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Year Ended
December 31, 2016

Operating revenues

Income (loss) before income taxes

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Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	Dec. 31, 2018	Feb. 22, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	SHENANDOAH TELECOMMUNICATIONS CO/VA/
Entity Central Index Key	0000354963
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2018
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2018
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		49,830,871
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Public Float			$ 1.6

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 85,086	$ 78,585
Accounts receivable, net	54,407	54,184
Income taxes receivable	5,282	17,311
Inventory, net	5,265	5,704
Prepaid expenses and other	60,162	17,111
Total current assets	210,202	172,895
Investments	10,788	11,472
Property, plant and equipment, net	701,359	686,327
Other assets:
Intangible assets, net	366,029	380,979
Goodwill	146,497	146,497
Deferred charges and other assets, net	49,891	13,690
Total assets	1,484,766	1,411,860
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt, net of unamortized loan fees	20,618	64,397
Accounts payable	35,987	28,953
Advanced billings and customer deposits	7,919	21,153
Accrued compensation	9,452	9,167
Accrued liabilities and other	14,563	13,914
Total current liabilities	88,539	137,584
Long-term debt, less current maturities, net of unamortized loan fees	749,624	757,561
Other long-term liabilities:
Deferred income taxes	127,453	100,879
Deferred lease	22,436	15,782
Asset retirement obligations	28,584	21,211
Retirement plan obligations	11,519	13,328
Other liabilities	14,364	15,293
Total other long-term liabilities	204,356	166,493
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Shareholders’ equity:
Common stock, no par value, authorized 96,000; 49,630 and 49,328 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively	0	0
Additional paid in capital	47,456	44,787
Retained earnings	386,511	297,205
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes	8,280	8,230
Total shareholders’ equity	442,247	350,222
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$ 1,484,766	$ 1,411,860

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares $ / shares in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Shareholders' Equity
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	96,000,000	96,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	49,630,000	49,328,000
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	49,630,000	49,328,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Operating revenue:
Total operating revenue	$ 630,854	$ 611,991	$ 535,288
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative	113,222	165,937	133,325
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses	0	11,030	42,232
Depreciation and amortization	166,405	177,007	143,685
Total operating expenses	537,608	565,481	512,762
Operating income (loss)	93,246	46,510	22,526
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	(34,847)	(38,237)	(25,102)
Gain (loss) on investments, net	(275)	564	271
Non-operating income (loss), net	3,988	4,420	4,250
Income (loss) before income taxes	62,112	13,257	1,945
Income tax (benefit) expense	15,517	(53,133)	2,840
Net income (loss)	46,595	66,390	(895)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain (loss) on interest rate hedge, net of tax	50	1,442	6,373
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 46,645	$ 67,832	$ 5,478
Net income (loss) per share, basic and diluted:
Basic net income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.94	$ 1.35	$ (0.02)
Diluted net income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.93	$ 1.33	$ (0.02)
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic (in shares)	49,542	49,150	48,807
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted (in shares)	50,063	50,026	48,807
Cash dividend declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.27	$ 0.26	$ 0.25
Service revenue and other
Operating revenue:
Total operating revenue	$ 562,456	$ 601,673	$ 523,748
Equipment revenue
Operating revenue:
Total operating revenue	68,398	10,318	11,540
Cost of services
Operating expenses
Cost of services and cost of goods sold	194,022	188,721	163,969
Cost of goods sold
Operating expenses
Cost of services and cost of goods sold	$ 63,959	$ 22,786	$ 29,551

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Shares of Common Stock (no par value)	Additional Paid in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 289,938		$ 32,776	$ 256,747	$ 415
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015		48,475
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	(895)			(895)
Other comprehensive gain (loss), net of tax	6,373				6,373
Dividends declared	(12,228)			(12,228)
Dividends reinvested in common stock	524		524
Dividends reinvested in common stock (in shares)		19
Stock based compensation	3,506		3,506
Common stock issued through exercise of incentive stock options	3,359		3,359
Common stock issued through exercise of incentive stock options (in shares)		371
Common stock issued for share awards (in shares)		190
Common stock issued	14		14
Common stock issued (in shares)		2
Common stock issued to acquire non-controlling interest in nTelos	10,400		10,400
Common stock issued to acquire a non-controlling interests of nTelos (in shares)		76
Shares retired for settlement of employee taxes upon issuance of vested equity awards	(5,097)		(5,097)
Shares retired for settlement of employee taxes upon issuance of vested equity awards (in shares)		(198)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	295,894		45,482	243,624	6,788
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016		48,935
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	66,390			66,390
Other comprehensive gain (loss), net of tax	1,442				1,442
Dividends declared	(12,809)			(12,809)
Dividends reinvested in common stock	552		552
Dividends reinvested in common stock (in shares)		15
Stock based compensation	4,184		4,184
Stock based compensation (in shares)		154
Common stock issued through exercise of incentive stock options	2,394		2,394
Common stock issued through exercise of incentive stock options (in shares)		363
Common stock issued	21		21
Common stock issued (in shares)		1
Common stock issued to acquire a non-controlling interests of nTelos (in shares)		76
Shares retired for settlement of employee taxes upon issuance of vested equity awards	(7,846)		(7,846)
Shares retired for settlement of employee taxes upon issuance of vested equity awards (in shares)		(216)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 350,222		44,787	297,205	8,230
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017	49,328	49,328
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	$ 46,595			46,595
Other comprehensive gain (loss), net of tax	50				50
Dividends declared	(13,386)			(13,386)
Dividends reinvested in common stock	520		520
Dividends reinvested in common stock (in shares)		11
Stock based compensation	5,367		5,367
Stock based compensation (in shares)		206
Common stock issued through exercise of incentive stock options	787		787
Common stock issued through exercise of incentive stock options (in shares)		113
Common stock issued	26		26
Common stock issued (in shares)		1
Common stock issued to acquire a non-controlling interests of nTelos (in shares)		76
Shares retired for settlement of employee taxes upon issuance of vested equity awards	(4,031)		(4,031)
Shares retired for settlement of employee taxes upon issuance of vested equity awards (in shares)		(105)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 442,247		$ 47,456	$ 386,511	$ 8,280
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018	49,630	49,630

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.27	$ 0.26	$ 0.25

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 46,595	$ 66,390	$ (895)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	142,111	151,063	123,995
Amortization	24,294	25,944	19,690
Amortization reflected as rent expense in cost of services	342	1,528	728
Bad debt expense	1,983	2,179	2,456
Waived management fee	4,959	3,580	3,021
Waived management fee	37,763	36,056	24,596
Deferred income taxes	6,208	(54,055)	(52,875)
(Gain) loss on investments	275	(450)	(143)
Net (gain) loss from patronage and equity investments	(3,388)	(3,008)	(795)
Amortization of long-term debt issuance costs	3,666	4,741	3,914
Net benefit from retirement plans	(1,688)	(1,388)	(4,396)
Accrued interest and other	0	416	1,414
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	239	16,451	14,581
Inventory, net	439	33,339	(30,288)
Income taxes receivable	12,029	(19,138)	7,694
Other assets	(16,246)	1,439	5,273
Accounts payable	(1,377)	(36,725)	42,496
Income taxes payable	0	0	435
Deferred lease	4,723	327	4,273
Other deferrals and accruals	2,720	(5,759)	(3,648)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	265,647	222,930	161,526
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment	(136,641)	(146,489)	(173,231)
Proceeds from sale of assets	840	980	5,510
Cash disbursed for acquisition, net of cash acquired	(52,000)	(6,000)	(657,354)
Release of restricted cash	0	0	2,167
Cash distributions (contributions) from investments and other	1	14	2,895
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(187,800)	(151,495)	(820,013)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on long-term debt	(51,264)	(36,375)	(213,793)
Proceeds from revolving credit facility borrowings	15,000	0	0
Proceeds from credit facility borrowings	0	25,000	860,000
Principal payments on revolving credit facility	(15,000)	0	0
Payments for debt issuance costs	(3,971)	0	(14,910)
Dividends paid, net of dividends reinvested	(12,866)	(12,257)	(11,705)
Taxes paid for equity award issuances	(3,245)	(5,411)	(5,097)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0	3,373
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(71,346)	(29,043)	617,868
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	6,501	42,392	(40,619)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	78,585	36,193	76,812
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	85,086	78,585	36,193
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information
Interest, net of capitalized interest of $1,556; $1,559 and $1,374 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively	33,034	33,495	21,187
Income tax (refunds received) paid, net	(2,721)	20,066	44,983
Capital expenditures payable	23,501	7,254	14,386
Common stock issued to acquire non-controlling interest in nTelos			10,400
Unamortized loan allocation to long term debt, current maturities			5,200
Increase in fair value of interest rate swaps		2,000
Increase in deferred tax liabilities		500
Increase in accumulated other comprehensive income	$ 50	$ 1,442	$ 6,373

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information Cash payments for:
Capitalized interest	$ 1,556	$ 1,559	$ 1,374

Nature of Operations	12 Months Ended
Nature of Operations	Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	Nature of Operations Description of business: Shenandoah Telecommunications Company and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) provide wireless personal communications service (“PCS”) under the Sprint brands, and telephone service, cable television, unregulated communications equipment sales and services, and internet access under the Shentel brand. In addition, the Company leases towers and operates and maintains an interstate fiber optic network. Pursuant to a management agreement with Sprint and its related parties (collectively, “Sprint”), the Company has been the exclusive Sprint PCS Affiliate providing wireless mobility communications network products and services on the 800 MHz, 1900 MHz and 2.5 GHz spectrum ranges in a multi-state area covering large portions of central and western Virginia, south-central Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and portions of Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio. The Company is licensed to use the Sprint brand names in this territory, and operates its network under the Sprint radio spectrum license. The Company also owns cell site towers built on leased land, throughout this region, and leases space on the owned towers to both affiliates and non-affiliated third-party wireless service providers. The 2016 acquisition of nTelos and the subsequent Sprint expansions (see Note 4, Acquisitions) expanded the Company's wireless network coverage area to include south-central and western Virginia, West Virginia, and small portions of Kentucky, and Ohio.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of consolidation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Shenandoah Telecommunications Company and all of its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of estimates: The Company has made a number of estimates and assumptions related to the reporting of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates made by the Company include, but are not limited to: revenue recognition; estimates of the fair value of stock-based awards; fair value of intangibles and goodwill; depreciable lives of property, plant and equipment; and useful lives of intangible assets. Management reviews its estimates, including those related to recoverability and useful lives of assets as well as liabilities for income taxes and pension benefits. Changes in facts and circumstances may result in revised estimates, and actual results could differ from those reported estimates and such differences could be material to the Company's consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Cash and cash equivalents: The Company considers all temporary cash investments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company places its temporary cash investments with high credit quality financial institutions. Generally, such investments are in excess of FDIC or SIPC insurance limits.

Inventories: The Company's inventories consist primarily of items held for resale such as devices and accessories. The Company values its inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Inventory cost is computed on an average cost basis. Net realizable value is determined by reviewing current replacement cost, marketability and obsolescence.

Property, plant and equipment: Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. The Company capitalizes all costs associated with the purchase, deployment and installation of property, plant and equipment, including interest costs on major capital projects during the period of their construction. Maintenance expense is recognized as incurred when repairs are performed that do not extend the life of property, plant and equipment. Expenses for major renewals and improvements, which significantly extend the useful lives of existing property and equipment, are capitalized and depreciated. Depreciable lives are assigned to assets based on their estimated useful lives. Depreciation is calculated on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of their useful lives or respective lease terms. The Company takes technology changes into consideration as it assigns the estimated useful lives, and monitors the remaining useful lives of asset groups to reasonably match the remaining economic life with the useful life and makes adjustments when necessary. Upon retirement or disposition of property and equipment, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is recognized. See Note 9, Property, Plant and Equipment, for additional information.

Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets: Goodwill represents the excess of acquisition costs over the fair value of tangible net assets and identifiable intangible assets of the businesses acquired. Cable franchise rights, included in indefinite-lived intangible assets provide us with the non-exclusive right to provide video services in a specified area. While some cable franchises are issued for a fixed time (generally 10 years), renewals of cable franchises have occurred routinely and at nominal cost. Moreover, we have determined that there are currently no legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors that limit the useful lives of our cable franchises and as a result we account for cable franchise rights as an indefinite lived intangible asset.

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but rather, are subject to impairment testing annually, in the fourth quarter, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be fully recoverable. A qualitative evaluation of our reporting units is utilized to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative two-step impairment test. If it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, we would be required to perform a two-step quantitative test. If the carrying value of the reporting unit's net assets exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then an impairment loss is recorded.

The Company's 2018 impairment tests were based on the operating segment structure, where each operating segment was also considered a reporting unit. During the fourth quarter of 2018 we performed a qualitative assessment for our reporting units that were assigned goodwill. During this assessment, qualitative factors were first assessed to determine whether it was more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting units were less than their carrying amounts. Qualitative factors that were considered included, but were not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, company specific events, changes in circumstances, after tax cash flows and market capitalization trends.

Based on our Company's annual qualitative impairment evaluations performed during 2018 and 2017, we concluded that there were no indicators of impairment and therefore it was more likely than not that the fair value of the goodwill exceeded its carrying amount, for each reporting unit.

Finite-lived Intangible Assets: On an annual basis and whenever events or changes in circumstances require, the Company reviews its finite-lived intangible assets for impairment. Intangible assets are included in the Company's impairment testing and in the event the Company identifies impairment, the intangible assets are written down to their fair values.

Intangible assets typically have finite useful lives that are amortized over their useful lives and primarily consist of affiliate contract expansion, acquired cable subscribers, and off-market leases. Affiliate contract expansion and acquired cable subscribers are amortized over the period in which those relationships are expected to contribute to our future cash flows and are also reduced by management fee waiver credits received from Sprint in connection with the 2017 non-monetary exchange. Other finite-lived intangible assets, are generally amortized using the straight-line method of amortization. Such finite-lived intangible assets are subject to the impairment provisions of ASC 360, Property, Plant and Equipment, where impairment is recognized and measured only if there are events and circumstances that indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The carrying amount is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset group. An impairment loss is recorded if after determining that it is not recoverable, the carrying amount exceeds the fair value of the asset.

Finite-lived intangible assets and liabilities are being amortized over the following estimated useful lives that were established on the dates acquired:



		Estimated Useful Life
Affiliate contract expansion		4 - 14 years
Favorable and unfavorable leases - wireless		1 - 28 years
Acquired subscribers - cable		3 - 10 years
Other intangibles		15 - 20 years

There were no impairment charges on intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 or 2016.

Valuation of long-lived assets: Long‑lived assets, such as property, plant, and equipment, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. If the Company determines that an asset group may not be recoverable, an impairment charge is recorded. There were no impairment charges on long-lived assets for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 or 2016.

Business combinations: Business combinations, including purchased intangible assets, are accounted for at fair value. Acquisition costs are expensed as incurred and recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses. The fair value amount assigned to intangible assets is based on an exit price from a market participant's viewpoint, and utilizes data such as discounted cash flow analysis and replacement cost models. The Company's best estimates are employed in determining the assumptions used to derive acquisition date fair value.

Revenue recognition: Refer to Note 3, Revenue from Contracts with Customers for details of the Company's 2018 revenue recognition policy.

For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company recognized revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement existed, services had been rendered or products had been delivered, the price to the buyer was fixed and determinable and collectability was reasonably assured. Revenues were recognized by the Company based on the various types of transactions generating the revenue. For services, revenue was recognized as the services are performed.

Advertising Costs: The Company expenses advertising costs and marketing production costs as incurred and includes such costs within selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Advertising expense for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $15.2 million, $15.5 million and $12.2 million, respectively.

Income taxes: Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company evaluates the recoverability of deferred tax assets generated from net operating losses. The Company uses a more likely than not threshold to make that determination and has concluded that at December 31, 2018 and 2017, a valuation allowance against certain state deferred tax assets is necessary, as discussed in Note 16, Income Taxes. The Company recognizes the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely of being realized. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected in the period in which the change in judgment occurs. The Company’s policy is to record interest related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in selling, general, and administrative expenses.

Retirement Plans: Through the Company’s acquisition of nTelos, the Company assumed nTelos’ non-contributory defined benefit pension plan (“Pension Plan”) covering all employees who met eligibility requirements and were employed by nTelos prior to October 1, 2003 ("participants"). The Pension Plan was closed to nTelos employees hired on or after October 1, 2003. Pension benefits vested after five years of plan service and were based on years of service and an average of the five highest consecutive years of compensation subject to certain reductions if the employee retires before reaching age 65 and elects to receive the benefit prior to age 65. Effective December 31, 2012, nTelos amended the Pension Plan to freeze future benefit plan accruals for participants.

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the fair value of our pension plan assets and certain other postretirement benefits in aggregate was $20.7 million and $22.6 million, respectively, and the fair value of our projected benefit obligations in aggregate was $25.8 million and $28.2 million, respectively. As a result, the plans were underfunded by approximately $5.1 million and $5.6 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and were recorded as a net liability in our consolidated balance sheets.

The Company intends to make future cash contributions to the pension plan in amounts necessary to meet minimum funding requirements according to applicable benefit plan regulations.

Stock Compensation: The Company maintains two shareholder-approved Company Stock Incentive Plans allowing for the grant of equity based incentive compensation to essentially all employees. The 2005 Plan authorized grants of up to 2,880,000 shares over a ten-year period beginning in 2005. The term of the 2005 Plan expired in February 2014; outstanding awards will continue to vest and options may continue to be exercised, but no additional awards will be granted under the 2005 Plan. The 2014 Plan authorizes grants of up to an additional 3,000,000 shares over a ten-year period beginning in 2014. Under these Plans, grants may take the form of stock awards, awards of options to acquire stock, stock appreciation rights, and other forms of equity based compensation; both options to acquire stock and stock awards were granted.

The fair value of each option award is estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option valuation model, based on several assumptions including the risk-free interest rate, volatility, expected dividend yield and expected term.

The fair value of each restricted stock unit award is calculated using the share price at the date of grant. Restricted stock units generally have service requirements only or performance and service requirements with vesting periods ranging from one to four years. Employees and directors who are granted restricted stock units are not required to pay for the shares but generally must remain employed with the Company, or continue to serve as a member of the Company’s board of directors, until the restrictions lapse, which is typically four years for employees and one year for directors.

Compensation Costs

The cost of employee services received in exchange for share-based awards classified as equity is measured using the estimated fair value of the award on the date of the grant, and the cost is recognized over the period that the award recipient is required to provide service in exchange for the award. Share-based compensation cost related to awards with graded vesting is recognized using the straight-line method.

Pre-tax share and stock-based compensation charges from our incentive plans included in net income (loss) were as follows:



(in thousands)	2018		2017		2016
Stock compensation expense	$	5,367	$	4,184	$	3,506
Capitalized stock compensation	408		604		485
Stock compensation expense, net	4,959		3,580		3,021

Excess tax benefits, net of deficiencies	$	1,523	$	3,314	$	1,709

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, there was $2.7 million and $2.5 million, respectively, of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested incentive awards that are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.8 years.

Adoption of New Accounting Principles

The Company routinely assesses recently issued accounting standards. Disclosure guidance applies to all accounting standards which have been issued but not yet adopted, unless the impact on the Company’s balance sheet and statement of operations is not expected to be material. There have been no developments to recently issued accounting standards, including the expected dates of adoption and estimated effects on the Company's consolidated financial statements, that would be expected to impact the Company except for the following:

The Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("Topic 606", or "the new revenue recognition standard"), and all related amendments, effective January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method as discussed in Note 3, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company recognized the cumulative effect of applying the new revenue recognition standard as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. The comparative information has not been retrospectively modified and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases ("Topic 842"), which requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms greater than 12 months. The standard also requires disclosures regarding the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases.

Other effects may occur depending on the types of leases and on the specific terms that are utilized by particular lessees. Effects such as changes in the categorization of rental costs, from rent expense to interest and depreciation expense are also required. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating leases which will affect the pattern of expense recognition in the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company will adopt the standard on January 1, 2019. The modified retrospective application will be used to implement the adoption of the new standard, which requires the Company to apply the principles of the standard prospectively and to record an adjustment to retained earnings for impacts related to prior periods as of the effective date.

The Company will elect the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard, which among other things, allows us to carryforward the historical lease classification. The Company will also elect the practical expedient related to land easements, allowing the carry forward of current accounting treatment for land easements on existing agreements. As a lessee, the Company will make an accounting policy election to account for leases with an initial term of 12 months or less similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. The Company will recognize those lease payments in the consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company expects that the most notable impacts to its financial statements upon the adoption of these ASU’s will be the recognition of a material right-of-use asset, recognition of a material lease liability and additional disclosures related to qualitative and quantitative information concerning its portfolio of leases.

The Company is in the process of calculating the right-of-use lease assets and additional lease liabilities that are required to be recognized under Topic 842. A reasonable estimate of the right-of-use lease assets and liabilities that will be required to be recognized will be available once the necessary software has been successfully implemented. Any difference between the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities amounts that are required to be recognized will be recorded as an adjustment to retained earnings upon adoption. While the Company has not yet completed its implementation, it believes that the adoption of this standard will have a significant impact on its consolidated balance sheets, specifically for the right-of-use assets and liabilities.

The Company does not believe that adoption of the standard will materially affect consolidated net earnings. The standard will have no impact on debt-covenant compliance under current agreements. Refer to Note 13, Commitments and Contingencies, for additional information regarding future expected undiscounted lease payments.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

The Company earns revenue primarily through the sale of our wireless telecommunications services, wireless equipment, and business, residential, and enterprise cable and wireline services that include video, internet, voice, and data services. Revenue earned for the year ended December 31, 2018 was as follows:



(in thousands)	Wireless			Cable			Wireline			Consolidated
Wireless service	$	380,818		$	—		$	—		$	380,818
Equipment	67,510			695			193			68,398
Business, residential and enterprise	—			117,836			42,445			160,281
Tower and other	14,327			10,372			34,504			59,203
Total revenue	462,655			128,903			77,142			668,700
Internal revenue	(5,016		)	(4,706		)	(28,124		)	(37,846		)
Total operating revenue	$	457,639		$	124,197		$	49,018		$	630,854

Wireless service

The majority of the Company's revenue is earned through providing network access to Sprint under the affiliate agreement. Wireless service revenue is variable based on billed revenue to Sprint’s subscribers in the Company's affiliate area, less applicable fees retained by Sprint.

The Company's revenue related to Sprint’s postpaid customers is the amount that Sprint bills its postpaid subscribers, reduced by customer credits, write-offs of receivables, and 8% management and 8.6% service fees. The Company is also charged for the costs of subsidized handsets sold through Sprint’s national channels as well as commissions paid by Sprint to third-party resellers in the Company's service territory.

The Company's revenue related to Sprint’s prepaid customers is the amount that Sprint bills its prepaid subscribers, reduced by costs to acquire and support the customers, based on national averages for Sprint’s prepaid programs, and a 6% management fee.

The Company considers Sprint, rather than Sprint's subscribers, to be the customer under the new revenue recognition standard and the Company's performance obligation is to provide Sprint a series of continuous network access services. The reimbursement to Sprint for the costs of handsets sold through Sprint’s national channels, as well as commissions paid by Sprint to third-party resellers in our service territory represent consideration payable to a customer. These reimbursements are initially recorded as a contract asset and are subsequently recognized as a reduction of revenue over the expected benefit period between 21 and 53 months. Historically, under ASC 605, Revenue Recognition, the customer was considered the subscriber rather than Sprint and as a result, reimbursement payments to Sprint for costs of handsets and commissions were recorded as operating expenses in the period incurred. During 2017, these costs totaled $63.5 million recorded in cost of goods and services, and $16.9 million recorded in selling, general and administrative costs.

On January 1, 2018, the Company recorded a wireless contract asset of approximately $51.1 million. During the year ended December 31, 2018, payments that increased the wireless contract asset balance totaled $61.2 million and amortization reflected as a reduction of revenue totaled approximately $46.6 million. The wireless contract asset balance as of December 31, 2018 was approximately $65.7 million.

Wireless equipment

The Company owns and operates Sprint-branded retail stores within their geographic territory from which the Company sells equipment, primarily wireless handsets, and service to Sprint subscribers. The Company's equipment is predominantly sold to subscribers through Sprint's equipment financing plans. Under the equipment financing plans, Sprint purchases the equipment from the Company and resells the equipment to their subscribers. Historically, under ASC 605, Revenue Recognition, the Company concluded that it was the agent in these equipment financing transactions and recorded revenues net of related handset costs which were approximately $63.8 million in 2017. Under Topic 606 the Company concluded that it is the principal in these equipment financing transactions, as the Company controls and bears the risk of ownership of the inventory prior to sale, and accordingly, revenues and handset costs are recorded on a gross basis, the corresponding cost of the equipment is recorded separately to cost of goods sold.

Business, residential and enterprise

The Company earns revenue in the Cable and Wireline segments from business, residential, and enterprise customers where the performance obligations are to provide cable and telephone network services, sell and lease equipment and wiring services, and lease fiber-optic cable capacity. The Company's arrangements are generally composed of contracts that are cancellable at the customer’s discretion without penalty at any time. As there are multiple performance obligations in these arrangements, the Company recognizes revenue based on the standalone selling price of each distinct good or service. The Company generally recognizes these revenues over time as customers simultaneously receive and consume the benefits of the service, with the exception of equipment sales and home wiring which are recognized as revenue at a point in time when control transfers and when installation is complete, respectively.

Under the new revenue recognition standard, the Company concluded that installation services do not represent a separate performance obligation. Accordingly, installation fees are allocated to services and are recognized ratably over the longer of the contract term or the period the unrecognized portion of the fee remains material to the contract, typically 10 and 11 months for cable and wireline customers, respectively. Historically, the Company deferred these fees over the estimated customer life of 42 months. Additionally, the Company incurs commission and installation costs related to in-house and third-party vendors that were previously expensed as incurred. Under Topic 606, the Company capitalizes and amortizes these commission and installation costs over the expected benefit period which is approximately 44 months, 72 months, and 46 months, for cable, wireline, and enterprise business, respectively.

Tower / Other

Tower revenue consists primarily of tower space leases accounted for under Topic 840, Leases, and Other revenue includes network access-related charges for service provided to customers across the segments.

The cumulative effect of the changes made to the consolidated January 1, 2018 balance sheet for the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard were as follows:



(in thousands)	Balance at December 31, 2017		Adjustments due to Topic 606			Balance at January 1, 2018
Assets
Prepaid expenses and other	$	17,111	$	29,876		$	46,987
Deferred charges and other assets, net	13,690		31,071			44,761
Liabilities
Advanced billing and customer deposits	21,153		(14,302		)	6,851
Deferred income taxes	100,879		20,352			121,231
Other long-term liabilities	15,293		(1,200		)	14,093
Retained earnings	297,205		56,097			353,302

The impact of the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income and consolidated balance sheets was as follows:



	Year Ended December, 31 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Balances without Adoption of Topic 606		Effect of Change Higher/(Lower)
Operating revenue:
Service revenue and other	$	562,456	$	632,340	$	(69,884	)
Equipment revenue	68,398		8,298		60,100
Operating expenses:
Cost of services	194,022		193,860		162
Cost of goods sold	63,959		28,377		35,582
Selling, general and administrative	113,222		175,753		(62,531		)



	As of December 31, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Balances without Adoption of Topic 606		Effect of Change Higher/(Lower)
Assets
Prepaid expenses and other	$	60,162	$	22,204	$	37,958
Deferred charges and other assets, net	49,891		12,083		37,808
Liabilities
Advanced billing and customer deposits	7,919		24,414		(16,495		)
Deferred income taxes	127,453		103,404		24,049
Other long-term liabilities	14,364		15,550		(1,186		)
Retained earnings	386,511		319,926		66,585

Future performance obligations

On December 31, 2018, the Company had approximately $3.3 million allocated to unsatisfied performance obligations, which is exclusive of contracts with original expected duration of one year or less. The Company expects to recognize approximately $0.7 million of this amount as revenue during 2019, $0.7 million in 2020, an additional $0.6 million by 2021, and the balance thereafter.

Contract acquisition costs and costs to fulfill contracts

Capitalized contract costs represent contract fulfillment costs and contract acquisition costs which include commissions and installation costs in our Cable and Wireline segments. Capitalized contract costs are amortized on a straight line basis over the contract term plus expected renewals or expected period of benefit. The Company elected to apply the practical expedient to expense contract acquisition costs when incurred, if the amortization period would be twelve months or less. The amortization of these costs is included in cost of services, and selling, general and administrative expenses. Amounts capitalized were approximately $10.1 million as of December 31, 2018 of which $4.6 million is presented as prepaid expenses and other and $5.5 million is presented as deferred charges and other assets, net. Amortization recognized during the year ended December 31, 2018 was approximately $5.5 million.

Acquisitions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Business Combinations [Abstract]

Acquisitions

Sprint Territory Expansion

Effective February 1, 2018, the Company signed an expansion agreement with Sprint to expand its wireless service coverage area to include certain areas in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, (the “Expansion Area”). The agreement includes certain network build out requirements in the Expansion Area, and the ability to utilize Sprint’s spectrum in the Expansion Area. Pursuant to the expansion agreement, Sprint agreed to, among other things, transition the provision of network coverage in the Expansion Area from Sprint to the Company. The expansion agreement required a payment of $52.0 million for the right to service the Expansion Area pursuant to the Affiliate Agreements plus an additional payment of up to $5.0 million after acceptance of certain equipment at the Sprint cell sites in the Expansion Area. The transaction was accounted for as an asset acquisition.

The Company recorded the following in the wireless segment:



($ in thousands)	Estimated Useful Life (in years)	February 1, 2018
Affiliate contract expansion	12	$	45,148
Prepayment of tangible assets	N/A	6,497
Off-market leases - favorable	16.5	3,665
Off-market leases - unfavorable	4.2	(3,310		)
Total		$	52,000

Estimated useful lives are approximate and represent the average of the remaining useful lives as of the acquisition date. Prepayment of tangible assets will be depreciated over the asset life when the underlying assets are placed in service.

The Company allocated the purchase price to the components identified in the table above based on the relative fair value of each component. The fair value of the components was determined using an income and cost approach.

Acquisition of "Parkersburg" Expansion Area

On April 6, 2017, the Company expanded its affiliate service territory, under its agreements with Sprint, to include certain areas in North Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia, for total consideration of $6.0 million. The expanded territory includes the Parkersburg, WV, Huntington, WV, and Cumberland, MD, basic trading areas. Approximately 25,000 Sprint retail and former nTelos postpaid and prepaid subscribers in the new basic trading areas became Sprint-branded affiliate customers managed by the Company.

Acquisition of NTELOS Holdings Corp. and Exchange with Sprint

On May 6, 2016, (the "acquisition date"), the Company completed its acquisition of NTELOS Holdings Corp. nTelos, was a regional provider of wireless telecommunications solutions and was acquired to expand the Company's wireless service area and subscriber base, thus strengthening the Company's relationship with Sprint.

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger between the Company and nTelos (the "Merger Agreement"), nTelos became a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of nTelos for an aggregate purchase price of $667.8 million. The purchase price was financed by a credit facility arranged by CoBank, ACB, Royal Bank of Canada, Fifth Third Bank, Bank of America, N.A., Capital One, National Association, Citizens Bank N.A., and Toronto Dominion (Texas) LLC.

Transaction costs in connection with the acquisition were expensed as incurred and are included in acquisition, integration and migration expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. The results of operations related to nTelos are included in our consolidated statements of operations beginning from the acquisition date.

The Company accounted for the acquisition of nTelos under the acquisition method of accounting, in accordance with FASB's ASC 805, Business Combinations, and has accounted for measurement period adjustments under ASU 2015-16, Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement Period Adjustments. Estimates of fair value included in the consolidated financial statements, in conformity with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, represent the Company's best estimates and valuations. In accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations, the allocation of the consideration value was subject to adjustment until the Company completed its analysis, in a period of time, but not to exceed one year after the date of acquisition, or May 6, 2017, in order to provide the Company with the time to complete the valuation of its assets and liabilities. The Company's allocation of the consideration value to assets acquired and liabilities assumed incorporated all measurement period adjustments.

The following table summarizes the final purchase price allocation to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including measurement period adjustments:



(in thousands)	Purchase Price Allocation
Accounts receivable	$	47,234
Inventory	4,572
Restricted cash	2,167
Investments	1,501
Prepaid expenses and other assets	14,835
Building held for sale	4,950
Property, plant and equipment	227,247
Spectrum licenses	198,200
Acquired subscribers - wireless	205,946
Favorable lease intangible assets	17,029
Goodwill	146,383
Other long term assets	10,843
Total assets acquired	$	880,907

Accounts payable	8,543
Advanced billings and customer deposits	12,477
Accrued expenses	23,141
Capital lease liability	418
Deferred tax liabilities	129,291
Retirement benefits	19,198
Other long-term liabilities	20,085
Total liabilities assumed	$	213,153

Net assets acquired	$	667,754

Concurrently with acquiring nTelos, the Company completed its previously announced transaction with SprintCom, Inc., a subsidiary of Sprint. Pursuant to this transaction, among other things, the Company exchanged spectrum licenses, valued at

$198.2 million and wireless subscribers, valued at $205.9 million, acquired from nTelos with Sprint, and received an expansion of its affiliate service territory valued at approximately $405.0 million. These exchanges were accounted for in accordance with ASC 845, Nonmonetary Transactions. The expansion intangible was measured at fair valued using an income based model, the Excess Earnings Method, and considered cash flows to be generated from current and future Sprint subscribers. Further, as the value of assets provided to Sprint exceeded the value of assets received in the non-monetary exchange, the Company and Sprint agreed to waive management fees in an amount of approximately $255.6 million. The cash flow savings associated with the management fee waiver is incorporated in the fair value estimate.

Goodwill is the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets recognized and represents the future economic benefits, primarily as a result of other assets acquired that could not be individually identified and separately recognized. The Company has recorded goodwill in its Wireless segment as a result of the nTelos acquisition. Goodwill is not amortized. The goodwill that arose from the acquisition of nTelos is not deductible for tax purposes.

Since the acquisition of nTelos occurred, the Company incurred a total of approximately $75.7 million of acquisition, integration and migration expenses associated with this transaction, excluding approximately $23.0 million of debt issuance costs. Such costs included support of back office staff and support functions required while the nTelos legacy customers were migrated to the Sprint billing platform; cost of the handsets that were provided to nTelos legacy customers as they migrated to the Sprint billing platform; severance costs for back office and other former nTelos employees who were not retained permanently; and transaction related fees. The Company incurred $17.5 million and $54.7 million of these costs during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. These costs include $1.8 million and $1.3 million reflected in cost of goods and services and $4.7 million and $11.1 million reflected in selling, general and administrative costs in the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

The amounts of operating revenue and income or loss before income taxes related to the former nTelos entity are not readily determinable due to intercompany transactions, allocations and integration activities that have occurred in connection with the operations of the combined company.

The following table presents the unaudited pro forma information, based on estimates and assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable, for the Company as if the acquisition of nTelos had occurred at the beginning of the period presented:

The pro forma information provided in the table above is not necessarily indicative of the consolidated results of operations for future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had the acquisition been completed at the beginning of the period presented.

The pro forma information provided in the table above is based upon estimated valuations of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as well as estimates of depreciation and amortization charges thereon. Other estimated pro forma adjustments include the following:


•	changes in nTelos' reported revenues from cancelling nTelos' wholesale contract with Sprint;


•	the incorporation of the Sprint-homed customers formerly serviced under the wholesale agreement into the Company’s affiliate service territory under the Company’s affiliate agreement with Sprint;


•	the effect of other changes to revenues and expenses due to various provisions of the affiliate agreement and the elimination of non-recurring transaction related expenses incurred by the Company and nTelos;


•	the elimination of certain nTelos operating costs associated with billing and care that are covered under the fees charged by Sprint under the affiliate agreement;


•	historical depreciation expense was reduced for the fair value adjustment decreasing the basis of property, plant and equipment; this decrease was offset by a shorter estimated useful life to conform to the Company’s standard policy and the acceleration of depreciation on certain equipment; and


•	incremental amortization due to the affiliate contract expansion intangible asset.

The value of the affiliate agreement expansion discussed above is based on changes to the amended affiliate agreement that include:


•	an increase in the price to be paid by Sprint from 80% to 90% of the entire business value if the affiliate agreement is not renewed;


•	extension of the affiliate agreement with Sprint by five years to 2029;


•	expanded territory in the nTelos service area;


•	rights to serve all future Sprint customers in the affiliate service territory;


•	the Company's commitment to upgrade certain coverage and capacity in its newly acquired service area; and


•	a reduction of the management fee charged by Sprint under the amended affiliate agreement; not to exceed $4.2 million in an individual month until the total waived fee equals approximately $255.6 million.

Customer Concentration

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Significant Contractual Relationship [Abstract]

Customer Concentration

Significant Contractual Relationship

In 1999, the Company executed a Management Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Sprint whereby the Company committed to construct and operate a PCS network using CDMA air interface technology. The Agreement has been amended numerous times. Under the amended Agreement, the Company is the exclusive PCS Affiliate of Sprint providing wireless mobility communications network products and services on the 800 MHz, 1900 MHz and 2.5 GHz spectrum ranges in its territory across a multi-state area covering large portions of central and western Virginia, south-central Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and portions of Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio. Effective February 1, 2018, the Company amended its Agreement with Sprint to expand its wireless service area to include certain areas in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. See Note 4 for further information about this expansion agreement. As an exclusive PCS Affiliate of Sprint, the Company has the exclusive right to build, own and maintain its portion of Sprint’s nationwide PCS network, in the aforementioned areas, to Sprint’s specifications. The initial term of the Agreement extends through November 2029, with two successive 10-year renewal periods, unless terminated by either party under provisions outlined in the Agreement. Upon non-renewal by either party, the Company may cause Sprint to buy or Sprint may cause the Company to sell the business at 90% of Entire Business Value (“EBV”) as defined in the Agreement. EBV in the Agreement is defined as i) the fair market value of a going concern paid by a willing buyer to a willing seller; ii) valued as if the business will continue to utilize existing brands and operate under existing agreements; and, iii) valued as if Manager (Shentel) owns the spectrum. Determination of EBV is made by an independent appraisal process.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and generally do not bear interest. Accounts receivable are concentrated among customers within the Company's geographic service area and large telecommunications companies.

The Company has one major customer relationship with Sprint that is a significant source of revenue.

Accounts receivable from significant clients, those representing 10% or more of total accounts receivable for the dates noted, are summarized below:



	December 31,
($ in thousands)	2018	2017
Sprint	$43,227	$43,405
% of total accounts receivable	79%	80%

Correspondingly, revenue from significant clients, those representing 10% or more of total revenue for the respective periods, is summarized as follows:

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS")

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (EPS)

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS")

Basic EPS was computed by dividing net income or loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS was computed under the treasury stock method, assuming the conversion as of the beginning of the period, for all dilutive stock options. Diluted EPS was computed by dividing net income (loss) by the sum of the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding and potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the period under the treasury stock method. Potentially dilutive securities include stock options and restricted stock units and shares that the Company is contractually obligated to issue in the future.

The following table indicates the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share amounts)	2018		2017		2016
Calculation of net income (loss) per share:
Net income (loss)	$	46,595	$	66,390	$	(895	)
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	49,542		49,150		48,807
Basic net income (loss) per share	$	0.94	$	1.35	$	(0.02	)

Effect of stock options outstanding:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	49,542		49,150		48,807
Effect from dilutive shares and options outstanding	521		876		—
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	50,063		50,026		48,807
Diluted net income (loss) per share	$	0.93	$	1.33	$	(0.02	)

Due to the net loss for the year ended December 31, 2016, no adjustment was made to basic shares for potentially dilutive securities, as such an adjustment would have been anti-dilutive.

The computation of diluted EPS does not include certain unvested awards, on a weighted average basis, because their inclusion would have an anti-dilutive effect on EPS. The awards excluded because of their anti-dilutive effect are as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018	2017	2016
Awards excluded from the computation of diluted net income (loss) per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive	33	21	800

Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Investments [Abstract]

Investments

Investments consist of the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Domestic equity funds	$	1,409	$	2,856
International equity funds	370		423
Total investments carried at fair value	1,779		3,279

CoBank	7,705		6,818
Equity in other telecommunications partners	782		811
Total investments carried at cost	8,487		7,629

Other	522		564
Total equity method investments	522		564

Total investments	$	10,788	$	11,472

The classifications of debt and equity securities are determined by the Company at the date individual investments are acquired. The appropriateness of such classification is periodically reassessed. The Company monitors the fair value of all investments, and based on factors such as market conditions, financial information and industry conditions, the Company reflects impairments in values when warranted. The classification of those securities and the related accounting policies are as follows:

Investments Carried at Fair Value: Investments in equity and bond mutual funds and investment trusts held within the Company’s rabbi trust, which is related to the Company’s unfunded Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, ("SERP"), are reported at fair value using net asset value per share. The Company has elected to recognize unrealized gains and losses on investments carried at fair value in earnings, pursuant to the fair value option in ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. Investments carried at fair value were acquired under a rabbi trust arrangement related to the Company’s SERP. The Company purchases investments in the trust to mirror the investment elections of participants in the SERP. The Company recorded a loss of $0.2 million, gain of $0.5 million and gain of $0.1 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Fair values for these investments are determined by quoted market prices for the underlying mutual funds, which may be based upon net asset value. Gains and losses on the investments in the trust are reflected as increases or decreases in the liability owed to the participants and are recorded as pension expense included within "Non-operating income (loss), net" in our consolidated statements of operations.

Investments Carried at Cost: Investments in common stock in which the Company does not have a significant ownership (less than 20%) and for which there is no ready market, are carried at cost. Information regarding investments carried at cost is reviewed for evidence of impairment. Impairments, if any, are charged to earnings and a new cost basis for the investment is established. The Company’s investment in CoBank increased $0.9 million and $0.7 million in the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, due to the ongoing equity-based patronage earned from the outstanding investment and loan balances the Company has with CoBank.

Equity Method Investments: Investments in the equity of partnerships and in unconsolidated corporations where the Company's ownership is 20% or more, but less than 50%, or where the Company otherwise has the ability to exercise significant influence, are reported under the equity method. Under this method, the Company's equity in earnings or losses of investees is reflected in earnings. Distributions received reduce the carrying value of these investments. The Company recognizes a loss when there is a decline in value of the investment which is other than a temporary decline. At December 31, 2018, the Company had a 23% ownership interest in Virginia Independent Telephone Alliance and a 20% ownership interest in Valley Network Partnership.

Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements

The Company applies ASC 820-10, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, which defines fair value, establishes a fair value hierarchy for assets and liabilities measured at fair value, and expands required disclosures about fair value measurements. The guidance defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The guidance requires the Company to classify and disclose assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis, as well as fair value measurements of assets and liabilities measured on a nonrecurring basis in periods subsequent to initial measurement, in a three-tier fair value hierarchy as described below:

Level 1-Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity can access at the measurement date.

Level 2-Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3-Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

Financial instruments are defined as cash, or other financial instruments to a third party. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, other current assets, investments, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate fair value due to their short-term nature. The Company's Credit Facility (as defined in Note 14, Long-Term Debt) approximates fair value because of its floating rate structure.

Derivative financial instruments are recognized as assets or liabilities in the financial statements and measured at fair value on a recurring basis. See Note 11, Derivatives and Hedging, for additional information. The Company measures its interest rate swaps at fair value and recognizes such derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. Changes in the fair value of swaps are recognized in other comprehensive income, as the Company has designated these swaps as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes. The Company entered into these swaps to manage a portion of its exposure to interest rate movements by converting a portion of its variable rate long-term debt to fixed rate debt.

The following tables present the fair value hierarchy for financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:



(in thousands)	For the year ended December, 31 2018
Balance sheet location:	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Prepaid expenses and other
Interest rate swaps	$	—	$	4,930	$	—	$	4,930
Deferred charges and other assets, net:
Interest rate swaps	—		8,323		—		8,323
Total	$	—	$	13,253	$	—	$	13,253



(in thousands)	For the year ended December, 31 2017
Balance sheet location:	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Cash and cash equivalents
Money market funds	$	150	$	—	$	—	$	150
Prepaid expenses and other
Interest rate swaps	—		2,411		—		2,411
Deferred charges and other assets, net:
Interest rate swaps	—		10,776		—		10,776
Total	$	150	$	13,187	$	—	$	13,337

The Company determines the fair value of its security holdings based on pricing from its vendors. The valuation techniques used to measure the fair value of financial instruments having Level 2 inputs were derived from non-binding consensus prices that are corroborated by observable market data or quoted market prices for similar instruments. Such market prices may be quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1 inputs) or pricing determined using inputs other than quoted prices that are observable either directly or indirectly (Level 2 inputs).

The Company has certain non-marketable long-term investments for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value with a total carrying value of $9.0 million and $8.2 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, of which $7.7 million and $6.8 million, respectively, represents the Company’s investment in CoBank. This investment is primarily related to patronage distributions of restricted equity and is a required investment related to the portion of the Credit Facility held by CoBank. This investment is carried under the cost method. See Note 7, Investments, for additional information.

Property, Plant and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following:



($ in thousands)	Estimated Useful Lives	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Land		$	6,723	$	6,418
Buildings and structures	10 - 40 years	213,657		195,540
Cable and wire	4 - 40 years	309,928		286,999
Equipment and software	2 - 17 years	791,401		730,228
Plant in service		1,321,709		1,219,185
Plant under construction		81,409		62,202
Total property, plant and equipment		1,403,118		1,281,387
Less accumulated amortization and depreciation		701,759		595,060
Property, plant and equipment, net		$	701,359	$	686,327

Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, was $142.1 million, $151.1 million, and 124.0 million, respectively. The Company leases fiber under indefeasible right of use agreements (IRUs). IRU's totaled $5.6 million and $5.9 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017 and were classified as capital lease agreements within property, plant and equipment.

At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company had unamortized capitalized software costs for software in service of $27.8 million and $28.0 million, respectively.

At December 31, 2018 and 2017, plant under construction consisted primarily of equipment and software, which was not placed into service.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill by segment consisted of the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Wireless	$	146,383	$	146,383
Cable	104		104
Wireline	10		10
Total Goodwill	$	146,497	$	146,497

Intangible assets consisted of the following:



	December 31, 2018							December 31, 2017
(in thousands)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net
Non-amortizing intangibles:
Cable franchise rights	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334
Railroad crossing rights	141		—			141		141		—			141
Total non-amortizing intangibles	64,475		—			64,475		64,475		—			64,475

Finite-lived intangibles:
Affiliate contract expansion - Wireless	455,305		(167,830		)	287,475		410,157		(105,964		)	304,193
Favorable leases - Wireless	15,743		(1,919		)	13,824		13,103		(1,222		)	11,881
Acquired subscribers - Cable	25,265		(25,250		)	15		25,265		(25,100		)	165
Other intangibles	463		(223		)	240		463		(198		)	265
Total finite-lived intangibles	496,776		(195,222		)	301,554		448,988		(132,484		)	316,504
Total intangible assets	$	561,251	$	(195,222	)	$	366,029	$	513,463	$	(132,484	)	$	380,979

For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, amortization expense, related to intangible assets was approximately $24.6 million, $27.5 million and $34.9 million, respectively. Affiliate contract expansion was amortized over the expected benefit period and was further reduced by the amount of waived management fees received from Sprint which were $37.8 million, $36.1 million and $24.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Since May 6, 2016, the date of the non-monetary exchange, waived management fees received from Sprint totaled $98.4 million.

The gross carrying amount of certain intangibles was affected by the expansion of the Company's wireless service coverage area with Sprint. See Note 4, Acquisitions for additional information.

Aggregate amortization expense, including amortization classified as a rent expense, for intangible assets for the periods shown is expected to be as follows:



Year Ending December 31,	Total		Amount Reflected as Rent Expense		Amount Reflected as Amortization Expense
(in thousands)
2019	$	21,094	$	991	$	20,103
2020	18,193		965		17,228
2021	15,477		953		14,524
2022	14,015		935		13,080
2023	13,794		924		12,870
thereafter	61,816		9,056		52,760
Total	$	144,389	$	13,824	$	130,565

Affiliate contract expansion will be further reduced by approximately $157.2 million for waived management fees as such are received from Sprint. Aggregate amortization of the unfavorable lease liability in the Wireless segment, to be classified as rent expense, is expected to be $5.1 million.

Derivative and Hedging

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative and Hedging

Derivatives and Hedging

The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to interest rate risk for its long-term variable-rate debt through interest rate swaps. The Company's interest rate swaps are all designated as cash flow hedges, and involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from counterparties in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount. The Company does not use derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes. Credit risk related to derivative financial instruments is considered minimal and is managed through the use of four counterparties with high credit standards and periodic settlements of positions.

The Company entered into a pay-fixed, receive-variable interest rate swap of $174.6 million of notional principal in September 2012. The outstanding notional amount of this cash flow hedge was $100.4 million and $117.9 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The outstanding notional amount decreases based upon scheduled principal payments on the 2012 debt.

In May 2016, the Company entered into a pay-fixed, receive-variable interest rate swap of $256.6 million of notional principal with three counterparties. The outstanding notional amount of this cash flow hedge was $283.6 million and $300.4 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The outstanding notional amount increases based upon draws made under a portion of the Company's Term Loan A-2 debt and as the 2012 interest rate swap's notional principal decreases; the outstanding notional amount decreases as the Company makes scheduled principal payments on the 2016 debt.

The Company is hedging approximately 50% of its outstanding debt through its use of interest rate swaps with outstanding notional amounts totaling $384.0 million and $418.3 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The effective portion of changes in the fair value of interest rate swaps designated and that qualify as cash flow hedges is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized directly in earnings through interest expense. No hedge ineffectiveness was recognized during any of the periods presented.

Interest payments made on the Company's variable-rate debt reported in accumulated other comprehensive income related to the interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges are reclassified to interest expense. As of December 31, 2018, the Company estimates that $4.9 million will be reclassified as a reduction of interest expense during the next twelve months.

The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments as well as its classification on the consolidated balance sheet:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Balance sheet location of derivative financial instruments:
Prepaid expenses and other	$	4,930	$	2,411
Deferred charges and other assets, net	8,323		10,776
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments	$	13,253	$	13,187

The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component:



(in thousands)	Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges			Income Tax (Expense) Benefit			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of taxes
Balance as of December 31, 2017	$	13,187		$	(4,957	)	$	8,230
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)	3,384			(804		)	2,580
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense	(3,318		)	788			(2,530		)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	66			(16		)	50
Balance as of December 31, 2018	$	13,253		$	(4,973	)	$	8,280

Other Assets and Accrued Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]

Other Assets and Accrued Liabilities

Prepaid expenses and other, classified as current assets, included the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Prepaid rent	$	11,245	$	10,519
Prepaid maintenance expenses	3,981		3,062
Interest rate swaps	4,930		2,411
Deferred contract costs	37,957		—
Other	2,049		1,119
Prepaid expenses and other	$	60,162	$	17,111

Deferred contract costs and other include amounts reimbursed to Sprint for commissions and device costs, and commissions and installation costs in the Company’s Cable and Wireline segments. The deferred contract costs increased due to the adoption of Topic 606. Refer to Note 3, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, for additional information.

Accrued liabilities and other, classified as current liabilities, included the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Sales and property taxes payable	$	4,281	$	3,872
Severance	—		1,028
Asset retirement obligations	582		492
Accrued programming costs	2,886		2,805
Other current liabilities	6,814		5,717
Accrued liabilities and other	$	14,563	$	13,914

The Company's asset retirement obligations (ARO) are included in the balance sheet caption "Asset retirement obligations" and "Accrued liabilities and other". The Company records the fair value of an asset retirement obligation as a liability in the period in which it incurs a legal obligation associated with the retirement and removal of leasehold improvements or equipment. The Company also records a corresponding asset, which is depreciated over the lease term. Subsequent to the initial measurement of the asset retirement obligation, the obligation is adjusted at the end of each period to reflect the passage of time and changes in the estimated future cash flows underlying the obligation. The terms associated with its operating leases, and applicable zoning ordinances of certain jurisdictions, define the Company’s obligations which are estimated and vary based on the size of the towers.

Changes in the liability for asset retirement obligations for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 are summarized below:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018			2017			2016
Balance at beginning of year	$	21,703		$	21,507		$	7,266
Liabilities acquired in acquisition	—			—			14,056
Additional liabilities accrued	3,357			2,404			157
Changes to prior estimates	3,504			(1,695		)	—
Payments	(443		)	(1,296		)	(609		)
Accretion expense	1,045			783			637
Balance at end of year	$	29,166		$	21,703		$	21,507

Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Leases [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

The Company leases land, buildings and tower space under various non-cancelable agreements, which expire between the years 2019 and 2043 and require various minimum annual rental payments. These leases typically include renewal options and escalation clauses. In general, tower leases have five or ten year initial terms with four renewal terms of five years each. The other leases generally contain certain renewal options for periods ranging from five to twenty years.

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases, including renewals that are reasonably assured at the inception of the lease, with initial variable lease terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2018, are as follows:



Year Ending	Amount
(in thousands)
2019	$	55,050
2020	53,100
2021	51,323
2022	49,573
2023	48,000
2024 and after	168,498
	$	425,544

The Company’s total rent expense under operating leases was $59.6 million, $53.1 million, and $43.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Certain operating leases contain rent escalation clauses, which are recorded on a straight-line basis over the lease term which includes renewals that are reasonably assured at lease inception, with the difference between the rent paid and the straight-line rent recorded as a deferred rent liability. Lease incentives received from landlords are recorded as deferred rent liabilities and are amortized on a straight-line basis over the lease term as a reduction to rent expense.

As lessor, the Company has leased buildings, tower space and telecommunications equipment to other entities under various non-cancelable agreements, which require various minimum annual payments.

The total minimum rental receipts under lease agreements at December 31, 2018 are as follows:



Year Ending	Amount
(in thousands)
2019	$	7,067
2020	6,109
2021	4,042
2022	2,914
2023	1,345
2024 and after	4,400
	$	25,877

Legal Proceedings

From time to time the Company is involved in various litigation matters arising out of the normal course of business. The Company consults with legal counsel on those issues related to litigation and seeks input from other experts and advisers with respect to such matters. Estimating the probable losses or a range of probable losses resulting from litigation, government actions and other legal proceedings is inherently difficult and requires an extensive degree of judgment, particularly where the matters involve indeterminate claims for monetary damages, may involve discretionary amounts, present novel legal theories, are in the early stages of the proceedings, or are subject to appeal. Whether any losses, damages or remedies ultimately resulting from such matters could reasonably have a material effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows will depend on a number of variables, including, for example, the timing and amount of such losses or damages (if any) and the structure and type of any such remedies. The Company's management does not presently expect any litigation matters to have a material adverse impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Company. Legal fees are expensed as incurred.

Long-Term Debt

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Long-Term Debt

Total debt consists of the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Term loan A-1	287,699		436,500
Term loan A-2	497,537		400,000
	785,236		836,500
Less: unamortized loan fees	14,994		14,542
Total debt, net of unamortized loan fees	$	770,242	$	821,958

Current maturities of long-term debt, net of current unamortized loan fees	$	20,618	$	64,397
Long-term debt, less current maturities, net of unamortized loan fees	$	749,624	$	757,561

On December 18, 2015, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (as amended, the “2016 credit agreement”) with various banks and other financial institutions party thereto and CoBank, ACB, as administrative agent for the lenders, providing for three facilities: (i) a five-year revolving credit facility of up to $75 million; (ii) a five-year term loan facility of up to $485 million (Term Loan A-1”); and (iii) a seven-year term loan facility of up to $400 million (“Term Loan A-2”), (collectively our "Credit Facility").

In connection with the closing of the nTelos acquisition, the Company borrowed (i) $485 million under Term Loan A-1 and (ii) $325 million under Term Loan A-2, which amounts were used to, among other things, fund the payment of the nTelos merger consideration, to refinance, in full, all indebtedness under the Company’s existing credit agreement, to repay existing long-term indebtedness of nTelos and to pay fees and expenses in connection with the foregoing. In connection with the consummation of the nTelos acquisition, nTelos and its subsidiaries became guarantors and pledged their assets as security for the obligations under the 2016 credit agreement. The 2016 credit agreement also included $75 million available under the Term Loan A-2 as a delayed draw term loan, and as of December 2016, the Company drew $50 million under this portion of the agreement and in January 2017 the Company drew the remaining $25 million. Additionally, the 2016 credit agreement included a $75 million Revolver Facility and permitted the Company to enter into one or more Incremental Term Loan Facilities not to exceed $150 million in the aggregate.

During 2018, the 2016 credit agreement was amended (the "amended 2016 credit agreement") to: (i) shift $108.8 million in principal from Term Loan A-1 to Term Loan A-2; (ii) reduce near term principal payments; (iii) extend the maturity of Term Loan A-1 to 2023, Term Loan A-2 to 2025 and allow access to the Revolver through 2023; and (iv) reduce the applicable base interest rate by 75 basis points, (collectively our "Amended Credit Facility").

At December 31, 2018, the full $75 million was available under the Revolver Facility and the Company had not entered into any Incremental Loan Facilities. The debt issuance costs associated with the Revolver Facility are included in deferred charges and other assets, net on the consolidated balance sheets, and are amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the Revolver Facility.

As of December 31, 2018, the Company’s indebtedness totaled approximately $770.2 million, net of unamortized loan fees of $15.0 million, with an annualized overall weighted average interest rate of approximately 3.97%. As of December 31, 2018, the Term Loan A-1 bears interest at one-month LIBOR plus a margin of 1.75%, while the Term Loan A-2 bears interest at one-month LIBOR plus a margin of 2.00%. LIBOR resets monthly.

The amended Term Loan A-1 requires quarterly principal repayments of $3.6 million, which began on December 31, 2018 through September 30, 2019, increasing to $7.3 million quarterly from December 31, 2019 through September 30, 2022; then increasing to $10.9 million quarterly from December 31, 2022 through September 30, 2023, with the remaining balance due November 8, 2023. The amended Term Loan A-2 requires quarterly principal repayments of $1.2 million which began on December 31, 2018 through September 30, 2025, with the remaining balance due November 8, 2025.

The 2016 credit agreement required the Company to enter into one or more hedge agreements to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. The amended 2016 credit agreement does not include this requirement; however, the Company made no changes to its existing pay-fixed, receive-variable swaps that were already in place. The Company will receive one month LIBOR and pay a fixed rate of 1.16%, in addition to the 2.75% initial spread on Term Loan A-1 and the 3.00% initial spread on Term Loan A-2.

The amended 2016 credit agreement contains affirmative and negative covenants customary to secured credit facilities, including covenants restricting the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries, subject to negotiated exceptions, to incur additional indebtedness and additional liens on their assets, engage in mergers or acquisitions or dispose of assets, pay dividends or make other distributions, voluntarily prepay other indebtedness, enter into transactions with affiliated persons, make investments, and change the nature of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ businesses. In aggregate, dividends paid, distributions and redemptions of capital stock made cannot exceed the sum of $25 million plus 60% of the Company's consolidated net income (excluding non-cash extraordinary items such as write-downs or write-ups of assets) from January 1, 2016 to the date of declaration of such dividends, distributions or redemptions.

Indebtedness outstanding under any of the facilities may be accelerated by an Event of Default, as defined in the amended 2016 credit agreement.

The Amended Credit Facility is secured by a pledge by the Company of its stock and membership interests in its subsidiaries, a guarantee by the Company’s subsidiaries other than Shenandoah Telephone Company, and a security interest in substantially all of the assets of the Company and the guarantors.

The Company is subject to certain financial covenants to be measured on a trailing twelve month basis each calendar quarter unless otherwise specified. These covenants include:


•	a limitation on the Company’s total leverage ratio, defined as indebtedness divided by earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, of less than or equal to 3.50 to 1.00 from December 31, 2018 through December 31, 2019, then 3.25 to 1.00 through December 31, 2021, and 3.00 to 1.00 thereafter;


•	a minimum debt service coverage ratio, defined as EBITDA minus certain cash taxes divided by the sum of all scheduled principal payments on the Term Loans and other indebtedness plus cash interest expense, greater than or equal to 2.00 to 1.00;


•	the Company must maintain a minimum liquidity balance, defined as availability under the Revolver Facility plus unrestricted cash and cash equivalents on deposit in a deposit account for which a control agreement has been delivered to the administrative agent under the 2016 credit agreement, of greater than $25 million at all times.

As shown below, as of December 31, 2018, the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants in its credit agreements.



	Actual		Covenant Requirement
Total leverage ratio	2.54		3.50 or Lower
Debt service coverage ratio	3.63		2.00 or Higher
Minimum liquidity balance (in millions)	$	159.0	$25.0 or Higher

Future maturities of long-term debt principal are as follows:



Year Ending	Amount
(in thousands)
2019	$	23,197
2020	34,122
2021	34,122
2022	37,764
2023	183,434
2024 and after	472,597
Total	$	785,236

The Company has no fixed-rate debt instruments as of December 31, 2018. The estimated fair value of the variable-rate debt approximates its carrying value due to its floating interest rate structure.

The Company receives patronage credits from CoBank and certain of its affiliated Farm Credit institutions, which are not reflected in the stated rates shown above. Patronage credits are a distribution of profits of CoBank as approved by its Board of Directors. During the first quarter of the year, the Company receives patronage credits on its average outstanding CoBank debt balance during the prior fiscal year. The Company accrued $2.8 million in non-operating income in the year ended December 31, 2018, in anticipation of the early 2019 distribution of the credits by CoBank. Patronage credits have historically been paid in a mix of cash and shares of CoBank stock. The 2018 payout mix was 75% cash and 25% shares. CoBank also provided a one-time cash distribution of $0.2 million in September 2018 in an effort to share the benefits of federal tax reform legislation with its eligible customer-owners.

Related Party Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Related Party Transactions

ValleyNet, an equity method investee of the Company, resells capacity on the Company’s fiber network under an operating lease agreement. Additionally, the Company's Wireless operations leases capacity through ValleyNet.

The following tables summarize the historical transactions that occurred with ValleyNet:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018		2017		2016
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
Facility lease revenue	$	1,677	$	2,201	$	2,384
Cost of goods and services	3,362		3,673		3,067

(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Account receivable related to ValleyNet	$	253	$	180
Accounts payable related to ValleyNet	173		303

Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “2017 Tax Act”) was enacted, substantially changing the U.S. tax system. The 2017 Tax Act includes a number of changes to existing U.S. tax laws that impact the Company, most notably a reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. The 2017 Tax Act also provides immediate expensing for certain qualified assets acquired and placed into service after September 27, 2017 as well as prospective changes beginning in 2018, including acceleration of tax revenue recognition, additional limitations on deductibility of executive compensation and limitations on the deductibility of interest.

On December 22, 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SAB 118) to address the application of U.S. GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. The Company recognized a provisional benefit on the income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act in its 2017 financial statements in accordance with SAB No. 118.

The Company measures deferred tax assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates that will apply in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or paid. Accordingly, the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities were remeasured to reflect the reduction in the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, resulting in a $53.4 million income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2017 and a corresponding $53.4 million decrease in net deferred tax liabilities as of December 31, 2017. The Company completed the accounting for the effects of the 2017 Tax Act during the one-year measurement period prescribed by SAB No. 118. As of December 31, 2018, the Company adjusted the provisional amounts recorded at December 31, 2017 by recording an additional $0.8 million of income tax benefit and a corresponding $0.8 million decrease in net deferred tax liabilities upon completing the analysis of the 2017 Tax Act and the filing of the 2017 federal income tax return.

Total income taxes were as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018		2017			2016
Income tax (benefit) expense	$	15,517	$	(53,133	)	$	2,840
Other comprehensive income for changes in cash flow hedge	16		522			4,162
	$	15,533	$	(52,611	)	$	7,002

The Company and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in several jurisdictions. The provision for the federal and state income taxes attributable to income (loss) consists of the following components:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018			2017			2016
Current expense
Federal taxes	$	2,875		$	1,552		$	44,779
State taxes	6,434			(630		)	10,936
Total current provision	9,309			922			55,715
Deferred expense (benefit)
Federal taxes	6,708			(52,886		)	(47,056		)
State taxes	(500		)	(1,169		)	(5,819		)
Total deferred provision	6,208			(54,055		)	(52,875		)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$	15,517		$	(53,133	)	$	2,840
Effective tax rate	25.0		%	(400.8		)%	146.0		%

A reconciliation of income taxes determined by applying the federal and state tax rates to income (loss) is as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018			2017			2016
Computed "expected" tax expense	$	13,044		$	4,640		$	681
State income taxes, net of federal tax effect	4,748			(1,129		)	6
Changes in state DTL for mergers	—			—			3,320
Excess share based compensation	(1,254		)	(3,314		)	(1,709		)
Nondeductible merger expenses	—			—			801
Revaluation of U.S. deferred income taxes	(760		)	(53,449		)	—
Other, net	(261		)	119			(259		)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$	15,517		$	(53,133	)	$	2,840

The effective tax rate increased in 2018 primarily due to the recognition of a one-time non-cash tax benefit of $53.4 million in 2017 related to the revaluation of deferred tax assets and liabilities as a result of the 2017 Tax Act.

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and tax purposes. Net deferred tax assets and liabilities are classified as non-current in the consolidated balance sheets.

Net deferred tax assets and liabilities consist of the following temporary differences:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018			December 31, 2017
Deferred tax assets:
Deferred revenue	$	—		$	3,907
Net operating loss carry-forwards	12,612			14,983
Accruals and reserves	6,545			5,189
Pension benefits	2,873			3,556
Asset retirement obligations	7,797			4,608
Total gross deferred tax assets	29,827			32,243
Less valuation allowance	(862		)	(862		)
Net deferred tax assets	28,965			31,381

Deferred tax liabilities:
Deferred revenue	19,554			—
Plant-in-service	99,666			89,494
Intangible assets	32,963			37,682
Interest rate swaps	3,339			3,511
Other, net	896			1,573
Total gross deferred tax liabilities	156,418			132,260
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	127,453		$	100,879

In assessing the ability to realize deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon generating future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, taxable income in prior carryback years if available and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. Based upon the level of historical taxable income and projections for future taxable income over the periods for which the deferred tax assets are deductible, the Company believes it more likely than not that the net deferred tax assets will be realized with the exception of certain state net operating losses in jurisdictions where the Company no longer operates. The Company has a deferred tax asset of $12.6 million related to federal and various state net operating losses, of which $0.9 million is associated with a valuation allowance. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had approximately $54.4 million of federal net operating losses expiring through 2035. The Company also had approximately $39.9 million of state net operating losses expiring through 2036.

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits. It is the Company’s policy to record interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in selling, general, and administrative expenses.

The Company files U.S. federal income tax returns and various state and local income tax returns. The Company is not currently subject to state or federal income tax audits as of December 31, 2018. The Company's returns are generally open to examination from 2015 forward and the net operating losses acquired in the acquisition of nTelos are open to examination from 2002 forward.

Segment Reporting

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker ("CODM"). The Company's reportable segments, which the Company operates and manages as strategic business units that are organized according to major product and service offerings, include: Wireless, Cable, Wireline and Other. A general description of the products and services offered and the customers served by each of these segments is as follows:

•

Wireless provides digital wireless service as a Sprint PCS Affiliate to a portion of a multi-state area covering large portions of central and western Virginia, south-central Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and portions of Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio. In these areas, we are the exclusive provider of Sprint-branded wireless mobility communications network products and services on the 800 MHz, 1900 MHz and 2.5 GHz spectrum bands. Wireless also owns 208 cell site towers built on leased and owned land, and leases space on these towers to both affiliates and non-affiliated third party wireless service providers.


•	Cable provides video, broadband and voice services in franchise areas in portions of Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland, and leases fiber optic facilities throughout its service area. It does not include video, broadband and voice services provided to customers in Shenandoah County, Virginia.


•	Wireline provides regulated and unregulated voice services, internet broadband, long distance access services, and leases fiber optic facilities throughout portions of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.


•	Other operations are represented by Shenandoah Telecommunications Company, the parent holding company that provides investing and management services to its subsidiaries.

Year ended December 31, 2018:



(in thousands)	Wireless		Cable		Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
External revenue
Service revenue	$	380,818	$	114,917	$	21,521	—			—			$	517,256
Equipment revenue	67,510		695		193		—			—			68,398
Other	9,311		8,585		27,304		—			—			45,200
Total external revenue	457,639		124,197		49,018		—			—			630,854
Internal revenue	5,016		4,706		28,124		—			(37,846		)	—
Total operating revenue	462,655		128,903		77,142		—			(37,846		)	630,854
Operating expenses
Cost of services	131,166		59,935		38,056		—			(35,135		)	194,022
Cost of goods sold	63,583		295		81		—			—			63,959
Selling, general and administrative	47,538		20,274		7,467		40,654			(2,711		)	113,222
Depreciation and amortization	127,521		24,644		13,673		567			—			166,405
Total operating expenses	369,808		105,148		59,277		41,221			(37,846		)	537,608
Operating income (loss)	$	92,847	$	23,755	$	17,865	$	(41,221	)	$	—		$	93,246

Capital Expenditures	$	86,146	$	26,640	$	16,566	$	7,289		$	—		$	136,641

Year ended December 31, 2017:



(in thousands)	Wireless		Cable		Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
External revenue
Service revenue	$	431,184	$	107,338	$	20,388	—			—			$	558,910
Equipment revenue	9,467		724		127		—			—			10,318
Other	9,478		7,855		25,430		—			—			42,763
Total external revenue	450,129		115,917		45,945		—			—			611,991
Internal revenue	4,949		3,245		33,308		—			(41,502		)	—
Total operating revenue	455,078		119,162		79,253		—			(41,502		)	611,991
Operating expenses
Cost of services	129,626		59,335		38,417		39			(38,696		)	188,721
Cost of goods sold	22,653		14		119		—			—			22,786
Selling, general and administrative	118,257		19,999		6,923		23,564			(2,806		)	165,937
Integration and acquisition expenses	10,793		—		—		237			—			11,030
Depreciation and amortization	139,610		23,968		12,829		600			—			177,007
Total operating expenses	420,939		103,316		58,288		24,440			(41,502		)	565,481
Operating income (loss)	$	34,139	$	15,846	$	20,965	$	(24,440	)	$	—		$	46,510

Capital Expenditures	$	82,620	$	34,487	$	22,581	$	6,801		$	—		$	146,489

Year ended December 31, 2016:



(in thousands)	Wireless		Cable		Wireline			Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
External revenue
Service revenue	$	359,769	$	99,070	$	19,646		—			—			$	478,485
Equipment revenue	10,674		736		130			—			—			11,540
Other	13,690		7,191		24,382			—			—			45,263
Total external revenue	384,133		106,997		44,158			—			—			535,288
Internal revenue	4,620		1,737		30,816			—			(37,173		)	—
Total operating revenue	388,753		108,734		74,974			—			(37,173		)	535,288
Operating expenses
Cost of services	103,840		58,290		36,272			—			(34,433		)	163,969
Cost of goods sold	29,273		291		(13		)	—			—			29,551
Selling, general and administrative	95,851		19,248		6,474			14,492			(2,740		)	133,325
Integration and acquisition expenses	25,927		—		—			16,305			—			42,232
Depreciation and amortization	107,621		23,908		11,717			439			—			143,685
Total operating expenses	362,512		101,737		54,450			31,236			(37,173		)	512,762
Operating income (loss)	$	26,241	$	6,997	$	20,524		$	(31,236	)	$	—		$	22,526

Capital Expenditures	$	123,400	$	32,400	$	20,200		$	(2,769	)	$	—		$	173,231

A reconciliation of the total of the reportable segments’ operating income (loss) to consolidated income (loss) before taxes is as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018			2017			2016
Total consolidated operating income (loss)	$	93,246		$	46,510		$	22,526
Interest expense	(34,847		)	(38,237		)	(25,102		)
Gain (loss) on investments, net	(275		)	564			271
Non-operating income (loss), net	3,988			4,420			4,250
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	62,112		$	13,257		$	1,945

The Company’s CODM does not currently review total assets by segment since the assets are centrally managed and some of the assets are shared by the segments. As of January 1, 2018, the Company records stock compensation expense to Other. Previously recorded stock compensation expense was allocated among all segments.

Quarterly Results (unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Quarterly Results (unaudited)

The following table reflects selected quarterly results for the Company.



	Three Months Ended
(in thousands, except per share data)	March 31, 2018		June 30, 2018			September 30, 2018		December 31, 2018
Operating revenue	$	154,138	$	156,501		$	158,731	$	161,484
Operating income (loss)	16,754		21,169			28,329		26,994
Net income (loss)	6,583		9,626			15,534		14,852

Net income (loss) per share - basic	$	0.13	$	0.19		$	0.31	$	0.31
Net income (loss) per share - diluted	$	0.13	$	0.19		$	0.31	$	0.30

	Three Months Ended
(in thousands except per share data)	March 31, 2017		June 30, 2017			September 30, 2017		December 31, 2017
Operating revenue	$	154,125	$	153,867		$	152,382	$	151,617
Operating income (loss)	10,673		8,252			9,475		18,110
Net income (loss)	2,341		(80		)	3,534		60,595

Net income (loss) per share - basic	$	0.05	$	—		$	0.07	$	1.23
Net income (loss) per share - diluted	$	0.05	$	—		$	0.07	$	1.21

Immaterial Prior Period Adjustment.

During the three months ended September 30, 2018, the Company determined that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2018, and the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, contained an immaterial misstatement. Excess amortization of deferred contract costs that are recognized as a reduction of revenue, as described in Note 3, resulted in an understatement of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2018, and the three and six months ended June 30, 2018. Additionally, amounts recorded upon the adoption of Topic 606 on January 1, 2018 were misstated. The Company evaluated the materiality of the prior period adjustment quantitatively and qualitatively, under the SEC’s authoritative guidance on materiality, and concluded that the prior period adjustment was not material to the financial statements of any of the impacted unaudited 2018 periods. The Company elected to correct the prior period adjustment by revising the prior period financial statements.

The cumulative effect of the adjustment made to the consolidated January 1, 2018 balance sheet for the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard was as follows:



	As of January 1, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error			As Adjusted
Prepaid expenses and other	$	53,688	$	(6,701	)	$	46,987
Deferred charges and other assets, net	29,797		14,964			44,761
Deferred income taxes	119,030		2,201			121,231
Retained earnings	347,240		6,062			353,302

The following table presents the effects of the immaterial prior period adjustment on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2018 and June 30, 2018:



	As of March 31, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error			As Adjusted
Prepaid expenses and other	$	64,200	$	(5,741	)	$	58,459
Deferred charges and other assets, net	33,934		16,410			50,344
Deferred income taxes	115,809		2,853			118,662
Retained earnings	352,069		7,816			359,885



	As of June 30, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error			As Adjusted
Prepaid expenses and other	$	64,163	$	(4,756	)	$	59,407
Deferred charges and other assets, net	34,021		17,896			51,917
Deferred income taxes	111,125		3,522			114,647
Retained earnings	359,893		9,618			369,511

The following tables present the effects of the immaterial prior period adjustment on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and the three and six months ended June 30, 2018:



	For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error		As Adjusted
Service revenue and other	$	134,153	$	2,406	$	136,559
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,176		652		1,828
Net income (loss)	4,829		1,754		6,583
Earnings per share - basic	$	0.10	$	0.03	$	0.13
Earnings per share - diluted	$	0.10	$	0.03	$	0.13



	For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error		As Adjusted
Service revenue and other	$	138,021	$	2,471	$	140,492
Income tax expense (benefit)	2,862		669		3,531
Net income (loss)	7,824		1,802		9,626
Earnings per share - basic	$	0.16	$	0.03	$	0.19
Earnings per share - diluted	$	0.16	$	0.03	$	0.19



	For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error		As Adjusted
Service revenue and other	$	272,174	$	4,877	$	277,051
Income tax expense (benefit)	4,038		1,321		5,359
Net income (loss)	12,653		3,556		16,209
Earnings per share - basic	$	0.26	$	0.07	$	0.33
Earnings per share - diluted	$	0.25	$	0.07	$	0.32

Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

SEC Schedule, 12-09, Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]

Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

Schedule II

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

Changes in the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts for accounts receivable for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 are summarized below:



(in thousands)	Balance at Beginning of Year		Recoveries added to allowance		Bad debt expense		Losses charged to allowance			Balance at End of Year
Year Ended December, 31 2018
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$	466	$	631	$	1,983	$	(2,546	)	$	534
Year Ended December, 31 2017
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$	759	$	616	$	2,179	$	(3,088	)	$	466
Year Ended December, 31 2016
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$	418	$	628	$	2,456	$	(2,743	)	$	759

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of consolidation

Use of estimates

Cash and cash equivalents

Inventories

Property, plant and equipment

Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

Finite-lived Intangible Assets

Finite-lived intangible assets and liabilities are being amortized over the following estimated useful lives that were established on the dates acquired:



		Estimated Useful Life
Affiliate contract expansion		4 - 14 years
Favorable and unfavorable leases - wireless		1 - 28 years
Acquired subscribers - cable		3 - 10 years
Other intangibles		15 - 20 years

Valuation of long-lived assets

Business Combinations

Revenue recognition

Revenue recognition: Refer to Note 3, Revenue from Contracts with Customers for details of the Company's 2018 revenue recognition policy.

Compensation Costs

Adoption of New Accounting Principles

Earnings per share

Investments

Asset retirement obligations

The Company records the fair value of an asset retirement obligation as a liability in the period in which it incurs a legal obligation associated with the retirement and removal of leasehold improvements or equipment. The Company also records a corresponding asset, which is depreciated over the lease term. Subsequent to the initial measurement of the asset retirement obligation, the obligation is adjusted at the end of each period to reflect the passage of time and changes in the estimated future cash flows underlying the obligation. The terms associated with its operating leases, and applicable zoning ordinances of certain jurisdictions, define the Company’s obligations which are estimated and vary based on the size of the towers.

Contingencies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of finite-lived intangible assets, useful life

Finite-lived intangible assets and liabilities are being amortized over the following estimated useful lives that were established on the dates acquired:



		Estimated Useful Life
Affiliate contract expansion		4 - 14 years
Favorable and unfavorable leases - wireless		1 - 28 years
Acquired subscribers - cable		3 - 10 years
Other intangibles		15 - 20 years

The Company recorded the following in the wireless segment:



($ in thousands)	Estimated Useful Life (in years)	February 1, 2018
Affiliate contract expansion	12	$	45,148
Prepayment of tangible assets	N/A	6,497
Off-market leases - favorable	16.5	3,665
Off-market leases - unfavorable	4.2	(3,310		)
Total		$	52,000

Intangible assets consisted of the following:



	December 31, 2018							December 31, 2017
(in thousands)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net
Non-amortizing intangibles:
Cable franchise rights	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334
Railroad crossing rights	141		—			141		141		—			141
Total non-amortizing intangibles	64,475		—			64,475		64,475		—			64,475

Finite-lived intangibles:
Affiliate contract expansion - Wireless	455,305		(167,830		)	287,475		410,157		(105,964		)	304,193
Favorable leases - Wireless	15,743		(1,919		)	13,824		13,103		(1,222		)	11,881
Acquired subscribers - Cable	25,265		(25,250		)	15		25,265		(25,100		)	165
Other intangibles	463		(223		)	240		463		(198		)	265
Total finite-lived intangibles	496,776		(195,222		)	301,554		448,988		(132,484		)	316,504
Total intangible assets	$	561,251	$	(195,222	)	$	366,029	$	513,463	$	(132,484	)	$	380,979

Schedule of stock compensation expense

Pre-tax share and stock-based compensation charges from our incentive plans included in net income (loss) were as follows:



(in thousands)	2018		2017		2016
Stock compensation expense	$	5,367	$	4,184	$	3,506
Capitalized stock compensation	408		604		485
Stock compensation expense, net	4,959		3,580		3,021

Excess tax benefits, net of deficiencies	$	1,523	$	3,314	$	1,709

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Disaggregation of Revenue

Revenue earned for the year ended December 31, 2018 was as follows:



(in thousands)	Wireless			Cable			Wireline			Consolidated
Wireless service	$	380,818		$	—		$	—		$	380,818
Equipment	67,510			695			193			68,398
Business, residential and enterprise	—			117,836			42,445			160,281
Tower and other	14,327			10,372			34,504			59,203
Total revenue	462,655			128,903			77,142			668,700
Internal revenue	(5,016		)	(4,706		)	(28,124		)	(37,846		)
Total operating revenue	$	457,639		$	124,197		$	49,018		$	630,854

Schedule of New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles

The cumulative effect of the changes made to the consolidated January 1, 2018 balance sheet for the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard were as follows:



(in thousands)	Balance at December 31, 2017		Adjustments due to Topic 606			Balance at January 1, 2018
Assets
Prepaid expenses and other	$	17,111	$	29,876		$	46,987
Deferred charges and other assets, net	13,690		31,071			44,761
Liabilities
Advanced billing and customer deposits	21,153		(14,302		)	6,851
Deferred income taxes	100,879		20,352			121,231
Other long-term liabilities	15,293		(1,200		)	14,093
Retained earnings	297,205		56,097			353,302

The impact of the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income and consolidated balance sheets was as follows:



	Year Ended December, 31 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Balances without Adoption of Topic 606		Effect of Change Higher/(Lower)
Operating revenue:
Service revenue and other	$	562,456	$	632,340	$	(69,884	)
Equipment revenue	68,398		8,298		60,100
Operating expenses:
Cost of services	194,022		193,860		162
Cost of goods sold	63,959		28,377		35,582
Selling, general and administrative	113,222		175,753		(62,531		)



	As of December 31, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Balances without Adoption of Topic 606		Effect of Change Higher/(Lower)
Assets
Prepaid expenses and other	$	60,162	$	22,204	$	37,958
Deferred charges and other assets, net	49,891		12,083		37,808
Liabilities
Advanced billing and customer deposits	7,919		24,414		(16,495		)
Deferred income taxes	127,453		103,404		24,049
Other long-term liabilities	14,364		15,550		(1,186		)
Retained earnings	386,511		319,926		66,585

Business Combinations and Acquisitions (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Business Combinations [Abstract]

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets

Finite-lived intangible assets and liabilities are being amortized over the following estimated useful lives that were established on the dates acquired:



		Estimated Useful Life
Affiliate contract expansion		4 - 14 years
Favorable and unfavorable leases - wireless		1 - 28 years
Acquired subscribers - cable		3 - 10 years
Other intangibles		15 - 20 years

The Company recorded the following in the wireless segment:



($ in thousands)	Estimated Useful Life (in years)	February 1, 2018
Affiliate contract expansion	12	$	45,148
Prepayment of tangible assets	N/A	6,497
Off-market leases - favorable	16.5	3,665
Off-market leases - unfavorable	4.2	(3,310		)
Total		$	52,000

Intangible assets consisted of the following:



	December 31, 2018							December 31, 2017
(in thousands)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net
Non-amortizing intangibles:
Cable franchise rights	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334
Railroad crossing rights	141		—			141		141		—			141
Total non-amortizing intangibles	64,475		—			64,475		64,475		—			64,475

Finite-lived intangibles:
Affiliate contract expansion - Wireless	455,305		(167,830		)	287,475		410,157		(105,964		)	304,193
Favorable leases - Wireless	15,743		(1,919		)	13,824		13,103		(1,222		)	11,881
Acquired subscribers - Cable	25,265		(25,250		)	15		25,265		(25,100		)	165
Other intangibles	463		(223		)	240		463		(198		)	265
Total finite-lived intangibles	496,776		(195,222		)	301,554		448,988		(132,484		)	316,504
Total intangible assets	$	561,251	$	(195,222	)	$	366,029	$	513,463	$	(132,484	)	$	380,979

Schedule of Purchase Price Allocation

The following table summarizes the final purchase price allocation to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including measurement period adjustments:



(in thousands)	Purchase Price Allocation
Accounts receivable	$	47,234
Inventory	4,572
Restricted cash	2,167
Investments	1,501
Prepaid expenses and other assets	14,835
Building held for sale	4,950
Property, plant and equipment	227,247
Spectrum licenses	198,200
Acquired subscribers - wireless	205,946
Favorable lease intangible assets	17,029
Goodwill	146,383
Other long term assets	10,843
Total assets acquired	$	880,907

Accounts payable	8,543
Advanced billings and customer deposits	12,477
Accrued expenses	23,141
Capital lease liability	418
Deferred tax liabilities	129,291
Retirement benefits	19,198
Other long-term liabilities	20,085
Total liabilities assumed	$	213,153

Net assets acquired	$	667,754

Unaudited Pro Forma Results

Customer Concentration (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Significant Contractual Relationship [Abstract]

Schedules of Concentration of Risk, by Risk Factor

Accounts receivable from significant clients, those representing 10% or more of total accounts receivable for the dates noted, are summarized below:



	December 31,
($ in thousands)	2018	2017
Sprint	$43,227	$43,405
% of total accounts receivable	79%	80%

Correspondingly, revenue from significant clients, those representing 10% or more of total revenue for the respective periods, is summarized as follows:

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS") (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted

The following table indicates the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share amounts)	2018		2017		2016
Calculation of net income (loss) per share:
Net income (loss)	$	46,595	$	66,390	$	(895	)
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	49,542		49,150		48,807
Basic net income (loss) per share	$	0.94	$	1.35	$	(0.02	)

Effect of stock options outstanding:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	49,542		49,150		48,807
Effect from dilutive shares and options outstanding	521		876		—
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	50,063		50,026		48,807
Diluted net income (loss) per share	$	0.93	$	1.33	$	(0.02	)

Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018	2017	2016
Awards excluded from the computation of diluted net income (loss) per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive	33	21	800

Investments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Investments [Abstract]

Other Investments

Investments consist of the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Domestic equity funds	$	1,409	$	2,856
International equity funds	370		423
Total investments carried at fair value	1,779		3,279

CoBank	7,705		6,818
Equity in other telecommunications partners	782		811
Total investments carried at cost	8,487		7,629

Other	522		564
Total equity method investments	522		564

Total investments	$	10,788	$	11,472

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Hierarchy, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis

The following tables present the fair value hierarchy for financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:



(in thousands)	For the year ended December, 31 2018
Balance sheet location:	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Prepaid expenses and other
Interest rate swaps	$	—	$	4,930	$	—	$	4,930
Deferred charges and other assets, net:
Interest rate swaps	—		8,323		—		8,323
Total	$	—	$	13,253	$	—	$	13,253



(in thousands)	For the year ended December, 31 2017
Balance sheet location:	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Cash and cash equivalents
Money market funds	$	150	$	—	$	—	$	150
Prepaid expenses and other
Interest rate swaps	—		2,411		—		2,411
Deferred charges and other assets, net:
Interest rate swaps	—		10,776		—		10,776
Total	$	150	$	13,187	$	—	$	13,337

Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following:



($ in thousands)	Estimated Useful Lives	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Land		$	6,723	$	6,418
Buildings and structures	10 - 40 years	213,657		195,540
Cable and wire	4 - 40 years	309,928		286,999
Equipment and software	2 - 17 years	791,401		730,228
Plant in service		1,321,709		1,219,185
Plant under construction		81,409		62,202
Total property, plant and equipment		1,403,118		1,281,387
Less accumulated amortization and depreciation		701,759		595,060
Property, plant and equipment, net		$	701,359	$	686,327

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill

Goodwill by segment consisted of the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Wireless	$	146,383	$	146,383
Cable	104		104
Wireline	10		10
Total Goodwill	$	146,497	$	146,497

Intangible Assets Resulting from Acquisition

Intangible assets consisted of the following:



	December 31, 2018							December 31, 2017
(in thousands)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net
Non-amortizing intangibles:
Cable franchise rights	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334
Railroad crossing rights	141		—			141		141		—			141
Total non-amortizing intangibles	64,475		—			64,475		64,475		—			64,475

Finite-lived intangibles:
Affiliate contract expansion - Wireless	455,305		(167,830		)	287,475		410,157		(105,964		)	304,193
Favorable leases - Wireless	15,743		(1,919		)	13,824		13,103		(1,222		)	11,881
Acquired subscribers - Cable	25,265		(25,250		)	15		25,265		(25,100		)	165
Other intangibles	463		(223		)	240		463		(198		)	265
Total finite-lived intangibles	496,776		(195,222		)	301,554		448,988		(132,484		)	316,504
Total intangible assets	$	561,251	$	(195,222	)	$	366,029	$	513,463	$	(132,484	)	$	380,979

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets

Finite-lived intangible assets and liabilities are being amortized over the following estimated useful lives that were established on the dates acquired:



		Estimated Useful Life
Affiliate contract expansion		4 - 14 years
Favorable and unfavorable leases - wireless		1 - 28 years
Acquired subscribers - cable		3 - 10 years
Other intangibles		15 - 20 years

The Company recorded the following in the wireless segment:



($ in thousands)	Estimated Useful Life (in years)	February 1, 2018
Affiliate contract expansion	12	$	45,148
Prepayment of tangible assets	N/A	6,497
Off-market leases - favorable	16.5	3,665
Off-market leases - unfavorable	4.2	(3,310		)
Total		$	52,000

Intangible assets consisted of the following:



	December 31, 2018							December 31, 2017
(in thousands)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization and Other			Net
Non-amortizing intangibles:
Cable franchise rights	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334	$	64,334	$	—		$	64,334
Railroad crossing rights	141		—			141		141		—			141
Total non-amortizing intangibles	64,475		—			64,475		64,475		—			64,475

Finite-lived intangibles:
Affiliate contract expansion - Wireless	455,305		(167,830		)	287,475		410,157		(105,964		)	304,193
Favorable leases - Wireless	15,743		(1,919		)	13,824		13,103		(1,222		)	11,881
Acquired subscribers - Cable	25,265		(25,250		)	15		25,265		(25,100		)	165
Other intangibles	463		(223		)	240		463		(198		)	265
Total finite-lived intangibles	496,776		(195,222		)	301,554		448,988		(132,484		)	316,504
Total intangible assets	$	561,251	$	(195,222	)	$	366,029	$	513,463	$	(132,484	)	$	380,979

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense

Aggregate amortization expense, including amortization classified as a rent expense, for intangible assets for the periods shown is expected to be as follows:



Year Ending December 31,	Total		Amount Reflected as Rent Expense		Amount Reflected as Amortization Expense
(in thousands)
2019	$	21,094	$	991	$	20,103
2020	18,193		965		17,228
2021	15,477		953		14,524
2022	14,015		935		13,080
2023	13,794		924		12,870
thereafter	61,816		9,056		52,760
Total	$	144,389	$	13,824	$	130,565

Derivative and Hedging (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Derivative Financial Instruments as well as its Classification on the Consolidated Balance Sheet

The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments as well as its classification on the consolidated balance sheet:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Balance sheet location of derivative financial instruments:
Prepaid expenses and other	$	4,930	$	2,411
Deferred charges and other assets, net	8,323		10,776
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments	$	13,253	$	13,187

Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component:



(in thousands)	Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges			Income Tax (Expense) Benefit			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of taxes
Balance as of December 31, 2017	$	13,187		$	(4,957	)	$	8,230
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)	3,384			(804		)	2,580
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense	(3,318		)	788			(2,530		)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	66			(16		)	50
Balance as of December 31, 2018	$	13,253		$	(4,973	)	$	8,280

Other Assets and Accrued Liabilities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Other Current Assets

Prepaid expenses and other, classified as current assets, included the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Prepaid rent	$	11,245	$	10,519
Prepaid maintenance expenses	3,981		3,062
Interest rate swaps	4,930		2,411
Deferred contract costs	37,957		—
Other	2,049		1,119
Prepaid expenses and other	$	60,162	$	17,111

Summary of Accrued Liabilities and Other

Accrued liabilities and other, classified as current liabilities, included the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Sales and property taxes payable	$	4,281	$	3,872
Severance	—		1,028
Asset retirement obligations	582		492
Accrued programming costs	2,886		2,805
Other current liabilities	6,814		5,717
Accrued liabilities and other	$	14,563	$	13,914

Schedule of Change in Asset Retirement Obligation

Changes in the liability for asset retirement obligations for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 are summarized below:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018			2017			2016
Balance at beginning of year	$	21,703		$	21,507		$	7,266
Liabilities acquired in acquisition	—			—			14,056
Additional liabilities accrued	3,357			2,404			157
Changes to prior estimates	3,504			(1,695		)	—
Payments	(443		)	(1,296		)	(609		)
Accretion expense	1,045			783			637
Balance at end of year	$	29,166		$	21,703		$	21,507

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Leases [Abstract]

Future Minimum Lease Payments



Year Ending	Amount
(in thousands)
2019	$	55,050
2020	53,100
2021	51,323
2022	49,573
2023	48,000
2024 and after	168,498
	$	425,544

Future Minimum Payments Receivable

The total minimum rental receipts under lease agreements at December 31, 2018 are as follows:



Year Ending	Amount
(in thousands)
2019	$	7,067
2020	6,109
2021	4,042
2022	2,914
2023	1,345
2024 and after	4,400
	$	25,877

Long-Term Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Long-term Debt

Total debt consists of the following:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Term loan A-1	287,699		436,500
Term loan A-2	497,537		400,000
	785,236		836,500
Less: unamortized loan fees	14,994		14,542
Total debt, net of unamortized loan fees	$	770,242	$	821,958

Current maturities of long-term debt, net of current unamortized loan fees	$	20,618	$	64,397
Long-term debt, less current maturities, net of unamortized loan fees	$	749,624	$	757,561

Financial Covenants in Credit Agreements

As shown below, as of December 31, 2018, the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants in its credit agreements.



	Actual		Covenant Requirement
Total leverage ratio	2.54		3.50 or Lower
Debt service coverage ratio	3.63		2.00 or Higher
Minimum liquidity balance (in millions)	$	159.0	$25.0 or Higher

Maturities of Long-term Debt

Future maturities of long-term debt principal are as follows:



Year Ending	Amount
(in thousands)
2019	$	23,197
2020	34,122
2021	34,122
2022	37,764
2023	183,434
2024 and after	472,597
Total	$	785,236

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of long-debt instruments or arrangements, including identification, terms, features, collateral requirements and other information necessary to a fair presentation. These are debt arrangements that originally required repayment more than twelve months after issuance or greater than the normal operating cycle of the entity, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28541-108399

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21506-112644

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(e),(f))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 5: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 6: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21521-112644

Reference 7: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21538-112644

Reference 8: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=75038535&loc=d3e64711-112823

Reference 9: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775985&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 10: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21475-112644

+ Details

Related Party Transactions (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Schedule of Related Party Transactions

The following tables summarize the historical transactions that occurred with ValleyNet:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018		2017		2016
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
Facility lease revenue	$	1,677	$	2,201	$	2,384
Cost of goods and services	3,362		3,673		3,067

(in thousands)	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Account receivable related to ValleyNet	$	253	$	180
Accounts payable related to ValleyNet	173		303

Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Allocation of Income Tax Expense

Total income taxes were as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018		2017			2016
Income tax (benefit) expense	$	15,517	$	(53,133	)	$	2,840
Other comprehensive income for changes in cash flow hedge	16		522			4,162
	$	15,533	$	(52,611	)	$	7,002

Components of Federal and State Income Taxes

The provision for the federal and state income taxes attributable to income (loss) consists of the following components:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018			2017			2016
Current expense
Federal taxes	$	2,875		$	1,552		$	44,779
State taxes	6,434			(630		)	10,936
Total current provision	9,309			922			55,715
Deferred expense (benefit)
Federal taxes	6,708			(52,886		)	(47,056		)
State taxes	(500		)	(1,169		)	(5,819		)
Total deferred provision	6,208			(54,055		)	(52,875		)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$	15,517		$	(53,133	)	$	2,840
Effective tax rate	25.0		%	(400.8		)%	146.0		%

Reconciliation of Income Taxes

A reconciliation of income taxes determined by applying the federal and state tax rates to income (loss) is as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018			2017			2016
Computed "expected" tax expense	$	13,044		$	4,640		$	681
State income taxes, net of federal tax effect	4,748			(1,129		)	6
Changes in state DTL for mergers	—			—			3,320
Excess share based compensation	(1,254		)	(3,314		)	(1,709		)
Nondeductible merger expenses	—			—			801
Revaluation of U.S. deferred income taxes	(760		)	(53,449		)	—
Other, net	(261		)	119			(259		)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$	15,517		$	(53,133	)	$	2,840

Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

Net deferred tax assets and liabilities consist of the following temporary differences:



(in thousands)	December 31, 2018			December 31, 2017
Deferred tax assets:
Deferred revenue	$	—		$	3,907
Net operating loss carry-forwards	12,612			14,983
Accruals and reserves	6,545			5,189
Pension benefits	2,873			3,556
Asset retirement obligations	7,797			4,608
Total gross deferred tax assets	29,827			32,243
Less valuation allowance	(862		)	(862		)
Net deferred tax assets	28,965			31,381

Deferred tax liabilities:
Deferred revenue	19,554			—
Plant-in-service	99,666			89,494
Intangible assets	32,963			37,682
Interest rate swaps	3,339			3,511
Other, net	896			1,573
Total gross deferred tax liabilities	156,418			132,260
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	127,453		$	100,879

Segment Reporting (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Selected Financial Data for Segments

Year ended December 31, 2018:



(in thousands)	Wireless		Cable		Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
External revenue
Service revenue	$	380,818	$	114,917	$	21,521	—			—			$	517,256
Equipment revenue	67,510		695		193		—			—			68,398
Other	9,311		8,585		27,304		—			—			45,200
Total external revenue	457,639		124,197		49,018		—			—			630,854
Internal revenue	5,016		4,706		28,124		—			(37,846		)	—
Total operating revenue	462,655		128,903		77,142		—			(37,846		)	630,854
Operating expenses
Cost of services	131,166		59,935		38,056		—			(35,135		)	194,022
Cost of goods sold	63,583		295		81		—			—			63,959
Selling, general and administrative	47,538		20,274		7,467		40,654			(2,711		)	113,222
Depreciation and amortization	127,521		24,644		13,673		567			—			166,405
Total operating expenses	369,808		105,148		59,277		41,221			(37,846		)	537,608
Operating income (loss)	$	92,847	$	23,755	$	17,865	$	(41,221	)	$	—		$	93,246

Capital Expenditures	$	86,146	$	26,640	$	16,566	$	7,289		$	—		$	136,641

Year ended December 31, 2017:



(in thousands)	Wireless		Cable		Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
External revenue
Service revenue	$	431,184	$	107,338	$	20,388	—			—			$	558,910
Equipment revenue	9,467		724		127		—			—			10,318
Other	9,478		7,855		25,430		—			—			42,763
Total external revenue	450,129		115,917		45,945		—			—			611,991
Internal revenue	4,949		3,245		33,308		—			(41,502		)	—
Total operating revenue	455,078		119,162		79,253		—			(41,502		)	611,991
Operating expenses
Cost of services	129,626		59,335		38,417		39			(38,696		)	188,721
Cost of goods sold	22,653		14		119		—			—			22,786
Selling, general and administrative	118,257		19,999		6,923		23,564			(2,806		)	165,937
Integration and acquisition expenses	10,793		—		—		237			—			11,030
Depreciation and amortization	139,610		23,968		12,829		600			—			177,007
Total operating expenses	420,939		103,316		58,288		24,440			(41,502		)	565,481
Operating income (loss)	$	34,139	$	15,846	$	20,965	$	(24,440	)	$	—		$	46,510

Capital Expenditures	$	82,620	$	34,487	$	22,581	$	6,801		$	—		$	146,489

Year ended December 31, 2016:



(in thousands)	Wireless		Cable		Wireline			Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
External revenue
Service revenue	$	359,769	$	99,070	$	19,646		—			—			$	478,485
Equipment revenue	10,674		736		130			—			—			11,540
Other	13,690		7,191		24,382			—			—			45,263
Total external revenue	384,133		106,997		44,158			—			—			535,288
Internal revenue	4,620		1,737		30,816			—			(37,173		)	—
Total operating revenue	388,753		108,734		74,974			—			(37,173		)	535,288
Operating expenses
Cost of services	103,840		58,290		36,272			—			(34,433		)	163,969
Cost of goods sold	29,273		291		(13		)	—			—			29,551
Selling, general and administrative	95,851		19,248		6,474			14,492			(2,740		)	133,325
Integration and acquisition expenses	25,927		—		—			16,305			—			42,232
Depreciation and amortization	107,621		23,908		11,717			439			—			143,685
Total operating expenses	362,512		101,737		54,450			31,236			(37,173		)	512,762
Operating income (loss)	$	26,241	$	6,997	$	20,524		$	(31,236	)	$	—		$	22,526

Capital Expenditures	$	123,400	$	32,400	$	20,200		$	(2,769	)	$	—		$	173,231

Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated

A reconciliation of the total of the reportable segments’ operating income (loss) to consolidated income (loss) before taxes is as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2018			2017			2016
Total consolidated operating income (loss)	$	93,246		$	46,510		$	22,526
Interest expense	(34,847		)	(38,237		)	(25,102		)
Gain (loss) on investments, net	(275		)	564			271
Non-operating income (loss), net	3,988			4,420			4,250
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	62,112		$	13,257		$	1,945

Quarterly Results (unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information

The following table reflects selected quarterly results for the Company.



	Three Months Ended
(in thousands, except per share data)	March 31, 2018		June 30, 2018			September 30, 2018		December 31, 2018
Operating revenue	$	154,138	$	156,501		$	158,731	$	161,484
Operating income (loss)	16,754		21,169			28,329		26,994
Net income (loss)	6,583		9,626			15,534		14,852

Net income (loss) per share - basic	$	0.13	$	0.19		$	0.31	$	0.31
Net income (loss) per share - diluted	$	0.13	$	0.19		$	0.31	$	0.30

	Three Months Ended
(in thousands except per share data)	March 31, 2017		June 30, 2017			September 30, 2017		December 31, 2017
Operating revenue	$	154,125	$	153,867		$	152,382	$	151,617
Operating income (loss)	10,673		8,252			9,475		18,110
Net income (loss)	2,341		(80		)	3,534		60,595

Net income (loss) per share - basic	$	0.05	$	—		$	0.07	$	1.23
Net income (loss) per share - diluted	$	0.05	$	—		$	0.07	$	1.21

Schedule of Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments

The cumulative effect of the adjustment made to the consolidated January 1, 2018 balance sheet for the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard was as follows:



	As of January 1, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error			As Adjusted
Prepaid expenses and other	$	53,688	$	(6,701	)	$	46,987
Deferred charges and other assets, net	29,797		14,964			44,761
Deferred income taxes	119,030		2,201			121,231
Retained earnings	347,240		6,062			353,302

The following table presents the effects of the immaterial prior period adjustment on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2018 and June 30, 2018:



	As of March 31, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error			As Adjusted
Prepaid expenses and other	$	64,200	$	(5,741	)	$	58,459
Deferred charges and other assets, net	33,934		16,410			50,344
Deferred income taxes	115,809		2,853			118,662
Retained earnings	352,069		7,816			359,885



	As of June 30, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error			As Adjusted
Prepaid expenses and other	$	64,163	$	(4,756	)	$	59,407
Deferred charges and other assets, net	34,021		17,896			51,917
Deferred income taxes	111,125		3,522			114,647
Retained earnings	359,893		9,618			369,511



	For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error		As Adjusted
Service revenue and other	$	134,153	$	2,406	$	136,559
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,176		652		1,828
Net income (loss)	4,829		1,754		6,583
Earnings per share - basic	$	0.10	$	0.03	$	0.13
Earnings per share - diluted	$	0.10	$	0.03	$	0.13



	For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error		As Adjusted
Service revenue and other	$	138,021	$	2,471	$	140,492
Income tax expense (benefit)	2,862		669		3,531
Net income (loss)	7,824		1,802		9,626
Earnings per share - basic	$	0.16	$	0.03	$	0.19
Earnings per share - diluted	$	0.16	$	0.03	$	0.19



	For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
(in thousands)	As Reported		Correction of Error		As Adjusted
Service revenue and other	$	272,174	$	4,877	$	277,051
Income tax expense (benefit)	4,038		1,321		5,359
Net income (loss)	12,653		3,556		16,209
Earnings per share - basic	$	0.26	$	0.07	$	0.33
Earnings per share - diluted	$	0.25	$	0.07	$	0.32

Nature of Operations (Details) - megahertz	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 1999
Unusual or Infrequent Item, or Both [Line Items]
Megahertz spectrum range used	1,900	1,900
Minimum
Unusual or Infrequent Item, or Both [Line Items]
Megahertz spectrum range used	800	800
Maximum
Unusual or Infrequent Item, or Both [Line Items]
Megahertz spectrum range used	2,500,000	2,500,000

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details)		12 Months Ended
	Feb. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) plan	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 shares	Dec. 31, 2005 shares
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment of intangible assets, finite-lived		$ 0	$ 0
Impairment charges on long-lived assets		0	0	$ 0
Advertising expense		15,200,000	15,500,000	12,200,000
Net benefit from retirement plans		$ 1,688,000	1,388,000	$ 4,396,000
Number of stock incentive plans \| plan		2
Affiliate contract expansion
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets	12 years
Affiliate contract expansion \| Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		4 years
Affiliate contract expansion \| Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		14 years
Off-market leases - favorable
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets	16 years 6 months
Off-market leases - favorable \| Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		1 year
Off-market leases - favorable \| Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		28 years
Off-market leases - unfavorable
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets	4 years 2 months 12 days
Off-market leases - unfavorable \| Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		1 year
Off-market leases - unfavorable \| Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		28 years
Acquired subscribers - Cable \| Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		3 years
Acquired subscribers - Cable \| Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		10 years
Other intangibles \| Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		15 years
Other intangibles \| Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		20 years
Ntelos Holding, Corp \| Pension Plan
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Fair value of pension plan assets		$ 20,700,000	22,600,000
Fair value of projected benefit obligations		25,800,000	28,200,000
Funded status of retirement plans		5,100,000	5,600,000
Non Vested Shares
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Compensation, nonvested awards, compensation cost not yet recognized		$ 2,700,000	$ 2,500,000
Compensation, nonvested awards, cost not yet recognized, period for recognition		2 years 9 months 18 days
The 2005 Plan
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized for issuance (in shares) \| shares						2,880,000
Award term for authorization of grants						10 years
The 2014 Plan
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Additional number of shares authorized for issuance (in shares) \| shares					3,000,000
Management Shares \| The 2014 Plan \| Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Award term for authorization of grants					10 years

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Stock Compensation Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Stock compensation expense	$ 5,367	$ 4,184	$ 3,506
Capitalized stock compensation	408	604	485
Stock compensation expense, net	4,959	3,580	3,021
Excess tax benefits, net of deficiencies	$ 1,523	$ 3,314	$ 1,709

Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Revenue by Category (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer	$ (161,484)	$ (158,731)	$ (156,501)	$ (154,138)	$ (151,617)	$ (152,382)	$ (153,867)	$ (154,125)	$ (630,854)	$ (611,991)	$ (535,288)
Wireless
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(457,639)	(450,129)	(384,133)
Cable
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(124,197)	(115,917)	(106,997)
Wireline
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(49,018)	(45,945)	(44,158)
Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(668,700)
Operating Segments \| Wireless service
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(380,818)
Operating Segments \| Equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(68,398)
Operating Segments \| Business, residential and enterprise
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(160,281)
Operating Segments \| Tower and other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(59,203)
Operating Segments \| Wireless
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(462,655)	(455,078)	(388,753)
Operating Segments \| Wireless \| Wireless service
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(380,818)
Operating Segments \| Wireless \| Equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(67,510)
Operating Segments \| Wireless \| Business, residential and enterprise
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									0
Operating Segments \| Wireless \| Tower and other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(14,327)
Operating Segments \| Cable
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(128,903)	(119,162)	(108,734)
Operating Segments \| Cable \| Wireless service
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									0
Operating Segments \| Cable \| Equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(695)
Operating Segments \| Cable \| Business, residential and enterprise
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(117,836)
Operating Segments \| Cable \| Tower and other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(10,372)
Operating Segments \| Wireline
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(77,142)	(79,253)	(74,974)
Operating Segments \| Wireline \| Wireless service
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									0
Operating Segments \| Wireline \| Equipment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(193)
Operating Segments \| Wireline \| Business, residential and enterprise
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(42,445)
Operating Segments \| Wireline \| Tower and other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(34,504)
Intersegment Eliminations
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									37,846	41,502	37,173
Intersegment Eliminations \| Wireless
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(5,016)	(4,949)	(4,620)
Intersegment Eliminations \| Cable
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									(4,706)	(3,245)	(1,737)
Intersegment Eliminations \| Wireline
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from contract with customer									$ (28,124)	$ (33,308)	$ (30,816)

Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Management fee, percentage	8.00%
Service fee retained by Sprint	8.60%
Management fee on prepaid wireless revenues and costs	6.00%
Wireless contract asset balance	$ 65.7		$ 51.1
Payments to increase wireless contract asset balance	61.2
Amortization to reduce revenue	$ 46.6
Revenue recorded from equipment financing transactions		$ 63.8
Estimated customer life (in months)	42 months
Cost to fulfill contract	$ 10.1
Amortization of capitalized costs to fulfill contracts	$ 5.5
Cable
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Installation revenue, recognition period	10 months
Commissions and other costs, recognition period (in months)	44 months
Wireline
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Installation revenue, recognition period	11 months
Commissions and other costs, recognition period (in months)	72 months
Enterprise
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Commissions and other costs, recognition period (in months)	46 months
Prepaid expenses and other
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cost to fulfill contract	$ 4.6
Deferred charges and other assets, net
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cost to fulfill contract	$ 5.5
Cost of Goods and Services Sold
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Reimbursement payments, cost of equipment and commissions		63.5
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Reimbursement payments, cost of equipment and commissions		$ 16.9
Minimum
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Reimbursement payment, cost of equipment and commissions, benefit period for recognition	21 months
Maximum
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Reimbursement payment, cost of equipment and commissions, benefit period for recognition	53 months

Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Adjustments to Previously Reported Consolidated Financial Statements from the Adoption of Accounting Pronouncements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 01, 2018
Assets
Prepaid expenses and other	$ 60,162		$ 59,407	$ 58,459	$ 17,111				$ 59,407	$ 60,162	$ 17,111		$ 46,987
Deferred charges and other assets, net	49,891		51,917	50,344	13,690				51,917	49,891	13,690		44,761
Liabilities
Advanced billings and customer deposits	7,919									7,919			6,851
Deferred income taxes	127,453		114,647	118,662	100,879				114,647	127,453	100,879		121,231
Other long-term liabilities	14,364				15,293					14,364	15,293		14,093
Retained earnings	386,511		369,511	359,885	297,205				369,511	386,511	297,205		353,302
Total operating revenue	161,484	$ 158,731	156,501	154,138	151,617	$ 152,382	$ 153,867	$ 154,125		630,854	611,991	$ 535,288
Selling, general and administrative										113,222	165,937	133,325
Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Assets
Prepaid expenses and other	22,204				17,111					22,204	17,111
Deferred charges and other assets, net	12,083				13,690					12,083	13,690
Liabilities
Advanced billings and customer deposits	24,414				21,153					24,414	21,153
Deferred income taxes	103,404				100,879					103,404	100,879
Other long-term liabilities	15,550				15,293					15,550	15,293
Retained earnings	319,926				$ 297,205					319,926	297,205
Selling, general and administrative										175,753
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Assets
Prepaid expenses and other	37,958									37,958			29,876
Deferred charges and other assets, net	37,808									37,808			31,071
Liabilities
Advanced billings and customer deposits	(16,495)									(16,495)			(14,302)
Deferred income taxes	24,049									24,049			20,352
Other long-term liabilities	(1,186)									(1,186)			(1,200)
Retained earnings	$ 66,585									66,585			$ 56,097
Selling, general and administrative										(62,531)
Service revenue and other
Liabilities
Total operating revenue			$ 140,492	$ 136,559					$ 277,051	562,456	601,673	523,748
Service revenue and other \| Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Liabilities
Total operating revenue										632,340
Service revenue and other \| Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Liabilities
Total operating revenue										(69,884)
Equipment revenue
Liabilities
Total operating revenue										68,398	10,318	11,540
Equipment revenue \| Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Liabilities
Total operating revenue										8,298
Equipment revenue \| Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Liabilities
Total operating revenue										60,100
Cost of services
Liabilities
Cost of services										194,022	188,721	163,969
Cost of services \| Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Liabilities
Cost of services										193,860
Cost of services \| Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Liabilities
Cost of services										162
Cost of goods sold
Liabilities
Cost of services										63,959	$ 22,786	$ 29,551
Cost of goods sold \| Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Liabilities
Cost of services										28,377
Cost of goods sold \| Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Liabilities
Cost of services										$ 35,582

Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Remaining Performance Obligations (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Remaining performance obligations	$ 3.3
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2019-01-01
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Remaining performance obligations	$ 0.7
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Remaining performance obligations, period	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2020-01-01
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Remaining performance obligations	$ 0.7
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Remaining performance obligations, period	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2021-01-01
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Remaining performance obligations	$ 0.6
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Remaining performance obligations, period	1 year

Acquisitions - Narrative (Details) customer in Thousands, $ in Thousands			12 Months Ended			32 Months Ended
	Apr. 06, 2017 USD ($) customer	May 06, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Waived management fees, included in affiliate contract expanse accumulated amortization			$ 37,800	$ 36,100	$ 24,600	$ 98,400
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses			0	11,030	42,232
Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Aggregate purchase price		$ 667,800
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses		$ 75,700		17,500	54,700
Debt issuance costs			$ 23,000			$ 23,000
Ntelos Holding, Corp \| Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Before amendment right or obligation to sell business		80.00%
Ntelos Holding, Corp \| Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
After amendment right or obligation to sell business		90.00%
Management fee charge by Sprint		$ 4,200
Parkersburg Expansion Area
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Aggregate purchase price	$ 6,000
Number of customers \| customer	25
Affiliated Entity
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Waived management fees, included in affiliate contract expanse accumulated amortization		255,600
Affiliated Entity \| Nonmonetary Exchange of Intangibles \| Licensing Agreements
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Related party transaction		198,200
Affiliated Entity \| Nonmonetary Exchange of Intangibles \| Additional Customer Based Contract Rights
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Related party transaction		205,900
Affiliated Entity \| Nonmonetary Exchange of Intangibles \| Affiliate Contract Agreement
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Related party transaction		$ 405,000
Cost of Goods and Services Sold \| Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses				1,800	1,300
Selling, General and Administrative \| Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses				$ 4,700	$ 11,100

Acquisitions - Sprint Territory Expansion (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands			12 Months Ended
	Feb. 01, 2018	May 06, 2016	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net carrying value, intangible assets	$ 52,000		$ 301,554	$ 316,504
Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Additional payment for expansion of service area	$ 5,000
Affiliate contract expansion
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets	12 years
Net carrying value, intangible assets	$ 45,148		$ 287,475	304,193
Affiliate contract expansion \| Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets			14 years
Prepayment of tangible assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net carrying value, intangible assets	$ 6,497
Off-market leases - favorable
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets	16 years 6 months
Net carrying value, intangible assets	$ 3,665		$ 13,824	$ 11,881
Off-market leases - favorable \| Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets			28 years
Off-market leases - unfavorable
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets	4 years 2 months 12 days
Net carrying value, intangible assets	$ 3,310
Off-market leases - unfavorable \| Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets			28 years
Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payment required for the right of service	$ 52,000	$ 255,600

Acquisitions - Schedule of Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation and Revisions Recorded (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	May 06, 2017
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Goodwill	$ 146,497	$ 146,497
Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Accounts receivable			$ 47,234
Inventory			4,572
Restricted cash			2,167
Investments			1,501
Prepaid expenses and other assets			14,835
Building held for sale			4,950
Property, plant and equipment			227,247
Goodwill			146,383
Other long term assets			10,843
Total assets acquired			880,907
Accounts payable			8,543
Advanced billings and customer deposits			12,477
Accrued expenses			23,141
Capital lease liability			418
Deferred tax liabilities			129,291
Retirement benefits			19,198
Other long-term liabilities			20,085
Total liabilities assumed			213,153
Net assets acquired			667,754
Spectrum licenses \| Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Finite-lived intangible assets			198,200
Acquired subscribers - wireless \| Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Finite-lived intangible assets			205,946
Favorable lease intangible assets \| Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Finite-lived intangible assets			$ 17,029

Acquisitions - Unaudited Pro forma Results of the Company (Details) - Ntelos Holding, Corp $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Operating revenues	$ 646,769
Income (loss) before income taxes	$ 2,989

Customer Concentration (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Customer Concentration (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) customer megahertz	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 1999 renewal megahertz
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Megahertz spectrum range used	1,900			1,900
Number of contract renewals \| renewal				2
Length of renewals				10 years
Right or obligation to sell business, percentage of EBV				90.00%
Maximum
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Megahertz spectrum range used	2,500,000			2,500,000
Minimum
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Megahertz spectrum range used	800			800
Accounts Receivable \| Customer Concentration Risk
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Concentration risk, amount \| $	$ 43,227	$ 43,405
Concentration risk	79.00%	80.00%
Sales Revenue, Goods, Net \| Customer Concentration Risk
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Number of major customers \| customer	1
Concentration risk	68.00%	72.00%	69.00%

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS") - Schedule of Diluted Earnings Per Shares Calculation (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Calculation of net income (loss) per share:
Net income (loss)	$ 14,852	$ 15,534	$ 9,626	$ 6,583	$ 60,595	$ 3,534	$ (80)	$ 2,341	$ 16,209	$ 46,595	$ 66,390	$ (895)
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)										49,542	49,150	48,807
Basic income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.31	$ 0.31	$ 0.19	$ 0.13	$ 1.23	$ 0.07	$ 0.00	$ 0.05	$ 0.33	$ 0.94	$ 1.35	$ (0.02)
Effect of stock options and awards outstanding:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)										49,542	49,150	48,807
Effect from dilutive shares and options outstanding (in shares)										521	876	0
Diluted weighted average shares (in shares)										50,063	50,026	48,807
Diluted income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.30	$ 0.31	$ 0.19	$ 0.13	$ 1.21	$ 0.07	$ 0.00	$ 0.05	$ 0.32	$ 0.93	$ 1.33	$ (0.02)

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period per each share of common stock or unit outstanding during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(19))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873790&loc=SL114874131-224263

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109260490&loc=d3e1337-109256

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 52
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109256448&loc=d3e4984-109258

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(21))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115205541&loc=SL114868664-224227

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109234566&loc=d3e22694-107794

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
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-Paragraph 2
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
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-Paragraph 1
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-Subparagraph (d)
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+ Details

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period available to each share of common stock or common unit outstanding during the reporting period and to each share or unit that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares or units for all dilutive potential common shares or units outstanding during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
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+ Details

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References + Details

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS") - Schedule of Antidilutive Shares (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Awards excluded from the computation of diluted net income per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive (in shares)	33	21	800

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS") - Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS") - Narrative (Details)	Dec. 31, 2016 shares
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Assumed exercise, at the strike price at the beginning of year (in shares)	0

Investments - Other Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Investment [Line Items]
Total investments carried at fair value	$ 1,779	$ 3,279
Total investments carried at cost	8,487	7,629
Total equity method investments	522	564
Total investments	10,788	11,472
CoBank
Investment [Line Items]
Total investments carried at cost	7,705	6,818
Other equity method investments
Investment [Line Items]
Total investments carried at cost	782	811
Total equity method investments	522	564
Domestic equity funds
Investment [Line Items]
Total investments carried at fair value	1,409	2,856
International equity funds
Investment [Line Items]
Total investments carried at fair value	$ 370	$ 423

Investments - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Investments - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Loss on investments carried at fair value	$ 0.2
Gain on investments carried at fair value		$ 0.5	$ 0.1
Increase in investments carried at cost	$ 0.9	$ 0.7
Virginia Independent Telephone Alliance
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest, percentage	23.00%
Valley Network Partnership
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest, percentage	20.00%

Fair Value Measurements - Hierarchy (Details) - Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total	$ 13,253	$ 13,337
Level 1
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total	0	150
Level 2
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total	13,253	13,187
Level 3
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total	0	0
Money market funds
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds		150
Money market funds \| Level 1
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds		150
Money market funds \| Level 2
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds		0
Money market funds \| Level 3
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds		0
Prepaid expenses and other \| Interest rate swaps
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	4,930	2,411
Prepaid expenses and other \| Interest rate swaps \| Level 1
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other \| Interest rate swaps \| Level 2
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	4,930	2,411
Prepaid expenses and other \| Interest rate swaps \| Level 3
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	0	0
Deferred charges and other assets, net: \| Interest rate swaps
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	8,323	10,776
Deferred charges and other assets, net: \| Interest rate swaps \| Level 1
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	0	0
Deferred charges and other assets, net: \| Interest rate swaps \| Level 2
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	8,323	10,776
Deferred charges and other assets, net: \| Interest rate swaps \| Level 3
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	$ 0	$ 0

Fair Value Measurements - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Non-marketable long-term investments, carrying value	$ 9,000	$ 8,200
Total investments carried at cost	8,487	7,629
CoBank
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total investments carried at cost	$ 7,705	$ 6,818

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 1,403,118	$ 1,281,387
Less accumulated amortization and depreciation	701,759	595,060
Property, plant and equipment, net	701,359	686,327
Depreciation	142,111	151,063	$ 123,995
Capital lease agreements	5,600	5,900
Unamortized capitalized software costs	27,800	28,000
Land
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	6,723	6,418
Buildings and structures
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 213,657	195,540
Buildings and structures \| Minimum
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	10 years
Buildings and structures \| Maximum
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	40 years
Cable and wire
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 309,928	286,999
Cable and wire \| Minimum
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	4 years
Cable and wire \| Maximum
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	40 years
Equipment and software
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 791,401	730,228
Equipment and software \| Minimum
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	2 years
Equipment and software \| Maximum
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	17 years
Plant in service
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 1,321,709	1,219,185
Plant under construction
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 81,409	$ 62,202

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 146,497	$ 146,497
Wireless
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill		146,383
Cable
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill		104
Wireline
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill		$ 10

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Feb. 01, 2018
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Non-amortizing intangibles	$ 64,475	$ 64,475
Gross carrying amount	496,776	448,988
Accumulated amortization and other	(195,222)	(132,484)
Total	301,554	316,504		$ 52,000
Total intangible assets, gross carrying amount	561,251	513,463
Intangible assets, net	366,029	380,979
Amortization expense	24,600	27,500	$ 34,900
Affiliate contract expansion
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	455,305	410,157
Accumulated amortization and other	(167,830)	(105,964)
Total	287,475	304,193		45,148
Favorable leases - Wireless
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	15,743	13,103
Accumulated amortization and other	(1,919)	(1,222)
Total	13,824	11,881		$ 3,665
Acquired subscribers - Cable
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	25,265	25,265
Accumulated amortization and other	(25,250)	(25,100)
Total	15	165
Other intangibles
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	463	463
Accumulated amortization and other	(223)	(198)
Total	240	265
Cable franchise rights
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Non-amortizing intangibles	64,334	64,334
Railroad crossing rights
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Non-amortizing intangibles	$ 141	$ 141

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Amortization Expense for Intangible Assets (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
2019	$ 21,094
2020	18,193
2021	15,477
2022	14,015
2023	13,794
thereafter	61,816
Total	144,389
Amount Reflected as Rent Expense
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
2019	991
2020	965
2021	953
2022	935
2023	924
thereafter	9,056
Total	13,824
Amount Reflected as Amortization Expense
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
2019	20,103
2020	17,228
2021	14,524
2022	13,080
2023	12,870
thereafter	52,760
Total	$ 130,565

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended			32 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2018	Feb. 01, 2018
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization expense	$ 24,600	$ 27,500	$ 34,900
Waived management fees, included in affiliate contract expanse accumulated amortization	37,800	36,100	$ 24,600	$ 98,400
Unfavorable leases, wireless segment	301,554	316,504		301,554	$ 52,000
Net carrying value, intangible assets	301,554	$ 316,504		301,554	52,000
Additional waived management fee under Affiliate Agreement	157,200
Unfavorable lease liability, classified as rent expense	21,094			21,094
Off-market leases - unfavorable
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Unfavorable leases, wireless segment					3,310
Net carrying value, intangible assets					$ 3,310
Unfavorable lease liability, classified as rent expense	$ 5,100			$ 5,100

Derivative and Hedging - Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
Derivative and Hedging - Narrative (Details)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) counterparty	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	May 31, 2016 USD ($) counterparty	Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($)
Derivative [Line Items]
Number of counterparties \| counterparty	4
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument \| Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount of interest rate swaps	$ 384,000,000	$ 418,300,000
Interest Rate Swap, September 2012 \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument \| Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative [Line Items]
Amount of notional principal interest rate swap				$ 174,600,000.0
Notional amount of interest rate swaps	100,400,000	117,900,000
Interest Rate Swap, May 2016 \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument \| Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative [Line Items]
Number of counterparties \| counterparty			3
Amount of notional principal interest rate swap			$ 256,600,000.0
Notional amount of interest rate swaps	$ 283,600,000	$ 300,400,000
Percentage hedged	50.00%
Interest Expense \| Interest rate swaps
Derivative [Line Items]
Reclassification of interest expense	$ 4,900,000

Derivative and Hedging - Schedule of Derivative Financial Instruments as well as its Classification on the Consolidated Balance Sheet (Details) - Interest rate swaps - Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net, by Balance Sheet Classification [Abstract]
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments	$ 13,253	$ 13,187
Prepaid expenses and other
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net, by Balance Sheet Classification [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	4,930	2,411
Deferred charges and other assets, net
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net, by Balance Sheet Classification [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	$ 8,323	$ 10,776

Derivative and Hedging - Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges
Balance as of December 31, 2017	$ 13,187
Balance as of December 31, 2018	13,253
Income Tax (Expense) Benefit
Balance as of December 31, 2017	(4,957)
Balance as of December 31, 2018	(4,973)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of taxes
Balance as of December 31, 2017	8,230
Balance as of December 31, 2018	8,280
Gains on Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)	3,384
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense	(3,318)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	66
Income Tax (Expense) Benefit
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)	(804)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense	788
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	(16)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of taxes
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)	2,580
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense	(2,530)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	$ 50

Other Assets and Accrued Liabilities - Current Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Prepaid rent	$ 11,245				$ 10,519
Prepaid maintenance expenses	3,981				3,062
Interest rate swaps	4,930				2,411
Deferred contract costs	37,957				0
Other	2,049				1,119
Prepaid expenses and other	$ 60,162	$ 59,407	$ 58,459	$ 46,987	$ 17,111

Other Assets and Accrued Liabilities - Current Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Sales and property taxes payable	$ 4,281	$ 3,872
Severance	0	1,028
Asset retirement obligations	582	492
Accrued programming costs	2,886	2,805
Other current liabilities	6,814	5,717
Accrued liabilities and other	$ 14,563	$ 13,914

Other Assets and Accrued Liabilities - Asset Removal Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	$ 21,703	$ 21,507	$ 7,266
Liabilities acquired in acquisition	0	0	14,056
Additional liabilities accrued	3,357	2,404	157
Changes to prior estimates	3,504	(1,695)	0
Payments	(443)	(1,296)	(609)
Accretion expense	1,045	783	637
Balance at end of year	$ 29,166	$ 21,703	$ 21,507

Commitments and Contingencies - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) renewal_term	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Rent expense \| $	$ 59.6	$ 53.1	$ 43.8
Towers
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Number of renewals \| renewal_term	4
Term of renewals	5 years
Towers \| Minimum
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Terms of leases	5 years
Towers \| Maximum
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Terms of leases	10 years
Other \| Minimum
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Terms of leases	5 years
Other \| Maximum
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Terms of leases	20 years

Long Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	$ 785,236	$ 836,500
Less: unamortized loan fees	14,994	14,542
Total debt, net of unamortized loan fees	770,242	821,958
Current maturities of long-term debt, net of current unamortized loan fees	20,618	64,397
Long-term debt, less current maturities, net of unamortized loan fees	749,624	757,561
Term loan A-1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	287,699	436,500
Term loan A-2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	$ 497,537	$ 400,000

Commitments and Contingencies - Future Minimum Lease Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2019	$ 55,050
2020	53,100
2021	51,323
2022	49,573
2023	48,000
2024 and after	168,498
Total future lease payments	$ 425,544

Long-Term Debt - Narrative (Details)		1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Long-Term Debt - Narrative (Details)	Dec. 18, 2015 USD ($) facility	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of credit facilities \| facility	3
Proceeds from revolving credit facility borrowings				$ 15,000,000	$ 0	$ 0
Total debt, net of unamortized loan fees				770,242,000	821,958,000
Unamortized loan fees				$ 14,994,000	$ 14,542,000
Weighted average interest rate				3.97%
Total leverage ratio through December 30, 2019	3.25
Total leverage ratio thereafter	3.00
Debt service coverage ratio, actual				3.63
Minimum liquidity balance	$ 25,000,000			$ 25,000,000
Accrued in anticipation of early distribution of patronage credit				$ 2,800,000
Percentage of patronage credit paid in cash				75.00%
Percentage of patronage credit paid in shares				25.00%
One-time cash distribution from CoBank		$ 200,000
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fixed interest rate	1.16%
Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amended 2016 Credit Agreement, limit of dividends paid, distributions and redemption of capital stock				$ 25,000,000
Amended 2016 Credit Agreement, limit of consolidated net income (as a percent)				60.00%
Total leverage ratio from closing date through December 30, 2018	3.50
Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt service coverage ratio, actual	2.00
Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of credit facility	5 years
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 75,000,000
Incremental Term Loan Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of credit facilities \| facility	1
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 150,000,000
Amended 2016 Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Shift in principal amount from Term Loan A-1 to Term Loan A-2				$ 108,800,000
Term loan A-1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of credit facility	5 years
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 485,000,000
Quarterly principal payment period one				3,600,000
Quarterly principal payment period two				7,300,000
Quarterly principal payment period three				$ 10,900,000
Term loan A-1 \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	2.75%			1.75%
Term loan A-1 \| Ntelos Holding, Corp
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility amount borrowed	$ 485,000,000
Term loan A-2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of credit facility	7 years
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 400,000,000
Proceeds from revolving credit facility borrowings			$ 25,000,000			$ 50,000,000
Quarterly principal payment period one				$ 1,200,000
Term loan A-2 \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	3.00%			2.00%
Term loan A-2 \| Ntelos Holding, Corp
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility amount borrowed	$ 325,000,000
Term loan A-2 \| Delayed Draw Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility remaining borrowing capacity	$ 75,000,000			$ 75,000,000

Commitments and Contingencies - Future Minimum Payments Receivable (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable [Abstract]
2019	$ 7,067
2020	6,109
2021	4,042
2022	2,914
2023	1,345
2024 and after	4,400
Total minimum rental receipts	$ 25,877

Long-Term Debt - Financial Covenants in Credit Agreements (Details)		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 18, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Total leverage ratio, actual		2.54
Debt service coverage ratio, actual		3.63
Minimum liquidity balance, actual		$ 159,000,000
Total leverage ratio, covenant requirement		3.5000
Debt service coverage ratio, covenant requirement		2.0000
Minimum liquidity balance	$ 25,000,000	$ 25,000,000

Long-Term Debt - Maturities of Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Maturities of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
2019	$ 23,197
2020	34,122
2021	34,122
2022	37,764
2023	183,434
2024 and after	472,597
Total	$ 785,236	$ 836,500

Related Party Transactions (Details) - ValleyNet - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
(in thousands)
Facility lease revenue	$ 1,677	$ 2,201	$ 2,384
Cost of goods and services	3,362	3,673	$ 3,067
(in thousands)
Account receivable related to ValleyNet	253	180
Accounts payable related to ValleyNet	$ 173	$ 303

Income Taxes - Allocation of Income Tax Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income tax (benefit) expense	$ 3,531	$ 1,828	$ 5,359	$ 15,517	$ (53,133)	$ 2,840
Other comprehensive income for changes in cash flow hedge				16	522	4,162
Income tax expense				$ 15,533	$ (52,611)	$ 7,002

Income Taxes - Components of Federal and State Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current expense
Federal taxes				$ 2,875	$ 1,552	$ 44,779
State taxes				6,434	(630)	10,936
Total current provision				9,309	922	55,715
Deferred expense (benefit)
Federal taxes				6,708	(52,886)	(47,056)
State taxes				(500)	(1,169)	(5,819)
Total deferred provision				6,208	(54,055)	(52,875)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ 3,531	$ 1,828	$ 5,359	$ 15,517	$ (53,133)	$ 2,840
Effective tax rate				25.00%	(400.80%)	146.00%

Income Taxes - Reconciliation of Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Computed expected tax expense				$ 13,044	$ 4,640	$ 681
State income taxes, net of federal tax effect				4,748	(1,129)	6
Changes in state DTL for mergers				0	0	3,320
Excess share based compensation				(1,254)	(3,314)	(1,709)
Nondeductible merger expenses				0	0	801
Revaluation of U.S. deferred income taxes				(760)	(53,449)	0
Other, net				(261)	119	(259)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ 3,531	$ 1,828	$ 5,359	$ 15,517	$ (53,133)	$ 2,840

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Deferred tax assets:
Deferred revenue	$ 0	$ 3,907
Net operating loss carry-forwards	12,612	14,983
Accruals and reserves	6,545	5,189
Pension benefits	2,873	3,556
Asset retirement obligations	7,797	4,608
Total gross deferred tax assets	29,827	32,243
Less valuation allowance	(862)	(862)
Net deferred tax assets	28,965	31,381
Deferred tax liabilities:
Deferred revenue	19,554	0
Plant-in-service	99,666	89,494
Intangible assets	32,963	37,682
Interest rate swaps	3,339	3,511
Other, net	896	1,573
Total gross deferred tax liabilities	156,418	132,260
Net deferred tax liabilities	$ 127,453	$ 100,879

Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Decrease in income tax expense and deferred tax liabilities	$ (800,000)	$ (53,400,000)
Decrease in net deferred tax liabilities	(800,000)	(53,400,000)
One-time non-cash tax benefit related to tax rate increase	53,400,000
State net operating loss carry-forwards, net of federal tax	12,612,000	14,983,000
Valuation allowance	862,000	862,000
Federal and state net operating losses	54,400,000
Unrecognized tax benefits	0	$ 0
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Federal and state net operating losses	$ 39,900,000

Segment Reporting - Selected Financial Data for Segments (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) cell_site	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of cell site towers built \| cell_site									208
External revenue
Total operating revenue	$ 161,484	$ 158,731	$ 156,501	$ 154,138	$ 151,617	$ 152,382	$ 153,867	$ 154,125	$ 630,854	$ 611,991	$ 535,288
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative									113,222	165,937	133,325
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses									0	11,030	42,232
Depreciation and amortization									166,405	177,007	143,685
Operating Expenses									537,608	565,481	512,762
Operating income (loss)	$ 26,994	$ 28,329	$ 21,169	$ 16,754	$ 18,110	$ 9,475	$ 8,252	$ 10,673	93,246	46,510	22,526
Capital Expenditures									136,641	146,489	173,231
Wireless
External revenue
Total operating revenue									457,639	450,129	384,133
Operating expenses
Capital Expenditures									86,146	82,620	123,400
Cable
External revenue
Total operating revenue									124,197	115,917	106,997
Operating expenses
Capital Expenditures									26,640	34,487	32,400
Wireline
External revenue
Total operating revenue									49,018	45,945	44,158
Operating expenses
Capital Expenditures									16,566	22,581	20,200
Other
External revenue
Total operating revenue									0	0	0
Operating expenses
Capital Expenditures									7,289	6,801	(2,769)
Operating Segments
External revenue
Total operating revenue									668,700
Operating Segments \| Wireless
External revenue
Total operating revenue									462,655	455,078	388,753
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative									47,538	118,257	95,851
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses										10,793	25,927
Depreciation and amortization									127,521	139,610	107,621
Operating Expenses									369,808	420,939	362,512
Operating income (loss)									92,847	34,139	26,241
Operating Segments \| Cable
External revenue
Total operating revenue									128,903	119,162	108,734
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative									20,274	19,999	19,248
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses										0	0
Depreciation and amortization									24,644	23,968	23,908
Operating Expenses									105,148	103,316	101,737
Operating income (loss)									23,755	15,846	6,997
Operating Segments \| Wireline
External revenue
Total operating revenue									77,142	79,253	74,974
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative									7,467	6,923	6,474
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses										0	0
Depreciation and amortization									13,673	12,829	11,717
Operating Expenses									59,277	58,288	54,450
Operating income (loss)									17,865	20,965	20,524
Operating Segments \| Other
External revenue
Total operating revenue									0	0	0
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative									40,654	23,564	14,492
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses										237	16,305
Depreciation and amortization									567	600	439
Operating Expenses									41,221	24,440	31,236
Operating income (loss)									(41,221)	(24,440)	(31,236)
Intersegment Eliminations
External revenue
Total operating revenue									(37,846)	(41,502)	(37,173)
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative									(2,711)	(2,806)	(2,740)
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses										0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Operating Expenses									(37,846)	(41,502)	(37,173)
Operating income (loss)									0	0	0
Capital Expenditures									0	0	0
Intersegment Eliminations \| Wireless
External revenue
Total operating revenue									5,016	4,949	4,620
Intersegment Eliminations \| Cable
External revenue
Total operating revenue									4,706	3,245	1,737
Intersegment Eliminations \| Wireline
External revenue
Total operating revenue									28,124	33,308	30,816
Intersegment Eliminations \| Other
External revenue
Total operating revenue									0	0	0
Service revenue
External revenue
Total operating revenue									517,256	558,910	478,485
Service revenue \| Wireless
External revenue
Total operating revenue									380,818	431,184	359,769
Service revenue \| Cable
External revenue
Total operating revenue									114,917	107,338	99,070
Service revenue \| Wireline
External revenue
Total operating revenue									21,521	20,388	19,646
Service revenue \| Other
External revenue
Total operating revenue									0	0	0
Equipment revenue
External revenue
Total operating revenue									68,398	10,318	11,540
Equipment revenue \| Wireless
External revenue
Total operating revenue									67,510	9,467	10,674
Equipment revenue \| Cable
External revenue
Total operating revenue									695	724	736
Equipment revenue \| Wireline
External revenue
Total operating revenue									193	127	130
Equipment revenue \| Other
External revenue
Total operating revenue									0	0	0
Other
External revenue
Total operating revenue									45,200	42,763	45,263
Other \| Wireless
External revenue
Total operating revenue									9,311	9,478	13,690
Other \| Cable
External revenue
Total operating revenue									8,585	7,855	7,191
Other \| Wireline
External revenue
Total operating revenue									27,304	25,430	24,382
Other \| Other
External revenue
Total operating revenue									0	0	0
Cost of services
Operating expenses
Cost of services									194,022	188,721	163,969
Cost of services \| Operating Segments \| Wireless
Operating expenses
Cost of services									131,166	129,626	103,840
Cost of services \| Operating Segments \| Cable
Operating expenses
Cost of services									59,935	59,335	58,290
Cost of services \| Operating Segments \| Wireline
Operating expenses
Cost of services									38,056	38,417	36,272
Cost of services \| Operating Segments \| Other
Operating expenses
Cost of services									0	39	0
Cost of services \| Intersegment Eliminations
Operating expenses
Cost of services									(35,135)	(38,696)	(34,433)
Cost of goods sold
Operating expenses
Cost of services									63,959	22,786	29,551
Cost of goods sold \| Operating Segments \| Wireless
Operating expenses
Cost of services									63,583	22,653	29,273
Cost of goods sold \| Operating Segments \| Cable
Operating expenses
Cost of services									295	14	291
Cost of goods sold \| Operating Segments \| Wireline
Operating expenses
Cost of services									81	119	(13)
Cost of goods sold \| Operating Segments \| Other
Operating expenses
Cost of services									0	0	0
Cost of goods sold \| Intersegment Eliminations
Operating expenses
Cost of services									$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Segment Reporting - Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]
Total consolidated operating income (loss)	$ 26,994	$ 28,329	$ 21,169	$ 16,754	$ 18,110	$ 9,475	$ 8,252	$ 10,673	$ 93,246	$ 46,510	$ 22,526
Interest expense									(34,847)	(38,237)	(25,102)
Gain (loss) on investments, net									(275)	564	271
Non-operating income (loss), net									3,988	4,420	4,250
Income (loss) before income taxes									$ 62,112	$ 13,257	$ 1,945

Quarterly Results (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Total operating revenue	$ 161,484	$ 158,731	$ 156,501	$ 154,138	$ 151,617	$ 152,382	$ 153,867	$ 154,125		$ 630,854	$ 611,991	$ 535,288
Operating income (loss)	26,994	28,329	21,169	16,754	18,110	9,475	8,252	10,673		93,246	46,510	22,526
Net income (loss)	$ 14,852	$ 15,534	$ 9,626	$ 6,583	$ 60,595	$ 3,534	$ (80)	$ 2,341	$ 16,209	$ 46,595	$ 66,390	$ (895)
Net income (loss) per share - basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.31	$ 0.31	$ 0.19	$ 0.13	$ 1.23	$ 0.07	$ 0.00	$ 0.05	$ 0.33	$ 0.94	$ 1.35	$ (0.02)
Net income (loss) per share - diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.30	$ 0.31	$ 0.19	$ 0.13	$ 1.21	$ 0.07	$ 0.00	$ 0.05	$ 0.32	$ 0.93	$ 1.33	$ (0.02)

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period per each share of common stock or unit outstanding during the reporting period.

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References + Details

Quarterly Results (unaudited) Correction of Prior Period Adjustment (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 01, 2018
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Service revenue and other	$ 161,484	$ 158,731	$ 156,501	$ 154,138	$ 151,617	$ 152,382	$ 153,867	$ 154,125		$ 630,854	$ 611,991	$ 535,288
Prepaid expenses and other	60,162		59,407	58,459	17,111				$ 59,407	60,162	17,111		$ 46,987
Deferred charges and other assets, net	49,891		51,917	50,344	13,690				51,917	49,891	13,690		44,761
Deferred income taxes	127,453		114,647	118,662	100,879				114,647	127,453	100,879		121,231
Retained earnings	386,511		369,511	359,885	297,205				369,511	386,511	297,205		353,302
Income tax (benefit) expense			3,531	1,828					5,359	15,517	(53,133)	2,840
Net income (loss)	$ 14,852	$ 15,534	$ 9,626	$ 6,583	$ 60,595	$ 3,534	$ (80)	$ 2,341	$ 16,209	$ 46,595	$ 66,390	$ (895)
Basic net income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.31	$ 0.31	$ 0.19	$ 0.13	$ 1.23	$ 0.07	$ 0.00	$ 0.05	$ 0.33	$ 0.94	$ 1.35	$ (0.02)
Diluted income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.30	$ 0.31	$ 0.19	$ 0.13	$ 1.21	$ 0.07	$ 0.00	$ 0.05	$ 0.32	$ 0.93	$ 1.33	$ (0.02)
As Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Prepaid expenses and other			$ 64,163	$ 64,200					$ 64,163				53,688
Deferred charges and other assets, net			34,021	33,934					34,021				29,797
Deferred income taxes			111,125	115,809					111,125				119,030
Retained earnings			359,893	352,069					359,893				347,240
Income tax (benefit) expense			2,862	1,176					4,038
Net income (loss)			$ 7,824	$ 4,829					$ 12,653
Basic net income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)			$ 0.16	$ 0.10					$ 0.26
Diluted income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)			$ 0.16	$ 0.10					$ 0.25
Immaterial error correction \| Correction of Error
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Prepaid expenses and other			$ (4,756)	$ (5,741)					$ (4,756)				(6,701)
Deferred charges and other assets, net			17,896	16,410					17,896				14,964
Deferred income taxes			3,522	2,853					3,522				2,201
Retained earnings			9,618	7,816					9,618				$ 6,062
Income tax (benefit) expense			669	652					1,321
Net income (loss)			$ 1,802	$ 1,754					$ 3,556
Basic net income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)			$ 0.03	$ 0.03					$ 0.07
Diluted income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)			$ 0.03	$ 0.03					$ 0.07
Service revenue and other
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Service revenue and other			$ 140,492	$ 136,559					$ 277,051	$ 562,456	$ 601,673	$ 523,748
Service revenue and other \| As Reported
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Service revenue and other			138,021	134,153					272,174
Service revenue and other \| Immaterial error correction \| Correction of Error
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Service revenue and other			$ 2,471	$ 2,406					$ 4,877

Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts and Reserves (Details) - SEC Schedule, 12-09, Allowance, Credit Loss - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Year	$ 466	$ 759	$ 418
Recoveries added to allowance	631	616	628
Bad debt expense	1,983	2,179	2,456
Losses charged to allowance	(2,546)	(3,088)	(2,743)
Balance at End of Year	$ 534	$ 466	$ 759

Label	Element	Value
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 56,097,000
Retained Earnings [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 56,097,000