt outstanding on March 31, 1997; (ii)
Liens in favor of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; (iii) Liens to
secure the Securities; (iv) Liens to secure Restricted
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Subsidiary Guarantees; (v) Liens to secure Debt under Credit Facilities
permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause (ii) of paragraph (b) of Section
1011; (vi)Liens on real or personal property of the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary constructed, installed, acquired or constituting improvements made
after the date of original issuance of the Securities to secure Purchase Money
Debt permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (b) of
Section 1011, provided, however, that (a) the principal amount of any Debt
secured by such a Lien does not exceed 100% of such purchase price or cost of
construction, installation or improvement of the property subject to such Lien,
(b) such Lien attaches to such property prior to, at the time of or within 270
days after the acquisition, the completion of construction, installation or
improvement or the commencement of operation of such property and (c) such Lien
does not extend to or cover any property other than the specific item of
property (or portion thereof) acquired, constructed, installed or constituting
the improvements financed by the proceeds of such Purchase Money Debt; (vii)
Liens to secure Acquired Debt, provided, however, that (a) such Lien attaches to
the acquired asset prior to the time of the acquisition of such asset and (b)
such Lien does not extend to or cover any other asset; (viii) Liens to secure
Debt Incurred to extend, renew, refinance or refund (or successive extensions
renewals, refinancings or refundings), in whole or in part, Debt secured by any
Lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (i), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii)
of this Section 1015 so long as such Lien does not extend to any other property
and the principal amount of Debt so secured is not increased except as otherwise
permitted under clause (v) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011 or clause (x) of
Section 1012; (ix) Liens to secure debt consisting of Permitted Interest Rate
and Currency Protection Agreements permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause
(vi) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011; (x) Liens to secure Debt secured by
Receivables permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause (vii) of paragraph (b)
of Section 1011; (xi) Liens to secure Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries permitted
to be Incurred pursuant to clause (viii) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011; (xii)
Liens not otherwise permitted by the foregoing clauses (i) through (xi) in an
amount not to exceed 5% of the Company's Consolidated Tangible Assets; and
(xiii) Permitted Liens.
SECTION 1016. Limitation on Issuances of Certain Guarantees by, and Debt
Securities of, Restricted Subsidiaries.
The Company shall not (i)permit any Restricted Subsidiary to,
directly or indirectly, guarantee any Debt Securities of the Company or (ii)
permit any Restricted Subsidiary to issue any Debt Securities unless, in either
such case, such Restricted Subsidiary simultaneously executes and delivers a
Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee providing for a Guarantee of payment of the
Securities.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 1017. Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into, assume, Guarantee or
otherwise become liable with respect to any Sale and Leaseback Transaction,
other than a Sale and Leaseback Transaction between the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary on the one hand and a Restricted Subsidiary or the Company on the
other hand, unless (i) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would be
entitled to Incur a Lien to secure Debt by reason of the provisions of Section
1015, equal in amount to the Attributable Value of the Sale and Leaseback
Transaction, without equally and ratably securing the Securities and (ii)the
Sale and Leaseback Transaction is treated as an Asset Disposition and all of the
conditions of Section 1018 (including the provisions concerning the application
of Net Available Proceeds) are satisfied with respect to such Sale and Leaseback
Transaction, treating all of the consideration received in such Sale and
Leaseback Transaction as Net Available Proceeds for purposes of such Section
1018.
SECTION 1018. Limitation on Asset Dispositions.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, make any Asset Disposition unless: (i) the Company or the
Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, receives consideration for such
disposition at least equal to the Fair Market Value for the assets sold or
disposed of as determined by the Board of Directors in good faith and evidenced
by a Board Resolution; and (ii) at least 75% of the consideration for such
disposition consists of cash or Cash Equivalents or the assumption of Debt of
the Company (other than Debt that is subordinated to the Securities) or of the
Restricted Subsidiary and release from all liability on the Debt assumed. If the
aggregate of Net Available Proceeds within any twelve-month period exceeds $5
million, then all such Net Available Proceeds shall be applied within 360 days
of the last such Asset Disposition (1) first, to the permanent repayment or
reduction of Debt then outstanding under any Credit Facility, to the extent such
agreements would require such application or prohibit payments pursuant to
clause (2) following; (2) second, to the extent of remaining Net Available
Proceeds, to make an Offer to Purchase Outstanding Securities at a price in cash
equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Securities on the Purchase Date
plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon and premium, if any, to such Purchase
Date and, to the extent required by the terms thereof, any other Debt of the
Company that is pari passu with the Securities at a price no greater than 100%
of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest to the purchase
date (or 100% of the accreted value plus accrued and unpaid interest and
premium, if any, to the purchase date in the case of original issue discount
Debt); (3) third, to the extent of any remaining Net Available Proceeds
following the completion of the Offer to Purchase, to the repayment of other
Debt of the Company or Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary, to the extent permitted
under the terms thereof; and (4) fourth, to the extent of any remaining Net
Available Proceeds, to any other use as determined by the Company which is not
otherwise prohibited by this Indenture.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 1019. Limitation on Issuances and Sales of Capital Stock of
Restricted Subsidiaries.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, issue, transfer, convey, sell or otherwise dispose of any shares
of Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary or securities convertible or
exchangeable into, or options, warrants, rights or any other interest with
respect to, Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary to any Person other than
the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary except: (i) a sale of all of the Capital
Stock of such Restricted Subsidiary owned by the Company and any Restricted
Subsidiary that complies with the provisions of Section 1018 to the extent such
provisions apply; (ii) in a transaction that results in such Restricted
Subsidiary becoming a Permitted Joint Venture, provided (x) such transaction
complies with the provisions of Section1018 to the extent such provisions apply
and (y)the Company's remaining Investment in such Permitted Joint Venture would
have been permitted as a new Investment under the provisions of Section 1013;
(iii)the transfer, conveyance, sale or other disposition of shares required by
applicable law or regulation; (iv)if required, the issuance, transfer,
conveyance, sale or other disposition of directors' qualifying shares; or (v)
Disqualified Stock issued in exchange for, or upon conversion of, or the
proceeds of the issuance of which are used to redeem, refinance, replace or
refund, shares of Disqualified Stock of such Restricted Subsidiary, provided
that the amounts of the redemption obligations of such Disqualified Stock shall
not exceed the amounts of the redemption obligations of, and such Disqualified
Stock shall have redemption obligations no earlier than those required by, the
Disqualified Stock being exchanged, converted, redeemed, refinanced, replaced or
refunded.
SECTION 1020. Transactions with Affiliates and Related Persons.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, enter into any transaction (or series of related transactions)
with an Affiliate or Related Person of the Company (other than the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary), including any Investment, unless such transaction is on
terms no less favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than those
that could be obtained in a comparable arm's-length transaction with an entity
that is not an Affiliate or Related Person and is in the best interests of the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, provided that the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary may enter into: (i) transactions pursuant to the Company's
tax sharing agreement entered into with Anschutz Company existing at the date of
execution of this Indenture described under the caption "Certain Relationships
and Related Transactions" in the Companys annual report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 1997, incorporated by reference in the Offering
Memorandum, provided that any amendment of, supplement to or substitute for such
agreement is on terms that are no less favorable to the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary than such existing agreement; (ii)transactions pursuant to
employee compensation arrangements approved by the Board of Directors, either
directly or indirectly; and
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(iii)Receivables Sales between the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and an
Affiliate of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, provided that such
Receivables Sales satisfy the provisions of clauses (i) and (ii) of Section
1018. For any transaction that involves in excess of $10 million but less than
or equal to $15 million, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate stating that the transaction satisfies the above criteria. For any
transaction that involves in excess of $15 million, a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board of Directors shall determine that the
transaction satisfies the above criteria and shall evidence such a determination
by a Board Resolution or, in the event that there shall not be disinterested
members of the Board of Directors with respect to the transaction, the Company
shall file with the Trustee a written opinion stating that the transaction
satisfies the above criteria from an investment banking firm of national
standing in the United States which, in the good faith judgment of the Board of
Directors, is independent with respect to the Company and its Affiliates and
qualified to perform such task.
SECTION 1021. Limitation on Designations of Unrestricted Subsidiaries.
The Company shall not designate any Subsidiary of the Company
(other than a newly created Subsidiary in which no Investment has previously
been made) as an Unrestricted Subsidiary (a "Designation") unless:
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing at the time of or after giving effect to such Designation;
(b) immediately after giving effect to such Designation, the
Company would be able to Incur $1.00 of Debt under paragraph (a) of
Section 1011; and
(c) the Company would not be prohibited under any provision of
this Indenture from making an Investment at the time of Designation
(assuming the effectiveness of such Designation) in an amount (the
"Designation Amount") equal to the Fair Market Value of the net
Investment of the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary in such
Restricted Subsidiary on such date.
In the event of any such Designation, the Company shall be
deemed to have made an Investment constituting a Restricted Payment pursuant to
Section 1013 for all purposes of this Indenture in the Designation Amount. In
addition, neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary shall at any time
(x) provide credit support for, or a guarantee of, any Debt of any Unrestricted
Subsidiary (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument evidencing such
Debt), provided that the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary may pledge Capital
Stock or Debt of any Unrestricted Subsidiary on a nonrecourse basis such that
the pledgee has no claim whatsoever against the Company other than to obtain
such pledged property, (y) be directly or indirectly liable for any Debt of any
Unrestricted Subsidiary or (z)
NYDOCS01/566567 3
be directly or indirectly liable for any Debt which provides that the holder
thereof may (upon notice, lapse of time or both) declare a default thereon or
cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its final
scheduled maturity upon the occurrence of a default with respect to any Debt of
any Unrestricted Subsidiary (including any right to take enforcement action
against such Unrestricted Subsidiary), except in the case of clause (x) or (y)
to the extent permitted under Section 1013 or 1020.
A Designation may be revoked (a "Revocation") by a Board
Resolution, provided that the Company shall not make any Revocation unless:
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing at the time of and after giving effect to such Revocation;
and
(b) all Liens and Debt of such Unrestricted Subsidiary
outstanding immediately following such Revocation would, if Incurred at
such time, have been permitted to be Incurred at such time for all
purposes of this Indenture.
All Designations and Revocations must be evidenced by Board
Resolutions certifying compliance with the foregoing provisions.
SECTION 1022. No Repayment of Existing Parent Company Advances with the
Proceeds of the Securities.
The Company shall not apply any portion of the proceeds of the
offering of the Securities toward the repayment of advances made to the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries by any parent company of the Company outstanding at
the date of execution of this Indenture.
SECTION 1023. Waiver of Certain Covenants.
The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with
any term, provision or condition set forth in Sections1007 through 1022,
inclusive, if before or after the time for such compliance the Holders of at
least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, by Act of
such Holders, waive such compliance in such instance with such term, provision
or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision
or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver
shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the
Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full
force and effect.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 1024. Trustee Not to Monitor Performance.
The Trustee shall have no duty to confirm or monitor the
performance by the Company of its duties pursuant to the covenants set forth in
this Article Ten.
SECTION 1025. Suspended Covenants.
During any period of time (a "Suspension Period") that (i) the
ratings assigned to the Securities by both the Rating Agencies are Investment
Grade Ratings and (ii) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing under this Indenture, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
shall not be subject to the terms of Sections 1011, 1012, 1013, 1014, 1016,
1018, 1019, 1020, clause (ii) of Section 1017 and paragraph (4) of Section 801
(collectively, the "Suspended Covenants"). In the event that the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries are not subject to the Suspended Covenants with respect
to the Securities for any period of time as a result of the preceding sentence
and, subsequently, one or both Rating Agencies withdraws or downgrades the
ratings assigned to such Securities below the required Investment Grade Ratings,
then the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries will thereafter again be
subject to the Suspended Covenants and compliance with respect to Restricted
Payments made after the time of such withdrawal or downgrade will be calculated
in accordance with the provisions of Section 1013 as if such covenant had been
in effect since the date of execution of this Indenture. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, neither (a) the continued existence, after the date of such
withdrawal or downgrade, of facts and circumstances or obligations that were
Incurred or otherwise came into existence during a Suspension Period nor (b) the
performance of any such obligations, shall constitute a breach of any covenant
set forth in this Indenture or cause a Default or Event of Default thereunder;
provided that (1) the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries did not Incur or
otherwise cause such facts and circumstances or obligations to exist in
anticipation of a withdrawal or downgrade by one or both of the Rating Agencies
below an Investment Grade Rating and (2)the Company reasonably believed that
such Incurrence or actions would not result in such a withdrawal or downgrade.
For purposes of clauses (1) and (2) in the preceding sentence, anticipation and
reasonable belief may be determined by the Company and shall be conclusively
evidenced by a Board Resolution to such effect adopted in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the Company. In reaching their determination, the Board of
Directors may, but need not, consult with the Rating Agencies.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
ARTICLE ELEVEN
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 1101. Right of Redemption.
The Securities will be subject to redemption at the option of
the Company, in whole or in part, at any time, upon not less than 30 nor more
than 60 days' prior notice, at a Redemption Price equal to the principal amount
thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the Redemption
Date plus the Applicable Make-Whole Premium.
SECTION 1102. Applicability of Article.
Redemption of Securities at the election of the Company or
otherwise, as permitted or required by any provision of this Indenture, shall be
made in accordance with such provision and this Article.
SECTION 1103. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities pursuant
to Section1101 shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution. In case of any
redemption at the election of the Company, the Company shall, at least 60 days
prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall
be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and
of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed and shall deliver to the
Trustee such documentation and records as shall enable the Trustee to select the
Securities to be redeemed pursuant to Section1104.
SECTION 1104. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities are to be redeemed, the
particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days
prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities not
previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair
and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of
portions of the principal amount of Securities; provided, however, that no such
partial redemption shall reduce the portion of the principal amount of a
Security not redeemed to less than $1,000.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of
the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities
selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context
otherwise requires, all provisions relating to redemption of Securities shall
relate, in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to
the portion of the principal amount of such Security which has been or is to be
redeemed.
SECTION 1105. Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided for
in Section106 not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption
Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed.
Each notice of redemption shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date,
(2) the Redemption Price and the amount of accrued interest to the
Redemption Date payable as provided in Section1107, if any,
(3) if less than all Outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the
identification (and, in the case of a partial redemption, the principal amount)
of the particular Securities to be redeemed,
(4) in case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, that on and after
the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, the Holder will receive,
without charge, a new Security or Securities of authorized denominations for the
principal amount thereof remaining unredeemed,
(5) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price (and accrued interest,
if any, to the Redemption Date payable as provided in Section1107) will become
due and payable upon each such Security, or the portion thereof, to be redeemed,
and that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date, and
(6) the place or places where such Securities are to be presented and
surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the
election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company's
request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
SECTION 1106. Deposit of Redemption Price.
Prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with
the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own
Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section1003) an amount
of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and accrued interest on, all
the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.
SECTION 1107. Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the
Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and
payable at the Redemption Price therein specified (together with accrued
interest, if any, to the Redemption Date), and from and after such date (unless
the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued
interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any
such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall
be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest,
if any, to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that installments of interest
whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to
the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities,
registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates
according to their terms and the provisions of Section307.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid
upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal (and premium, if any)
shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the interest rate
borne by the Securities.
SECTION 1108. Securities Redeemed in Part.
Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be
surrendered at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose
pursuant to Section1002 (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due
endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the
Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or such Holder's
attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the
Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without
service charge, a new Security or Securities, of any authorized denomination as
requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange
for the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of the Security so
surrendered.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
ARTICLE TWELVE
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
SECTION 1201. Company's Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The Company may, at its option by Board Resolution, at any
time, with respect to the Securities, elect to have either Section1202 or
Section1203 be applied to all Outstanding Securities upon compliance with the
conditions set forth below in this ArticleTwelve.
SECTION 1202. Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section1201 of the option
applicable to this Section1202, the Company shall be deemed to have been
discharged from its obligations with respect to all Outstanding Securities on
the date the conditions set forth in Section1204 are satisfied (hereinafter,
"defeasance"). For this purpose, such defeasance means that the Company shall be
deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the
Outstanding Securities, which shall thereafter be deemed to be "Outstanding"
only for the purposes of Section1205 and the other Sections of this Indenture
referred to in clauses (A) and (B) below, and to have satisfied all its other
obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities
are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute
proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following which shall
survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (A)the rights of
Holders of Outstanding Securities to receive, solely from the trust fund
described in Section1204 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments
in respect of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on such Securities
when such payments are due (but not the Purchase Price referred to in Section
1010) and any rights of the Holders with respect to such amounts, (B)the
Company's obligations with respect to such Securities under Sections304, 305,
306, 1002 and 1003, (C)the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the
Trustee hereunder and (D)this ArticleTwelve. Subject to compliance with this
Article Twelve, the Company may exercise its option under this Section1202
notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section1203 with respect
to the Securities.
SECTION 1203. Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section1201 of the option
applicable to this Section1203, the Company shall be released from its
obligations under any covenant contained in Section801(4) and in Sections1007
through 1021 with respect to the Outstanding
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Securities on and after the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied
(hereinafter, "covenant defeasance"), and the Securities shall thereafter be
deemed not to be "Outstanding" for the purposes of any direction, waiver,
consent or declaration or Act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof)
in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed "Outstanding"
for all other purposes hereunder. For this purpose, such covenant defeasance
means that, with respect to the Outstanding Securities, the Company may omit to
comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or
limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by
reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of
any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other
document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event
of Default under Section501(3), 501(4) or 501(5), but, except as specified
above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities shall be unaffected
thereby.
SECTION 1204. Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The following shall be the conditions to application of either
Section1202 or Section1203 to the Outstanding Securities:
(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to
be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the
requirements of Section608 who shall agree to comply with the
provisions of this ArticleTwelve applicable to it) as trust funds in
trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically
pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the
Holders of such Securities: (A)money in an amount, or (B) Government
Securities which through the scheduled payment of principal and
interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will
provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment in
respect of the Securities, money in an amount (which, for the purpose
of clarification, shall be sufficient to pay such amounts regardless of
whether any call features in such Government Securities are exercised),
or (C)a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally
recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a
written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and
discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other
qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of (and
premium, if any) and interest on the Outstanding Securities on the
Stated Maturity (or Redemption Date, if applicable) of such principal
(and premium, if any) or installment of interest; provided that the
Trustee shall have been irrevocably instructed in writing to apply such
money or the proceeds of such Government Securities to said payments
with respect to the Securities. Before such a deposit, the Company may
give to the Trustee, in accordance with Section1103, a notice of its
election to redeem all of the Outstanding Securities at a future date
in accordance with ArticleEleven, which notice shall be irrevocable.
Such irrevocable redemption notice, if given, shall be given effect in
applying the foregoing.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
(2) No Default or Event of Default with respect to the
Securities shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such
deposit or, insofar as paragraphs(8) and (9) of Section501 are
concerned, at any time during the period ending on the 91st day after
the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall
not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).
(3) Such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not result in
a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture
or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a
party or by which it is bound.
(4) In the case of an election under Section1202, the Company
shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that
(x)the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the
Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (y)since October 28, 1998 there
has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law, in either
case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm
that, the Holders of the Outstanding Securities will not recognize
income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of
such defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same
amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been
the case if such defeasance had not occurred.
(5) In the case of an election under Section1203, the Company
shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect
that (i) the Holders of the Outstanding Securities will not recognize
income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of
such covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on
the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would
have been the case if such covenant defeasance had not occurred and
(ii) the Company's deposit will not result in the Trust or the Trustee
being subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
(6) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all
conditions precedent provided for relating to either the defeasance
under Section1202 or the covenant defeasance under Section1203 (as the
case may be) have been complied with.
SECTION 1205. Deposited Money and Government Securities to Be Held in
Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of
Section1003, all money and Government Securities (including the proceeds
thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively
for purposes of this Section1205, the "Trustee") pursuant to Section1204 in
respect of the Outstanding Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the
NYDOCS01/566567 3
Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this
Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent
(including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may
determine, to the Holders of such Securities of all sums due and to become due
thereon in respect of principal, premium, if any, and interest, but such money
need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee and (if
applicable) its officers, directors, employees and agents against any tax, fee
or other charge imposed on or assessed against the Government Securities
deposited pursuant to Section1204 or the principal and interest received in
respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for
the account of the Holders of the Outstanding Securities.
Anything in this Article Twelve to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to
time upon Company Request any money or Government Securities held by it as
provided in Section1204 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of
independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof
delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then
be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent defeasance or covenant
defeasance, as applicable, in accordance with this Article Twelve.
SECTION 1206. Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or any Paying Agent is unable to apply any
money in accordance with Section1205 by reason of any order or judgment of any
court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting
such application, then the Company's obligations under this Indenture and the
Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred
pursuant to Section1202 or 1203, as the case may be, until such time as the
Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with
Section1205; provided, however, that if the Company makes any payment of
principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Security following the
reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights
of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money held by
the Trustee or Paying Agent.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Indenture to be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be
hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
QWEST COMMUNICATIONS
INTERNATIONAL INC.
By: /s/__________________________________
Title:
Attest: /s/___________________________
Title:
BANKERS TRUST COMPANY, Trustee
By: /s/_______________________________
Title:
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-1
EXHIBIT A
Form of Face of Security
[If a Global Security, then insert:] THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL
SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS
REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITORY OR A NOMINEE OF A DEPOSITORY OR A
SUCCESSOR DEPOSITORY. THIS SECURITY IS NOT EXCHANGEABLE FOR SECURITIES
REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITORY OR ITS NOMINEE
EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND NO TRANSFER
OF THIS SECURITY (OTHER THAN A TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY AS A WHOLE BY THE
DEPOSITORY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY TO
THE DEPOSITORY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY) MAY BE REGISTERED EXCEPT IN
THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.
[If a Global Security, then insert:] UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE
IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A
NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF
TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE
NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER
ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER,
PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS
WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST
HEREIN.
[If a Rule 144A Security, then insert:] THIS SECURITY HAS NOT
BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE
"SECURITIES ACT"), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE
TRANSFERRED EXCEPT (A)(1) TO A PERSON WHOM THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A
QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT ("RULE144A") IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE
144A, (2) IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 903 OR
RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR (3) PURSUANT TO AN
EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144
THEREUNDER (IF AVAILABLE) AND (B) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE SECURITIES
LAWS OF THE STATES OF THE UNITED STATES.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-2
[If a Regulation S Security, then insert:] THIS SECURITY HAS
NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED
(THE "SECURITIES ACT"), AND, PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE DISTRIBUTION
COMPLIANCE PERIOD (DEFINED AS 40 DAYS AFTER THE ISSUE DATE WITH RESPECT TO THE
SECURITIES), MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT
(A)(1) IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 903 OR RULE 904 OF
REGULATION S OR (2) TO A PERSON WHOM THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A
QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT ("RULE 144A") IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE
144A, AND (B) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF THE STATES OF
THE UNITED STATES.
QWEST COMMUNICATIONS
INTERNATIONAL INC.
7.50% [Series B] Senior Note Due 2008
CUSIP: ________
No. __________ $_____________
Qwest Communications International Inc., a Delaware
corporation (herein called the "Company", which term includes any successor
Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby
promises to pay to _________________ or registered assigns, the principal sum of
____________________ Dollars [if a Global Security, then insert: (which
principal amount may from time to time be increased or decreased to such other
principal amounts which, taken together with the principal amounts of all other
Outstanding Securities, shall not exceed $750,000,000 in the aggregate at any
time, by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee hereinafter referred to
in accordance with the Indenture)] on November 1, 2008, at the office or agency
of the Company referred to below, and to pay cash interest thereon, semiannually
on May 1 and November 1 in each year, commencing on May 1, 1999, accruing from
November 4, 1998 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which cash
interest has been paid or duly provided for, at the rate of 7.50% per annum,
until the principal hereof is paid or duly provided for, and (to the extent
lawful) to pay on demand interest on any overdue interest at the rate borne by
the Securities from the date on which such
--------
Include only for Exchange Securities.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-3
overdue interest becomes payable to the date payment of such interest has been
made or duly provided for; provided, however, that if (i) (a) the Company has
not filed a registration statement (the "Registration Statement") under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") within 90 days after
November 4, 1998, with respect to a registered offer (the "Exchange Offer") to
exchange this Security for a security (an "Exchange Security") with terms
identical in all material respects to this Security (except that such security
will not contain terms with respect to registration rights or transfer
restrictions, and provisions regarding interest and Liquidated Interest
(described below) will be modified or eliminated, as appropriate), or (b) the
Registration Statement has not been declared effective within 150 days after
November 4, 1998, or (c) the Exchange Offer has not been consummated within 180
days after November 4, 1998; or (ii) in lieu thereof, the Company has not filed
a shelf registration statement (the "Shelf Registration Statement") under the
Securities Act within 210 days after November 4, 1998, covering resales of this
Security and such Shelf Registration Statement has not been declared effective;
or (iii) either the Registration Statement or, if applicable, the Shelf
Registration Statement is filed and declared effective but shall thereafter
cease to be effective or usable (subject to certain exceptions) in connection
with resales of this Security or Exchange Securities in accordance with and
during the periods specified in the Registration Agreement without being
succeeded promptly by an additional registration statement filed and declared
effective, in each case (i) through (iii) upon the terms and conditions set
forth in the Registration Agreement (each such event referred to in clauses (i)
through (iii), a "Registration Default"), then additional interest ("Liquidated
Interest") will accrue (in addition to any stated interest on the Securities)
from and including the date on which any such Registration Default shall occur
to but excluding the date on which all Registration Defaults have been cured.
Liquidated Interest will be payable at a rate per annum equal to 0.5% on the
principal amount of the Securities during the 90-day period immediately
following the occurrence of any Registration Default and shall increase by 0.25%
per annum of the principal amount of the Securities at the end of each
subsequent 90-day period, but in no event shall such rates exceed 2.00% per
annum in the aggregate regardless of the number of Registration Defaults.
Accrued Liquidated Interest, if any, shall be paid in cash semiannually on May 1
and November 1 in each year; and the amount of accrued Liquidated Interest shall
be determined on the basis of the number of days actually elapsed. Any accrued
and unpaid interest (including Liquidated Interest) on this Security upon the
issuance of an Exchange Security in exchange for this Security shall cease to be
payable to the Holder hereof but such accrued and unpaid interest (including
Liquidated Interest) shall be payable on the next Interest Payment Date for such
Exchange Security to the Holder thereof on the related Regular Record Date.]
--------
Include for Initial Securities and, if there has occurred a
Registration Default, include for Exchange Securities.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-4
The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided
for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid
to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor
Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date
for such interest, which shall be the April 15 or October 15 (whether or not a
Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date.
Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith
cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date, and such
defaulted interest, and (to the extent lawful) interest on such defaulted
interest at the rate borne by the Securities, may be paid to the Person in whose
name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the
close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted
Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of
Securities not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be
paid at any time in any other lawful manner, all as more fully provided in said
Indenture. Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on
this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for
that purpose in The City of New York, or at such other office or agency of the
Company as may be maintained for such purpose, in such coin or currency of the
United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment
of public and private debts; provided, however, that each installment of
interest may at the Companys option be paid (i) by mailing a check for such
interest, payable to or upon the written order of the Person entitled thereto to
the address of such Person as it appears on the Security Register, or (ii) by
wire transfer of such interest in immediately available funds to an account
located in the United States maintained by the Depository.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this
Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all
purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been duly
executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature,
this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture, or be
valid or obligatory for any purpose.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-5
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to
be duly executed under its corporate seal.
Dated: QWEST COMMUNICATIONS
INTERNATIONAL INC.
By:
Authorized Signatory
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-6
Form of Reverse of Security
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities
of the Company designated as its 7.50% [SeriesB] Senior Notes Due 2008 (herein
called the "Securities"), limited (except as otherwise provided in the Indenture
referred to below) in aggregate principal amount to $750,000,000, which may be
issued under an indenture (herein called the "Indenture") dated as of November
4, 1998 between the Company and Bankers Trust Company, trustee (herein called
the "Trustee", which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture),
to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby
made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties,
obligations and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the
Holders of the Securities, and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and
are to be, authenticated and delivered. Capitalized terms used herein but not
defined herein have the respective meanings assigned thereto in the Indenture.
The Securities are subject to redemption at the option of the
Company, in whole or in part, at any time upon not less than 30 and not more
than 60 days prior notice at a redemption price equal to the principal amount
thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon (if any) to the Redemption
Date plus the Applicable Make-Whole Premium.
Within 30 days of the occurrence of a Change of Control, the
Company will be required, subject to certain limitations provided in the
Indenture, to make an Offer to Purchase all Outstanding Securities at a purchase
price in cash in an amount equal to 101% of the principal amount of the
Securities on the Purchase Date plus accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if
any, to such Purchase Date.
In the case of any redemption of Securities, interest
installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be
payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor
Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Date
referred to on the face hereof. Securities (or portions thereof) for whose
redemption and payment provision is made in accordance with the Indenture shall
cease to bear interest from and after the Redemption Date.
In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a
new Security or Securities for the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in
the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.
--------
Include for Exchange Securities only.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-7
If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, the
principal of all the Securities may be declared due and payable in the manner
and with the effect provided in the Indenture and in an amount equal to the
principal amount of the Securities as of the date on which the Securities first
become due and payable, plus any accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if
any, not otherwise included in the principal amount to such date.
The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time
of (a)the entire indebtedness of the Company on this Security and (b)certain
restrictive covenants and the related Defaults and Events of Default, upon
compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth therein, which
provisions apply to this Security. In addition, the Indenture contains
provisions for the suspension of certain restrictive covenants under certain
circumstances.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein
provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and
obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders under the Indenture at
any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time
Outstanding. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of
specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the
time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities, to waive
compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain
past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or
waiver by or on behalf of the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and
binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any
Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor
or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon
this Security.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this
Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the
Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and
premium, if any) and interest on this Security at the times, place, and rate,
and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain
limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registerable on
the Security Register of the Company, upon surrender of this Security for
registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company maintained for
such purpose in The City of NewYork, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a
written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the
Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly
authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities, of authorized
denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the
designated transferee or transferees.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-8
The Securities are issuable only in registered form without
coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As
provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth,
the Securities are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of
Securities of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder
surrendering the same.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of
transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection
therewith.
Prior to the time of due presentment of this Security for
registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company
or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as
the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and
neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent shall be affected by notice to
the contrary.
All terms used in this Security which are defined in the
Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-9
Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication
The Trustee's certificate of authentication shall be in
substantially the following form:
TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
Dated: ____________________
This is one of the Securities referred to in the
within-mentioned Indenture.
[NAME OF TRUSTEE]
as Trustee
By:_________________________
Authorized Signatory
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-10
Assignment Form
If you, the holder, want to assign this Security, fill in the
form below and have your signature guaranteed:
I or we assign and transfer this Security to ___________________________________
(Insert assignee's social security or tax ID number)
(Print or type assignee's name, address and zip code)
and irrevocably appoint ________________________________
of ________________________________
--------------------------------
agent to transfer this Security on the books of the Company. The agent may
substitute another to act for such agent.
In connection with any transfer of this Security occurring
prior to the date which is the earlier of (i) the date of the declaration by the
Commission of the effectiveness of a registration statement under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), covering resales of this
Security (which effectiveness shall not have been suspended or terminated at the
date of the transfer) and (ii)the date two years (or such shorter period of time
as may be permitted by Rule 144(k) under the Securities Act or any successor
provision thereunder) after the later of the original issuance date appearing on
the face of this Security (or any Predecessor Security) or the last date on
which the Company or any Affiliate of the Company was the owner of this Security
(or any Predecessor Security), the undersigned confirms that it has not utilized
any general solicitation or general advertising in connection with the transfer
and that:
[Check One]
|_| (a) this Security is being transferred in compliance with the
exemption from registration under the Securities Act provided
by Rule 144A thereunder.
or
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-11
|_| (b) this Security is being transferred other than in
accordance with (a) above and documents, including a
transferee certificate substantially in the form attached
hereto, are being furnished which comply with the conditions
of transfer set forth in this Security and the Indenture.
If neither of the foregoing boxes is checked and, in the case of (b) above, if
the appropriate document is not attached or otherwise furnished to the Trustee,
the Trustee or Registrar shall not be obligated to register this Security in the
name of any person other than the Holder hereof unless and until the conditions
to any such transfer or registration set forth herein and in Section 313 of the
Indenture shall have been satisfied.
Dated:_________________ Your signature:
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other
side of this Security)
By:
NOTICE: To be executed by an executive officer
Signature Guarantee:__________________________
TO BE COMPLETED BY PURCHASER IF (a) ABOVE IS CHECKED:
The undersigned represents and warrants that it is purchasing
this Security for its own account or an account with respect to which it
exercises sole investment discretion and that it and any such account is a
"qualified institutional buyer" within the meaning of Rule 144A under the
Securities Act and is aware that the sale to it is being made in reliance on
Rule144A and acknowledges that it has received such information regarding the
Company as the undersigned has requested pursuant to Rule 144A (including the
information specified in Rule 144A(d)(4)) or has determined not to request such
information and that it is aware that the transferor is relying upon the
undersigned's foregoing representations in order to claim the exemption from
registration provided by Rule 144A.
Dated:__________________________
NOTICE: To be executed by an executive officer
[The Transferee Certificates (Exhibit B to the Indenture) will be attached to
the Security]
NYDOCS01/566567 3
A-12
Option of Holder to Elect Purchase
If you wish to have this Security purchased by the Company pursuant to
Section 1010 or 1018 of the Indenture, check the box: |_|
If you wish to have a portion of this Security purchased by the Company
pursuant to Section 1010 or 1018 of the Indenture, state the amount:
$_____________
Dated:______________________ Your Signature:
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the
other side of this Security)
NYDOCS01/566567 3
B-1
EXHIBIT B
Form of Certificate to Be Delivered
in Connection with Transfers
Pursuant to Regulation S
[Date]
Bankers Trust Company
Four ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Corporate Market Services
Re: Qwest Communications International Inc. (the "Company")
7.50% Senior Notes Due 2008 (the "Securities")
Dear Sirs:
In connection with our proposed sale of $ aggregate principal
amount of the Securities, we confirm that such sale has been effected pursuant
to and in accordance with Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act"), and, accordingly, we represent that:
(1) the offer of the Securities was not made to a person in the United
States;
(2) either (a) at the time the buy offer was originated, the transferee was
outside the United States or we and any person acting on our behalf reasonably
believed that the transferee was outside the United States, or (b) the
transaction was executed in, on or through the facilities of a designated
off-shore securities market and neither we nor any person acting on our behalf
knows that the transaction has been pre-arranged with a buyer in the United
States;
(3) no directed selling efforts have been made in the United States in
contravention of the requirements of Rule 903(b) or Rule 904(b) of Regulation S,
as applicable;
(4) the transaction is not part of a plan or scheme to evade the
registration requirements of the Securities Act;
(5) we have advised the transferee of the transfer restrictions applicable
to the Securities; and
NYDOCS01/566567 3
B-2
(6) if the circumstances set forth in Rule 904(c) under the
Securities Act are applicable, we have complied with the additional
conditions therein, including (if applicable) sending a confirmation or
other notice stating that the Securities may be offered and sold:
during the distribution compliance period specified in Rule 903(c)(2)
or (3), as applicable; in accordance with the provisions of Regulation
S; pursuant to registration of the Securities under the Securities Act;
or pursuant to an available exemption from the registration
requirements under the Securities Act.
You and the Company are entitled to rely upon this letter and
are irrevocably authorized to produce this letter or a copy hereof to any
interested party in any administrative or legal proceedings or official inquiry
with respect to the matters covered hereby. Terms used in this certificate have
the meanings set forth in Regulation S.
Very truly yours,
[Name of Transferor]
By:
Authorized Signatory
NYDOCS01/566567 3
B-3
EXECUTION COPY
QWEST COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL INC.,
Issuer
to
BANKERS TRUST COMPANY,
Trustee
--------------------
Indenture
Dated as of November 4, 1998
---------------------
$750,000,000 Principal Amount
7.50% Senior Notes Due 2008
NYDOCS01/566567 3
B-4
Reconciliationand tie between Trust Indenture Act of
1939, as amended, and Indenture, dated as of
November 4, 1998
Trust Indenture Act Section Indenture Section
310(a)(1)............................................ 608
(a)(2)......................................... 608
(b)............................................ 608, 609
311 ................................................. 605
312.................................................. 701
(b)............................................ 701
(c)............................................ 701
313(a)............................................... 702
(c)............................................ 702
314(a)(1)............................................ 703
(a)(4)......................................... 1009
(c)(1)......................................... 102
(c)(2)......................................... 102
(e)............................................ 102
315(a)............................................... 601
(b)............................................ 602
(c)............................................ 601
(d)............................................ 601
(e)............................................ 609
316(a) (last sentence)............................... 101(Outstanding)
(a)(1)(A)...................................... 502, 512
(a)(1)(B)...................................... 513
(b)............................................ 508
(c)............................................ 104(d)
317(a)(1)............................................ 503
(a)(2)......................................... 504
(b)............................................ 1003
318(a)............................................... 112
-------- Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed
to be a part of the Indenture.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PARTIES.................................................................. 1
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY.................................................. 1
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
OF GENERAL APPLICATION
SECTION 101. Definitions............................................1
Acquired Debt.......................................................2
Act.................................................................2
Affiliate...........................................................2
Agent Member........................................................2
Applicable Make-Whole Premium.......................................2
Asset Disposition...................................................3
Attributable Value..................................................3
Board of Directors..................................................4
Board Resolution....................................................4
Business Day........................................................4
Capital Lease Obligation............................................4
Capital Stock.......................................................4
Cash Equivalents....................................................4
Change of Control...................................................5
Commission..........................................................5
Common Stock........................................................5
Company.............................................................5
Company Order.......................................................5
Company Request.....................................................5
Comparable Treasury Issue...........................................5
Comparable Treasury Price...........................................5
Consolidated Capital Ratio..........................................6
Consolidated Cash Flow Available for Fixed Charges..................6
Consolidated Income Tax Expense.....................................6
--------
Note: This table of contents shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part
of
the Indenture.
NYDOCS01/566567 3
ii
Page
Consolidated Interest Expense........................................6
Consolidated Net Income..............................................7
Consolidated Net Worth...............................................7
Consolidated Tangible Assets.........................................7
Continuing Director..................................................8
Corporate Trust Office...............................................8
Corporation..........................................................8
Credit Facilities....................................................8
Debt.................................................................8
Debt Securities......................................................9
Default..............................................................9
Defaulted Interest...................................................9
Depository...........................................................9
Designation..........................................................9
Designation Amount...................................................9
Disqualified Stock...................................................9
Eligible Institution................................................10
Eligible Receivables................................................10
Event of Default....................................................10
Exchange Act........................................................10
Exchange Offer......................................................10
Exchange Offer Registration Statement...............................10
Exchange Securities.................................................10
Expiration Date.....................................................10
Fair Market Value...................................................10
Federal Bankruptcy Code.............................................10
Global Security.....................................................11
Government Securities...............................................11
Group...............................................................11
Guarantee...........................................................11
Guarantor...........................................................11
Holder..............................................................11
Incur...............................................................11
Indenture...........................................................12
Indenture Obligations...............................................12
Initial Purchaser...................................................12
Initial Securities..................................................12
Interest Payment Date...............................................12
Interest Rate or Currency Protection Agreement......................12
Investment..........................................................12
NYDOCS01/566567 3
iii
Page
Investment Grade Rating...........................................12
Lien..............................................................12
Liquidated Interest...............................................13
Maturity..........................................................13
Net Available Proceeds............................................13
Notice of Default.................................................14
Offer.............................................................14
Offer to Purchase.................................................14
Offering Memorandum...............................................16
Officers' Certificate.............................................16
Opinion of Counsel................................................16
Outstanding.......................................................16
Paying Agent......................................................17
Permitted Holders.................................................17
Permitted Interest Rate or Currency Protection Agreement..........17
Permitted Investments.............................................17
Permitted Joint Venture...........................................18
Permitted Liens...................................................18
Permitted Telecommunications Capital Asset Disposition............19
Person............................................................19
Physical Security.................................................19
Predecessor Security..............................................19
Preferred Dividends...............................................19
Preferred Stock...................................................19
Primary Treasury Dealer...........................................19
Private Placement Legend..........................................20
Purchase Amount...................................................20
Purchase Date.....................................................20
Purchase Money Debt...............................................20
Purchase Price....................................................20
Qualified Institutional Buyer.....................................20
QIB...............................................................20
Rating Agencies...................................................20
Rating Decline....................................................20
Receivables.......................................................20
Receivables Sale..................................................20
Redemption Date...................................................20
Redemption Price..................................................20
Reference Treasury Dealer.........................................21
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations..............................21
NYDOCS01/566567 3
iv
Page
Registration Agreement.............................................21
Registration Statement.............................................21
Regular Record Date................................................21
Regulation S.......................................................21
Regulation S Global Security.......................................21
Related Person.....................................................21
Responsible Officer................................................21
Restricted Payment.................................................22
Restricted Subsidiary..............................................22
Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee....................................22
Revocation.........................................................22
Rule 144A..........................................................22
Rule 144A Global Security..........................................22
Sale and Leaseback Transaction.....................................22
Securities.........................................................22
Securities Act.....................................................22
Security Register..................................................23
Security Registrar.................................................23
Senior Note Indentures.............................................23
Shelf Registration Statement.......................................23
Special Record Date................................................23
Stated Maturity....................................................23
Strategic Investor.................................................23
Subordinated Debt..................................................23
Subsidiary.........................................................24
Suspended Covenants................................................24
Suspension Period..................................................24
Telecommunications Assets..........................................24
Telecommunications Business........................................24
Treasury Rate......................................................25
Trust Indenture Act................................................25
TIA................................................................25
Trustee............................................................25
Unrestricted Subsidiary............................................25
Vice President.....................................................25
Voting Stock.......................................................25
Wholly Owned Subsidiary............................................25
SECTION 102. Compliance Certificates and Opinions..................25
SECTION 103. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee................26
SECTION 104. Acts of Holders.......................................27
NYDOCS01/566567 3
v
Page
SECTION 105. Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company...................28
SECTION 106. Notice to Holders; Waiver...............................28
SECTION 107. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents................29
SECTION 108. Successors and Assigns..................................29
SECTION 109. Separability Clause.....................................29
SECTION 110. Benefits of Indenture...................................29
SECTION 111. Governing Law...........................................29
SECTION 112. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.......................29
SECTION 113. Legal Holidays..........................................30
SECTION 114. No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers,
Employees and Stockholders.........................30
SECTION 115. Independence of Covenants...............................30
SECTION 116. Exhibits................................................31
SECTION 117. Counterparts............................................31
SECTION 118. Duplicate Originals.....................................31
ARTICLE TWO
SECURITY FORMS
SECTION 201. Forms Generally.........................................31
ARTICLE THREE
THE SECURITIES
SECTION 301. Title and Terms.........................................32
SECTION 302. Denominations...........................................33
SECTION 303. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating..........33
SECTION 304. Temporary Securities....................................35
SECTION 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.....35
SECTION 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities........37
SECTION 307. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved..........37
SECTION 308. Persons Deemed Owners...................................39
SECTION 309. Cancellation............................................39
SECTION 310. Computation of Interest.................................39
SECTION 311. CUSIP Number............................................40
SECTION 312. Book-Entry Provisions for Global Securities.............40
SECTION 313. Special Transfer Provisions.............................41
NYDOCS01/566567 3
vi
ARTICLE FOUR
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
SECTION 401. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture......................43
SECTION 402. Application of Trust Money...................................44
ARTICLE FIVE
REMEDIES
SECTION 501. Events of Default.............................................44
SECTION 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment............46
SECTION 503. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by
Trustee.................................................47
SECTION 504. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim..............................48
SECTION 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities...49
SECTION 506. Application of Money Collected................................49
SECTION 507. Limitation on Suits...........................................50
SECTION 508. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium
and Interest............................................50
SECTION 509. Restoration of Rights and Remedies............................51
SECTION 510. Rights and Remedies Cumulative................................51
SECTION 511. Delay or Omission Not Waiver..................................51
SECTION 512. Control by Holders............................................51
SECTION 513. Waiver of Past Defaults.......................................52
SECTION 514. Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws..............................52
ARTICLE SIX
THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 601. Certain Duties and Responsibilities...........................53
SECTION 602. Notice of Default.............................................54
SECTION 603. Certain Rights of Trustee.....................................54
SECTION 604. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities56
SECTION 605. May Hold Securities...........................................56
SECTION 606. Money Held in Trust...........................................56
SECTION 607. Compensation and Reimbursement................................56
NYDOCS01/566567 3
vii
Page
SECTION 608. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility; Conflicting Interests..57
SECTION 609. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor...............58
SECTION 610. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor..........................59
SECTION 611. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.....59
ARTICLE SEVEN
HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
SECTION 701. Disclosure of Names and Addresses of Holders....................60
SECTION 702. Reports by Trustee..............................................60
SECTION 703. Reports by Company..............................................61
ARTICLE EIGHT
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
SECTION 801. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms............61
SECTION 802. Successor Substituted...........................................62
ARTICLE NINE
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 901. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders..............63
SECTION 902. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.................64
SECTION 903. Execution of Supplemental Indentures............................65
SECTION 904. Effect of Supplemental Indentures...............................65
SECTION 905. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.............................65
SECTION 906. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures..............65
SECTION 907. Notice of Supplemental Indentures...............................65
ARTICLE TEN
COVENANTS
SECTION 1001. Payment of Principal, Premium, if Any, and Interest............66
SECTION 1002. Maintenance of Office or Agency................................66
SECTION 1003. Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust................66
SECTION 1004. Corporate Existence............................................68
NYDOCS01/566567 3
viii
e
SECTION 1005. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims..........................68
SECTION 1006. Maintenance of Properties..................................69
SECTION 1007. Insurance..................................................69
SECTION 1008. Provision of Financial Statements..........................69
SECTION 1009. Statement by Officers as to Default........................69
SECTION 1010. Purchase of Securities upon Change of Control..............70
SECTION 1011. Limitation on Consolidated Debt............................71
SECTION 1012. Limitation on Debt and Preferred Stock of Restricted
Subsidiaries..........................................74
SECTION 1013. Limitation on Restricted Payments..........................75
SECTION 1014. Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions
Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries.....................77
SECTION 1015. Limitation on Liens........................................78
SECTION 1016. Limitation on Issuances of Certain Guarantees by, and Debt
Securities of, Restricted Subsidiaries................79
SECTION 1017. Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions..............80
SECTION 1018. Limitation on Asset Dispositions...........................80
SECTION 1019. Limitation on Issuances and Sales of Capital Stock of
Restricted Subsidiaries...............................81
SECTION 1020. Transactions with Affiliates and Related Persons...........81
SECTION 1021. Limitation on Designations of Unrestricted Subsidiaries....82
SECTION 1022. No Repayment of Existing Parent Company Advances with
the Proceeds of the Securities........................83
SECTION 1023. Waiver of Certain Covenants................................83
SECTION 1024. Trustee Not to Monitor Performance.........................84
SECTION 1025. Suspended Covenants........................................84
ARTICLE ELEVEN
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 1101. Right of Redemption........................................85
SECTION 1102. Applicability of Article...................................85
SECTION 1103. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee......................85
SECTION 1104. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed..........85
SECTION 1105. Notice of Redemption.......................................86
SECTION 1106. Deposit of Redemption Price................................87
SECTION 1107. Securities Payable on Redemption Date......................87
SECTION 1108. Securities Redeemed in Part................................87
NYDOCS01/566567 3
ix
Page
ARTICLE TWELVE
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
SECTION 1201. Company's Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant
Defeasance...............................................88
SECTION 1202. Defeasance and Discharge......................................88
SECTION 1203. Covenant Defeasance...........................................88
SECTION 1204. Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance...............89
SECTION 1205. Deposited Money and Government Securities to Be Held in
Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions....................90
SECTION 1206. Reinstatement.................................................91
TESTIMONIUM................................................................ 92
SIGNATURES AND SEALS........................................................ 92
EXHIBIT A - Form of Security
EXHIBIT B - Form of Certificate to Be Delivered in Connection with
Transfers Pursuant to Regulation S
NYDOCS01/566567 3