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Hawaiian Telcom Reports Third Quarter 2011 Results

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Posted November 14, 2011

  Delivers Third Consecutive Quarter of Year-Over-Year Adjusted EBITDA Growth

        Successfully Launched Hawaiian Telcom TV Service on Oahu

HONOLULU, Nov. 14, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc. (Nasdaq:HCOM) reported results for its third quarter ended September 30(1). The highlights are as follows:

  --  Revenue totaled $97.0 million, compared to $101.5 million in the third quarter of 2010.
  --  Adjusted EBITDA(2) of $30.9 million, a 6.5 percent increase from $29.0 million a year ago.
  --  Operating expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, decreased 8 percent year-over-year due to cost reductions and operating efficiencies.
  --  Generated net income of $7.4 million, or $0.68 per diluted share.
  --  Continued improvement in year-over-year access line loss to 5.6 percent, compared to 6.6 percent in third quarter 2010 and 8.8 percent in third quarter 2009.
  --  Added approximately 4,100 high-speed Internet (HSI) subscribers, up 4.2 percent year-over-year.

"I am pleased with our third quarter results and particularly proud of what we have been able to accomplish to transform this business since completing our reorganization only a year ago," said Eric K. Yeaman, Hawaiian Telcom's president and CEO. "Despite the fiercely competitive environment we face, we continue to execute on our strategic plan to profitably grow the business and position the Company for long-term success."

"In the quarter, we began a staged commercial launch of our advanced Hawaiian Telcom TV service on Oahu and we are very pleased with the early results from our go-to-market plans. We continue to expand the availability and capabilities of the service, including significant expansion of our high-definition programming to meet the pent-up demand that exists in this marketplace for an alternative high-quality video provider," said Yeaman.

"In the business channel, we continue to see good momentum in our IP-based services reflecting the strong value proposition and differentiation of those services, which positions us well for growth in coming quarters. Also, we continued our deployment of fiber facilities to enable 4G capabilities to wireless cell sites completing an additional 46 sites in the quarter increasing to 141 the total number of sites we have deployed year-to-date," Yeaman added.

"Hawaiian Telcom's goal is to be recognized by our customers as Hawaii's leading provider of integrated communications solutions through the execution of our strategy to profitably grow our business, deliver superior customer service, and improve our financial performance," concluded Yeaman.

Third Quarter 2011 Results

Third quarter revenue was $97.0 million, compared to $101.5 million in the third quarter of 2010. The $4.5 million decrease was due primarily to lower equipment sales and the impact from access line loss, partially offset by growth from new IP-based business services and HSI. Adjusted EBITDA was $30.9 million, an increase of 6.5 percent year-over-year, due primarily to lower operating expenses as a result of various cost improvement initiatives. The Company generated net income of $7.4 million, or $0.68 per diluted share.

Third quarter local services revenue was $36.9 million, down 5 percent from the same period a year ago, primarily due to the 5.6 percent year-over-year decline in access lines, which compares favorably to a 6.6 percent decline in third quarter 2010. The improvement in line loss is driven by successful retention and acquisition programs like the Company's "Price for Life" consumer bundle, which offers significant value and increases customer loyalty.

Third quarter network access services revenue was $32.8 million, down 1 percent from the same period a year ago, driven principally by a decline in retail subscriber line and switched access revenue largely due to the overall decline in access lines. The decline was partially offset by growth in special access revenue, which was driven by a 7 percent year-over-year increase in enterprise data services and increased bandwidth demand from wireless carriers.

Revenue from long distance services was $7.8 million in the third quarter, down 10 percent from the same period a year ago, due to a 5.9 percent year-over-year decline in long distance lines and a decline in average revenue per line as a result of lower minutes of use due to wireless substitution and increased use of VoIP based technologies for long distance calling.

Third quarter HSI revenue was $8.9 million, up 5 percent from the same period a year ago, driven by a 4.2 percent year-over-year increase in HSI subscribers. Third quarter other services and sales revenue was $9.5 million, down $1.6 million from the same period a year ago, driven primarily by lower levels of sales and installations of customer premise equipment which can vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to timing.

Operating expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization and one-time charges, decreased 8 percent to $66.7 million, primarily due to decreased direct cost of goods related to lower equipment sales, lower costs related to various IT outsourcing contracts, and lower salaries, wages and benefits, as well as a decline in bad debt costs associated with improved collections efforts and bad debt recoveries, partially offset by higher energy costs.

Capital expenditures totaled $55.2 million for the nine-months ended September 30, 2011, up 9 percent from $50.6 million for the nine-month period a year ago due primarily to the deployment of fiber to various wireless cell sites to support the upgrade to 4G and future growth opportunities. Overall, total capital expenditures for 2011 are still expected to be relatively consistent with 2010 levels at approximately $79 million.

At the end of third quarter 2011, the Company had $82.4 million in cash and cash equivalents compared to $81.6 million at the end of 2010. Net Debt(3) was $217.6 million, resulting in a Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio for the last twelve months ended September 30, 2011 of 1.84x.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2011 results at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) or 9:00 a.m. (Hawaii Time) on Monday, November 14th, 2011.

To access the call, participants should dial (800) 599-9816 (US/Canada), or (617) 847-8705 (International) ten minutes prior to the start of the call and enter passcode 11016636.

Live webcast of the conference call will be available from the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at http://hawaiiantel.com. The webcast will be archived at the same location.

A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available two hours after the conclusion of the call until 11:59 p.m. (Hawaii Time) November 21st, 2011. Access the replay by dialing (888) 286-8010 and entering passcode 67387509. Alternatively, the replay can be accessed by dialing (617) 801-6888 and entering passcode 67387509.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains information about adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA) and Net Debt. These are non-GAAP financial measures used by Hawaiian Telcom management when evaluating results of operations. Management believes these measures also provide users of the financial statements with additional and useful comparisons of current results of operations with past and future periods. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as being more important than comparable GAAP measures. Detailed reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA and Net Debt to comparable GAAP financial measures have been included in the tables distributed with this release and are available in the Investor Relations section of www.hawaiiantel.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, this release includes certain statements and predictions that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, any statement, projection or estimate that includes or references the words "believes", "anticipates", "intends", "expects", or any similar expression falls within the safe harbor of forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those indicated or suggested by any such forward-looking statement for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, Hawaiian Telcom's ability to maintain its market position in communications services, including wireless, wireline and Internet services; general economic trends affecting the purchase or supply of communication services; world and national events that may affect the ability to provide services; changes in the regulatory environment; any rulings, orders or decrees that may be issued by any court or arbitrator; restrictions imposed under various credit facilities and debt instruments; work stoppages caused by labor disputes; adjustments resulting from year-end audit procedures; and Hawaiian Telcom's ability to develop and launch new products and services. More information on potential risks and uncertainties is available in recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Hawaiian Telcom's 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The information contained in this release is as of November 14, 2011. It is anticipated that subsequent events and developments may cause estimates to change.

About Hawaiian Telcom

Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc., headquartered in Honolulu, is Hawaii's leading provider of integrated communications solutions for business and residential customers. With roots in Hawaii beginning in 1883, the Company offers a full range of services including voice, video, Internet, data, wireless, and advanced communication and network services supported by the reach and reliability of its network and Hawaii's only 24/7 state-of-the-art network operations center. With employees statewide sharing a commitment to innovation and a passion for delivering superior service, Hawaiian Telcom provides an Always On(SM) customer experience. For more information, visit www.hawaiiantel.com.

The Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10087

(1) The Company emerged from Chapter 11 as of October 28, 2010 and adopted fresh-start reporting as of October 31, 2010. References to "Predecessor" refer to the Company prior to and on October 31, 2010. References to "Successor" refer to the Company after October 31, 2010 after giving effect to the plan of reorganization and application of fresh-start reporting. As a result of the application of fresh-start reporting, the Successor's financial statements are not comparable with the Predecessor's financial statements. However, for purposes of the discussion of the results of operations, the Successor results for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2011 have been compared to the Predecessor results for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2010. In this press release, we will disclose the fresh-start and other impacts on our results of operations that vary from historical Predecessor periods to aid in the understanding of our performance.

(2) Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA plus non-recurring costs not expected to occur regularly in the ordinary course of business. EBITDA is defined as net income plus interest expense (net of interest income and other), income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and non-cash stock compensation. The Company believes both of these non-GAAP measures, Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA, are meaningful performance measures for investors because they are used by our Board and management to evaluate performance, enhance comparability between periods and make operating decisions. Our use of Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies in the telecommunications industry. A detailed reconciliation of adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA) to comparable GAAP financial measures has been included in the tables distributed with this release.

(3) Net Debt provides a useful measure of liquidity and financial health. The Company defines Net Debt as the sum of the face amount of short-term and long-term debt and unamortized premium and/or discount, offset by cash and cash equivalents. A detailed reconciliation of Net Debt has been included in the tables distributed with this release.

                             Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
                    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
              (Unaudited, dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)


                                          Successor                 Predecessor
                                   ------------------------  ------------------------
                                      Three                     Three
                                      Months    Nine Months     Months    Nine Months
                                      Ended        Ended        Ended        Ended

                                    September    September    September    September
                                    30, 2011     30, 2011     30, 2010     30, 2010
                                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------


  Operating revenues                  $ 97,040    $ 296,290    $ 101,455    $ 301,329
                                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------

  Operating expenses:
  Cost of revenues (exclusive
   of depreciation and
    amortization)                       39,055      121,585       41,943      121,557
  Selling, general and
   administrative                       28,066       88,584       31,145       94,656

  Depreciation and amortization         17,086       47,603       41,604      126,275
                                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------


  Total operating expenses              84,207      257,772      114,692      342,488
                                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------


  Operating income (loss)               12,833       38,518     (13,237)     (41,159)
                                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------

  Other income (expense):
  Interest expense (contractual
   interest was $19,017 and
   $56,612 for the three and nine
   months ended September 30,
   2010, respectively)                 (6,364)     (18,858)      (7,142)     (21,047)

  Interest income and other                 21           51           29           59
                                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------


  Total other expense                  (6,343)     (18,807)      (7,113)     (20,988)
                                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------

  Income (loss) before
   reorganization
   items and income tax benefit          6,490       19,711     (20,350)     (62,147)


  Reorganization items                    (70)          880        3,474        7,301
                                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------

  Income (loss) before income tax
   benefit                               6,560       18,831     (23,824)     (69,448)


  Income tax benefit                     (813)        (813)        (346)        (346)
                                   -----------  -----------  -----------  -----------


  Net income (loss)                    $ 7,373     $ 19,644   $ (23,478)   $ (69,102)
                                   ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========


  Net income (loss) per common
   share

  Basic                                 $ 0.73       $ 1.94    $ (54.86)   $ (161.45)
                                   ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========

  Diluted                               $ 0.68       $ 1.80   $  (54.86)   $ (161.45)
                                   ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========

  Weighted average shares used
   to compute net income (loss)
    per
   common share --

   Basic                            10,138,795   10,138,358      428,000      428,000
                                   ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========

   Diluted                          10,775,318   10,921,717      428,000      428,000
                                   ===========  ===========  ===========  ===========

               Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
           Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
     (Unaudited, dollars in thousands, except per share
                          amounts)

                                    September   December
                                      30,         31,

                                      2011        2010
                                   ----------  ----------

  Assets

  Current assets
  Cash and cash equivalents          $ 82,383    $ 81,647
  Receivables, net                     34,330      39,222
  Material and supplies                 8,534       8,431
  Prepaid expenses                      5,261       5,707

  Other current assets                  1,522       4,566
                                   ----------  ----------
  Total current assets                132,030     139,573
  Property, plant and equipment,
   net                                471,716     459,781
  Intangible assets, net               41,505      43,315

  Other assets                          4,017       3,367
                                   ----------  ----------


  Total assets                      $ 649,268   $ 646,036
                                   ==========  ==========

  Liabilities and Stockholders'
   Equity

  Current liabilities
  Accounts payable                   $ 20,113    $ 24,162
  Accrued expenses                     22,319      28,752
  Advance billings and customer
   deposits                            14,091      14,948

  Other current liabilities             3,202       2,810
                                   ----------  ----------
  Total current liabilities            59,725      70,672
  Long-term debt                      300,000     300,000
  Employee benefit obligations         86,607      94,453

  Other liabilities                     2,968       2,119
                                   ----------  ----------

  Total liabilities                   449,300     467,244
                                   ----------  ----------

  Commitments and contingencies

  Stockholders' equity
  Common stock, par value of
   $0.01 per share, 245,000,000
  shares authorized and
   10,139,084 and 10,135,063
   shares issued and
  outstanding at September 30,
   2011 and December 31, 2010,
   respectively                           101         101
  Additional paid-in capital          163,708     162,169
  Accumulated other comprehensive
   income                              13,386      13,393

  Retained earnings                    22,773       3,129
                                   ----------  ----------

  Total stockholders' equity          199,968     178,792
                                   ----------  ----------

  Total liabilities and
   stockholders' equity             $ 649,268   $ 646,036
                                   ==========  ==========


                      Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
             Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
                   (Unaudited, dollars in thousands)


                                                Successor  Predecessor
                                               ----------  -----------
                                                  Nine
                                                 Months    Nine Months
                                                  Ended       Ended

                                                September   September
                                                30, 2011    30, 2010
                                               ----------  -----------

  Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net income (loss)                             $  19,644   $ (69,102)
  Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss)
   to net cash provided by
   operating activities
   Depreciation and amortization                   47,603      126,275
   Employee retirement benefits                   (7,846)     (11,446)
   Provision for uncollectibles                     1,507        4,501
   Stock based compensation                         1,489           59
   Interest cost added to loan principal               --       10,474
   Reorganization items                               880        7,301
   Changes in operating assets and
    liabilities:
    Receivables                                     1,884      (2,390)
    Material and supplies                           (103)      (2,633)
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets       3,491      (5,712)
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses         (8,960)        6,657
    Advance billings and customer deposits          (858)          900
    Other current liabilities                         974          283

   Other                                          (1,059)          359
                                               ----------  -----------
  Net cash provided by operating activities
  before reorganization items                      58,646       65,526
  Operating cash flows used by reorganization
   items                                          (2,222)     (13,924)
                                               ----------  -----------

  Net cash provided by operating activities        56,424       51,602
                                               ----------  -----------

  Cash flows used in investing activities:

  Capital expenditures                           (55,156)     (50,611)
                                               ----------  -----------

  Net cash used in investing activities          (55,156)     (50,611)
                                               ----------  -----------

  Cash used in financing activities:
  Proceeds from sale of common stock                   50           --

  Repayments of installment liability               (582)           --
                                               ----------  -----------

  Net cash used in financing activities             (532)           --
                                               ----------  -----------

  Net change in cash and cash equivalents             736          991
  Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of
   period                                          81,647       96,550
                                               ----------  -----------


  Cash and cash equivalents, end of period       $ 82,383     $ 97,541
                                               ==========  ===========

  Supplemental disclosure of cash flow
   information:
   Interest paid, net of amounts capitalized     $ 18,858      $ 9,892
   Non-cash investing activities - receipt of
    equipment for settlement of receivable or
     for capital lease                              2,250           --

                           Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
                               Operating Revenues
                             (Dollars in thousands)

  For Three Months

                                 Successor  Predecessor
                                ----------  -----------
                                   Three       Three
                                  Months       Months
                                   Ended       Ended             Change
                                                         ----------------------

                                 September   September
                                 30, 2011    30, 2010      Amount    Percentage
                                ----------  -----------  ----------  ----------

  Wireline Services
  Local services                  $ 36,902     $ 38,828   $ (1,926)       -5.0%
  Network access services           32,836       33,186       (350)       -1.1%
  Long distance services             7,777        8,632       (855)       -9.9%
  High-Speed Internet and
   other Internet                    8,920        8,506         414        4.9%

  Other services and sales           9,535       11,147     (1,612)      -14.5%
                                ----------  -----------  ----------  ----------
                                    95,970      100,299     (4,329)       -4.3%

  Other                              1,070        1,156        (86)       -7.4%
                                ----------  -----------  ----------  ----------


                                  $ 97,040    $ 101,455   $ (4,415)       -4.4%
                                ==========  ===========  ==========  ==========

  For Nine Months

                                 Successor  Predecessor
                                ----------  -----------
                                   Nine
                                  Months    Nine Months
                                   Ended       Ended             Change
                                                         ----------------------

                                 September   September
                                 30, 2011    30, 2010      Amount    Percentage
                                ----------  -----------  ----------  ----------

  Wireline Services
  Local services                 $ 110,980    $ 118,477   $ (7,497)       -6.3%
  Network access services          100,437       98,984       1,453        1.5%
  Long distance services            24,428       26,340     (1,912)       -7.3%
  High-Speed Internet and
   other Internet                   26,466       25,617         849        3.3%

  Other services and sales          30,703       28,327       2,376        8.4%
                                ----------  -----------  ----------  ----------
                                   293,014      297,745     (4,731)       -1.6%

  Other                              3,276        3,584       (308)       -8.6%
                                ----------  -----------  ----------  ----------


                                 $ 296,290    $ 301,329   $ (5,039)       -1.7%
                                ==========  ===========  ==========  ==========


                             Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
                   Schedule of Quarterly Adjusted EBITDA Calculation
                           (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)


                                           Successor               Predecessor
                                      --------------------  -------------------------
                                        Three       Nine       Three         Nine
                                       Months     Months                     Months
                                        Ended      Ended    Months Ended     Ended

                                      September  September   September     September
                                         30,        30,          30,          30,
                                      ---------  ---------  ------------  -----------

                                         2011       2011        2010         2010
                                      ---------  ---------  ------------  -----------

  Net income (loss)                     $ 7,373   $ 19,644   $  (23,478)   $ (69,102)
  Income tax benefit                      (813)      (813)         (346)        (346)
  Interest expense and other income
   and expense, net                       6,343     18,807         7,113       20,988
  Reorganization items                     (70)        880         3,474        7,301
  Depreciation and amortization          17,086     47,603        41,604      126,275

  Non-cash stock compensation               517      1,489            20           59
                                      ---------  ---------  ------------  -----------
  EBITDA                                 30,436     87,610        28,387       85,175
  Non-recurring costs                       456      1,504           626        2,104
  Severance and lease termination
   costs                                     --      2,200            --           --
                                      ---------  ---------  ------------  -----------


  Adjusted EBITDA                      $ 30,892   $ 91,314      $ 29,013     $ 87,279
                                      =========  =========  ============  ===========

                Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
   Total Net Debt to Last Twelve Months ("LTM") Adjusted
                        EBITDA Ratio
             (Dollars in thousands, unaudited)


  Long-term debt as of September 30, 2011        $ 300,000

  Less cash on hand                               (82,383)
                                                ----------

  Total Net Debt as of September 30, 2011        $ 217,617
                                                ==========

  LTM Adjusted EBITDA as of September 30, 2011   $ 118,561

  Total Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA                  1.84x

                   Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
                        Volume Information

  September 2011 compared to September 2010

                     September  September
                        30,        30,            Change
                                           ---------------------

                        2011       2010     Number    Percentage
                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ----------

  Voice access
   lines
  Residential          227,064    245,102   (18,038)       -7.4%
  Business             189,927    196,710    (6,783)       -3.4%

  Public                 4,657      4,795      (138)       -2.9%
                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ----------

                       421,648    446,607   (24,959)       -5.6%
                     =========  =========  =========  ==========

  High-Speed
   Internet lines
  Residential           83,636     79,993      3,643        4.6%
  Business              17,176     16,624        552        3.3%

  Wholesale              1,164      1,227       (63)       -5.1%
                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ----------

                       101,976     97,844      4,132        4.2%
                     =========  =========  =========  ==========

  Long distance
   lines
  Residential          139,193    150,018   (10,825)       -7.2%

  Business              76,895     79,499    (2,604)       -3.3%
                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ----------

                       216,088    229,517   (13,429)       -5.9%
                     =========  =========  =========  ==========


  September 2011 compared to June 2011

                     September
                        30,      June 30,         Change
                                           ---------------------

                        2011       2011     Number    Percentage
                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ----------

  Voice access
   lines
  Residential          227,064    232,344    (5,280)       -2.3%
  Business             189,927    191,466    (1,539)       -0.8%

  Public                 4,657      4,717       (60)       -1.3%
                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ----------

                       421,648    428,527    (6,879)       -1.6%
                     =========  =========  =========  ==========

  High-Speed
   Internet lines
  Residential           83,636     83,242        394        0.5%
  Business              17,176     16,934        242        1.4%

  Wholesale              1,164      1,173        (9)       -0.8%
                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ----------

                       101,976    101,349        627        0.6%
                     =========  =========  =========  ==========

  Long distance
   lines
  Residential          139,193    142,416    (3,223)       -2.3%

  Business              76,895     77,775      (880)       -1.1%
                     ---------  ---------  ---------  ----------

                       216,088    220,191    (4,103)       -1.9%
                     =========  =========  =========  ==========

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.

CONTACT: Investor Relations Contact:
Brian Tanner, Hawaiian Telcom
(808) 546-3442
brian.tanner@hawaiiantel.com
Media Contact:
Scott Simon, Hawaiian Telcom
(808) 546-5466
scott.simon@hawaiiantel.com

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