The following discussion and analysis provides information which management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our consolidated results of operations and financial condition. The discussion should be read in conjunction with the “Selected Financial Data” and the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained in this annual report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements and involves numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described in the “Risk Factors” section of this annual report on Form 10-K. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

Business Overview

We are one of the largest companies in North America focused on delivering smart home products and services. Our integrated smart home platform offers subscribers a comprehensive suite of products and services to remotely control, monitor and manage their homes using any smart device. Unlike many other smart home companies, who generally focus only on selling equipment and software, subscriber origination or servicing, we are a vertically integrated smart home company, owning the entire customer lifecycle including sales, professional installation, service, monitoring, billing and customer support. We believe that with our proven business model, along with 17 years of experience installing integrated solutions, we are well positioned to continue to lead the large and growing smart home market. We offer homeowners a customized smart home that integrates a wide variety of smart home and security devices. We seek to deliver a quality subscriber experience through a combination of innovative products and services and a commitment to customer service, which together with our focus on originating high-quality new subscribers, has enabled us to achieve attrition rates that we believe are historically at or below industry averages. Through our established underwriting criteria and compensation structure, we have built a portfolio of approximately 1,147,000 subscribers in North America, with an average credit score of 714 , as of December 31, 2016 . Over 95% of our revenues during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 , respectively, consisted of contractually committed revenues, which have historically resulted in consistent and predictable operating results.

Key 2016 Events

In April 2016, Parent completed the first installment of an issuance and sale to certain investors of a series of preferred stock and contributed the net proceeds from such issuance of $69.8 million to us as an equity contribution. In July 2016, Parent completed the final installment of the issuance and sale to certain investors of such series of preferred stock and, in August 2016, contributed the net proceeds from such issuance of $30.6 million to us as an equity contribution. Both issuances were private placements exempt from registration under the Securities Act.

In May 2016, APX issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2022 notes, pursuant to an indenture dated as of May 26, 2016 among APX, the guarantors party thereto and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee and collateral agent. The 2022 notes will mature on December 1, 2022, or on such earlier date when any outstanding pari passu lien indebtedness matures as a result of the operation of any “Springing Maturity” provision set forth in the agreements governing such pari passu lien indebtedness. The 2022 notes are secured, on a pari passu basis, by the collateral securing obligations under the 2019 notes and 2022 private placement notes and the revolving credit facilities, in all cases, subject to certain exceptions and permitted liens. APX used a portion of the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2022 notes to repurchase approximately $235 million aggregate principal amount of the outstanding 2019 notes and 2022 private placement notes in privately negotiated transactions and repaid borrowings under the existing revolving credit facility. In August 2016, APX issued an additional $100.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2022 notes at a price of 104.00%.

On May 2, 2016, we and David Bywater, our former Chief Operating Officer, agreed that in connection with the appointment of Mr. Bywater as interim Chief Executive Officer of Vivint Solar, Inc., Mr. Bywater would take a leave of absence from our company. On December 15, 2016, our Board of Directors (the “Board”) appointed Scott Hardy to serve as our Chief Operating Officer effective December 15, 2016. Mr. Hardy will succeed David Bywater, who notified us on December 15, 2016 of his intent to resign as our Chief Operating Officer.

In November 2016, we amended the Marketing and Customer Relations Agreement with Solar to update certain terms and conditions governing existing cross-marketing initiatives and to implement new cross-marketing initiatives including a three-month pilot program with the purpose of exploring potential opportunities for each company to offer, sell and integrate the other company’s respective products and services with its standard product offering.

Recent Developments

On January 3, 2017, we announced the introduction of the Vivint Flex Pay plan. Under the Vivint Flex Pay plan, we (i) will launch a Consumer Financing Program in the first quarter of 2017, pursuant to which we will offer to qualified customers in the United States an opportunity to finance the purchase of Products used in connection with our smart home and security services through a third party financing provider and (ii) have begun to offer RICs with respect to the purchase of Products to certain customers who do not qualify to participate in the Consumer Financing Program, but qualify under our historical underwriting criteria. We may also establish credit programs either directly or through an affiliate or pursuant to an agreement with a third party to provide installment loans or similar products to customers that do not qualify to participate in the Consumer Financing Program. Alternatively, customers may purchase the Products with cash or credit card.

Under the Vivint Flex Pay plan, customers pay separately for the Products and our smart home and security services. Under the Consumer Financing Program, qualified customers will be eligible for installment loans provided by a third party financing provider of up to $4,000 for either 42 or 60 months. In connection with the Consumer Financing Program, a subsidiary of ours entered into the CFP Agreement with Citizens pursuant to which Citizens will be the exclusive provider of installment loans under the Consumer Financing Program for our customers who are eligible for such loans. Pursuant to the CFP Agreement, we will pay a monthly fee to Citizens based on the average daily balance of the loans provided by Citizens outstanding and we will share with Citizens liability for credit losses, with Vivint being responsible for approximately 5% to 100% of lost principal balances, depending on factors specified in the CFP Agreement. The initial term of the CFP Agreement is five years, subject to automatic, one-year renewals unless terminated by either party in accordance with its terms. We are initially offering RICs for 42 or 60 month terms to certain customers who do not qualify to participate in the Consumer Financing Program, but qualify under our historical underwriting criteria, and may establish credit programs either directly or through an affiliate or pursuant to an agreement with a third party to provide installment loans or similar products to such customers. Along with the purchase of the Products, customers enter into a service agreement with simple pricing of $39.99 per month for basic security or $49.99 per month for smart home with the same term lengths as their installment loan agreements or RICs.

On February 1, 2017, APX issued an additional $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2022 notes at a price of 108.250%. We used the net proceeds from the offering of these 2022 notes to redeem $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of the existing 2019 notes and pay the related redemption premium, and to pay all fees and expenses related thereto and will use any remaining proceeds for general corporate purposes.

Key Factors Affecting Operating Results

Our business is driven through the generation of new subscribers and servicing and maintaining our existing subscriber base. The generation of new subscribers requires significant upfront investment, which in turn provides predictable, contractual, recurring monthly revenue generated from our monitoring and additional services. Going forward, we expect the Vivint Flex Pay program to offset a portion of the upfront investment associated with the generation of new subscribers. We generally market our service offerings through two sales channels, direct-to-home and inside sales. Historically, a majority of our new subscriber accounts were generated through direct-to-home sales, primarily from April through August. New subscribers generated through inside sales was approximately 36% of total new subscriber additions in the year ended December 31, 2016 , as compared to 28% of total new subscribers in the year ended December 31, 2015 . Over time we expect the number of subscribers originated through inside sales to continue to increase, resulting from increased advertising, new lead generation sources, lead conversion and greater brand awareness.

Our operating results are impacted by the following key factors: number of subscriber additions, net subscriber acquisition costs, ARPU, subscriber adoption rate of additional services beyond our base security offering, subscriber attrition, the costs to monitor and service our subscribers, the level of general and administrative expenses and the availability and cost of capital required to generate new subscribers. We focus our investment decisions on generating new subscribers and servicing our existing subscribers in the most cost-effective manner, while maintaining a high level of customer service to minimize subscriber attrition. These decisions are based on the projected cash flows and associated margins generated over the expected life of the subscriber relationship.

Our ability to increase subscribers depends on a number of factors, both external and internal. External factors include the overall macroeconomic environment, the availability of additional capital, awareness of our brand and competition from other companies in the geographies we serve, particularly in those markets where our direct-to-home sales representatives are present. Some of our current competitors have longer operating histories, greater name recognition and substantially greater financial and marketing resources than us. In the future, other companies may also choose to begin offering services similar to ours. In addition, because such a large percentage of our new subscribers are generated through direct-to-home sales, any actions limiting this sales channel could negatively affect our ability to grow our subscriber base. We are continually evaluating

ways to improve the effectiveness of our subscriber acquisition activities in both our direct-to-home and inside sales channels, and over time we intend to add other sales models and channels to grow our subscriber base.

Internal factors include our ability to recruit, train and retain personnel, along with the level of investment in sales and marketing efforts. As a result, we expect to increase our investment in advertising over time. We believe maintaining competitive compensation structures, differentiated product offerings and establishing a strong brand are critical to attracting and retaining high-quality personnel and competing effectively in the markets we serve. Successfully growing our RPU depends on our ability to continue expanding our technology platform by offering additional value added services demanded by the market. Therefore, we continually evaluate the viability of additional product and service offerings that could further leverage our existing technology platform and sales channels. As evidence of this focus on new services, since 2010, we have successfully expanded our service offerings from residential security into smart home services, which allows us to charge higher RPU for these additional service offerings. These offerings include our proprietary Vivint Smart Home Cloud, Vivint Smart Drive, Vivint Doorbell Camera, Vivint Ping Camera and Vivint Element Thermostat. During the year ended December 31, 2016 , approximately 86% of our new subscribers contracted for one of our smart home offerings. Due to the high rate of adoption of additional smart home product and service offerings, our ARPNU has increased from $44.50 in 2009 to $66.81 for the year ended December 31, 2016 , an increase of 50% .

We focus on managing the costs associated with monitoring and service without jeopardizing our award-winning service quality. We believe our ability to retain subscribers over the long-term starts with our underwriting criteria and is enhanced by maintaining our consistent quality service levels.

Subscriber attrition has a direct impact on the number of subscribers who we monitor and service and on our financial results, including revenues, operating income and cash flows. A portion of the subscriber base can be expected to cancel its service every year. Subscribers may choose not to renew or may terminate their contracts for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, relocation, cost, switching to a competitor’s service or service issues. If a subscriber relocates, but continues their service, we do not consider this as a cancellation. If a subscriber discontinues their service and transfers the original subscriber’s contract to a new subscriber continuing the revenue stream, we also do not consider this as a cancellation. We analyze our attrition by tracking the number of subscribers who cancel as a percentage of the average number of subscribers at the end of each twelve month period. We caution investors that not all companies, investors and analysts in our industry define attrition in the same manner.

The table below presents our subscriber data for the years ended December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 :

 

 

Historically, we have experienced an increased level of subscriber cancellations in the months surrounding the expiration of such subscribers’ initial contract term. Attrition in any period may be impacted by the number of subscriber contracts reaching the end of their initial term in such period. The increase in attrition in the year ended December 30, 2016, reflects the effect of the 2012 and 2013 42-month pools reaching the end of their initial contract terms. We believe this trend in cancellations at the end of the initial contract term is comparable to other companies within our industry.

Basis of Presentation

We conduct business through one operating segment, Vivint. Historically, we primarily operated in three geographic regions: United States, Canada and New Zealand. During the year ended December 31, 2016 , we sold all our New Zealand and Puerto Rico subscriber contracts and ceased operations in these geographical regions ("2016 Contract Sales"). Historically, our

operations in both regions were considered immaterial and reported in conjunction with the United States. See Note 15 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information about our geographic segments.

How We Generate Revenue

Our primary source of revenue is generated through recurring monthly services and wireless internet services provided to our subscribers in accordance with their subscriber contracts. The remainder of our revenue is generated through additional services, activation fees, upgrades and maintenance and repair fees. Recurring revenues accounted for over 95% of total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 , respectively.

Recurring revenue. Recurring services for our subscriber contracts are billed in advance, generally monthly, pursuant to the terms of subscriber contracts and recognized ratably over the service period. The amount of RPU billed is dependent upon which of our service offerings is included in the subscriber contracts. Our smart home offerings generally provide higher RPU than our base security offering. Historically, we have generally offered contracts to subscribers that range in length from 36 to 60 months that are subject to automatic annual or monthly renewal after the expiration of the initial term. At the end of each monthly period, the portion of recurring fees related to services not yet provided are deferred and recognized as these services are provided.

Service and other sales revenue . Our service and other sales revenue is primarily comprised of amounts charged for selling additional equipment, and maintenance and repair. These amounts are billed, and the associated revenue recognized, at the time of installation or when the services are performed. Service and other sales revenue also includes contract fulfillment revenue, which relates to amounts paid by subscribers who cancel their monitoring contract in-term and for which we have no future service obligation to them. We recognize this revenue upon receipt of payment from the subscriber.

Activation fees. Activation fees represent upfront one-time charges billed to subscribers at the time of installation and are deferred. Effective April 1, 2016 these fees are recognized over 15 years using a 240% declining balance method, which converts to a straight-line methodology after approximately nine years when the resulting amortization exceeds that from the accelerated method. We evaluate subscriber account attrition on a periodic basis, utilizing observed attrition rates for our subscriber contracts and industry information and, when necessary, makes adjustments to the estimated subscriber relationship period and amortization method.

Costs and Expenses

Operating expenses. Operating expenses primarily consists of labor associated with monitoring and servicing subscribers and labor and equipment expenses related to upgrades and service repairs. We also incur equipment costs associated with excess and obsolete inventory and rework costs related to equipment removed from subscriber’s homes. In addition, a portion of general and administrative expenses, comprised of certain human resources, facilities and information technologies costs are allocated to operating expenses. This allocation is primarily based on employee headcount and facility square footage occupied. Because our SHPs perform most subscriber installations generated through our inside sales channels, the costs incurred by the field service associated with these installations are allocated to capitalized subscriber acquisition costs.

Selling expenses. Selling expenses are primarily comprised of costs associated with housing for our direct-to-home sales representatives, advertising and lead generation, marketing and recruiting, certain portions of sales commissions, overhead (including allocation of certain general and administrative expenses) and other costs not directly tied to a specific subscriber origination. These costs are expensed as incurred.

General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses consist largely of finance, legal, research and development (“R&D”), human resources, information technology and executive management expenses, including stock-based compensation expense. Stock-based compensation expense is recorded within various components of our costs and expenses. General and administrative expenses also include the provision for doubtful accounts. We allocate approximately one-third of our gross general and administrative expenses, excluding the provision for doubtful accounts, into operating and selling expenses in order to reflect the overall costs of those components of the business. In addition, in connection with certain service agreements with Solar, we subleased corporate office space to them through October 2014 and provide certain other administrative services to Solar. We charge Solar the costs associated with these service agreements (See Note 14 in our accompanying consolidated financial statements).

Depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization consists of depreciation from property and equipment, amortization of equipment leased under capital leases, capitalized subscriber acquisition costs and intangible assets.

Key Operating Metrics

In evaluating our results, we review the key performance measures discussed below. We believe that the presentation of key performance measures is useful to investors and lenders because they are used to measure the value of companies such as ours with recurring revenue streams.

Total Subscribers

Total subscribers is the aggregate number of active smart home and security subscribers at the end of a given period.

Monthly Revenue per User

Monthly Revenue per User ("RPU") is the recurring monthly revenue billed to a smart home and security subscriber.

Total Revenue per User

Total RPU is the aggregate RPU billed to all smart home and security subscribers.

Average RPU

Average RPU ("ARPU") is the total RPU divided by total subscribers.

Average Revenue per New User

Average Revenue per New User ("ARPNU") is the aggregate RPU for new subscribers originated during a period divided by the number of new subscribers originated during such period.

Attrition

Attrition is the aggregate number of canceled smart home and security subscribers during a period divided by the monthly weighted average number of total smart home and security subscribers for such period. Subscribers are considered canceled when they terminate in accordance with the terms of their contract, are terminated by us or if payment from such subscribers is deemed uncollectible (when at least four monthly billings become past due). Sales of contracts to third parties, certain moves and takeovers are excluded from the attrition calculation.

Net Subscriber Acquisition Costs

Net subscriber acquisition costs is the direct and indirect costs to create a new smart home and security subscriber. These include commissions, equipment, installation, marketing and other allocations (general and administrative and overhead); less activation fees, installation fees and upsell revenue. These costs exclude residuals and long-term equity expenses associated with the direct-to-home sales channel.

Net Subscriber Acquisition Multiple

Net subscriber acquisition multiple is the total net subscriber acquisition costs, divided by the number of new subscribers originated, and then divided by the ARPNU.

Net Service Cost per Subscriber

Net service cost per subscriber is the total service costs for the period, including monitoring, customer service, field service and other allocations (general and administrative and overhead) costs, less total service revenue for the period divided by total subscribers.

Net Service Margin

Net service margin is the ARPU for the period less net service costs divided by the ARPU for the period.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

In preparing our consolidated financial statements, we make assumptions, judgments and estimates that can have a significant impact on our revenue, loss from operations and net loss, as well as on the value of certain assets and liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We base our assumptions, judgments and estimates on historical experience and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. At least quarterly, we evaluate our assumptions, judgments and estimates and make changes accordingly. Historically, our assumptions, judgments and estimates relative to our critical accounting estimates have not differed materially from actual results. We believe that the assumptions, judgments and estimates involved in the accounting for income taxes, allowance for doubtful accounts, valuation of intangible assets, and fair value have the greatest potential impact on our consolidated financial statements; therefore, we consider these to be our critical accounting estimates. For information on our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 to our accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Change in Accounting Estimate

Effective April 1, 2016, we updated the estimated life of our subscriber relationships and the period used to amortize deferred activation fees and deferred subscriber acquisition costs, to better approximate the related anticipated life of the customer. Prior to the change, we amortized deferred activation fees and subscriber acquisition costs over 12 years using a 150% declining balance method, which converted to a straight-line methodology after approximately five years . Subsequent to the change , we amortize deferred activation fees and subscriber acquisition costs over 15 years using a 240% declining balance method, which converts to a straight-line methodology after approximately nine years when the resulting amortization exceeds that from the accelerated method. The effects of this change in estimate were as follows (in thousands):

All pertinent factors, including actual customer attrition data, demand, competition, and the estimated technological life of the installed equipment, will continue to be reviewed by us to assess the continued appropriateness of methods and estimated subscriber relationship period.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue principally on three types of transactions: (i) recurring revenue, which includes revenues for monitoring and other smart home services of our subscriber contracts and recurring monthly revenue associated with Vivint Wireless Inc., (ii) service and other sales, which includes non-recurring service fees charged to subscribers provided on contracts, contract fulfillment revenues and sales of products that are not part of our service offerings, and (iii) activation fees on subscriber contracts, which are amortized over the expected life of the customer.

Recurring revenue for our subscriber contracts is billed in advance, generally monthly, pursuant to the terms of subscriber contracts and recognized ratably over the service period. Costs of providing ongoing recurring services are expensed in the period incurred.

Service and other sales revenue is recognized as services are provided or when title to the products and equipment sold transfers to the customer. Contract fulfillment revenue, included in service and other sales, is recognized when payment is received from customers who cancel their contract in-term. Revenue from sales of products that are not part of the basic equipment offering is generally recognized upon delivery of products.

Activation fees represent upfront one-time charges billed to subscribers at the time of installation and are deferred and recognized over the expected customer life. We evaluate subscriber account attrition on a periodic basis, utilizing observed attrition rates for our subscriber contracts and industry information and, when necessary, makes adjustments to the estimated subscriber relationship period and amortization method.

Subscriber Acquisition Costs

Subscriber acquisition costs represent the costs related to the origination of new subscribers. A portion of subscriber acquisition costs is expensed as incurred, which includes costs associated with the direct-to-home sale housing, marketing and recruiting, certain portions of sales commissions (residuals), overhead and other costs, considered not directly and specifically tied to the origination of a particular subscriber. The remaining portion of the costs is considered to be directly tied to subscriber acquisition and consists primarily of certain portions of sales commissions, equipment, and installation costs. These costs are deferred and amortized over 15 years using a 240% declining balance method, which converts to a straight-line methodology after approximately nine years when the resulting amortization exceeds that from the accelerated method. The Company evaluates subscriber account attrition on a periodic basis, utilizing observed attrition rates for the Company’s subscriber contracts and industry information and, when necessary, makes adjustments to the estimated subscriber relationship period and amortization method.

On the accompanying consolidated statement of cash flows, subscriber acquisition costs that are comprised of equipment and related installation costs purchased for, or used in, subscriber contracts in which we retain ownership to the equipment are classified as investing activities and reported as “Subscriber acquisition costs – company owned equipment.” All other subscriber acquisition costs are classified as operating activities and reported as “Subscriber acquisition costs – deferred contract costs” on the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows as these assets represent deferred costs associated with customer contracts.

In conjunction with the Merger and in accordance with purchase accounting, the total purchase price was allocated to our net tangible and identifiable intangible assets based on their estimated fair values as of November 16, 2012 (See Note 8 in our accompanying consolidated financial statements). We recorded the value of Subscriber Acquisition Costs on the date of the Merger at fair value and classified it as an intangible asset, which is amortized over 10 years in a pattern that is consistent with the amount of revenue expected to be generated from the related subscriber contracts.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable consist primarily of amounts due from subscribers for recurring services. Accounts receivable are recorded at invoiced amounts and are non-interest bearing. The gross amount of accounts receivable has been reduced by an allowance for doubtful accounts of approximately $4.1 million and $3.5 million at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 , respectively. We estimate this allowance based on historical collection and attrition rates. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015 , no accounts receivable were classified as held for sale. Provision for doubtful accounts recognized and included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying audited consolidated statements of operations totaled $19.6 million , $14.9 million and $15.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 , 2015 and 2014 , respectively.

Loss Contingencies

We record accruals for various contingencies including legal proceedings and other claims that arise in the normal course of business. The accruals are based on judgment, the probability of losses and, where applicable, the consideration of opinions of legal counsel. We record an accrual when a loss is deemed probable to occur and is reasonably estimable. Factors that we consider in the determination of the likelihood of a loss and the estimate of the range of that loss in respect of legal matters include the merits of a particular matter, the nature of the litigation, the length of time the matter has been pending, the procedural posture of the matter, whether we intend to defend the matter, the likelihood of settling for an insignificant amount and the likelihood of the plaintiff accepting an amount in this range. However, the outcome of such legal matters is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Purchase accounting requires that all assets and liabilities acquired in a transaction be recorded at fair value on the acquisition date, including identifiable intangible assets separate from goodwill. For significant acquisitions, we obtain independent appraisals and valuations of the intangible (and certain tangible) assets acquired and certain assumed obligations as well as equity. Identifiable intangible assets include customer relationships, spectrum licenses and other purchased and internally developed technology, which totaled $475.4 million at December 31, 2016 . Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair value of net assets acquired and was $835.2 million at December 31, 2016 .

The estimated fair values and useful lives of identified intangible assets are based on many factors, including estimates and assumptions of future operating performance and cash flows of the acquired business, estimates of cost avoidance, the nature of the business acquired, the specific characteristics of the identified intangible assets and our historical experience and that of the acquired business. The estimates and assumptions used to determine the fair values and useful lives of identified

intangible assets could change due to numerous factors, including product demand, market conditions, regulations affecting the business model of our operations, technological developments, economic conditions and competition. The carrying values and useful lives for amortization of identified intangible assets are reviewed annually during our fourth fiscal quarter and as necessary if changes in facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable and any resulting changes in estimates could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

When we determine that the carrying value of intangible assets, goodwill and long-lived assets may not be recoverable, an impairment charge is recorded. Impairment is generally measured based on valuation techniques considered most appropriate under the circumstances, including a projected discounted cash flow method using a discount rate determined by our management to be commensurate with the risk inherent in our current business model or prevailing market rates of investment securities, if available.

We conduct a goodwill impairment analysis annually in our fourth fiscal quarter, as of October 1, and as necessary if changes in facts and circumstances indicate that the fair value of our reporting units may be less than their carrying amount. Under applicable accounting guidance, we are permitted to use a qualitative approach to evaluate goodwill impairment when no indicators of impairment exist and if certain accounting criteria are met. To the extent that indicators exist or the criteria are not met, we use a quantitative approach to evaluate goodwill impairment based on estimated growth in our business and discount rates. Such quantitative impairment assessment is performed using a two-step, fair value based test. The first step requires that we compare the estimated fair value of our reporting units to the carrying value of the reporting unit’s net assets, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than the carrying value of its net assets, goodwill is not considered to be impaired and no further testing is required. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value of its net assets, we would be required to complete the second step of the test by analyzing the fair value of its goodwill. If the carrying value of the goodwill exceeds its fair value, an impairment charge is recorded.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost and depreciated on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets or the lease term, whichever is shorter. Amortization expense associated with leased assets is included with depreciation expense. Routine repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. We periodically assess potential impairment of our property and equipment and perform an impairment review whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes based on the asset and liability method. Under the asset and liability method, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets when it is determined that it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.

We recognize the effect of an uncertain income tax position on the income tax return at the largest amount that is more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant taxing authority. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained. Our policy for recording interest and penalties is to record such items as a component of the provision for income taxes.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB originally issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) which clarifies the principles used to recognize revenue for all entities. This guidance requires companies to recognize revenue when they transfer goods or services to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which they expect to be entitled. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year to be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08 to clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations as it relates to Topic 606. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10 to clarify the implementation guidance on identifying performance obligations and licensing as it relates to Topic 606. This update reduces the complexity when applying the guidance for identifying performance obligations and improves the operability and understandability of the license implementation guidance. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12 to clarify the implementation guidance on Topic 606, which amends the guidance on transition, collectability, non-cash consideration and the presentation of sales and other similar taxes.

We currently plan to adopt Topic 606 using the modified retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially applying the new standard recognized at the date of initial application and providing certain additional disclosures. However, a final decision regarding the adoption method has not been made at this time. Our final determination will depend on a number of factors, such as the significance of the impact of the new standard on our financial results, system readiness, including our ability to accumulate and analyze the information necessary to assess the impact on prior period financial statements, as necessary.

We are in the initial stages of our evaluation of the impact of the new standard on our accounting policies, processes, and system requirements. We have assigned internal resources in addition to the engagement of third party service providers to assist in the evaluation. Furthermore, we have made and will continue to make investments in systems to enable timely and accurate reporting under the new standard. We expect the standard to have an effect on the subscriber acquisitions costs, net and deferred revenues included in our condensed consolidated balance sheets and the recognition of revenues and amortization of subscriber acquisition costs on the consolidated statement of operations. We do not expect the standard to have a significant impact to the consolidated statements of changes in equity or the consolidated statements of cash flows.

While we continue to assess the potential impacts of the new standard, including the areas described above, and anticipate this standard could have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements, we do not know or cannot reasonably estimate quantitative information related to the impact of the new standard on our financial statements at this time.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09 to simplify accounting for employee share-based payments. This update involves several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017 and will be applied prospectively and/or retrospectively, with early adoption permitted. We plan to adopt this update on the effective date and the adoption is not expected to materially impact the consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-07 which eliminates the requirement to retroactively adopt the equity method of accounting when an investment qualifies for use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence. This update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016 and must be applied prospectively, with early adoption permitted. We plan to adopt this update on the effective date and the adoption is not expected to materially impact the consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-06 to clarify the assessment of contingent put and call options in debt instruments as it relates to Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). The amendments in this update clarify the requirements for assessing whether contingent call (put) options that can accelerate the payment of principal on debt instruments are clearly and closely related to their debt hosts. An entity performing the assessment under the amendments in this update is required to assess the embedded call (put) options solely in accordance with the four-step decision sequence. This update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016 and must be applied using a modified retrospective approach, with early adoption permitted. We plan to adopt this update on the effective date and the adoption is not expected to materially impact the consolidated financial statements.

    

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 to increase transparency and comparability among organizations as it relates to lease assets and lease liabilities. The update requires that lease assets and lease liabilities be recognized on the balance sheet, and that key information about leasing arrangements be disclosed. Prior to this update, GAAP did not require operating leases to be recognized as lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. This update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018 and must be applied using a modified retrospective approach, with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the new guidance and plan to provide additional information about its expected impact at a future date.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01 to address certain aspects of the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The main provisions of this update require equity investments to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings, allows a company to value equity investments without a readily determined fair value at cost, less any impairments, and simplifies the assessment of impairments of equity investments without a readily determinable fair value by requiring a qualitative assessment. This update is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. An entity should apply the amendments by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The amendments related to equity securities without readily determinable fair values (including disclosure requirements) should be applied prospectively to equity investments that exist as of the date of adoption of the Update. Early adoption is permitted. We

are evaluating the new guidance and plan to provide additional information about its expected impact upon adoption at a future date.

 

Total revenues increased $104.2 million , or 16% , for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 , primarily due to the growth in recurring revenue, which increased $99.5 million , or 16% . $83.3 million of the increase in recurring revenue was due to an increase in Total Subscribers and $15.5 million of the increase was due to increases in RPU. Recurring revenues associated with our wireless internet business increased $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 . Currency translation negatively affected total revenues by $2.1 million , as computed on a constant currency basis.

Service and other sales revenue remained essentially flat for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 .

The revenue associated with activation fees is deferred upon billing and recognized over the estimated life of the subscriber relationship. There was deemed to be no fair value associated with deferred activation fee revenues at the time of the Acquisition. Thus, all activation fee revenue recognized in the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 relate to contracts generated after the Acquisition. Revenues recognized related to activation fees increased $4.5 million , or 75% , for the year

ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 , primarily due to the increase in the number of subscribers from whom we have collected activation fees since the date of the Acquisition and a change in the timing of recognizing deferred activation fees as a result of the estimate relating to amortization.

Costs and Expenses

The following table provides the significant components of our costs and expenses for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 :

 

Operating expenses increased $36.6 million , or 16% , for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 , primarily driven by an increase of $23.6 million in personnel and related costs, an increase of $7.9 million in facilities and IT infrastructure costs, an increase of $1.9 million in monitoring costs from third-party cellular providers, and an increase of $1.3 million in banking fees. All of these cost increases related to supporting the 13.1% growth in our subscriber base.

Selling expenses, excluding amortization of capitalized subscriber acquisition costs, increased $8.5 million , or 7% , for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 . This increase was principally comprised of $6.6 million in expenses associated with lead generation, primarily related to the 53.4% growth in new subscribers generated through our inside sales channel and an increase of $4.1 million in facilities and IT infrastructure costs. This increase was offset, in part, by a decrease in legal costs of $1.7 million .

General and administrative expenses increased $36.0 million , or 34% , for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 , primarily due to a non-cash gain of $12.2 million in connection with the settlement of the Merger-related escrow recorded during the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $10.8 million in personnel costs, which included a $2.2 million stock-based compensation expense related to an equity repurchase by 313 from one our executives, an increase of $4.8 million in legal costs, an increase in IT and contracted services of $3.5 million to support the growth in the business, an increase of $2.7 million in research and development costs and an increase of $1.4 million in brand marketing.

Depreciation and amortization increased $43.8 million , or 18% , for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 . The increase was primarily due to increased amortization of subscriber acquisition costs arising from the growth in our subscriber base and a change in the timing of recognizing capitalized subscriber acquisition costs as a result of the estimate relating to amortization.

Restructuring and asset impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2016 primarily related to net the net loss of $2.6 million associated with the 2016 Contract Sales, offset by $1.5 million of wireless restructuring and asset impairment recoveries. Restructuring and asset impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2015 relate to the transition in our Wireless Internet business from a 5Ghz to a 60Ghz-based network technology (See Note 11 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements).

Other Expenses, net

The following table provides the significant components of our other expenses, net, for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 :

 

Interest expense increased $36.6 million , or 23% , for the year ended December 31, 2016 , as compared with the year ended December 31, 2015 , due to a higher principal balance on our debt. See Note 5 to our accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on our long-term debt.

Other loss, net, decreased by $1.6 million , or 18% for the year ended December 31, 2016 , as compared with the year ended December 31, 2015 . The decrease is due, in part, to the change in the foreign currency translation from a foreign currency exchange loss of $9.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2015 to a foreign currency exchange gain of $2.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2016 . This decrease was partially offset by losses and expenses incurred of $10.1 million resulting from our debt modification and extinguishment (See Note 5 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements). During the year ended December 31, 2015 we recorded $7.1 million currency translation losses as a result of a change in treatment of foreign currency exchange gains and losses on intercompany balances. Prior to July 2015, we classified intercompany receivable balances with our foreign subsidiaries as long-term investments with translation gains and losses recorded in other comprehensive income. Beginning in July 2015, as part of our cash management strategy we determined that settlement of these intercompany balances were anticipated and therefore these balances are not considered to be long-term investments and any subsequent translation gains or losses are recorded in income.

Income Taxes

The following table provides the significant components of our income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 :

 

Income tax expense decreased $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 , as compared with the year ended December 31, 2015 . Our tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 resulted primarily from earnings in our Canadian subsidiary, as well as U.S. minimum state taxes.

Total revenues increased $90.0 million, or 16%, for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014, primarily due to the growth in recurring revenue, which increased $87.3 million, or 16%. $65.9 million of the increase in recurring revenue was due to an increase in Total Subscribers and $22.4 million of the increase was due to increases in RPU. Recurring revenues associated with our wireless internet business increased $6.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014. Currency translation negatively affected total revenues by $8.0 million, as computed on a constant currency basis.

Service and other sales revenue increased $0.7 million, or 3%, for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014. This increase was primarily due to an increase of $1.0 million of contract fulfillment revenue partially offset by a decrease in upgrade revenue of $0.7 million related to subscriber service upgrades and purchases of additional equipment.

The revenue associated with activation fees is deferred upon billing and recognized over the estimated life of the subscriber relationship. There was deemed to be no fair value associated with deferred activation fee revenues at the time of the Acquisition. Thus, all activation fee revenue recognized in the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 relate to contracts generated after the Acquisition. Revenues recognized related to activation fees increased $2.0 million, or 51%, for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014, primarily due to the increase in the number of subscribers from whom we have collected activation fees since the date of the Acquisition.

Costs and Expenses

The following table provides the significant components of our costs and expenses for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 :

 

Operating expenses increased $25.5 million, or 13%, for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014, primarily to support the growth in our subscriber base and our wireless internet business. This increase was primarily due to a $22.1 million increase in personnel costs related to customer services, field services, and monitoring and a $4.6 million increase in equipment costs related to servicing our wireless internet business and equipment costs related to subscriber upgrades. This increase was offset, in part, by a $2.9 million decrease in monitoring costs from third-party cellular providers primarily resulting from the transition to our Vivint Smart Home Cloud platform.

Selling expenses, excluding amortization of capitalized subscriber acquisition costs, increased $15.6 million, or 15%, for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014, primarily due to an increase in personnel costs of $9.4 million and a $5.4 million increase in expenses relating to lead generation, all to support the increase in our subscriber contract originations.

General and administrative expenses decreased $18.9 million, or 15%, for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014, partly due to a non-cash gain of $12.2 million in connection with the settlement of the Merger-related escrow (See Note 14 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements), a $7.8 million decrease in brand recognition expenses and a decrease of $5.3 million in contracted information technology services. These decreases were partially offset by a $3.0 million increase in personnel costs and an increase of $1.3 million in legal, audit and other professional service fees.

Depreciation and amortization increased $23.4 million, or 11%, for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily due to increased amortization of subscriber acquisition costs arising from the growth in our subscriber base.

Restructuring and asset impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2015 relate to the transition in our Wireless Internet business from a 5Ghz to a 60Ghz-based network technology (See Note 3 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements).

Interest expense increased $13.8 million, or 9%, for the year ended December 31, 2015, as compared with the year ended December 31, 2014, due to a higher principal balance on our debt resulting from the issuance of $300 million of 2022 private placement notes in October 2015, the full year impact of the $100 million in 2020 notes issued in July 2014 and borrowings in 2015 under our revolving credit facility.

Other loss (income), net increased by $10.6 million primarily as a result of a change in treatment of losses on intercompany balances. Prior to July 2015, we classified intercompany receivable balances with our Canada and New Zealand subsidiaries as long-term investments with translation gains and losses recorded in other comprehensive income. Beginning in July 2015, as part of our cash management strategy we determined that settlement of these intercompany balances was anticipated and therefore these balances are not considered to be long-term investments and any subsequent translation gains or losses are recorded in income.

Income Taxes

The following table provides the significant components of our income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 :

 

Income tax expense decreased $0.2 million, or 32%, for the year ended December 31, 2015, as compared with the year ended December 31, 2014. Our tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 was primarily due to state and foreign income taxes.

Unaudited Quarterly Results of Operations

The following tables present our unaudited quarterly consolidated results of operations for the four quarters ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 . This unaudited quarterly consolidated information has been prepared on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements and, in the opinion of management, the statement of operations data includes all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of the results of operations for these periods. You should read these tables in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes located elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K. The results of operations for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for a full year or any future periods.