EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1413891
Filing Year: 2023
Filename: 1413891_10-K_2023_0001213900-23-030267.json

---

ITEM 1. BUSINESS
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Business Overview
HWN, Inc., (d/b/a High Wire Network Solutions, Inc.) (“HWN”) was incorporated in Delaware on January 20, 2017. HWN is a global provider of managed cybersecurity, managed networks, and tech enabled professional services delivered exclusively through a channel sales model. Our Overwatch managed security platform-as-a-service offers organizations end-to-end protection for networks, data, endpoints and users via multiyear recurring revenue contracts in this fast-growing technology segment. HWN has continuously operated under the High Wire Networks brand for 23 years.
HWN and JTM Electrical Contractors, Inc. (“JTM”), an Illinois Corporation, entered into an operating agreement through which High Wire owned 50% of JTM. On February 15, 2022, HWN sold its 50% interest in JTM.
On June 16, 2021, we completed a merger with Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. On January 7, 2022, Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. legally changed its name to High Wire Networks, Inc. (“High Wire”). The merger was accounted for as a reverse merger. At the time of the reverse merger, High Wire’s subsidiaries included ADEX Corporation, ADEX Puerto Rico LLC, ADEX Canada, ADEX Towers, Inc. and ADEX Telecom, Inc. (collectively “ADEX” or the “ADEX Entities”), AW Solutions Puerto Rico, LLC (“AWS PR”), and Tropical Communications, Inc. (“Tropical”). For accounting purposes, HWN is the surviving entity. On March 6, 2023, HWN divested the ADEX Entities.
On November 4, 2021, we closed on the acquisition of Secure Voice Corp (“SVC”). The closing of the acquisition was facilitated by a senior secured promissory note which has been repaid.
Our AWS PR and Tropical subsidiaries are professional services organizations that deliver services for Enterprise clients as well as wireline and wireless carriers. These subsidiaries are operated as part of our Technology segment. Our SVC subsidiary is a wholesale network services provider with network footprint in the Northeast United States. This network carries VoIP and other traffic for other service providers.
We provide the following categories of offerings to our customers:
● Security: High Wire’s award-winning Overwatch Managed Security offers organizations end-to-end protection for networks, data, endpoints, and users via multiyear recurring revenue contracts in this fast-growing technology segment. This segment is nearly 100% recurring revenue with multi-year contracts. Overwatch delivers services through Managed Service Providers (MSPs), strategic partnerships and alliances, Value Added Resellers (VARs), Distributors, and Network Service Providers.
● Technology Solutions: We provide technology enabled professional and managed services for a wide array of clients exclusively through our channel partner relationships with the largest technology companies in the world. We deliver in the Enterprise, Wireline Carrier, Wireless Carrier, Network Backbone Carriers, State and Local Government, Federal Government, and Data Center market segments. We deliver services for most of the Fortune 500 alongside our channel partners. We deliver a wide array of services across a wide variety of technologies that include Wi-Fi, networking, SD-WAN, Distributed Antenna Systems, Wireless Carrier Networking, Fiber Backhaul, and many more. We provide planning, installation, project management, and ongoing support for break/fix services. We operate 24/7/365 around the world. We leverage our own technology platform, Workview, to deliver these services cost effectively and in a highly efficient and scalable manner.
Our Technology Solutions division is supported by our subsidiaries: HWN, Inc.; AW Solutions Puerto Rico, LLC and Tropical Communications, Inc. (collectively known as “AWS” or the “AWS Entities”); and SVC.
Our Operating Units
Our company is comprised of the following:
● Managed Services: The Managed Services Segment encompasses all of our recurring revenue businesses including our Overwatch Managed Security, all network managed services, all managed services performed under a Statement of Work (SoW), and our SVC revenue.
● Technology Solutions: The Technology Solutions group is all service and project revenue generally globally by HWN, Tropical, and AWS PR. These business perform professional services for the Enterprise, SMB, Data Center, Carrier Wireline, Carrier Wireless, and Network Service Provider markets.
Our Industry
As technology evolves, the demand for more robust networks, faster speeds, better experiences, and protection from the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape continues to grow at a robust pace. This demand has been compounded by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid transition to “work from home” for large swaths of the global workforce. Remote learning, remote video meetings, collaboration software, increased email volumes, all have transformed the way we share information, and created strain on the way business used to be done. Nearly two years later, the technology demands are yet again changing as businesses are calling staff back to the office and needing to refresh, redesign, and secure their networks. Next generation networks rely on cloud, on-premise, and remote work models, which brings new complexity and requires new strategies to defend this ever expanding attack surface.
With the rapid proliferation of device connectivity and the transition of the workforce to remote or hybrid, the demands on Enterprise networks and all traditional networks have shifted. Cyber security risks have proliferated right along with it. According to the IBM “Cost of Data Breach” report, the average cost of a data breach in the United States is now $9.4 million, 113% higher than the global average for the 12th year in a row. Cyber risk is now something that every business is forced to address around the globe. Allianz Global and Specialty Report 2023 indicates that cyber incidents are the number one source of business disruption at 44% of reported claims. Closer to home, a patchwork of legislation has emerged in the United States with various states enacting different requirements for protection of sensitive data, networks, and adding duties to disclose. Congress has yet to enact federal laws mandating cyber security protections thus far, but there have been many discussions, task forces, and the Department of Defense has updated standards for private sector companies doing business with them.
Global Cyber Security spending is expected to reach $376 billion annually by 2029, a 13.9% CAGR according to Fortune Business Insighted (March ’22). Service Providers, Wireless Providers, and Managed Service Providers are all working at a feverish pace to keep up with emerging threats. There are over 4000 different “point” solutions on the market today. Most focused on a single part of the problem or “attack surface”. Traditional solutions require a lot of work to deploy, constant monitoring, and well-trained people to interpret the massive amounts of data they produce. This sets the stage for managed service solutions that meld best in breed tools together into a comprehensive solution, manage the solution 24x7x365, to detect and respond to threats.
High Wire Networks, Inc. was recently recognized by Frost and Sullivan in the 2023 Frost Radar: America’s Top Professional and Managed Cybersecurity Companies, as one of the top 12 companies in the Americas. This was based on a number of criteria around growth and innovation, ranking us amongst the largest and best companies in the industry. One of these criteria is identification and exploitation of mega trend opportunities in the space. Our Overwatch Managed Cybersecurity platform is built around an open ecosystem that is vendor and technology agnostic, and built for scale around extensive automation capabilities. Identifying that customers need vendors that can “meet them exactly where they are at” and truly operationalize cybersecurity for them in a way that they often cannot themselves, resonates with customers as they seek to better improve their security posture.
In 2020, companies around the world shifted their technology spend to rapidly enable work from home capabilities for their workforce in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic waned in late 2022, companies began revisiting their workforce needs and planning for significant return to the office migrations. Over those three years, infrastructure upgrades were infrequent or non-existent. Companies are confronted with the need for technology refresh deployments to replace or upgrade outdated infrastructure or infrastructure components that are no longer deemed secure. With the continued sprawl of business applications and cloud native operations, networking connectivity and security are front of mind and point to increased spending cycles for the foreseeable future.
INDUSTRY TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
● Cyber Security Managed Service
● Network buildout and deployment
● IOT creating deployment and cyber security opportunities
● Fiber backhaul network buildouts
● Future forward Cloud Area Networks
● Monetize existing technology intellectual property and develop the portfolio
● International growth, developing and emerging markets
● Monetize our existing telecom network (Secure Voice Corp) in new ways
Competitors
We provide, managed and professional services to carriers, service provider, utilities and enterprise clients on a national and international basis. Demand for our services is strong and growing in all segments of the business. Our channel-oriented sales model provides for very rapid expansion within our clients as they win contracts, develop new programs, build out their own suite of services, or leverage our portfolio to expand their own under private label.
Managed Services is a very competitive market and as such, our strategy to work exclusively through distribution channels with existing customer bases and robust sales organizations that can provide rapid growth. Most of our competitors are not channel only, but rather serve customers directly as well as have a channel component. Many are also wed to their own software, which makes it challenging to pivot as threats change. Some of our significant competitors would be Arctic Wolf, Herjevic Group, SecureWorks, and numerous smaller competitors. This space is rapidly evolving and hiring and retaining talent can be challenging. The company that develops a competitive edge in recruitment and employee retention will have a significant advantage. In a crowded and evolving landscape, there will be a continued need to spend on marketing and sales to acquire partners and help them convert and acquire new customers. We believe that with the combination of businesses we have, we are able to differentiate our services and compete aggressively in this market.
Our Competitive Strengths
We believe our market advantage is our positioning as a trusted authority in the space and the long-term relationships, Master Service Agreements (MSAs), industry leading provider of solutions and a reputation and track record of our ability to perform with agility, quality on a seamless and flawless manner for our clients is key in our success to date. High Wire’s ability to provide a wide range of services in a turn-key integrated solution is critical to our clients. Our highly experienced and professional team provide such services as: Managed Services, Cyber security services, and high Technology Enabled Professional Services.
We believe our additional strengths described below will enable us to continue to compete effectively and to take advantage of anticipated growth opportunities:
● A significant portion of our overall revenues are derived from multi-year recurring revenue contracts providing stability and predictable cash flow.
● Established expertise in Cyber Security and manage services with over 230 established MSP channel partners
● Established expertise as demonstrated by Frost and Sullivan in the 2023 Frost Radar as one of the Top 12 Professional and Managed Service Companies in the Americas.
● Established operational expertise and channel partnerships with the largest technology resellers and channel partners in the world
Sample Customers
● Technology Resellers such as Presido, Tech Data/Synnex, Worldwide Technologies, NWN Carousel, Sirius, Myriad 360, HPE-Aruba, and many more.
● Long-Term Master Service Agreements (MSA) and Contracts: We have MSA’s and agreements with service providers, OEMs, software manufacturers, technology resellers, managed services providers, value added distributors and other clients. Our relationships with our customers and existing master service agreements position us to continue to capture existing and emerging opportunities, both domestically and internationally. We believe the barriers are extremely high for new entrants to obtain master service agreements with service providers and OEMs unless there are established relationships, proven ability to execute, national coverage and licensing, spotless safety records and broad and deep insurance coverage.
● Proven Ability to Recruit, Manage and Retain High-Quality Personnel. Our ability to recruit, manage and retain skilled labor is a critical advantage in an industry where a shortage of highly skilled and experience personal is limited. This is often a key factor in our customers selecting High Wire Networks over our competitors. We believe that our highly skilled professionals with professional certifications gives us a competitive edge over our competitors as we continue to expand and meet our national and international clients needs across their entire service footprints.
● Expansion of our recurring revenue streams through increased focus on managed services, cyber security services, and professional services programs that are multiple years in duration will increase client retention, grow margins, and make the business more predictable through uncertain economic cycles.
● Increased value creation through continued expansion of our intellectual property (IP) and potential acquisition of additional IP.
● Our sales organization has extensive expertise and deep industry relationships. Paired with an effective and efficient marketing message that drives new client acquisition, we believe they position us to compete very well.
● Our highly experienced management team has deep industry knowledge and brings extensive combined experience across a broad range of disciplines. We believe our senior management team is a key driver of our success and is well-positioned to execute our strategy.
KEY ASPECTS
● Strong management team in place
● Extensive automation capabilities in Managed Cyber Services enabling scalability at high margin
● Competing in high growth markets
● Global operational capabilities
● Effective marketing and strong brand awareness in the industry
● Vast expertise in technology domains
● Top customers in the industry in every segment
● Diverse customer base of nearly 500 channel partners across three different sales channels
● Focused on high growth markets
● Multiple data centers/clouds and intellectual property portfolio
Our Growth Strategy
● Under our current management team we have developed a growth strategy based on a combination of organic growth and growth through operations. Our strategy is focused on building the business on high margin recurring revenue to drive long term sustainability. We have consolidated our sales and management team to leverage the strength of our clients and sell across the existing base. We will continue to focus on existing offerings while adding robust new capabilities.
● We will continue to grow and expand our award winning, channel only Overwatch Managed Cyber Security platform. This service leverages our extensive expertise to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats 24x7x365. These services are in high demand around the world, and our platform is cutting edge.
● Grow Revenues and Market Share through acquisition of recurring revenue in the highly fragmented managed services provider space without acquiring and integrating the entire business. This strategy is underpinned by our substantial investment in automation technologies which allow us to perform managed services with a fraction of the normal labor burden.
● Aggressively Expand Our Organic Growth Initiatives around our Professional Services Business. Our customers have an extensive array of needs and business segments they serve. We will expand our offerings, skillsets, and geographic reach with our customers to support their clients. As we expand the breadth of our service offerings through both organic growth and selective acquisitions, we believe we have opportunities to expand revenues with our existing clients.
● Expand Our Relationships with New Service Partners. We plan to capture and expand new relationships. We believe that the business model for the expansion of these relationships, leveraging our core strengths, experience and broad array of service solutions, will support our business model for organic growth.
● Increase Operating Margins by Leveraging Operating Efficiencies. We believe that by centralizing administrative functions, consolidating insurance coverage and eliminating redundancies across our newly acquired businesses, we will be positioned to offer more integrated end-to-end solutions and increase operating margins.
● Expansion of Sales and Marketing. We believe that we can continue to expand our outside sales team, build an effective inside sales team, and provide additional momentum through marketing support and partner focused events.
Our Services
We provide award winning managed cyber security solutions, managed services, and wholesale communications exclusively through our channel partners around the world. We leverage state of the art cyber security tools to deliver these services. We have built out extensive data center/cloud infrastructure enabling our partners to provide concierge level security services and extend their value proposition to their own clients with a high degree of certainty. Our U.S. based Security Operations Center (SOC) provides SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) to manage all of the tools 24x7x365. Our cybersecurity operations are 100% U.S. based with no offshore presence, entirely provided by our own employees. Our open architecture ecosystem is vendor and technology agnostic and allows us to integrate and automate with a nearly limitless number of security tools and solutions.
Our Technology Services teams support the deployment of new networks and technologies, expand and maintain existing networks, as well as decommissioning obsolete legacy networks. We also design, install and maintain hardware solutions for the leading OEMs that support voice, data and optical networks. Our consulting and professional solutions to the service-provider and enterprise market in support of all facets of telecommunications and next-generation networks, including project management, network implementation, network installation, network upgrades, rebuilds, maintenance and consulting services. Our global certified professional services organization offers consulting, design, engineering, integration, implementation and ongoing support of all solutions offered by our company. We believe our ability to respond rapidly is a differentiating factor for national and international-based customers needing a broad range of our services and solutions.
Customers
On behalf of our clients, we provide services for most of the Fortune 1000 enterprises and the like, software and hardware OEMs, wireless and wireline service providers, cable broadband MSOs and telecommunications OEMs. Our current service provider and OEM customers include the largest resellers of technology in the world, technology manufacturers, telecom carriers, and over 230 managed service providers.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, our top four customers accounted for approximately 50% and 55% of our total revenues.
A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from work performed under multi-year master service agreements and multi-year service contracts. We have entered into master service agreements, or MSAs, with numerous service providers and OEMs, and generally have multiple agreements with each of our customers. MSAs are generally the contracting vehicle with work awarded primarily through a competitive bidding process based on the depth of our service offerings, experience, price, geographic coverage and capacity. MSAs generally contain customer-specified service requirements, such as discrete pricing for individual tasks, but do not require our customers to purchase a minimum amount of services. To the extent that such contracts specify exclusivity, there are often a number of exceptions, including the ability of the customer to issue work orders valued above a specified dollar amount to other service providers, perform work with the customer’s own employees and use other service providers. Most of our MSAs may be cancelled by our customers upon minimum notice (typically 60 days), regardless of whether we are or are not in default. In addition, many of these contracts permit cancellation of particular purchase orders or statements of work without any prior notice but do allow for payment for services performed up to the point of hold or cancellation.
Suppliers and Vendors
We have supply agreements with major technology vendors and material supply houses. However, for a majority of the professional services we perform, our customers supply the necessary major equipment and materials. We expect to continue to further develop our relationships with our technology vendors and to broaden our scope of work with each of our partners. In many cases, our relationships with our partners have extended for over a decade, which we attribute to our commitment to excellence. It is our objective to selectively expand our partnerships moving forward in order to expand our service offerings.
Safety and Risk Management
We require our employees to participate in internal training and service programs from time to time relevant to their employment and to complete any training programs required by law. The telecommunications division has not had any OSHA recordable incidents, lost workdays or fatalities since inception which includes: 2006 through 2022. Our policy is to review accidents and claims from our operations, examine trends and implement changes in procedures to address safety issues. We have no Claims in our business related to: workers’ compensation claims, general liability and damage claims, or claims related to vehicle accidents, including personal injury and property damage. We insure against the risk of loss arising from our operations up to certain deductible limits in all of the states in which we operate. In addition, we retain risk of loss, up to certain limits, under our employee group health plan. We evaluate our insurance requirements on an ongoing basis to help ensure we maintain adequate levels of coverage internally and externally for our clients.
Our internal policy is to carefully monitor claims and actively participate with our insurers in determining claims estimates and adjustments. The estimated costs of claims are accrued as liabilities and include estimates for claims incurred but not reported. If we experience future insurance claims in excess of our umbrella coverage limit, our business could be materially and adversely affected.
Employees
As of December 31, 2022, we had 342 full-time employees and 6 part-time employees, of whom 30 were in administration and corporate management, 5 were accounting personnel, 23 were sales personnel and 290 are engaged in professional engineering, operations, project managerial and technical roles.
We maintain a core of professional, technical, and managerial personnel and add employees as deemed appropriate to address operational and scale requirements related to growth. Additionally, we will “flex” our work force through the use of temporary or agency staff and through subcontractors.
Environmental Matters
A portion of the work related to the telecommunication division is work associated with above ground and underground networks of our customers. As a result, we are potentially subject to material liabilities related to encountering underground objects that may cause the release of hazardous materials or substances. We are subject to federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, including those regarding the removal and remediation of hazardous substances and waste. These laws and regulations can impose significant fines and criminal sanctions for violations. Costs associated with the discharge of hazardous substances may include clean-up costs and related damages or liabilities. These costs could be significant and could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.
Regulation
Our operations are subject to various federal, state, local and international laws and regulations, including licensing, permitting and inspection requirements applicable to electricians and engineers; building codes; permitting and inspection requirements applicable to construction and installation projects; regulations relating to worker safety and environmental protection; telecommunication regulations affecting our wireless, wireline and fiber optic business; labor and employment laws; laws governing advertising, and laws governing our public business.
Our Corporate Information
Our principal offices are located at 30 North Lincoln Street, Batavia, Illinois 60510. Our telephone number is (952) 974-4000.

---

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors and all other information contained in this report before purchasing our securities. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that case, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose some or all of your investment.
In addition to the other information in this annual report, you should carefully consider the following factors in evaluating us and our business. This annual report contains, in addition to historical information, forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results could differ materially. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below, as well as those discussed elsewhere in this annual report, including the documents incorporated by reference.
There are risks associated with investing in companies such as ours. In addition to risks which could apply to any company or business, you should also consider the business we are in and the following:
Risks Related to Our Financial Results and Financing Plans
We have a history of losses and may continue to incur losses in the future.
We have a history of losses and may continue to incur losses in the future, which could negatively impact the trading value of our common stock. We incurred losses from operations of $23,661,958 and $3,674,429 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. In addition, we incurred a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $19,035,088 and $19,191,952 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We may continue to incur operating and net losses in future periods. These losses may increase, and we may never achieve profitability for a variety of reasons, including increased competition, decreased growth in the unified communications industry, and other factors described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section. If we cannot achieve sustained profitability, our stockholders may lose all or a portion of their investment in our company.
If we are unable to grow our revenue, we may never achieve or sustain profitability.
To become profitable, we must, among other things, continue increase our revenues. We have experienced significant growth in recent years, primarily due to our strategic acquisitions. Our total revenues increased from $27,206,689 in the year ended December 31, 2021 to $55,049,441 in the year ended December 31, 2022. In order to become profitable and maintain our profitability, we must, among other things, continue to increase our revenues. We may be unable to sustain our recent revenue growth, particularly if we are unable to develop and market our telecommunications, increase our sales to existing customers or develop new customers. However, even if our revenues continue to grow, they may not be sufficient to exceed increases in our operating expenses or to enable us to achieve or sustain profitability.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the ADEX Entities, which were divested in March 2023, accounted for $28,270,502 and $11,868,619, respectively, of revenue.
Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations.
As of December 31, 2021, we had total indebtedness of $10,053,665, consisting of $3,223,894 of convertible debentures, $2,931,147 of loans payable, $209,031 of loans payable to related parties, and $3,689,593 of factor financing. $8,091,050 of this debt is due within the year ending December 31, 2023. Our substantial indebtedness could have important consequences to our stockholders. For example, it could:
● increase our vulnerability to and limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business;
● place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt;
● limit our ability to borrow additional funds, dispose of assets, pay dividends, and make certain investments; and
● make us more vulnerable to a general economic downturn than a company that is less leveraged.
A high level of indebtedness would increase the risk that we may default on our debt obligations. Our ability to meet our debt obligations and to reduce our level of indebtedness will depend on our future performance. General economic conditions and financial, business, and other factors affect our operations and our future performance. Many of these factors are beyond our control. We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flows to pay the interest on our debt and future working capital, borrowings or equity financing may not be available to pay or refinance such debt. Factors that will affect our ability to raise cash through an offering of our capital stock or a refinancing of our debt include our ability to access the public equity and debt markets, financial market conditions, the value of our assets and our performance at the time we need capital.
Risks Relating to Our Business
Our inability to obtain additional capital may prevent us from completing our acquisition strategy and successfully operating our business; however, additional financings may subject our existing stockholders to substantial dilution.
We expect to finance our anticipated future strategic acquisitions through public or private equity offerings or debt financings. Additional funds may not be available when we need them on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If adequate funds are not available, we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate one or more strategic acquisitions or business plans. To the extent that we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience significant dilution. In addition, debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants. We may seek to access the public or private capital markets whenever conditions are favorable, even if we do not have an immediate need for additional capital at that time. Our access to the financial markets and the pricing and terms we receive in the financial markets could be adversely impacted by various factors, including changes in financial markets and interest rates.
Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, the costs and timing of our future acquisitions.
A failure to successfully execute our strategy of acquiring other businesses to grow our company could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We intend to continue pursuing growth through the acquisition of companies or assets to expand our product offerings, project skill sets and capabilities, enlarge our geographic markets, and increase critical mass to enable us to bid on larger contracts. However, we may be unable to find suitable acquisition candidates or to complete acquisitions on favorable terms, if at all. Moreover, any completed acquisition may not result in the intended benefits. For example, while the historical financial and operating performance of an acquisition target are among the criteria we evaluate in determining which acquisition targets we will pursue, there can be no assurance that any business or assets we acquire will continue to perform in accordance with past practices or will achieve financial or operating results that are consistent with or exceed past results. Any such failure could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, any completed acquisition may not result in the intended benefits for other reasons and our acquisitions will involve a number of other risks, including:
● We may have difficulty integrating the acquired companies;
● Our ongoing business and management’s attention may be disrupted or diverted by transition or integration issues and the complexity of managing geographically or culturally diverse enterprises;
● We may not realize the anticipated cost savings or other financial benefits we anticipated;
● We may have difficulty retaining or hiring key personnel, customers and suppliers to maintain expanded operations;
● Our internal resources may not be adequate to support our operations as we expand, particularly if we are awarded a significant number of contracts in a short time period;
● We may have difficulty retaining and obtaining required regulatory approvals, licenses and permits;
● We may not be able to obtain additional equity or debt financing on terms acceptable to us or at all, and any such financing could result in dilution to our stockholders, impact our ability to service our debt within the scheduled repayment terms and include covenants or other restrictions that would impede our ability to manage our operations;
● We may have failed to, or be unable to, discover liabilities of the acquired companies during the course of performing our due diligence; and
● We may be required to record additional goodwill as a result of an acquisition, which will reduce our tangible net worth.
Any of these risks could prevent us from executing our acquisition growth strategy, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our engagements can require longer implementations and other professional services engagements.
Our implementations can involve a longer period of delivery of telecommunication and infrastructure services and technologies. In addition, existing customers for other professional services projects often retain us for those projects sometime beyond an initial implementation. A successful implementation or other professional services project requires a close working relationship between us, the customer and often third- party consultants and systems integrators who assist in the process. These factors may increase the costs associated with completion of any given project award/sale, increase the timeline risks of collection of amounts due during implementations or other professional services projects, and increase risks of delay of such projects. Delays in the completion of an implementation or any other professional services project may require that the revenues associated with such implementation or project be recognized over a longer period than originally anticipated, or may result in disputes with customers, third-party consultants or systems integrators regarding performance as originally anticipated. Such delays in the implementation may cause material fluctuations in our operating results. In addition, customers may defer implementation projects or portions of such projects and such deferrals could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our future success is substantially dependent on third-party relationships.
An element of our strategy is to establish and maintain alliances with other companies, such as suppliers of products and services for construction and maintenance. These relationships enhance our status in the marketplace, which generates new business opportunities and marketing channels and, in certain cases, additional revenue and profitability. To effectively generate revenue out of these relationships, each party must coordinate and support required hence the sales and marketing efforts of the other, often including making a sizable investment in such sales and marketing activity. Our inability to establish and maintain effective alliances with other companies could impact our success in the marketplace, which could materially and adversely impact our results of operations. In addition, as we cannot control the actions of these third-party alliances, if these companies suffer business downturns or fail to meet their objectives, we may experience a resulting diminished revenue and decline in results of operations.
If we do not accurately estimate the overall costs when we bid on a contract that is awarded to us, we may achieve a lower than anticipated profit or incur a loss on the contract.
A portion of our revenues from our technology and professional services offerings are derived from fixed unit price contracts that require us to perform the contract for a fixed unit price irrespective of our actual costs. We bid for these contracts based on our estimates of overall costs, but cost overruns may cause us to incur losses. The costs incurred and any net profit realized on such contracts can vary, sometimes substantially, from the original projections due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
● onsite conditions that differ from those assumed in the original bid and do not qualify for a job change order;
● delays in project starts or completion;
● contract modifications creating unanticipated costs not covered by change orders;
● development of new technologies;
● availability and skill level of workers in the geographic location of a project;
● our suppliers’ or subcontractors’ failure to perform due to various reasons, including bankruptcy;
● fraud or theft committed by our employees or others;
● citations or fines issued by any governmental authority;
● delays caused by any government authority;
● difficulties in obtaining required governmental permits or approvals or performance bonds;
● labor and material cost greater than anticipated;
● changes in applicable laws and regulations; and
● claims or demands from third parties alleging damages arising from our work or from the project of which our work is a part.
These factors may cause actual reduced profitability or losses on projects, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our contracts may require us to perform extra or change order work, which can result in disputes and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our contracts generally require us to perform extra or change order work as directed by the customer, even if the customer has not agreed in advance on the scope or price of the extra work to be performed. This process may result in disputes over whether the work performed is beyond the scope of the work included in the original project plans and specifications or, if the customer agrees that the work performed qualifies as extra work, the price that the customer is willing to pay for the extra work. Even when the customer agrees to pay for the extra work, we may be required to fund the cost of such work for a lengthy period of time until the change order is approved by the customer and we are paid by the customer.
To the extent that actual recoveries with respect to change orders or amounts subject to contract disputes or claims are less than the estimates used in our financial statements, the amount of any shortfall will reduce our future revenues and profits, and this could adversely affect our reported working capital and results of operations. In addition, any delay caused by the extra work may adversely impact the timely scheduling of other project work and our ability to meet specified contract milestone dates.
We derive a significant portion of our revenue from a few customers and the loss of one of these customers, or a reduction in their demand for our services, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our customer base on the telecommunication sector is highly concentrated. Due to the size and nature of our contracts, one or a few customers have represented a substantial portion of our consolidated revenues and gross profits in any one year or over a period of several consecutive years. Our top four customers accounted for approximately 50% and 55% of our revenue in the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Revenues under our contracts with significant customers may continue to vary from period to period depending on the timing or volume of work that those customers order or perform with in-house service organizations. A limited number of customers may continue to comprise a substantial portion of our revenue for the foreseeable future.
Because we do not maintain any reserves for payment defaults, a default or delay in payment on a significant scale could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We could lose business from a significant customer for a variety of reasons, including:
● the consolidation, merger, or acquisition of an existing customer, resulting in a change in procurement strategies employed by the surviving entity that could reduce the amount of work we receive;
● our performance on individual contracts or relationships with one or more significant customers could become impaired due to another reason, which may cause us to lose future business with such customers and, as a result, our ability to generate income would be adversely impacted;
● key customers could slow or stop spending on initiatives related to projects we are performing for them due to increased difficulty in the markets as a result of economic downturns or other reasons.
Since many of our customer contracts allow our customers to terminate the contract without cause, our customers may terminate their contracts with us at will, which could impair our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our failure to adequately expand our direct sales force will impede our growth.
We will need to continue to expand and optimize our sales infrastructure in order to grow our customer base and our business. We plan to continue to expand our account management/sales force, both domestically and internationally. Identifying and recruiting qualified personnel and training them requires significant time, expense, and attention. If we are unable to hire, develop and retain talented account management/sales personnel or if the personnel are unable to achieve desired productivity levels in a reasonable period of time, we may not be able to realize the intended benefits of this investment or increase our revenue.
If we are unable to attract and retain qualified executive officers and managers, we will be unable to operate efficiently, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We depend on the continued efforts and abilities of our management, as well as the senior management of our subsidiaries, to establish and maintain our customer relationships and identify strategic opportunities. The loss of any one of them could negatively affect our ability to execute our business strategy and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Competition for managerial talent with significant industry experience is high and we may lose access to executive officers for a variety of reasons, including more attractive compensation packages offered by our competitors. Although we have entered into employment agreements with certain of our senior level management, we cannot guarantee that any of them or other key management personnel will remain employed by us for any length of time.
We derive a significant portion of our revenues from master service agreements that may be cancelled by customers on short notice, or which we may be unable to renew on favorable terms or at all.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 we derived substantially all of our revenues from master service agreements and long-term contracts, none of which require our customers to purchase a minimum amount of services. The majority of these contracts may be cancelled by our customers upon minimal notice (typically 60 days), regardless of whether or not we are in default. In addition, many of these contracts permit cancellation of particular purchase orders or statements of work without any notice.
These agreements typically do not require our customers to assign a specific amount of work to us until a purchase order or statement of work is signed. Consequently, projected expenditures by customers are not assured until a definitive purchase order or statement of work is placed with us and the work is completed. Furthermore, our customers generally require competitive bidding of these contracts. As a result, we could be underbid by our competitors or be required to lower the prices charged under a contract being rebid. The loss of work obtained through master service agreements and long-term contracts or the reduced profitability of such work could adversely affect our business or results of operations.
Unanticipated delays due to adverse weather conditions, global climate change and difficult work sites and environments may slow completion of our contracts, impair our customer relationships and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Because some of our work in the telecommunication sector is performed outdoors, our business is impacted by extended periods of inclement weather and is subject to unpredictable weather conditions, which could become more frequent or severe if general climatic changes occur. Generally, inclement weather is more likely to occur during the winter season, which falls during our first and fourth fiscal quarters. Additionally, adverse weather conditions can result in project delays or cancellations, potentially causing us to incur additional unanticipated costs, reductions in revenues or the payment of liquidated damages. In addition, some of our contracts require that we assume the risk that actual site conditions vary from those expected. Significant periods of bad weather typically reduce profitability of affected contracts, both in the current period and during the future life of affected contracts, which can negatively affect our results of operations in current and future periods until the affected contracts are completed.
Some of our projects involve challenging engineering, procurement and construction phases that may occur over extended time periods, sometimes up to several years. We may encounter difficulties in engineering, delays in designs or materials provided by the customer or a third party, equipment and material delivery delays, schedule changes, delays from customer failure to timely obtain rights-of-way, weather-related delays, delays by subcontractors in completing their portion of the project and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, but which may impact our ability to complete a project within the original delivery schedule. In some cases, delays and additional costs may be substantial, and we may be required to cancel a project and/or compensate the customer for the delay. We may not be able to recover any of these costs. Any such delays, cancellations, defects, errors or other failures to meet customer expectations could result in damage claims substantially in excess of revenue associated with a project. These factors could also negatively impact our reputation or relationships with our customers, which could adversely affect our ability to secure new contracts.
Environmental and other regulatory matters could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business and could require expenditures that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our operations are subject to laws and regulations relating to workplace safety and worker health that, among other things, regulate employee exposure to hazardous substances. While immigration laws require us to take certain steps intended to confirm the legal status of our immigrant labor force, we may nonetheless unknowingly employ illegal immigrants. Violations of laws and regulations could subject us to substantial fines and penalties, cleanup costs, third- party property damage or personal injury claims. In addition, these laws and regulations have become, and enforcement practices and compliance standards are becoming, increasingly stringent. Moreover, we cannot predict the nature, scope or effect of legislation or regulatory requirements that could be imposed, or how existing or future laws or regulations will be administered or interpreted, with respect to products or activities to which they have not been previously applied. Compliance with more stringent laws or regulations, as well as more vigorous enforcement policies of the regulatory agencies, could require us to make substantial expenditures for, among other things, pollution control systems and other equipment that we do not currently possess, or the acquisition or modification of permits applicable to our activities.
Fines, judgments and other consequences resulting from our failure to comply with regulations or adverse outcomes in litigation proceedings could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
From time to time, we may be involved in lawsuits and regulatory actions, including class action lawsuits that are brought or threatened against us in the ordinary course of business. These actions may seek, among other things, compensation for alleged personal injury, workers’ compensation, violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws, employment discrimination, breach of contract, property damage, punitive damages, civil penalties, and consequential damages or other losses, or injunctive or declaratory relief. Any defects or errors, or failures to meet our customers’ expectations could result in large damage claims against us. Claimants may seek large damage awards and, due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, we cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings. Any failure to properly estimate or manage cost, or delay in the completion of projects, could subject us to penalties.
The ultimate resolution of these matters through settlement, mediation or court judgment could have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Regardless of the outcome of any litigation, these proceedings could result in substantial cost and may require us to devote substantial resources to defend ourselves. When appropriate, we establish reserves for litigation and claims that we believe to be adequate in light of current information, legal advice and professional indemnity insurance coverage, and we adjust such reserves from time to time according to developments. If our reserves are inadequate or insurance coverage proves to be inadequate or unavailable, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may suffer.
If we are required to reclassify independent contractors as employees, we may incur additional costs and taxes which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We use a significant number of independent contractors in our operations for whom we do not pay or withhold any federal, state or provincial employment tax. There are a number of different tests used in determining whether an individual is an employee or an independent contractor and such tests generally take into account multiple factors. There can be no assurance that legislative, judicial, or regulatory (including tax) authorities will not introduce proposals or assert interpretations of existing rules and regulations that would change, or at least challenge, the classification of our independent contractors. Although we believe we have properly classified our independent contractors, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or other U.S. federal or state authorities or similar authorities of a foreign government may determine that we have misclassified our independent contractors for employment tax or other purposes and, as a result, seek additional taxes from us or attempt to impose fines and penalties. If we are required to pay employer taxes or pay backup withholding with respect to prior periods with respect to or on behalf of our independent contractors, our operating costs will increase, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our dependence on subcontractors and suppliers could increase our cost and impair our ability to complete contracts on a timely basis or at all.
We rely on third-party subcontractors to perform some of the work on our contracts. We also rely on third-party suppliers to provide materials needed to perform our obligations under those contracts. We generally do not bid on contracts unless we have the necessary subcontractors and suppliers committed for the anticipated scope of the contract and at prices that we have included in our bid. Therefore, to the extent that we cannot engage subcontractors or suppliers, our ability to bid for contracts may be impaired. In addition, if a subcontractor or third-party supplier is unable to deliver its goods or services according to the negotiated terms for any reason, we may suffer delays and be required to purchase the services from another source at a higher price. We sometimes pay our subcontractors and suppliers before our customers pay us for the related services. If customers fail to pay us and we choose, or are required, to pay our subcontractors for work performed or pay our suppliers for goods received, we could suffer an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our insurance coverage may be inadequate to cover all significant risk exposures.
We will be exposed to liabilities that are unique to the services we provide. While we intend to maintain insurance for certain risks, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all claims or liabilities, and we may be forced to bear substantial costs resulting from risks and uncertainties of our business. It is also not possible to obtain insurance to protect against all operational risks and liabilities. The failure to obtain adequate insurance coverage on terms favorable to us, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
A portion of our operations are subject to hazards that may cause personal injury or property damage, thereby subjecting us to liabilities and possible losses, which may not be covered by insurance.
Our workers are subject to hazards associated with providing construction and related services on construction sites. For example, some of the work we perform is underground. If the field location maps supplied to us are not accurate, or if objects are present in the soil that are not indicated on the field location maps, our underground work could strike objects in the soil containing pollutants that could result in a rupture and discharge of pollutants. In such a case, we may be liable for fines and damages. These operating hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, plant and equipment and environmental damage. Even though we believe that the insurance coverage we maintain is in amounts and against the risks that we believe are consistent with industry practice, this insurance may not be adequate to cover all losses or liabilities that we may incur in our operations. To the extent that we experience a material increase in the frequency or severity of accidents or workers’ compensation claims, or unfavorable developments on existing claims, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, or OSHA, establishes certain employer responsibilities, including the maintenance of a workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious injury, compliance with standards promulgated by the Occupational Health and Safety and Health Administration and various recordkeeping, disclosure, and procedural requirements. While we have invested, and will continue to invest, substantial resources in occupational health and safety programs, serious accidents or violations of OSHA rules may subject us to substantial penalties, civil litigation, or criminal prosecution, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. However, our record to date has had no incidents or losses and we are in full compliance with a 100% safety record.
Errors in our contracting services may give rise to claims against us, increase our expenses, or harm our reputation.
Our contracting services are complex and our final work product may contain errors. We have not historically accrued reserves for potential claims as they have been immaterial. The costs associated with such claims, including any legal proceedings, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The extent to which the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) outbreak and measures taken in response thereto impact our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
Global health concerns relating to the coronavirus outbreak have been weighing on the macroeconomic environment, and the outbreak has significantly increased economic uncertainty. Risks related to consumers and businesses lowering or changing spending, which impact domestic and international spend. The outbreak has resulted in authorities implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter in place orders, and business shutdowns. These measures have not only negatively impacted consumer spending and business spending habits, they have also adversely impacted and may further impact our workforce and operations and the operations of our customers, suppliers and business partners. These measures may remain in place for a significant period of time and they are likely to continue to adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The spread of the coronavirus has caused us to modify our business practices (including employee travel, employee work locations, and cancellation of physical participation in meetings, events and conferences), and we may take further actions as may be required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers and business partners. There is no certainty that such measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks posed by the virus or otherwise be satisfactory to government authorities.
The extent to which the coronavirus outbreak impacts our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the duration and spread of the outbreak, its severity, the actions to contain the virus or treat its impact, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. Even after the coronavirus outbreak has subsided, we may continue to experience materially adverse impacts to our business as a result of its global economic impact, including any recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.
There are no comparable recent events which may provide guidance as to the effect of the spread of the coronavirus and a global pandemic, and, as a result, the ultimate impact of the coronavirus outbreak or a similar health epidemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent of the impacts on our business, our operations, or the global economy as a whole. However, the effects could have a material impact on our results of operations, and we will continue to monitor the coronavirus situation closely. As of March 2021, multiple variants of the COVID-19 virus are circulating globally that are highly transmissible, and there is uncertainty around vaccine effectiveness on the new strains of the virus. Uncertainty around vaccine distribution, supply and effectiveness will impact when the negative economic effects as a result of COVID-19 will abate or end and the timing of such recovery may affect our financial condition.
Risks Related to Our Industry
Our industry is highly competitive, with a variety of larger companies with greater resources competing with us, and our failure to compete effectively could reduce the number of new contracts awarded to us or adversely affect our market share and harm our financial performance.
The contracts on which we bid are generally awarded through a competitive bid process, with awards generally being made to the lowest bidder, but sometimes based on other factors, such as shorter contract schedules, larger scale to complete projects or prior experience with the customer. Managed Services is a very competitive market and as such, our strategy to work exclusively through distribution channels with existing customer bases and robust sales organizations that can provide rapid growth. Most of our competitors are not channel only, but rather serve customers directly as well as have a channel component. Many are also wed to their own software, which makes it challenging to pivot as threats change. Some of our significant competitors would be Arctic Wolf, Herjevic Group, SecureWorks, and numerous smaller competitors. In some segments of our business, price is often an important factor in determining which service provider is selected by our customers, especially on smaller, less complex projects. As a result, any organization with adequate financial resources and access to technical expertise may become a competitor. Smaller competitors are sometimes able to win bids for these projects based on price alone because of their lower costs and financial return requirements. Additionally, our competitors may develop the expertise, experience and resources to provide services that are equal or superior in price to our services, and we may not be able to maintain or enhance our competitive position.
Some of our competitors have already achieved greater market penetration than we have in the markets in which we compete, and some have greater financial and other resources than we do. A number of national companies in our industry are larger than we are and, if they so desire, could establish a presence in our markets and compete with us for contracts. As a result of this competition, we may need to accept lower contract margins in order to compete against competitors that have the ability to accept awards at lower prices or have a pre-existing relationship with a customer. If we are unable to compete successfully in our markets, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.
Many of the industries we serve are subject to consolidation and rapid technological and regulatory change, and our inability or failure to adjust to our customers’ changing needs could reduce demand for our services.
We derive, and anticipate that we will continue to derive, a substantial portion of our revenue from customers in the telecommunications and utilities industries. The telecommunications and utilities industries are subject to rapid changes in technology and governmental regulation. Changes in technology may reduce the demand for the services we provide. For example, new or developing technologies could displace the wireline systems used for the transmission of voice, video and data, and improvements in existing technology may allow telecommunications providers to significantly improve their networks without physically upgrading them. Alternatively, our customers could perform more tasks themselves, which would cause our business to suffer. Additionally, the telecommunications and utilities industries have been characterized by a high level of consolidation that may result in the loss of one or more of our customers. Our failure to rapidly adopt and master new technologies as they are developed in any of the industries we serve or the consolidation of one or more of our significant customers could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Further, many of our telecommunications customers are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, or the FCC, and other international regulators. The FCC and other regulators may interpret the application of their regulations in a manner that is different than the way such regulations are currently interpreted and may impose additional regulations, either of which could reduce demand for our services and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Economic downturns could cause capital expenditures in the industries we serve to decrease, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The demand for our services has been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to general downturns in the United States economy. The current election cycle may cause economic uncertainty. The wireless and wireline telecommunications industry are cyclical in nature and vulnerable to general downturns in the United States and international economies. Our customers are affected by economic changes that decrease the need for or the profitability of their services. This can result in a decrease in the demand for our services and potentially result in the delay or cancellation of projects by our customers. Slow-downs in real estate, fluctuations in commodity prices and decreased demand by end-customers for services could affect our customers and their capital expenditure plans. As a result, some of our customers may opt to defer or cancel pending projects. A downturn in overall economic conditions also affects the priorities placed on various projects funded by governmental entities and federal, state, and local spending levels.
In general, economic uncertainty makes it difficult to estimate our customers’ requirements for our services. Our plan for growth depends on expanding our company both in the United States and internationally. If economic factors in any of the regions in which we plan to expand are not favorable to the growth and development of the telecommunications industries in those countries, we may not be able to carry out our growth strategy, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Other Risks Relating to Our Company and Results of Operations
Our operating results may fluctuate due to factors that are difficult to forecast and not within our control.
Our past telecommunications operating results may not be accurate indicators of future performance, and you should not rely on such results to predict our future performance.
Our operating results have fluctuated and could fluctuate in the future. Factors that may contribute to fluctuations include:
● changes in aggregate capital spending, cyclicality and other economic conditions, or domestic and international demand in the industries we serve;
● our ability to effectively manage our working capital;
● our ability to satisfy consumer demands in a timely and cost-effective manner;
● pricing and availability of labor and materials;
● shifts in geographic concentration of customers, supplies and labor pools; and
● seasonal fluctuations in demand and our revenue.
Actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions that we use to prepare our financial statements.
To prepare financial statements in conformity with GAAP, management is required to make estimates and assumptions as of the date of the financial statements that affect the reported values of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Areas requiring significant estimates by our management include:
● contract costs and profits and application of percentage-of-completion accounting and revenue recognition of contract change order claims;
● provisions for uncollectible receivables and customer claims and recoveries of costs from subcontractors, suppliers, and others;
● valuation of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with business combinations;
● accruals for estimated liabilities, including litigation and insurance reserves; and
● goodwill and intangible asset impairment assessment.
At the time the estimates and assumptions are made, we believe they are accurate based on the information available. However, our actual results could differ from, and could require adjustments to, those estimates.
We exercise judgment in determining our provision for taxes in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico that are subject to tax authority audit review that could result in additional tax liability and potential penalties that would negatively affect our net income.
The amounts we record in intercompany transactions for services, licenses, funding, and other items affects our potential tax liabilities. Our tax filings are subject to review or audit by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and state, local and foreign taxing authorities. We exercise judgment in determining our worldwide provision for income and other taxes and, in the ordinary course of our business, there may be transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Examinations of our tax returns could result in significant proposed adjustments and assessment of additional taxes that could adversely affect our tax provision and net income in the period or periods for which that determination is made.
Risks Related to our Common Stock
An active trading market for our common stock may not develop.
Our common stock has not yet been listed on any national securities exchange and has not been quoted on The OTC Bulletin Board or any of the marketplaces of OTC Link. We cannot predict the extent to which investor interest in us will lead to the development of an active public trading market or how liquid that public market may become.
Additionally, because the quoted price of our common stock is less than $5.00 per share, our common stock is considered a “penny stock,” and trading in our common stock is subject to the requirements of Rule 15g-9 under the Exchange Act. Under this rule, broker/dealers who recommend low-priced securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors must satisfy special sales practice requirements, including making an individualized written suitability determination for the purchaser and receiving the purchaser’s written consent prior to the transaction. Securities and Exchange Commission regulations also require additional disclosure in connection with any trades involving a “penny stock,” including the delivery, prior to any penny stock transaction, of a disclosure schedule explaining the penny stock market and its associated risks. These requirements severely limit the liquidity of securities in the secondary market because few brokers or dealers are likely to undertake these compliance activities and this limited liquidity will make it more difficult for an investor to sell his shares of our common stock in the secondary market should the investor wish to liquidate the investment. In addition to the applicability of the penny stock rules, other risks associated with trading in penny stocks could also be price fluctuations and the lack of a liquid market.
Our stock price may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors and litigation.
In addition to changes to market prices based on our results of operations and the factors discussed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section, the market price of and trading volume for our common stock may change for a variety of other reasons, not necessarily related to our actual operating performance. The capital markets have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. In addition, the average daily trading volume of the securities of small companies can be very low, which may contribute to future volatility. Factors that could cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly include:
● the results of operating and financial performance and prospects of other companies in our industry;
● strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings;
● announcements of innovations, increased service capabilities, new or terminated customers or new, amended or terminated contracts by our competitors;
● the public’s reaction to our press releases, other public announcements, and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission;
● lack of securities analyst coverage or speculation in the press or investment community about us or market opportunities in the telecommunications services and staffing industry;
● changes in government policies in the United States and, as our international business increases, in other foreign countries;
● changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities or research analysts who track our common stock or failure of our actual results of operations to meet those expectations;
● market and industry perception of our success, or lack thereof, in pursuing our growth strategy;
● changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations, or principles;
● any lawsuit involving us, our services, or our products;
● arrival and departure of key personnel;
● sales of common stock by us, our investors, or members of our management team; and
● changes in general market, economic and political conditions in the United States and global economies or financial markets, including those resulting from natural or man-made disasters.
Any of these factors, as well as broader market and industry factors, may result in large and sudden changes in the trading volume of our common stock and could seriously harm the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. This may prevent you from being able to sell your shares at or above the price you paid for your shares of our common stock, if at all. In addition, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders often institute securities class action litigation against that company. Our involvement in any class action suit or other legal proceeding could divert our senior management’s attention and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our common stock could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Sales of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and could impair our future ability to raise capital through common stock offerings. As of December 31, 2022, we had 164,490,441 shares of common stock issued and 164,488,370 shares outstanding, of which 12,118,167 shares were restricted securities pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC. The sale of these shares into the open market may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
In addition, at December 31, 2022, we also had outstanding $3,332,925 aggregate principal and $516,864 accrued interest of convertible loans payable to related parties and convertible notes that were convertible into 58,921,007 shares of common stock on that date. However, we cannot currently determine the total number of shares of our common stock that may be issued upon the conversion or repayment of our convertible notes because the total number of shares and the conversion prices or the prices at which we can issue our common stock to pay down the principal of and interest on our convertible notes depend on a number of factors, including the prices and nature of any equity securities we may issue in the future and the market prices of our common stock in the periods leading up to any particular amortization payment date on which we elect to make amortization payments on our convertible notes in shares of our common stock. As of December 31, 2022, there were also outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 13,100,000 shares of our common stock at a weighted-average exercise price of $0.11 per share, all of which were exercisable as of such date, and outstanding stock options to purchase 11,937,568 shares of our common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $0.26 per share, 7,306,444 of which were exercisable as of such date. As of December 31, 2022, there were also outstanding preferred shares convertible into 94,585,681 shares of our common stock based on the conversion terms of each class. The conversion of a significant principal amount of our outstanding convertible debt securities into shares of our common stock, our repayment of a significant amount of principal, interest or other amounts payable under such debt securities in shares of our common stock or the exercise of outstanding warrants at prices below the market price of our common stock could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. The market price of our common stock also may be adversely affected by our issuance of shares of our capital stock or convertible securities in connection with future acquisitions, or in connection with other financing efforts.
If we do not meet the listing standards of a national securities exchange our investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities will be limited and we will be subject us to additional trading restrictions.
Our securities currently are traded over-the-counter on the OTC QB market and are not qualified to be listed on a national securities exchange, such as NASDAQ. Accordingly, we face significant material adverse consequences, including:
● a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
● reduced liquidity with respect to our securities;
● our shares of common stock are currently classified as “penny stock” which requires brokers trading in our shares of common stock to adhere to more stringent rules, resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our shares of common stock;
● a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and
● a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Since our common stock is traded on the OTC Pink, our common stock is a covered security. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute allows the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. Further, if we were no longer traded over-the-counter, our common stock would not be a covered security and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.
Our shares of common stock are subject to penny stock regulations. Because our common stock is a penny stock, holders of our common stock may find it difficult or may be unable to sell their shares.
The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker/dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks generally are equity securities with a price of less than $5.00 (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or quoted on the NASDAQ system, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange system). The penny stock rules require a broker/dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document prepared by the SEC that provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks in the penny stock market. The broker/dealer also must provide the customer with bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker/dealer, and its salesperson in the transaction, and monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account. In addition, the penny stock rules require that prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from such rules, the broker/dealer must make a special written determination that a penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in any secondary market for a stock that becomes subject to the penny stock rules, and accordingly, holders of our common stock may find it difficult or may be unable to sell their shares.
We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock.
We have never paid cash dividends and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain any earnings to finance our operations and growth. As a result, any short-term return on your investment will depend on the market price of our common stock, and only appreciation of the price of our common stock, which may never occur, will provide a return to stockholders. The decision whether to pay dividends will be made by our board of directors in light of conditions then existing, including, but not limited to, factors such as our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions, and covenants under any applicable contractual arrangements. Investors seeking cash dividends should not invest in our common stock.
If equity research analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they issue unfavorable commentary or downgrade our common stock, the market price of our common stock will likely decline.
The trading market for our common stock will rely in part on the research and reports that equity research analysts, over whom we have no control, publish about us and our business. We may never obtain research coverage by securities and industry analysts. If no securities or industry analysts commence coverage of our company, the market price for our common stock could decline. In the event we obtain securities or industry analyst coverage, the market price of our common stock could decline if one or more equity analysts downgrade our common stock or if those analysts issue unfavorable commentary, even if it is inaccurate, or cease publishing reports about us or our business.

---

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

---

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Our principal executive offices are located in Batavia, Illinois. We are occupying our 2,400 sq ft offices under a five-year lease that expires in July 2023 and has current monthly lease payments of $10,787.
Set forth below are the locations of the other properties leased by us, the businesses that use the properties, and the size of each such property. All such properties are used by our company or by one of our subsidiaries principally as office facilities to house their administrative, marketing, and engineering and professional services personnel. We believe our facilities and equipment to be in good condition and reasonably suited and adequate for our current needs.
Location Owned or Leased User Size (Sq. Ft.)
Puerto Rico Leased (1) AW Solutions Puerto Rico, LLC 1,575
Miami, FL Leased (2) Tropical Communications, Inc. 3,400
(1) This facility is leased on a month-to-month basis and provides for monthly payments of $1,500.
(2) This facility is leased on a month-to-month basis and provides for monthly base rental payments of $3,792.

---

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. However, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business. We are currently not aware of any such legal proceedings or claims that we believe will have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or operating results.
On December 16, 2021, a former employee filed a lawsuit against us and our Chief Executive Officer for unpaid commissions. The claim is for $100,000. On March 7, 2022, we filed a response and counterclaim against the former employee. We settled the lawsuit for $39,000 during the fourth quarter of 2022.

---

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II

---

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Common Stock
Our common stock is currently available for quotation on the OTC QB market under the symbol “HWNI”.
On April 10, 2023, the closing sale price of our common stock, as reported by OTC Markets, was $0.11 per share. On April 10, 2023, there were 94 holders of record of our common stock and 227,783,332 common shares outstanding. Because many of our shares of common stock are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of stockholders represented by these record holders.
Dividends
We have never paid or declared any dividend on our common stock and we do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
Information regarding our equity compensation plans is set forth in Item 12, Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
In the fourth quarter of 2022, we issued securities in the following transactions, each of which was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Except for the shares of our common stock that were issued upon the conversion of our convertible debt securities, the grants of shares of common stock under our 2012 Performance Incentive Plan, and the shares of common stock issued pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement discussed in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in this report in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, all of the below-referenced securities were issued pursuant to the exemption from registration under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act and are deemed to be restricted securities for purposes of the Securities Act. There were no underwriters or placement agents employed in connection with any of these transactions. Use of the exemption provided in Section 4(2) for transactions not involving a public offering is based on the following facts:
● Neither we nor any person acting on our behalf solicited any offer to buy or sell securities by any form of general solicitation or advertising.
● The recipients were either accredited or otherwise sophisticated individuals who had such knowledge and experience in business matters that they were capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in our securities.
● The recipients had access to business and financial information concerning our company.
● All securities issued were issued with a restrictive legend and may only be disposed of pursuant to an effective registration or exemption from registration in compliance with federal and state securities laws.
The shares of our common stock that were issued upon the conversion of our convertible debt securities were issued pursuant to the exemption from registration under Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and are deemed to be restricted securities for purposes of the Securities Act.
On October 11, 2022, we issued 1,179,245 shares of our common stock to FJ Vulis and Associates, LLC upon the conversion of 25 shares of Series D preferred stock with a stated value of $10,000 per share.
On November 11, 2022, we issued 2,000,000 shares of our common stock to Cobra Equities SPV, LLC upon the conversion of $60,000 of principal and $40,000 of accrued interest pursuant to a convertible debenture.
On November 17, 2022, we issued an aggregate of 80,000,000 shares of our common stock to Investors in exchange for aggregate cash proceeds of $5,950,000 pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement. The Company deposited an additional 800,000 shares into escrow.
On December 5, 2022, we issued 1,666,667 shares of our common stock to Keith Hayter upon the conversion of $100,000 of principal pursuant to a convertible loan payable to a related party.
On December 5, 2022, we issued 5,658,250 shares of our common stock to a holder upon the conversion of 124.4815 shares of Series E preferred stock with a stated value of $10,000 per share.
On December 15, 2022, we issued an aggregate of 2,666,667 shares of our common stock to Investors in exchange for aggregate cash proceeds of $200,000 pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement. The Company deposited an additional 266,667 shares into escrow.
On December 30, 2022, we issued an aggregate of 666,667 shares of our common stock to Investors in exchange for aggregate cash proceeds of $50,000 pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement. The Company deposited an additional 66,667 shares into escrow.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.

---

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

---

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations includes a number of forward-looking statements that reflect Management’s current views with respect to future events and financial performance. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate” and “continue,” or similar words. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of us and members of its management team as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.
Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in this report and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Important factors known to us could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in the future operating results over time. We believe that its assumptions are based upon reasonable data derived from and known about our business and operations and the business and operations of our company. No assurances are made that actual results of operations or the results of our future activities will not differ materially from its assumptions. Factors that could cause differences include, but are not limited to, expected market demand for our services, fluctuations in pricing for materials, and competition.
Basis of Presentation
Our consolidated financial statements are stated in United States dollars ($) and are prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes that appear elsewhere in this annual report. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below and elsewhere in this annual report.
Unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts are expressed in United States dollars. All references to “$” refer to United States dollars and all references to “common stock” refer to the common shares in our capital stock.
Unless specifically set forth to the contrary, when used in this report the terms “we”, “our”, the “Company” and similar terms refer to High Wire Networks, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries.
The information that appears on our website at www.HighWireNetworks.com is not part of this report.
Description of Business
Business Overview
HWN, Inc., (d/b/a High Wire Network Solutions, Inc.) (“HWN”) was incorporated in Delaware on January 20, 2017. HWN is a global provider of managed cybersecurity, managed networks, and tech enabled professional services delivered exclusively through a channel sales model. Our Overwatch managed security platform-as-a-service offers organizations end-to-end protection for networks, data, endpoints and users via multiyear recurring revenue contracts in this fast-growing technology segment. HWN has continuously operated under the High Wire Networks brand for 23 years.
HWN and JTM Electrical Contractors, Inc. (“JTM”), an Illinois Corporation, entered into an operating agreement through which High Wire owned 50% of JTM. On February 15, 2022, HWN sold its 50% interest in JTM.
On June 16, 2021, we completed a merger with Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. On January 7, 2022, Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. legally changed its name to High Wire Networks, Inc. (“High Wire”). The merger was accounted for as a reverse merger. At the time of the reverse merger, High Wire’s subsidiaries included ADEX Corporation, ADEX Puerto Rico LLC, ADEX Canada, ADEX Towers, Inc. and ADEX Telecom, Inc. (collectively “ADEX” or the “ADEX Entities”), AW Solutions Puerto Rico, LLC (“AWS PR”), and Tropical Communications, Inc. (“Tropical”). For accounting purposes, HWN is the surviving entity. On March 6, 2023, HWN divested the ADEX Entities.
On November 4, 2021, we closed on the acquisition of Secure Voice Corp (“SVC”). The closing of the acquisition was facilitated by a senior secured promissory note which has been repaid.
Our AWS PR and Tropical subsidiaries are professional services organizations that deliver services for Enterprise clients as well as wireline and wireless carriers. These subsidiaries are operated as part of our Technology segment. Our SVC subsidiary is a wholesale network services provider with network footprint in the Northeast United States. This network carries VoIP and other traffic for other service providers.
We provide the following categories of offerings to our customers:
● Security: High Wire’s award-winning Overwatch Managed Security offers organizations end-to-end protection for networks, data, endpoints, and users via multiyear recurring revenue contracts in this fast-growing technology segment. This segment is nearly 100% recurring revenue with multi-year contracts. Overwatch delivers services through Managed Service Providers (MSPs), strategic partnerships and alliances, Value Added Resellers (VARs), Distributors, and Network Service Providers.
● Technology Solutions: We provide technology enabled professional and managed services for a wide array of clients exclusively through our channel partner relationships with the largest technology companies in the world. We deliver in the Enterprise, Wireline Carrier, Wireless Carrier, Network Backbone Carriers, State and Local Government, Federal Government, and Data Center market segments. We deliver services for most of the Fortune 500 alongside our channel partners. We deliver a wide array of services across a wide variety of technologies that include Wi-Fi, networking, SD-WAN, Distributed Antenna Systems, Wireless Carrier Networking, Fiber Backhaul, and many more. We provide planning, installation, project management, and ongoing support for break/fix services. We operate 24/7/365 around the world. We leverage our own technology platform, Workview, to deliver these services cost effectively and in a highly efficient and scalable manner.
Our Technology Solutions division is supported by our subsidiaries: HWN, Inc.; AW Solutions Puerto Rico, LLC and Tropical Communications, Inc. (collectively known as “AWS” or the “AWS Entities”); and SVC.
Our Operating Units
Our company is comprised of the following:
● Managed Services: The Managed Services Segment encompasses all of our recurring revenue businesses including our Overwatch Managed Security, all network managed services, all managed services performed under a Statement of Work (SoW), and our SVC revenue.
● Technology Solutions: The Technology Solutions group is all service and project revenue generally globally by HWN, Tropical, and AWS PR. These business perform professional services for the Enterprise, SMB, Data Center, Carrier Wireline, Carrier Wireless, and Network Service Provider markets.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The extent to which the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) outbreak and measures taken in response thereto impact our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
Global health concerns relating to the COVID-19 outbreak have been weighing on the macroeconomic environment, and the outbreak has significantly increased economic uncertainty. Risks related to consumers and businesses lowering or changing spending, which impact domestic and international spend. The outbreak has resulted in authorities implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter in place orders, and business shutdowns. These measures have not only negatively impacted consumer spending and business spending habits, they have also adversely impacted and may further impact our workforce and operations and the operations of its customers, suppliers and business partners. These measures may remain in place for a significant period of time and they are likely to continue to adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The spread of COVID-19 has caused us to modify our company’s business practices (including employee travel, employee work locations, and cancellation of physical participation in meetings, events and conferences), and we may take further actions as may be required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers and business partners. There is no certainty that such measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks posed by the virus or otherwise be satisfactory to government authorities.
The extent to which the COVID-19 outbreak impacts our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the duration and spread of the outbreak, its severity, the actions to contain the virus or treat its impact, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. Even after the COVID-19 outbreak has subsided, we may continue to experience materially adverse impacts to our business as a result of its global economic impact, including any recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.
There are no comparable recent events which may provide guidance as to the effect of the spread of COVID-19 and a global pandemic, and, as a result, the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 outbreak or a similar health epidemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent of the impacts on our business, our operations or the global economy as a whole. However, the effects could have a material impact on our results of operations, and we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely. As of November 2021, multiple variants of the COVID-19 virus are circulating globally that are highly transmissible, and there is uncertainty around vaccine effectiveness on the new strains of the virus. Uncertainty around vaccine distribution, supply and effectiveness will impact when the negative economic effects as a result of COVID-19 will abate or end and the timing of such recovery may affect our financial condition.
Factors Affecting Our Performance
Changes in Demand for Data Capacity and Reliability.
The telecommunications industry has undergone and continues to undergo significant changes due to advances in technology, increased competition as telephone and cable companies converge, the growing consumer demand for enhanced and bundled services and increased governmental broadband stimulus funding. As a result of these factors, the networks of our customers increasingly face demands for more capacity and greater reliability. Telecommunications providers continue to outsource a significant portion of their engineering, construction and maintenance requirements in order to reduce their investment in capital equipment, provide flexibility in workforce sizing, expand product offerings without large increases in incremental hiring and focus on those competencies they consider core to their business success. These factors drive customer demand for our services.
The proliferation of smart phones and other wireless data devices has driven demand for mobile broadband. This demand and other advances in technology have prompted wireless carriers to upgrade their networks. Wireless carriers are actively increasing spending on their networks to respond to the explosion in wireless data traffic, upgrade network technologies to improve performance and efficiency and consolidate disparate technology platforms. These customer initiatives present long-term opportunities for us for the wireless services we provide. Further, the demand for mobile broadband has increased bandwidth requirements on the wired networks of our customers. As the demand for mobile broadband grows, the amount of cellular traffic that must be “backhauled” over customers’ fiber and coaxial networks increases and, as a result, carriers are accelerating the deployment of fiber optic cables to cellular sites. These trends are increasing the demand for the types of services we provide.
Our Ability to Recruit, Manage and Retain High-Quality IT and Telecommunications Personnel.
The shortage of skilled labor in the telecommunications industry and the difficulties in recruiting and retaining skilled personnel can frequently limit the ability of specialty contractors to bid for and complete certain contracts. We believe our access to a skilled labor pool gives us a competitive edge over our competitors as we continue to expand.
Our Ability to Expand Internationally
We believe international expansion represents a compelling opportunity for additional growth over the long-term because of the worldwide need for telecommunications infrastructure. We plan to expand our global presence either by expanding our current operations or by acquiring subsidiaries with international platforms.
Our Ability to Expand and Diversify Our Customer Base.
Our customers for specialty contracting services consist of leading telephone, wireless, cable television, utility and other companies. Historically, our revenue has been significantly concentrated in a small number of customers. Although we still operate at a net loss, we have acquired additional subsidiaries and diversified our customer base and revenue streams.
Critical Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our historical consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported therein and accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate these estimates and assumptions, including those related to recognition of revenue for costs, the fair value of reporting units for goodwill impairment analysis, the assessment of impairment of intangibles and other long-lived assets, income taxes, asset lives used in computing depreciation and amortization, allowance for doubtful accounts, stock-based compensation expense, contingent consideration and accruals for contingencies, including legal matters. These estimates and assumptions require the use of judgment as to the likelihood of various future outcomes and as a result, actual results could differ materially from these estimates.
We have identified the accounting policies below as critical to the accounting for our business operations and the understanding of our results of operations because they involve making significant judgments and estimates that are used in the preparation of our historical consolidated financial statements. The impact of these policies affects our reported and expected financial results and are discussed in this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” We have discussed the development, selection and application of our critical accounting policies with the Audit Committee of our board of directors, and the Audit Committee has reviewed the disclosure relating to our critical accounting policies in this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Other significant accounting policies, primarily those with lower levels of uncertainty than those discussed below, are also important to understanding our historical consolidated financial statements. The notes to our consolidated financial statements in this report contain additional information related to our accounting policies, including the critical accounting policies described herein, and should be read in conjunction with this discussion.
Our consolidated financial statements are impacted by the accounting policies used and the estimates and assumptions made by management during their preparation. A complete summary of these policies is included in Note 2 of the notes to our financial statements. We have identified below the accounting policies that are of particular importance in the presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, and which require the application of significant judgment by management.
Revenue Recognition
Adoption of New Accounting Guidance on Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue based on the five criteria for revenue recognition established under Topic 606: 1) identify the contract, 2) identify separate performance obligations, 3) determine the transaction price, 4) allocate the transaction price among the performance obligations, and 5) recognize revenue as the performance obligations are satisfied.
Contract Types
Our contracts fall under two main types: 1) fixed-price and 2) time-and-materials. Fixed-price contracts are based on purchase order line items that are billed on individual invoices as the project progresses and milestones are reached. Time-and-materials contracts include employees working permanently at customer locations and materials costs incurred by those employees.
A significant portion of our revenues come from customers with whom we have a master service agreement (“MSA”). These MSA’s generally contain customer specific service requirements.
Performance Obligations
A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer, and is the unit of account in the new revenue standard. The contract transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. For our different revenue service types the performance obligation is satisfied at different times. For professional services revenue, the performance obligation is met when the work is performed. In certain cases this may be each day, or each week depending on the customer. For construction services, the performance obligation is met when the work is completed and the customer has approved the work.
Revenue Service Types
The following is a description of our revenue service types, which include professional services and construction:
● Professional services are services provided to the clients where we deliver distinct contractual deliverables and/or services. Deliverables may include but are not limited to: engineering drawings, designs, reports and specification. Services may include, but are not limited to: consulting or professional staffing to support our client’s objectives. Consulting or professional staffing services may be provided remotely or on client premises and under their direction and supervision.
● Construction Services are services provided to the client where we may self-perform or subcontract services that require the physical construction of infrastructure or installation of equipment and materials.
Disaggregation of Revenues
We disaggregate our revenue from contracts with customers by contract type. We also disaggregate our revenue by operating segment and geographic location.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable include amounts from work completed in which we have billed. The amounts due are stated at their net estimated realizable value. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts to provide for the estimated amount of receivables that will not be collected. The allowance is based upon an assessment of customer creditworthiness, historical payment experience, the age of outstanding receivables and collateral to the extent applicable.
Contract Assets and Liabilities
Contract assets include costs and services incurred on contracts with open performance obligations. These amounts are included in contract assets on the consolidated balance sheets.
Contract liabilities include payment received for incomplete performance obligations and are included in contract liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
Fair Value Measurements
We measure and discloses the estimated fair value of financial assets and liabilities using the fair value hierarchy prescribed by US generally accepted accounting principles. The fair value hierarchy has three levels, which are based on reliable available inputs of observable data. The hierarchy requires the use of observable market data when available. The three-level hierarchy is defined as follows:
Level 1 - quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets;
Level 2 - quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model derived valuations in which significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and
Level 3 - fair value measurements derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.
Financial instruments consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, restricted cash, accounts payable, loans payable and convertible debentures. Derivative liabilities are determined based on “Level 3” inputs, which are significant and unobservable and have the lowest priority. The recorded values of all other financial instruments approximate their current fair values because of their nature and respective relatively short maturity dates or durations.
Fair value estimates are made at a specific point in time, based on relevant market information and information about the financial statement. These estimates are subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment and therefore cannot be determined with precision. Changes in assumptions could significantly affect the estimates.
Derivative Liabilities
We account for derivative instruments in accordance with ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” and all derivative instruments are reflected as either assets or liabilities at fair value in the balance sheet. We use estimates of fair value to value our derivative instruments. Fair value is defined as the price to sell an asset or transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between willing and able market participants. In general, our policy in estimating fair values is to first look at observable market prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets, where available. When these are not available, other inputs are used to model fair value such as prices of similar instruments, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, default rates and credit spreads, relying first on observable data from active markets. Depending on the availability of observable inputs and prices, different valuation models could produce materially different fair value estimates. The values presented may not represent future fair values and may not be realizable. We categorizes our fair value estimates in accordance with ASC 820 based on the hierarchical framework associated with the three levels of price transparency utilized in measuring financial instruments at fair value as discussed above.
Goodwill
We test our goodwill for impairment at least annually on December 31st and whenever events or circumstances change that indicate impairment may have occurred. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred. Such indicators may include, among others: a significant decline in our expected future cash flows; a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate; unanticipated competition; and slower growth rates. Any adverse change in these factors could have a significant impact on the recoverability of goodwill and our consolidated financial results.
We test goodwill by estimating fair value using a Discounted Cash Flow (“DCF”) model. The key assumptions used in the DCF model to determine the highest and best use of estimated future cash flows include revenue growth rates and profit margins based on internal forecasts, terminal value and an estimate of a market participant’s weighted-average cost of capital used to discount future cash flows to their present value. There were no impairment charges during the year ended December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2022, we identified indicators of potential impairment. As a result, a goodwill impairment charge of $11,826,894 was recorded to the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Intangible Assets
At December 31, 2022 and 2021, definite-lived intangible assets consist of tradenames and customer relationships which are being amortized over their estimated useful lives of 10 years.
We periodically evaluate the reasonableness of the useful lives of these assets. Once these assets are fully amortized, they are removed from the accounts. These assets are reviewed for impairment or obsolescence when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. If impaired, intangible assets are written down to fair value based on discounted cash flows or other valuation techniques. We have no intangibles with indefinite lives.
For long-lived assets, impairment losses are only recorded if the asset’s carrying amount is not recoverable through its undiscounted, probability-weighted future cash flows. We measure the impairment loss based on the difference between the carrying amount and the estimated fair value. When an impairment exists, the related assets are written down to fair value. There were no impairment charges during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Long-lived Assets
In accordance with ASC 360, “Property, Plant and Equipment”, we test long-lived assets or asset groups for recoverability when events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be recoverable. Circumstances which could trigger a review include, but are not limited to: significant decreases in the market price of the asset; significant adverse changes in the business climate or legal factors; accumulation of costs significantly in excess of the amount originally expected for the acquisition or construction of the asset; current period cash flow or operating losses combined with a history of losses or a forecast of continuing losses associated with the use of the asset; and current expectation that the asset will more likely than not be sold or disposed significantly before the end of its estimated useful life. Recoverability is assessed based on the carrying amount of the asset and its fair value, which is generally determined based on the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and the eventual disposal of the asset, as well as specific appraisal in certain instances. An impairment loss is recognized when the carrying amount is not recoverable and exceeds fair value. There were no impairment charges recorded during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles 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. We regularly evaluate estimates and assumptions related to allowance for doubtful accounts, the estimated useful lives and recoverability of long-lived assets, equity component of convertible debt, stock-based compensation, and deferred income tax asset valuation allowances. We base our estimates and assumptions on current facts, historical experience and various other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the accrual of costs and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. The actual results experienced by our company may differ materially and adversely from our estimates. To the extent there are material differences between the estimates and the actual results, future results of operations will be affected.
Going Concern Assessment
Management assesses going concern uncertainty in our consolidated financial statements to determine whether there is sufficient cash on hand and working capital, including available borrowings on loans, to operate for a period of at least one year from the date of the consolidated financial statements are issued or available to be issued, which is referred to as the “look-forward period”, as defined in GAAP. As part of this assessment, based on conditions that are known and reasonably knowable to management, management will consider various scenarios, forecasts, projections, estimates and will make certain key assumptions, including the timing and nature of projected cash expenditures or programs, its ability to delay or curtail expenditures or programs and its ability to raise additional capital, if necessary, among other factors. Based on this assessment, as necessary or applicable, management makes certain assumptions around implementing curtailments or delays in the nature and timing of programs and expenditures to the extent it deems probable those implementations can be achieved and management has the proper authority to execute them within the look-forward period.
We generated losses in 2022 and 2021, and High Wire has generated losses since its inception and has relied on cash on hand, sales of securities, external bank lines of credit, and issuance of third-party and related party debt to support cash flow from operations. As of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, we had an operating loss of $23,661,958, cash flows used in operations of $1,941,141, and a working capital deficit of $10,889,962. These factors raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year from the issuance of Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The impact of COVID-19 on our business has been considered in these assumptions; however, it is too early to know the full impact of COVID-19 or its timing on a return to more normal operations. Further, the recently enacted CARES Act provides for economic assistance loans through the SBA. As of December 31, 2022, ADEX had $10,000 of PPP loans outstanding from the SBA under the CARES Act (in connection with the divestiture of the ADEX Entities, the buyer assumed this note). The PPP provides that the PPP loans may be partially or wholly forgiven if the funds are used for certain qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act. ADEX used the proceeds from the PPP loans for qualifying expenses and is applying for forgiveness of the PPP loans in accordance with the terms of the CARES Act.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under which we are expected to be able to realize its assets and satisfy its liabilities in the normal course of business.
Management believes that based on relevant conditions and events that are known and reasonably knowable (including the cash proceeds from the Securities Purchase Agreement discussed in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in this report in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data), our forecasts of operations for one year from the date of the filing of the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K indicate improved operations and our company’s ability to continue operations as a going concern. We have contingency plans to reduce or defer expenses and cash outlays should operations not improve in the look forward period. The continuation of our company as a going concern is dependent upon the continued financial support from our shareholders, the ability of management to raise additional equity capital through private and public offerings of our common stock, and the attainment of profitable operations. These consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern.
Management requires additional funds over the next twelve months to fully implement our business plan. Management is currently seeking additional financing through the sale of equity and from borrowings from private lenders to cover our operating expenditures. There can be no certainty that these sources will provide the additional funds required for the next twelve months.
Results of Operations
Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021
The following summary of our results of operations should be read in conjunction with our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Our operating results for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are summarized as follows:
For the years ended
December 31,
Statement of Operations Data:
Revenues $ 55,049,441 $ 27,206,689
Operating expenses 78,711,399 30,881,118
Loss from operation (23,661,958 ) (3,674,429 )
Total other income (expense) 3,835,484 (10,003,201 )
Net income from discontinued operations, net of taxes 662,899 675,355
Net income from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest 128,487 (337,677 )
Deemed divided - Series D preferred stock modification - (5,852,000 )
Net loss attributable to common shareholders (19,035,088 ) (19,191,952 )
Net loss per share, basic and diluted (0.28 ) (1.00 )
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted 68,713,880 19,146,572
Revenues
Our revenue increased from $27,206,689 for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $55,049,441 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is primarily related to increased sales for our former ADEX subsidiary and HWN, which totaled $27,449,838 and 17,720,465, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $16,126,544 and $4,728,940, respectively, from a total of $11,323,294 and $12,991,524, respectively for the year ended December 31, 2021, and the addition of SVC, which accounted for $6,299,332 in revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022. SVC was acquired after the third quarter of 2021.
As discussed above, we divested our ADEX Entities during March 2023. The divestiture will result in lower consolidated revenue for 2023 along with decreases in certain operating expenses.
A significant portion of our services are performed under master service agreements and other arrangements with customers that extend for periods of one or more years. We are currently party to numerous master service agreements, and typically have multiple agreements with each of our customers. Master Service Agreements (MSAs) generally contain customer-specified service requirements, such as discreet pricing for individual tasks. To the extent that such contracts specify exclusivity, there are often a number of exceptions, including the ability of the customer to issue work orders valued above a specified dollar amount to other service providers, perform work with the customer’s own employees and use other service providers when jointly placing facilities with another utility. In most cases, a customer may terminate an agreement for convenience with written notice. The remainder of our services are provided pursuant to contracts for specific projects. Long-term contracts relate to specific projects with terms in excess of one year from the contract date. Short-term contracts for specific projects are generally three to four months in duration. The percentage of revenue from long-term contracts varies between periods depending on the mix of work performed under our contracts.
Operating Expenses
Cost of revenues includes all direct costs of providing services under our contracts, including costs for direct labor provided by employees, services by independent subcontractors, operation of capital equipment (excluding depreciation and amortization), direct materials, insurance claims and other direct costs.
For a majority of the contract services we perform, our customers provide all required materials while we provide the necessary personnel, tools and equipment. Materials supplied by our customers, for which the customer retains financial and performance risk, are not included in our revenue or costs of revenues.
General and administrative costs include all of our corporate costs, as well as costs of our subsidiaries’ management personnel and administrative overhead. These costs primarily consist of employee compensation and related expenses, including legal, consulting, and professional fees, information technology and development costs, provision for or recoveries of bad debt expense and other costs that are not directly related to performance of our services under customer contracts. Information technology and development costs included in general and administrative expenses are primarily incurred to support and to enhance our operating efficiency. We expect these expenses to continue to generally increase as we expand our operations but expect that such expenses as a percentage of revenues will decrease if we succeed in increasing revenues.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, our operating expenses were $78,711,399, compared to operating expenses of $30,881,118 for the same period of 2021. The increase of $47,830,281 is primarily related to a $22,480,488 increase in cost of revenues as a result of the increase in revenue discussed above and a goodwill impairment charge of $11,826,894 during the year ended December 31, 2022, combined with increases of $8,458,765 and $4,236,730, respectively, in salaries and wages and general and administrative expenses.
Other Expense
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we had other income of $3,835,484, compared to other expense of $10,003,201 for the same period of 2021. The change of $13,838,685 is primarily related to a gain on change in fair value of derivatives and gain on PPP loan forgiveness of $6,445,531 and $2,000,000, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2022. These gains were partially offset by amortization of discounts on convertible debentures and loans payable, interest expense, and initial derivative expense of debt of $3,196,589, $1,344,572, and $1,289,625, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Net Loss
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we incurred a net loss attributable to High Wire Networks, Inc. common shareholders of $19,035,088, compared to a net loss attributable to High Wire Networks, Inc. common shareholders of $19,191,952 for the same period in 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2022, our total current assets were $10,669,831 and our total current liabilities were $21,559,793, resulting in a working capital deficit of $10,889,962, compared to a working capital deficit of $20,788,076 as of December 31, 2021.
We suffered recurring losses from operations. The continuation of our company is dependent upon our company attaining and maintaining profitable operations and raising additional capital as needed. In this regard, we have historically raised additional capital through equity offerings and loan transactions.
Cash Flows
For the years ended
December 31,
Net cash used in operating activities $ (1,941,141 ) $ (4,207,759 )
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities $ 70,299 $ (593,347 )
Net cash provided by financing activities $ 2,249,016 $ 5,124,824
Change in cash $ 378,174 $ 323,718
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash increased $378,174, compared to an increase in cash of 323,718 for the same period of 2021. The primary cash inflows during the year ended December 31, 2022 were $6,200,000 of proceeds from a Securities Purchase Agreement. The net loss of $19,826,474 was partially offset by a net cash inflow from changes in operating assets and liabilities of $3,543,460.
In order to improve our liquidity, we intend to pursue additional equity financing from private placement sales of our equity securities or shareholders’ loans. Issuances of additional shares will result in dilution to our existing shareholders. There is no assurance that we will be successful in completing any further private placement financings. If we are unable to achieve the necessary additional financing, then we plan to reduce the amounts that we spend on our business activities and administrative expenses in order to preserve our liquidity.
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash of $886,369 compared to $508,395 as of December 31, 2021.
Indebtedness
As of December 31, 2022, the outstanding balances of loans payable to related parties, loans payable, convertible debentures, and factor financing were $209,031, $2,272,309, $3,223,894, and $3,689,593, respectively. The loans payable amount is net of debt discounts of $658,838.
The total outstanding principal balance per the loan agreements and factor financing due to our debt holders was $10,053,665 at December 31, 2022. We are currently in discussions with certain of our creditors to restructure some of these loan agreements to reduce the principal balance and extend maturity dates. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in reducing the principal balance or extending the maturity dates of any of our outstanding notes.
Loans Payable to Related Parties
At December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had outstanding the following loans payable to related parties:
December 31, December 31,
Convertible promissory note issued to Keith Hayter, 10% interest, unsecured, matures March 31, 2023, debt premium of $0 and $988,917, respectively $ 109,031 $ 1,342,949
Promissory note issued to Mark Porter, 9% interest, unsecured, matured December 15, 2021, due on demand 100,000 100,000
Total $ 209,031 $ 1,442,949
Additional information on our loans payable to related parties is set forth in our consolidated financial statements included in this report in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Loans Payable
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, loans payable consisted of the following:
December 31, December 31,
Promissory note issued to Cornerstone National Bank & Trust, 4.5% interest, unsecured, matures on October 9, 2024 $ 245,765 $ 304,187
Future receivables financing agreement with Cedar Advance LLC, non-interest bearing, matures August 17, 2023, net of debt discount of $329,419 825,656 -
Future receivables financing agreement with Pawn Funding, non-interest bearing, matures August 17, 2023, net of debt discount of $329,419 825,656 -
EIDL Loan, 3.75% interest, matures October 12, 2050 147,832 149,284
CARES Act Loans 10,000 2,010,000
Promissory note issued to InterCloud Systems, Inc., non-interest bearing, unsecured and due on demand 217,400 217,400
Promissory note issued to Dominion Capital, LLC, 10% interest, unsecured, matures on September 30, 2022 - 1,552,500
Future receivables financing agreement with Cedar Advance LLC, non-interest bearing, matures August 31, 2022, net of debt discount of $191,371 - 754,575
Future receivables financing agreement with Pawn Funding, non-interest bearing, matures August 31, 2022, net of debt discount of $47,843 - 188,644
Total $ 2,272,309 $ 5,176,590
Less: Current portion of loans payable, net of debt discount (1,934,694 ) (2,773,621 )
Loans payable, net of current portion $ 337,615 $ 2,402,969
Additional information on our loans payable is set forth in our consolidated financial statements included in this report in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Convertible Debentures
At December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had outstanding the following convertible debentures:
December 31, December 31,
Convertible promissory note, Jeffrey Gardner, 6% interest, unsecured, matured September 15, 2021, due on demand $ 125,000 $ 125,000
Convertible promissory note, James Marsh, 6% interest, unsecured, matured September 15, 2021, due on demand 125,000 125,000
Convertible promissory note issued to Roger Ponder, 10% interest, unsecured, matures March 31, 2023, debt premium of $0 and $42,435, respectively 23,894 66,329
Convertible promissory note issued to the Mark Munro 1996 Charitable Remainder UniTrust, 9% interest, unsecured, due April 30, 2024 2,450,000 2,750,000
Convertible promissory note, FJ Vulis and Associates LLC, 12% interest, secured, matures May 11, 2023 500,000 -
Convertible promissory note, Cobra Equities SPV, LLC, 18% interest, unsecured, matured June 1, 2019 - 200,000
Convertible promissory note, Cobra Equities SPV, LLC, Tranche 1, 9% interest, secured, matures January 1, 2023, net of debt discount of $0 and $117,556, respectively - 171,918
Convertible promissory note, Cobra Equities SPV, LLC, Tranche 2, 9% interest, secured, matures January 1, 2023, net of debt discount of $0 and $148,173, respectively - 203,932
Convertible promissory note, Dominion Capital, LLC, 9.9% interest, senior secured, matures December 29, 2023, net of debt discount of $0 and $2,223,975, respectively - 276,025
Convertible promissory note, Cobra Equities SPV, LLC, 9.9% interest, senior secured, matures December 29, 2023 - -
Convertible promissory note, Cobra Equities SPV, LLC, 10% interest, secured, due on demand - 125,680
Convertible promissory note, Cobra Equities SPV, LLC, 12% interest, secured, due on demand - 89,047
Total 3,223,894 4,132,931
Less: Current portion of convertible debentures, net of debt discount/premium (1,598,894 ) (3,924,557 )
Convertible debentures, net of current portion, net of debt discount $ 1,625,000 $ 208,374
Additional information on our convertible debentures is set forth in our consolidated financial statements included in this report in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no significant off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in our financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to our stockholders.
Inflation
The effect of inflation on our revenue and operating results has not been significant.

---

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not required under Regulation S-K for “smaller reporting companies.”

---

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The financial statements required to be filed pursuant to this Item 8 are appended to this report. An index of those financial statements is found in Item 15.

---

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES
None.

---

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
Based on management’s evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer concluded that, as a result of the material weaknesses described below, as of December 31, 2022, our disclosure controls and procedures are not designed at a reasonable assurance level and are not effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The material weaknesses, which relate to internal control over financial reporting, that were identified are:
a) Due to our small size, we do not have a proper segregation of duties in certain areas of our financial reporting process. The areas where we have a lack of segregation of duties include cash receipts and disbursements, approval of purchases and approval of accounts payable invoices for payment. This control deficiency, which is pervasive in nature, results in a reasonable possibility that material misstatements of the consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis; and
b) the lack of the quantity of resources to implement an appropriate level of review controls to properly evaluate the completeness and accuracy of transactions entered into by our company.
We are committed to improving our financial organization. In addition, we will look to increase our personnel resources and technical accounting expertise within the accounting function to resolve non-routine or complex accounting matters.
Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting.
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2022 for the reasons discussed above.
Changes in internal control over financial reporting.
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the year ended December 31, 2022 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

---

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.

---

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Our bylaws state that the authorized number of directors shall be not less than one and not more than fifteen and shall be set by resolution of the board of directors. Our board of directors consists of three (3) members, all of whom are not considered “independent directors,” as defined in applicable rules of the SEC and NASDAQ. Officers are appointed and serve at the discretion of our board of directors. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Our current directors and officers are as follows:
Name
Position
Age
Date First Elected or Appointed
Mark W. Porter
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
March 1, 2021
Daniel J. Sullivan
Chief Financial Officer
April 28, 2021
Stephen W. LaMarche
Chief Operating Officer Director
August 9, 2021
Peter H. Kruse
Director
September 27, 2021
All directors serve for one year and until their successors are elected and qualified. All officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. There are no family relationships among any of our officers and directors.
The following is information about the experience and attributes of the members of our board of directors and senior executive officers as of the date of this report. The experience and attributes of our directors discussed below provide the reasons that these individuals were selected for board membership, as well as why they continue to serve in such positions.
Mark W. Porter, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Mr. Porter was appointed our Chief Executive Officer on March 1, 2021. Since January 2001, Mr. Porter has been President and Chief Executive Officer of HWN, Inc. (“High Wire Networks”). With over two decades of technology industry experience, Mr. Porter is a channel veteran with extensive experience in pioneering new and more innovative ways to deliver professional and managed services.
Daniel J. Sullivan, Chief Financial Officer
On April 28, 2021, the Board appointed Daniel J. Sullivan to serve as our Chief Financial Officer. Since 2003, Mr. Sullivan had been the President of PCN Enterprises, Inc., which provides accounting related consulting services to public companies.
Stephen W. LaMarche, Director
On August 9, 2021, Stephen W. LaMarche was appointed to the Board of Directors. Since 2019, Mr. LaMarche has been providing consulting services to the managed technology and professional services space where he has extensive experience leading sales & marketing, product and service innovation, finance and operational management. From 2016 to 2018, Mr. LaMarche served as Vice President of Product Management at TPx Communications. On February 1, 2023, the Board appointed Stephen W. LaMarche to serve as our Chief Operating Officer.
Peter H. Kruse, Director
On September 27, 2021, Peter H. Kruse was appointed to the Board of Directors. Since 2016, Mr. Kruse has been President of P410 Group LLC, which provides coaching to companies to implement a practical business operating system to align, simplify and focus entrepreneurial businesses to achieve strong results.
Family Relationships
None.
Board Independence and Committees
We are not required to have any independent members of the Board of Directors.
Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
To the best of our knowledge, with the exception of the lawsuit discussed in Item 3. Legal Proceedings, none of our directors or executive officers has, during the past ten years:
1. been convicted in a criminal proceeding or been subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offences);
2. had any bankruptcy petition filed by or against the business or property of the person, or of any partnership, corporation or business association of which he was a general partner or executive officer, either at the time of the bankruptcy filing or within two years prior to that time;
3. been subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction or federal or state authority, permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting, his involvement in any type of business, securities, futures, commodities, investment, banking, savings and loan, or insurance activities, or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;
4. been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the SEC or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated a federal or state securities or commodities law, and the judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated;
5. been the subject of, or a party to, any federal or state judicial or administrative order, judgment, decree, or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated (not including any settlement of a civil proceeding among private litigants), relating to an alleged violation of any federal or state securities or commodities law or regulation, any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent cease-and-desist order, or removal or prohibition order, or any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity; or
6. been the subject of, or a party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any self-regulatory organization (as defined in Section 3(a)(26) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(26))), any registered entity (as defined in Section 1(a)(29) of the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1(a)(29))), or any equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member.
Code of Ethics
We adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to all of our directors, officers, employees and consultants, which is a “code of ethics” as defined by applicable rules of the SEC. Our Code of Ethics was attached as an exhibit to our Registration Statement filed on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on February 26, 2008. If we make any amendments to our Code of Ethics other than technical, administrative, or other non-substantive amendments, or grant any waivers, including implicit waivers, from a provision of our Code of Ethics to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, or certain other finance executives, we will disclose the nature of the amendment or waiver, its effective date and to whom it applies in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC.
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors. We will provide a copy of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, without charge, to any person desiring a copy, by written request to our company at 30 North Lincoln Street, Batavia, Illinois 60510.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Compliance Reporting
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our executive officers and directors and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities to file with the SEC initial statements of beneficial ownership, reports of changes in ownership and annual reports concerning their ownership of our shares of common stock and other equity securities, on Forms 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Executive officers, directors and greater than 10% shareholders are required by the SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) reports they file.

---

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table provides certain summary information concerning compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to our Chief Executive Officer, the two highest paid executive officers and up to two other highest paid individuals whose total annual salary and bonus exceeded $100,000 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Name and Principal Fiscal Salary Bonus Stock
Awards Option
Awards Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation Changes in
Pension
Value and
Non-Qualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
All Other
Compensation Total
Position Year ($) ($) ($) ($) ($) ($) ($) ($)
Mark W. Porter 289,231 - - - - - 30,000 (a) 319,231
Chief Executive Officer 201,539 - 729,292 86,147 - - 27,000 (a) 1,043,978
Daniel J. Sullivan 200,000 - - 14,493 - - - 214,493
Chief Financial Officer 205,000 - - 119,073 - - - 324,073
Stephen W. LaMarche - - - - - - - -
Chief Operating Officer - - - - - - - -
Roger M. Ponder - - - - - - - -
Former Chief Executive Officer 36,923 - - 186,423 - - - 223,346
Keith W. Hayter - - - - - - - -
Former President 34,615 - - 202,096 - - - 236,711
(a) This amount represents a car allowance.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
The following table shows the outstanding equity awards held by the named executive officers and directors as of December 31, 2022.
Equity compensation
plans not approved by
shareholders Equity compensation
plans approved by
shareholders
Number of
securities
Number of securities Number of
securities Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised underlying
unexercised underlying
unexercised underlying
unexercised Option
options
exercisable options
exercisable options
exercisable options
exercisable exercise
price Option
expiration
Name and Principal Position (#) (#) (#) (#) ($) date
Current Officers:
Mark W. Porter
First Award
3,318,584
$ 0.2500 June 16, 2026
Second Award
218,892 93,811 $ 0.2545 August 18, 2026
Daniel J. Sullivan
First Award
77,587
$ 0.5800 February 21, 2026
Second Award
129,666 302,554 $ 0.2545 August 18, 2026
Third Award
120,000 51,429 $ 0.0875 September 28, 2027
Stephen W. LaMarche
First Award
100,603 $ 0.2485 August 11, 2026
Second Award
285,714 $ 0.0875 September 28, 2027
Current Directors:
Peter H. Kruse
First Award
96,712 $ 0.2545 August 18, 2026
Second Award
285,714 $ 0.0875 September 28, 2027
Former Officers:
Roger M. Ponder
323,863 $ 0.5800 February 21, 2026
Keith W. Hayter
482,393 $ 0.5800 February 21, 2026
Employment Contracts and Termination of Employment and Change-In-Control Arrangements
Mark W. Porter Employment Agreement
On March 31, 2021, we entered into an employment agreement (the “Employment Agreement”) with Mark W. Porter, our Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to which Mr. Porter will serve as our Chief Executive Officer for an initial term of five (5) years with automatic two (2) year renewals unless terminated by us or Mr. Porter. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Porter will receive an annual base salary of $375,000, plus an annual cash bonus based on our achievement of certain performance targets made at the discretion of our Board of Directors. If all performance targets are achieved, Mr. Porter’s annual cash bonus shall not be less than five percent (5%) of our EBITDA for the applicable year.
Board of Directors Compensation
Directors who are employees of our company or of any of our subsidiaries receive no additional compensation for serving on our Board of Directors or any of its committees. All directors who are not employees of our company or of any of our subsidiaries are compensated at the rate of $25,000 per year in stock compensation and are paid $1,500 for each board meeting attended and are reimbursed for their expenses incurred in attending Board and committee meetings.
Fiscal
Fees
earned
or paid
in cash
Stock
Awards
Option
Awards
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
Non-Qualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
All Other
Compensation
Total
Name and Principal Position
Year
($)
($)
($)
($)
($)
($)
($)
Stephen W. LaMarche (1)
-
-
25,000
-
-
165,000 (a)
190,000
Director
1,500
-
25,871
-
-
75,000 (a)
102,371
Peter H. Kruse (2)
-
-
25,000
-
-
15,000 (a)
40,000
Director
-
-
25,997
-
-
22,500 (a)
48,497
(1) Stephen W. LaMarche was appointed as a Director on August 9,2021
(2) Peter J Kruse was appointed as a Director on September 27,2021
(a) Represents consulting fees.

---

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The following table sets forth, as of April 10, 2023, the names, addresses and number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by all persons known to us to be beneficial owners of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and the names and number of shares beneficially owned by all of our directors and all of our executive officers and directors as a group (except as indicated, each beneficial owner listed exercises sole voting power and sole dispositive power over the shares beneficially owned). As of April 10, 2023, we had a total of 227,783,332 shares of common stock outstanding.
Number of
shares and Percent of
nature of
beneficial common stock
Name of beneficial owner ownership (1) outstanding (2)
Mark W. Porter (3) 26,374,172 10.3 %
Daniel J. Sullivan (4) 713,227 *
Peter H. Kruse (5) 382,426 *
Stephen W. LaMarche (6) 386,317 *
All directors and officers as a Group 27,856,142 10.8 %
Shannon Kizer (7) 40,000,000 14.9 %
Aaron Kizer (8) 20,000,000 8.0 %
Jason Kizer (9) 20,000,000 8.0 %
William Kizer (10) 20,000,000 8.0 %
Herald Investment Management (11) 16,000,000 6.5 %
Mark Munro 1996 Charitable Remainder UniTrust (12) 13,448,227 5.5 %
GSD Capital Management LLC (13) 12,500,000 5.2 %
* Less than 1%
(1) A person is considered to beneficially own any shares: (i) over which such person, directly or indirectly, exercises sole or shared voting or investment power, or (ii) of which such person has the right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time within 60 days (such as through exercise of stock options or warrants). Unless otherwise indicated, voting and investment power relating to the shares shown in the table for our directors and executive officers is exercised solely by the beneficial owner or shared by the owner and the owner’s spouse or children.
(2) Shares of our common stock issuable upon the conversion of our convertible preferred stock are deemed outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage shown above. In addition, for purposes of this table, a person or group of persons is deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of any shares of common stock that such person has the right to acquire within 60 days after the date of this annual report. For purposes of computing the percentage of outstanding shares of our common stock held by each person or group of persons named above, any shares that such person or persons has the right to acquire within 60 days after the date of this annual report is deemed to be outstanding, but is not deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. The inclusion herein of any shares listed as beneficially owned does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership.
(3) Represents 21,818,182 shares issuable upon the conversion of Series D preferred stock and 4,525,990 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options.
(4) Represents 454,545 shares issuable upon the conversion of Series E preferred stock and 258,682 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options.
(5) Represents 382,426 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options.
(6) Represents 386,317 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options.
(7) Represents 40,000,000 shares held in connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement. The address of Shannon Kizer is 8917 Country Road, Lubbock, TX 79407.
(8) Represents 20,000,000 shares held in connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement. The address of Aaron Kizer is 6970 Filly Road, Wolfforth, TX 79382.
(9) Represents 20,000,000 shares held in connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement. The address of Jason Kizer is 5623 State Highway 206, Pep, NM 88126.
(10) Represents 20,000,000 shares held in connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement. The address of William Kizer is 1698 South Roosevelt Road, Portales, NM 88130.
(11) Represents 16,000,000 shares held in connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement. The address of Herald Investment Management is 0-11 Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6EE.
(12) Represents 8,295,545 shares issuable upon the conversion of Series D preferred stock and 5,152,682 shares issuable upon the conversion of Series E preferred stock. The address of the Mark Munro 1996 Charitable Remainder UniTrust is 980 North Federal Highway, Suite 304, Boca Raton, FL 33432.
(13) Represents 12,500,000 shares issuable upon the exercise of share purchase warrants. The address of GSD Capital Management LLC is 365 Fifth Ave, Naples, FL 34102.
From time to time, the number of our shares held in the “street name” accounts of various securities dealers for the benefit of their clients or in centralized securities depositories may exceed 5% of the total shares of our common stock outstanding.

---

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Other than compensation arrangements for our named executive officers and directors, we describe below each transaction or series of similar transactions, since January 1, 2021, to which we were a party or will be a party, in which:
● the amounts involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000; or
● any of our directors, executive officers or holders of more than 5% of our capital stock, or any member of the immediate family of the foregoing persons, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.
See “Executive Compensation” for a description of certain arrangements with our executive officers and directors.
Loans Payable to Related Parties
Convertible promissory note, Keith Hayter, 10% interest, unsecured, matures August 31, 2022
On June 15, 2021, in connection with the reverse merger with HWN, HWN assumed High Wire’s convertible promissory note issued to Keith Hayter. The note was originally issued on August 31, 2020 in the principal amount of $554,031. Interest accrues at 10% per annum. All principal and accrued but unpaid interest under the note is due on March 31, 2023. The note is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a fixed conversion price of $0.06 per share, subject to adjustment based on the terms of the note. The embedded conversion option does not qualify for derivative accounting.
On January 1, 2023, the note was exchanged by the holder for a new unsecured promissory note with no conversion feature.
Promissory note, Mark Porter, 9% interest, unsecured, matures December 15, 2021
On June 1, 2021, the Company issued a $100,000 promissory note to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company in connection with the reverse merger between High Wire and HWN. The note matured on December 15, 2021 and is due on demand, and bears interest at a rate of 9% per annum.

---

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The aggregate fees billed for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of our annual financial statements and review of the financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for these fiscal periods were as follows:
For the year ended
December 31,
Sadler, Gibb & Associates, LLC
Audit Fees
$ 95,000
$ 169,531
Audit-Related Fees
25,500
89,000
Tax Fees
-
-
All Other Fees
-
-
Total
$ 120,500
$ 258,531
Our board of directors pre-approves all services provided by our independent auditors. All of the above services and fees were reviewed and approved by the board of directors either before or after the respective services were rendered.
Our board of directors has considered the nature and amount of fees billed by our independent auditors and believes that the provision of services for activities unrelated to the audit is compatible with maintaining our independent auditors’ independence.
PART IV

---

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Financial Statements.
See the “Index to Consolidated Financial Statements” on page below for the list of financial statements filed as part of this report.
Financial Statement Schedules.
All schedules have been omitted because they are not required or because the required information is given in the Consolidated Financial Statements or Notes thereto set forth below beginning on page.
Exhibits.
See the Exhibit Index immediately following the signature page of this Report on Form 10-K. The exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index below are filed or incorporated by reference as part of this Report on Form 10-K.