What it does The LOA replaces Windstream’s January 18, 2023 LOA upon the FCC’s approval date. It requires U.S.-based law-enforcement and security points of contact; personnel screening; controls on foreign-person access; compliance with lawful U.S. process and CALEA; U.S. handling and storage of records and communications; cybersecurity and system-security plans; reporting of security incidents within 72 hours; and advance notice or review of principal equipment, service providers, network operations centers, access countries, ownership changes, and material service changes. It also provides for annual reporting, site visits, and possible third-party compliance audits.

Who it affects The commitments bind New Windstream, Windstream Parent, Uniti, their FCC licensee subsidiaries, and covered service providers and equipment vendors. DOJ, DHS, and DoD monitor compliance through the Committee, while the FCC receives notice of the agreement and may condition or revoke authorizations for breaches.

Why it matters The LOA operationalizes Team Telecom mitigation for foreign participation in U.S. telecommunications, with controls aimed at protecting U.S. records, communications infrastructure, lawful-process information, and network supply chains. It expressly addresses Covered List and foreign-adversary technology risks.

Key dates and numbers

• Executed April 25, 2025.
• Initial designated contacts, foreign-access information, equipment, and service-provider submissions are generally due within 15–30 days after FCC approval; plans are due within 60 days.
• Security incidents must generally be reported within 72 hours.
• Annual reports begin one year after FCC approval.
• The LOA supersedes the 2023 agreement upon FCC approval.