SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Business Globalstar, Inc. (“Globalstar” or the “Company”) provides Mobile Satellite Services (“MSS”) including voice and data communications services through its global satellite network. The Company’s only reportable segment is its MSS business. Thermo Companies, through commonly controlled affiliates, (collectively, “Thermo”) is the principal owner and largest stockholder of Globalstar. The Company's Executive Chairman of the Board controls Thermo. Two other members of the Company's Board of Directors are also directors, officers or minority equity owners of various Thermo entities. The Company’s satellite communications business supports Internet of Things ("IoT") data transmissions in a variety of applications and provides reliable connectivity in areas not served or underserved by terrestrial wireless and wireline networks and in circumstances where terrestrial networks are not operational due to natural or man-made disasters. These communication services serve principally the following markets: recreation and personal; government; public safety and disaster relief; oil and gas; maritime and fishing; natural resources, mining and forestry; construction; utilities; and transportation. Globalstar currently provides the following communications services: • two-way voice communication and data transmissions via the GSP-1600 and GSP-1700 phones ("Duplex"); • one-way or two-way communication and data transmissions using mobile devices, including the SPOT family of products, such as SPOT X ® , SPOT Gen4 TM and SPOT Trace ® , that transmit messages and the location of the device ("SPOT"); • one-way data transmissions using a mobile or fixed device that transmits its location and other information to a central monitoring station, including commercial IoT products, such as the battery- and solar-powered SmartOne, STX-3 and ST100 ("Commercial IoT"); and • engineering services to assist certain customers (including its customer under the Terms Agreement (defined below)) in developing new applications to operate on the Company's network, enhancements to the Company's ground network and other communication services using the Company's MSS and terrestrial spectrum licenses ("Engineering and Other"). Globalstar provides Duplex, SPOT and Commercial IoT products and services to customers directly and through a variety of partners. COVID-19 Risks and Uncertainties There are a number of uncertainties that could impact the Company's future results of operations, including the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic; the effectiveness of mitigation measures; global economic conditions; changes to the Company's operations; changes in consumer confidence, behaviors and spending; work from home trends; and the sustainability of supply chains. As a result of COVID-19, the Company experienced an initial reduction in the volume of sales of subscriber equipment, received requests for service pricing concessions from certain customers, and was impacted by certain of its customers not being able to pay outstanding balances. The Company has pursued various opportunities to mitigate the risks and uncertainties resulting from COVID-19, including, but not limited to, the receipt of a $5.0 million loan under the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") and the evaluation of its eligibility for the Employee Retention Tax Credit program as well as seeking relief under the American Rescue Plan Act. In June 2021, the Small Business Administration ("SBA") fully approved the Company's request for forgiveness of all amounts outstanding, including accrued interest, under its PPP loan. Use of Estimates in Preparation of Financial Statements The preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from estimates. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year Consolidated Financial Statements to conform to current year presentation. The Company evaluates estimates on an ongoing basis. Principles of Consolidation The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Globalstar and all its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in the consolidation. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Restricted Cash There was no balance in restricted cash as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2020, restricted cash was comprised of funds held in escrow by the agent for the Company’s facility agreement entered into in 2009 (the “2009 Facility Agreement”) to secure the Company’s principal and interest payment obligations related to its 2009 Facility Agreement. Restricted cash was classified as either a current or non-current asset on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet based on when these funds were expected to be used to pay principal and interest due under the 2009 Facility Agreement. As disclosed in Note 6: Long-Term Debt and Other Financing Arrangements, the Company fully paid down the 2009 Facility Agreement during 2021. Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash consist primarily of highly liquid short-term investments deposited with financial institutions that are of high credit quality. Accounts and Notes Receivable On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2016-13, Credit Losses, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . The most significant driver of this adjustment was the Company’s change in accounting policy related to expected losses (rather than incurred losses) from trade receivables applied to its portfolio based on historical and future performance. Receivables are recorded when the right to consideration from the customer becomes unconditional, which is generally upon billing or upon satisfaction of a performance obligation, whichever is earlier. Accounts receivable are uncollateralized, without interest, and consist primarily of receivables from the sale of Globalstar services and equipment. For service customers, payment is generally due within thirty days of the invoice date and for equipment customers, payment is generally due within thirty to sixty days of the invoice date, or, for some customers, may be made in advance of shipment. The Company has agreements with certain customers whereby the parties net settle outstanding payables and receivables between the respective entities on a periodic basis. The Company also has agreements whereby it acts as an agent to procure goods and perform services on behalf of the customer; payment is generally due within 45 days of the invoice date for this customer. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and impairs receivable balances by recording specific allowances for credit losses based on factors such as supportable and reasonable current trends, the length of time the receivables are past due and historical collection experience. The Company believes that historical collection experience is the most reasonable basis for predicting future performance. The Company’s major portfolio of contract assets are customer receivables and, as such, historical delinquency percentages are generally consistent over time. The estimate of the allowance for credit losses is computed using aging schedules by type of revenue (service and subscriber equipment), by product (Duplex, SPOT and Commercial IoT) and by country. As discussed above, accounts receivable are considered past due in accordance with the contractual terms of the applicable arrangements. The Company applies a loss rate to its portfolio of trade receivables based on past-due status and records an allowance for credit losses, which represents the expected losses of those trade receivables over their estimated contractual life. The estimated life may vary by service and product type, but is generally less than one year. Allowances are generally recorded for all aging categories of outstanding receivables, including those in the current category. Accounts receivable balances that are determined likely to be uncollectible are included in the allowance for credit losses. After attempts to collect a receivable have failed, the receivable is written off against the allowance. The Company considered the potential impact of COVID-19 on its portfolio of trade receivables and increased its loss rate for certain receivables, in limited circumstances. The Company will continue to reassess its sales and collections of receivables each reporting period to support its allowance across its portfolio. The following is a summary of the activity in the allowance for credit losses (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2021 2020 2019 Balance at beginning of period $ 4,352 $ 2,952 $ 3,382 Impact of adoption of ASU 2016-13 — 1,684 — Provision, net of recoveries 409 1,656 1,747 Write-offs and other adjustments (1,799) (1,940) (2,177) Balance at end of period $ 2,962 $ 4,352 $ 2,952 Inventory Inventory consists primarily of purchased products, including subscriber equipment devices, which work on the Company’s network, of approximately $9.6 million and $9.5 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, as well as ground infrastructure assets expected to be used as spare parts of approximately $4.2 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is computed using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. Inventory write downs are measured as the difference between the cost of inventory and the net realizable value and are recorded as a cost of subscriber equipment sales - reduction in the value of inventory in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Product sales and returns from the previous 12 months and future demand forecasts are reviewed and excess and obsolete inventory is written off. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company wrote down the value of inventory by $1.0 million and $0.7 million, respectively, after adjusting for changes in net realizable value. In 2021, the Company wrote off certain Sat-Fi2 ® materials that were not likely to be used in production as well as defective inventory units that were no longer saleable. In 2020, the Company discontinued production of a second-generation Duplex device, which was the majority of the write down recorded. The remaining reduction in value of inventory recorded during 2020 was driven by an evaluation of excess or obsolete inventory related to end of life products and technology. In 2019, the Company reduced the carrying value of gateway spare parts due to excess hardware parts. Property and Equipment The Globalstar System includes costs for the design, manufacture, test and launch of a constellation of low earth orbit satellites (the “Space Component”), and primary and backup control centers and gateways (the “Ground Component”). Property and equipment is stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Costs associated with the design, manufacture, test and launch of the Company’s Space and Ground Components are capitalized. Capitalized costs associated with the Company’s Space Component, Ground Component, and other assets are tracked by fixed asset category and are allocated to each asset as it comes into service. When a second-generation satellite is incorporated into the second-generation constellation, the Company begins depreciation on the date the satellite is placed into service, which was the point that the satellite reaches its orbital altitude, over its estimated depreciable life. The Company capitalizes interest costs associated with the costs of assets in progress. Capitalized interest is added to the cost of the underlying asset and is amortized over the depreciable life of the asset after it is placed into service. As the Company’s construction in progress increases, the Company capitalizes more interest, resulting in a lower amount of net interest expense recognized under U.S. GAAP. Depreciation is provided using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets as follows: Space Component - 15 years from the commencement of service Ground Component - 7 or 15 years from commencement of service Software, Facilities & Equipment - 3 to 10 years Buildings - 18 years Leasehold Improvements - Shorter of lease term or the estimated useful lives of the improvements The estimated useful lives of the Company's Space and Ground components were based on estimated design life, information from the Company's engineering department and overall Company strategy for the use of these assets. The Company evaluates and revises the estimated depreciable lives assigned to property and equipment based on changes in facts and circumstances. When changes are made to estimated useful lives, the remaining carrying amounts are depreciated prospectively over the remaining useful lives. For assets that are sold or retired, including satellites that are de-orbited and no longer providing services, the estimated cost and accumulated depreciation is removed from property and equipment. The Company assesses the impairment of property and equipment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the recorded value may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying amounts of the assets to the estimated future undiscounted cash flows, excluding financing costs. If the asset is not recoverable, its carrying value would be adjusted down to fair value and an impairment loss would be recorded. Additionally, the Company routinely performs profitability analyses to determine if investments in certain products and/or services remain viable. In the event the Company decides not to support a product or service, or determines that an asset is not expected to generate future benefit, the asset may be abandoned and an impairment loss may be recorded on the associated assets. Assets held for sale are carried at the lower of cost or fair value less estimated cost to sell; these assets are generally classified as current on the Company's consolidated balance sheets as the disposal of these assets is expected within one year. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had approximately $0.3 million of assets classified as held for sale. During 2021, the Company sold the property of its former gateway location in Nicaragua. For this former gateway location, the change in classification from held and used to held for sale resulted in an initial impairment of long-lived assets of $1.1 million during 2019, which was recorded in the Company's consolidated statement of operations. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company signed a contract for the sale of this property; the final selling price (net of estimated costs to sell) is $0.3 million and, as a result, the Company recorded an additional impairment totaling $0.2 million. Leases The Company has operating and finance leases for facilities and equipment around the world, including corporate offices, satellite control centers, ground control centers, gateways and certain equipment. Upon inception of a contract, the Company evaluates if the contract, or part of the contract, contains a lease. A lease conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Leases include both a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. The right-of-use asset represents the Company’s right to use the underlying asset in the lease. Certain initial direct costs associated with consummating a lease are included in the initial measurement of the right-of-use asset. The right-of-use asset also includes prepaid lease payments and lease incentives. The lease liability represents the present value of the remaining lease payments discounted using the implicit rate in the lease on the lease commencement date. For leases in which the implicit rate is not readily determinable, an estimated incremental borrowing rate is used, which represents a rate of interest that the Company would pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term. The Company has elected to combine lease and non-lease components, if applicable. For operating leases, the Company records lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term in either marketing, general and administrative expense or cost of services, depending on the nature of the underlying asset. For finance leases, the Company records the amortization of the right-of-use asset through depreciation, amortization and accretion expense and records the interest expense on the lease liability through interest expense, net, using the effective interest method. Variable lease payments are payments made to a lessor due to changes in circumstances occurring after the commencement date. Variable lease payments dependent upon an index or rate are included in the measurement of the lease liability; all other variable lease payments are not included in the measurement of the lease liability and recognized when incurred. Variable lease payments excluded from the measurement of the lease liability are uncommon and, when incurred, are immaterial for the Company. The Company’s existing leases have remaining lease terms of less than 1 year to 20 years. Lease terms include renewal or termination options that the Company is reasonably certain to exercise. For leases with a term of twelve months or less, the Company does not record a right-of-use asset and associated lease liability on its consolidated balance sheet. The Company reviews the carrying value of its right-of-use assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the recorded value may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying amounts of the assets to the estimated future undiscounted cash flows, excluding financing costs. If a right-of-use asset is not recoverable, its carrying value would be adjusted down to fair value and an impairment loss would be recorded. Derivative Instruments Upon inception of a contract, the Company evaluates if the contract contains a derivative instrument. The Company has financing arrangements that are hybrid instruments that contain embedded derivative features. Derivative instruments are recognized as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and are measured at fair value with gains or losses recognized in earnings. The Company determines the fair value of derivative instruments based on available market data and assumptions developed by management using appropriate valuation models. Deferred Financing Costs Deferred financing costs are those costs directly incurred in obtaining long-term debt. These costs are amortized as additional interest expense over the expected term of the corresponding debt. Deferred financing costs are recorded on the Company's consolidated balance sheets as a reduction in the carrying amount of the related debt liability. The Company classifies deferred financing costs consistent with the classification of the related debt outstanding at the end of the reporting period. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had net deferred financing costs of $27.3 million and $38.5 million, respectively. Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company believes it is not practicable to determine the fair value of the 2019 Facility Agreement, the 2009 Facility Agreement and the PPP Loan. Interest rates and other terms for long-term debt are not readily available and generally involve a variety of factors, including due diligence by the debt holders. For the Company’s 8.00% Convertible Senior Notes Issued in 2013 (“2013 8.00% Notes”), the fair value of debt is calculated using inputs consistent with those used to calculate the fair value of the derivatives embedded in these instruments. Litigation, Commitments and Contingencies The Company is subject to various claims and lawsuits that arise in the ordinary course of business. Estimating liabilities and costs associated with these matters requires judgment and assessment based on professional knowledge and experience of our management and legal counsel. When a loss is considered probable and reasonably estimable, a liability is recorded for the Company's best estimate. If there is a range of loss, the Company will record a reserve based on the low end of the range, unless facts and circumstances can support a different point in the range. When a loss is probable, but not reasonably estimable, disclosure is provided, as considered necessary. Reserves for potential claims or lawsuits may be relieved if the loss is no longer considered probable. The ultimate resolution of any such exposure may vary from earlier estimates as further facts and circumstances become known. Gain/Loss on Extinguishment of Debt Gain or loss on extinguishment of debt generally is recorded upon an extinguishment of a debt instrument or the conversion of certain of the Company’s convertible notes. Gain or loss on extinguishment of debt is calculated as the difference between the reacquisition price and net carrying amount of the debt, which includes unamortized debt issuance costs, and is recorded as an extinguishment gain or loss in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue Revenue consists primarily of satellite voice and data service revenue, revenue generated from the sale of fixed and mobile devices, and revenue from providing engineering and support services. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. Each type of revenue is a separate performance obligation with distinct deliverables and is therefore accounted for discretely. Revenue is measured based on the consideration specified in a contract with a customer, adjusted for credits and discounts, as applicable, and is recognized when the Company satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control over a product or service to a customer. Generally, service revenue is recognized over a period of time and revenue from the sale of subscriber equipment is recognized at a point in time. The recognition of revenue for service is over time as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits of the Company’s performance over the contract term. The recognition of revenue for subscriber equipment is at a point in time as the risks and rewards of ownership of the hardware transfer to the customer generally upon shipment, which is when legal title of the product transfers to the customer, among other things (as discussed further below). The Company does not record sales taxes, telecommunication taxes or other governmental fees collected from customers in revenue. The Company excludes these taxes from the measurement of contract transaction prices. The Company receives payment from customers in accordance with billing statements or invoices for customer contracts; these payments may be in advance or arrears of services provided to the customer by the Company. Customer payments received in advance of the corresponding service period are recorded as deferred revenue. Upon activation of a Globalstar device, certain customers are charged an activation fee, which is recognized over the term of the expected customer life. Credits granted to customers are expensed or charged against revenue or accounts receivable over the remaining term of the contract. Estimates related to earned but unbilled service revenue are calculated primarily using current subscriber data, including plan subscriptions and usage between the end of the billing cycle and the end of the period. The recognition of service revenue related to amounts allocated to performance obligations that were satisfied (or partially satisfied) in a previous period is not material to the Company’s financial statements. Amounts related to earned but unbilled revenue from the sale of subscriber equipment are recognized if hardware is shipped prior to the invoice being generated. This situation may result from multi-deliverable contracts, whereby equipment and service revenue are bundled and billed over time to a single customer. Provisions for estimated future warranty costs, returns and rebates are recorded as a cost of sale, or a reduction to revenue, as applicable. These costs are based on historical trends and the provision is reviewed regularly and periodically adjusted to reflect changes in estimates. Certain contracts with customers may contain a financing component. Under ASC 606, an entity should adjust the promised amount of the consideration for the effects of time value of money if the timing of the payments agreed upon by the parties to the contract provides the customer or the entity with a significant benefit of financing for the transfer of goods or services to the customer. For certain engineering services provided pursuant to the Company's previously disclosed Terms Agreement (which is defined and discussed in more detail below in Engineering and Other Service Revenue ), the length of time between receipt of payment by the customer and transfer of services by the Company is greater than one year. Accordingly, payments made by the customer pursuant to the Terms Agreement includes a significant financing component. The Company accretes interest expense using the effective interest rate method over the period in which these advance payments are outstanding. The rate in which interest is computed is based on rates implicit in the Terms Agreement. For the Company's subscriber contracts, transactions with a significant financing component are infrequent and not considered material to the Company as the time between cash collection and performance is generally less than one year. The following describes the principal activities from which the Company generates its revenue. Duplex Service Revenue. The Company recognizes revenue for monthly access fees in the period services are rendered. The Company offers certain annual plans whereby a customer prepays for a predetermined amount of minutes and data. In these cases, revenue is recognized consistent with a customer's expected pattern of usage based on historical experience because the Company believes that this method most accurately depicts the satisfaction of the Company's obligation to the customer. This usage pattern is typically seasonal and highest in the second and third calendar quarters of the year. The Company offers other annual plans whereby the customer is charged an annual fee to access the Company’s system with an unlimited amount of usage. Annual fees for unlimited plans are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the plans. SPOT Service Revenue. The Company sells SPOT services as monthly, annual or multi-year plans and recognizes revenue on a straight-line basis over the service term, beginning when the service is activated by the customer. Commercial IoT Service Revenue. The Company sells Commercial IoT services as monthly, annual or multi-year plans and recognizes revenue ratably over the service term or as service is used, beginning when the service is activated by the customer. Equipment Revenue. Subscriber equipment revenue represents the sale of fixed and mobile user terminals, SPOT and Commercial IoT products, and accessories. The Company recognizes revenue upon shipment provided control has transferred to the customer. Indicators of transfer of control include, but are not limited to; 1) the Company’s right to payment, 2) the customer has legal title of the equipment, 3) the Company has transferred physical possession of the equipment to the customer or carrier, and 4) the customer has significant risks and rewards of ownership of the equipment. The Company sells equipment designed to work on its network through various channels, including through partners as well as direct to consumers or other businesses by its global sales team and through its e-commerce website. The sales channel depends primarily on the type of equipment and geographic region. Promotional rebates are offered from time to time. A reduction to revenue is recorded to reflect the lower transaction price based on an estimate of the customer take rate at the time of the sale using primarily historical data. This estimate is adjusted periodically to reflect actual rebates given to the Company’s customers. Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound freight after control over a product has transferred to a customer are accounted for as a fulfillment cost and are included in cost of subscriber equipment sales. Engineering and Other Service Revenue. Other service revenue includes primarily revenue associated with engineering services to assist customers in developing new applications to operate on its network. The revenue associated with these engineering services is generally recorded over time as the services are rendered, and the Company's obligation to the customer is satisfied. In February 2020, the Company entered into an agreement (i) providing for a customer to pay the Company for non-recurring engineering (NRE) services in connection with the assessment of a potential service utilizing certain of the Company's assets and capacity, and (ii) setting forth the primary terms for the potential development and operation of the service (the “Terms Agreement”). In connection with the Terms Agreement, the Company has incurred certain costs to fulfill this contract. In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the Company nets these costs against the deferred revenue balance associated with this customer. See further discussion below in Intangible and Other Assets . Multiple-Element Arrangement Contracts. At times, the Company will sell subscriber equipment through multiple-element arrangement contracts with services. When the Company sells subscriber equipment and services in bundled arrangements and determines that it has separate performance obligations, the Company allocates the bundled contract price among the various performance obligations based on relative stand-alone selling prices at contract inception of the distinct goods or services underlying each performance obligation and recognizes revenue when, or as, each performance obligation is satisfied. Stock-Based Compensation The Company recognizes compensation expense in the financial statements for both employee and non-employee share-based awards based on the grant date fair value of those awards. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock option awards on the date of grant. For restricted stock awards and units, the fair value is determined from the stock price on the grant date. The Company's estimate of the forfeiture rate of its share-based awards also impacts the timing of expense recorded over the vesting period of the award. The Company's estimate for pre-vesting forfeitures is recognized over the requisite service periods of the awards on a straight-line basis, which is generally commensurate with the vesting term. For share-based awards with a performance condition that affects vesting, the Company recognizes compensation cost for awards if and when the performance condition is probable of achievement. See Note 15: Stock Compensation for a description of methods used to determine the Company's assumptions. Foreign Currency The functional currency of the Company’s foreign consolidated subsidiaries is generally their local currency, unless the subsidiary operates in a hyperinflationary economy, such as Venezuela and Argentina. Assets and liabilities of its foreign subsidiaries are translated into United States dollars based on exchange rates at the end of the reporting period. Income and expense items are translated at the average exchange rates prevailing during the reporting period. For 2021, 2020 and 2019, the foreign currency translation adjustments were net gains of $4.4 million, net losses of $1.5 million and net losses of $0.7 million, respectively. Foreign curr |