SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Reuters) - High-speed Internet access provider Covad Communications Group Inc. COVD.OB said on Tuesday it expects to voluntarily file for bankruptcy protection by mid-August as part of a plan being negotiated with bondholders to eliminate its $1.4 billion debt load. Covad is one of a handful of cash-hungry telecoms to have recently faced pressure from bondholders trying to protect their investments and keep the telecoms from spending in ways they deem wasteful before they run out of cash. The Santa Clara, California-based company, the last big independent digital subscriber line (DSL) provider still above water, said holders of a majority of the debt have agreed verbally or in writing to the terms of a restructuring. It said it expects to file for a prepackaged reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in mid-August. "We believe this transaction to be in the best interests of our bondholders and shareholders," said Chuck McMinn, Covad's chairman, in a press statement. McMinn said once the restructuring is completed, Covad will need $200 million more cash to turn a positive cash flow, which he expects by the third quarter of 2003. Covad said it does not expect a bankruptcy filing to include its operating companies, which it expects will continue to provide service normally. Covad said it had 333,000 customers in service on its network as of June 30. Last Wednesday, DSL provider Rhythms NetConnections Inc. RTHMQ.OB, filed for bankruptcy protection, but only after obtaining consents from holders of more than 60 percent of its bonds. The other big independent DSL provider, NorthPoint Communications Corp., folded earlier this year. Shares of Covad closed Monday on the Nasdaq bulletin board at 50 cents, down 97 percent in the last year. TERMS Covad said under the restructuring, bondholders can exchange their bonds for preferred stock and 19 cents on the dollar in cash. The preferred stock would be convertible into about 33 million shares, representing about 15 percent of Covad's diluted common stock. Upon closing of the restructuring, Covad said it expects to pay out $283.3 million to bondholders. After the payout, Covad said it will have about $250 million of cash on a pro forma basis as of June 30, 2001, enough to run its business into early 2002. The company said it expects to emerge from bankruptcy by January 2002. Covad is one of dozens of emerging telecoms to sprout after the deregulation brought about by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. But customer demand never met expectations, the economy slowed, and capital markets shut down, causing many telecoms to run out of cash before turning profitable. -- Bob Tanner <tanner at real-time.com> | Phone : (952)943-8700 http://www.mn-linux.org | Fax : (952)943-8500 Key fingerprint = 6C E9 51 4F D5 3E 4C 66 62 A9 10 E5 35 85 39 D9