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Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Service revenue edged down sequentially: Service revenue was $239.2 million, down 0.6% sequentially and 3.2% year over year. On a constant currency basis, it fell 0.7% sequentially and 4.6% year over year. Foreign exchange added $3.4 million to the year-over-year comparison. Source
  • Wavelength and IPv4 leasing grew: Wavelength revenue reached $13.6 million, up 12.3% sequentially and 90.8% year over year. IPv4 address leasing revenue reached $18.0 million, up 3.9% sequentially and 24.8% year over year. Source
  • EBITDA as adjusted rose year over year: EBITDA, as adjusted for cash payments under the IP Transit Services Agreement, was $70.2 million, down 8.5% sequentially and up 2.1% year over year. The margin was 29.3%, against 31.9% in Q4 2025 and 27.8% in Q1 2025. Source
  • Off-net revenue kept falling: Off-net revenue was $89.0 million, down 4.2% sequentially and 17.0% year over year. On-net revenue was $135.6 million, up 1.0% sequentially and 4.6% year over year. Source
  • Total customer connections fell: Total connections were 116,809, down 0.7% sequentially and 3.2% year over year. On-net connections rose 1.3% year over year to 87,899, while off-net connections fell 12.7% to 24,014. Source
  • Non-GAAP gross margin fell sequentially: Non-GAAP gross profit was $110.3 million, down 2.0% sequentially. Non-GAAP gross margin was 46.1%, against 46.8% in Q4 2025 and 44.6% in Q1 2025. Source
  • Operating cash flow turned positive: Net cash provided by operating activities was $14.8 million, against $(6.0) million in Q4 2025 and $36.4 million in Q1 2025. Source
  • Gross leverage at 8.02 times: Gross leverage ratio was 8.02 and net leverage 7.41 at March 31, 2026, against 8.04 and 7.34 at December 31, 2025. Adjusted for amounts due from T-Mobile, gross leverage was 7.40 and net 6.79. Source

“Wavelength revenue increased by 12.3% sequentially from Q4 2025 to $13.6 million for Q1 2026 and increased by 90.8% from Q1 2025.”

Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Quarterly dividend SourceQ2 2026$0.02 per shareKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: The quarterly dividend stayed at $0.02 per share, the same rate approved for Q1 2026. Source
  • Ended: The interest rate swap on the 2026 notes, which had converted fixed interest to a variable SOFR-based rate, ended on February 5, 2026. Source
  • Ended: The EBITDA measure now adjusts only for cash paid under the IP Transit Services Agreement. The prior release also adjusted for Sprint acquisition costs. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Service revenue edged down sequentially: Service revenue was $239.2 million, down 0.6% sequentially and 3.2% year over year. On a constant currency basis, it fell 0.7% sequentially and 4.6% year over year. Foreign exchange added $3.4 million to the year-over-year comparison. Source
  • Wavelength and IPv4 leasing grew: Wavelength revenue reached $13.6 million, up 12.3% sequentially and 90.8% year over year. IPv4 address leasing revenue reached $18.0 million, up 3.9% sequentially and 24.8% year over year. Source
  • EBITDA as adjusted rose year over year: EBITDA, as adjusted for cash payments under the IP Transit Services Agreement, was $70.2 million, down 8.5% sequentially and up 2.1% year over year. The margin was 29.3%, against 31.9% in Q4 2025 and 27.8% in Q1 2025. Source
  • Reported EBITDA fell sequentially: Unadjusted EBITDA was $45.2 million, against $51.7 million in Q4 2025. The EBITDA margin was 18.9%, against 21.5% in the prior quarter. Source
  • Loss per share compared with prior periods: Basic and diluted loss per share was $(0.83), against $(0.64) in Q4 2025 and $(1.09) in Q1 2025. Net loss was $39.5 million for the quarter. Source
  • IP network traffic grew year over year: IP network traffic rose 4% sequentially from Q4 2025 and 14% from Q1 2025. Source

Revenue by product and category

  • Off-net revenue kept falling: Off-net revenue was $89.0 million, down 4.2% sequentially and 17.0% year over year. On-net revenue was $135.6 million, up 1.0% sequentially and 4.6% year over year. Source
  • Non-core legacy revenue declined: Non-core legacy services, which the company acquired and does not actively sell, produced $1.0 million, down from $1.2 million in Q4 2025 and $3.0 million in Q1 2025. Source
  • Net-centric revenue rose, enterprise fell: Net-centric revenue was $105.8 million, up 2.3% sequentially. Corporate revenue was $101.0 million, down 1.7%. Enterprise revenue was $32.4 million, down 5.7% sequentially. Source
  • Growth adjusted for currency and excise: Adjusted for currency and excise taxes, revenue changed -0.5% sequentially and -4.3% year over year. Source

“Revenue from leasing IPv4 addresses increased by 3.9% sequentially from Q4 2025 to $18.0 million for Q1 2026 and increased by 24.8% from Q1 2025.”

Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc., press release

Customers and sales productivity

  • Total customer connections fell: Total connections were 116,809, down 0.7% sequentially and 3.2% year over year. On-net connections rose 1.3% year over year to 87,899, while off-net connections fell 12.7% to 24,014. Source
  • Wavelength connections rose 9.6%: Wavelength connections reached 2,263, up 9.6% sequentially and 71.2% year over year. Source
  • Enterprise connections continued to decline: Enterprise connections fell to 9,808, down 6.7% sequentially. Non-core connections were 2,633, down 11.6% sequentially. Source
  • Sales productivity held at 4.1: Sales rep productivity was 4.1 units per FTE per month, the same as Q4 2025 and up from 3.8 in Q1 2025. Source
  • IPv4 addresses billed slipped slightly: IPv4 addresses billed were 15.2 million, down 0.5% sequentially after a 4.6% rise in Q4 2025. Source

Costs, gross margin and operating loss

  • Non-GAAP gross margin fell sequentially: Non-GAAP gross profit was $110.3 million, down 2.0% sequentially. Non-GAAP gross margin was 46.1%, against 46.8% in Q4 2025 and 44.6% in Q1 2025. Source
  • GAAP gross margin rose to 23.4%: GAAP gross profit was $55.9 million, up 4.0% sequentially, and GAAP gross margin was 23.4%, against 22.3% in Q4 2025. Depreciation and amortization was $54.1 million, against $58.4 million in Q4 2025. Source
  • Network operations expense rose slightly: Network operations expense was $128.9 million, up 0.7% sequentially. It includes excise taxes, including Universal Service Fund fees, of $19.5 million. Source
  • Selling and administrative costs rose: Selling, general and administrative expense was $65.1 million, up 7.2% sequentially, excluding equity-based compensation of $7.2 million. Source
  • Operating loss and lease gains: Operating loss was $(13.5) million, against $(11.3) million in Q4 2025. Gains on lease terminations and other were $2.9 million in the quarter. Source

“EBITDA, as adjusted, was $70.2 million for Q1 2026 and increased by 2.1% from Q1 2025.”

Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc., press release

Cash flow, debt and dividends

  • Operating cash flow turned positive: Net cash provided by operating activities was $14.8 million, against $(6.0) million in Q4 2025 and $36.4 million in Q1 2025. Source
  • Capital expenditure rose from Q4: Capital expenditure was $46.2 million, up 24.9% sequentially but below $58.1 million in Q1 2025. Source
  • Gross leverage at 8.02 times: Gross leverage ratio was 8.02 and net leverage 7.41 at March 31, 2026, against 8.04 and 7.34 at December 31, 2025. Adjusted for amounts due from T-Mobile, gross leverage was 7.40 and net 6.79. Source
  • Cash balance declined in quarter: Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash fell to $179.3 million from $205.1 million at December 31, 2025. Total stockholders’ deficit was $(104.2) million. Source
  • Dividends paid fell sharply: Dividends paid were $1.3 million, against $49.1 million in Q1 2025. Dividends declared were $0.02 per share, against $1.005 a year earlier. Source
  • Finance lease principal payments rose: Principal payments on finance lease obligations were $13.4 million, up from $8.5 million in Q4 2025. Source

Network footprint and strategy

  • On-net buildings reached 3,605: On-net buildings reached 3,605, up 26 in the quarter and 105 year over year. Source
  • Wavelength locations expanded: Wavelength services were offered in 1,107 locations across the United States, Mexico and Canada, up from 1,068 at December 31, 2025 and 883 a year earlier. Source
  • Leased metro fiber grew: Leased metro fiber miles reached 97,916, up from 96,663 at December 31, 2025. Source

People and headcount

  • Total headcount declined: Total employees were 1,795 at March 31, 2026, down from 1,833 at December 31, 2025 and 1,899 a year earlier. Quota-bearing sales staff were 568. Source
  • Wireline staff count continued to fall: 559 employees remained from the original Wireline Business group, against 569 at December 31, 2025 and 618 at March 31, 2025. Source
  • Total sales force reduced: The total sales force was 749, down from 777 at December 31, 2025. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Customer connections Source116,809 as of March 31, 2026
Net additions SourceDown 0.7% sequentially in total customer connections
Capital expenditure Source$46.2 million in Q1 2026

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Future dividends are at the Board’s discretion and may be reduced, eliminated or increased, depending on financial position, cash flow and debt indenture limits. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Amounts paid under the agreement were $25.0 million in each of the three months cited. The agreement sets an aggregate payment of $700.0 million. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.