Shenandoah Telecommunications (SHEN) 10-K 15 Mar 18 2017 FY Annual report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Mar. 09, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	SHENANDOAH TELECOMMUNICATIONS CO/VA/
Entity Central Index Key	354,963
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2017
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		49,527,087
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Public Float			$ 1.5

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 78,585	$ 36,193
Accounts receivable, net	54,184	69,789
Income taxes receivable	17,311	0
Inventory, net	5,704	39,043
Prepaid expenses	17,111	16,440
Total current assets	172,895	161,465
Investments, including $3,279 and $2,907 carried at fair value	11,472	10,276
Property, plant and equipment, net	686,327	698,122
Other Assets:
Intangible assets, net	380,979	454,532
Goodwill	146,497	145,256
Deferred charges and other assets, net	13,690	14,756
Total assets	1,411,860	1,484,407
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt, net of unamortized loan fees	64,397	32,041
Accounts payable	28,953	72,810
Advanced billings and customer deposits	21,153	20,427
Accrued compensation	9,167	9,465
Income taxes payable	0	435
Accrued liabilities and other	13,914	29,085
Total current liabilities	137,584	164,263
Long-term debt, less current maturities, net of unamortized loan fees	757,561	797,224
Other Long-Term Liabilities:
Deferred income taxes	100,879	151,837
Deferred lease	15,782	18,042
Asset retirement obligations	21,211	15,666
Retirement plan obligations	13,328	17,738
Other liabilities	15,293	23,743
Total other liabilities	166,493	227,026
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Shareholders’ Equity:
Common stock, no par value, authorized 96,000 shares; issued and outstanding 49,328 shares in 2017 and 48,935 shares in 2016	44,787	45,482
Retained earnings	297,205	243,624
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes	8,230	6,788
Total shareholders’ equity	350,222	295,894
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$ 1,411,860	$ 1,484,407

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current Assets:
Investments at fair value	$ 3,279	$ 2,907
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)	49,328,000	48,935,000
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	49,328,000	48,935,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPER

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Statement [Abstract]
Operating revenues	$ 611,991	$ 535,288	$ 342,485
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	211,507	193,520	121,330
Selling, general and administrative	165,937	133,325	72,821
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses	11,030	42,232	3,546
Depreciation and amortization	177,007	143,685	70,702
Total operating expenses	565,481	512,762	268,399
Operating income (loss)	46,510	22,526	74,086
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	(38,237)	(25,102)	(7,355)
Gain (loss) on investments, net	564	271	105
Non-operating income (loss), net	4,420	4,250	1,754
Income (loss) before income taxes	13,257	1,945	68,590
Income tax expense (benefit)	(53,133)	2,840	27,726
Net income (loss)	66,390	(895)	40,864
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain (loss) on interest rate hedge, net of tax	1,442	6,373	(707)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 67,832	$ 5,478	$ 40,157
Net Income (loss) per share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 1.35	$ (0.02)	$ 0.84
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 1.33	$ (0.02)	$ 0.83
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic (in shares)	49,150	48,807	48,388
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted (in shares)	50,026	48,807	49,024

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAR

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 258,346		$ 29,712	$ 227,512	$ 1,122
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014		48,265
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	40,864			40,864
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(707)				(707)
Dividends declared	(11,629)			(11,629)
Dividends reinvested in common stock	544		544
Dividends reinvested in common stock (in shares)		22
Stock based compensation	2,719		2,719
Common stock issued through exercise of incentive stock options	996		996
Common stock issued through exercise of incentive stock options (in shares)		87
Common stock issued for share awards (in shares)		212
Common stock issued	11		11
Common stock issued (in shares)		1
Shares retired for settlement of employee taxes upon issuance of vested equity awards	(1,885)		(1,885)
Common stock withheld for taxes (in shares)		(111)
Net excess tax benefit from stock options exercised	679		679
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 income (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
Shares retired for settlement of employee taxes upon issuance of vested equity awards	(5,097)		(5,097)
Common stock withheld for taxes (in shares)		(198)
Common stock issued to acquire non-controlling interests of nTelos	10,400		10,400
Common stock issued to acquire a non-controlling interests of nTelos (in shares)		76
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 295,894		45,482	243,624	6,788
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016	48,935	48,935
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	$ 66,390			66,390
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	1,442				1,442
Dividends declared	(12,809)			(12,809)
Dividends reinvested in common stock	552		552	0
Dividends reinvested in common stock (in shares)		15
Stock based compensation	4,184		4,184
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 for share awards (in shares)		(216)
Common stock issued	21		21
Common stock issued (in shares)		1
Shares retired for settlement of employee taxes upon issuance of vested equity awards	(7,846)		(7,846)
Common stock issued to acquire non-controlling interests of nTelos	0		0
Common stock issued to acquire a non-controlling interests of nTelos (in shares)		76
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 350,222		$ 44,787	$ 297,205	$ 8,230
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017	49,328	49,328

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHA6

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.26	$ 0.25	$ 0.24

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 66,390	$ (895)	$ 40,864
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	151,063	123,995	69,287
Amortization reflected as operating expense	25,944	19,690	1,415
Amortization reflected as rent expense	1,528	728	0
Bad debt expense	2,179	2,456	1,640
Waived management fee	36,056	24,596	0
Stock based compensation expense, net of amount capitalized	3,580	3,021	2,333
Deferred income taxes	(54,055)	(52,875)	(451)
Net (gain) loss on disposal of equipment	118	(23)	235
(Gain) loss on investments	(450)	(143)	141
Net (gain) loss from patronage and equity investments	(3,008)	(795)	(805)
Amortization of long term debt issuance costs	4,741	3,914	567
Net benefit from retirement plans	(1,388)	(4,396)	0
Other	298	1,437	(566)
(Increase) decrease in:
Accounts receivable	16,451	14,581	(1,047)
Inventory, net	33,339	(30,288)	492
Income taxes receivable	(19,138)	7,694	7,058
Other assets	1,439	5,273	(6,368)
Increase (decrease) in:
Accounts payable	(36,725)	42,496	2,753
Income taxes payable	0	435	0
Deferred lease	327	4,273	962
Other deferrals and accruals	(5,759)	(3,648)	811
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	222,930	161,526	119,321
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment	(146,489)	(173,231)	(69,679)
Proceeds from sale of assets	980	5,510	363
Cash disbursed for acquisition, net of cash acquired	(6,000)	(657,354)	0
Release of restricted cash	0	2,167	0
Cash distributions from investments, net of contributions	14	2,895	54
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(151,495)	(820,013)	(69,262)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Principal payments on long-term debt	(36,375)	(213,793)	(23,000)
Proceeds from credit facility borrowings	25,000	860,000	0
Payments for debt issuance costs	0	(14,910)	(7,880)
Dividends paid, net of dividends reinvested	(12,257)	(11,705)	(11,085)
Excess tax benefits from stock compensation	0	0	679
Taxes paid for equity award issuances	(5,411)	(5,097)	(1,885)
Proceeds from issuances of common stock	0	3,373	1,007
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(29,043)	617,868	(42,164)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	42,392	(40,619)	7,895
Cash and cash equivalents:
Beginning	36,193	76,812	68,917
Ending	78,585	36,193	76,812
Supplemental Cash Flow Information
Cash paid for interest, net of capitalized interest of $1,559 in 2017, $1,374 in 2016, and $436 in 2015	33,495	21,187	6,784
Income taxes paid, net	20,066	44,983	21,119
Accounts payable for purchases and investment in property, plant and equipment	7,254	$ 14,386	$ 5,597
Increase in deferred tax liabilities	$ 500

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CAS8

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information Cash payments for:
Capitalized interest	$ 1,559	$ 1,374	$ 436
Other cash flow information:
Common stock issued to acquire non-controlling interests of nTelos	0	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	$ 1,442	$ 6,373	$ (707)

Nature of Operations

Nature of Operations	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
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 brand, 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, Tennessee and Ohio. The Company is licensed to use the Sprint brand name 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. With the 2016 acquisition of nTelos and the subsequent Sprint expansions (see Note 3, Business Combinations and Acquisitions ), the Company's wireless network coverage area expanded to include south-central and western Virginia, West Virginia, and small portions of Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. The Company's other operations are located in the four -state region surrounding the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	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, 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 realized value. Inventory cost is computed on an average cost basis. Net realized 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 8, 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 is 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 2017 impairment tests were based on the operating segment structure, where each operating segment was also considered a reporting unit. During the fourth quarter of 2017 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 impairment evaluations performed during 2017 and 2016, 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: 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 subscribers-cable, and off market leases. Affiliate contract expansion and acquired subscribers-cable intangibles 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, 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 periods: 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, 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, 2017, 2016 or 2015. Business combinations: Business combinations, including purchased intangible assets, are accounted for at fair value. Acquisition costs are expensed as incurred and recorded in 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: The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, services have been rendered or products have been delivered, the price to the buyer is fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Revenues are recognized by the Company based on the various types of transactions generating the revenue. For services, revenue is recognized as the services are performed. Under the Sprint Management Agreement, postpaid wireless service revenues are reported net of an 8% Management Fee and an 8.6% Net Service Fee, retained by Sprint. Prepaid wireless service revenues are reported net of a 6% Management Fee retained by Sprint. 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, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $15.5 million , $12.2 million and $7.3 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 tax assets generated on a state-by-state basis from net operating losses apportioned to that state. The Company uses a more likely than not threshold to make that determination and has concluded that at December 31, 2017 and 2016 , a valuation allowance against certain state deferred tax assets is necessary, as discussed in Note 15, 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, 2017 and 2016, the fair value of our pension plan assets and certain other postretirement benefits in aggregate was $22.6 million and $24.1 million , respectively, and the fair value of our projected benefit obligations in aggregate was $28.2 million and $34.4 million , respectively. As a result, the plans were underfunded by approximately $5.6 million and $10.3 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and were recorded as a net liability in our consolidated balance sheets. The change in the net liability of the plan in 2017 was affected primarily by a lump-sum payout offer. During 2017, the Company amended the Pension Plan to include an opportunity for participants to elect to receive a lump-sum payout of vested pension benefits in lieu of receiving any future pension benefits, ("the lump-sum payout offer"). The lump-sum payout offer was concluded during 2017 and was accounted for as a settlement and the future pension obligation was remeasured in the fourth quarter of 2017 following the payout of all elected lump-sum payments. The Company recorded a net gain on the aforementioned settlement and re-measurement of approximately $1.1 million . 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 that 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) 2017 2016 2015 Stock compensation expense $ 4,184 $ 3,506 $ 2,719 Capitalized stock compensation 604 485 386 Stock compensation expense, net 3,580 3,021 2,333 Excess tax benefits, net of deficiencies $ 3,314 $ 1,709 $ 679 As of December 31, 2017, there was $2.5 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested incentive awards that are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.5 years. Adoption of New Accounting Principles 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 and note disclosures, that would be expected to impact the Company except for the following: In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09 (Topic 606), “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” which among other things, requires companies to identify contractual performance obligations and recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration for which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. We adopted the new revenue guidance effective January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method by recognizing a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings. Based on the Company’s evaluation, which has not been finalized, we do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our results of operations or cash flows in the periods after adoption. A significant focus of the adoption of the new standard relates to our assessment of the Sprint affiliate agreement as a series of performance obligations to provide continuous network access and that Sprint, not the end subscriber, meets the definition of a customer under Topic 606. The revenues we earn under the affiliate agreement are variable based on Sprint’s underlying subscriber activity. A summary of the most significant changes that will be implemented in 2018 in connection with the standard are presented below. Changes to Presentation of Revenue and Expenses: • Certain amounts payable to Sprint for the reimbursement of costs incurred by Sprint in their national sales channel (commissions and fulfillment costs) and to provide on-going service to their prepaid customers in our territory were historically recorded as expense when incurred. Under Topic 606, these amounts represent consideration payable to our customer and will be recorded as a reduction of revenue as we do not separate goods or services that are distinct from the services we provide. In 2017 these amounts were approximately $63.5 million for the national sales channel cost and $16.9 million for the on-going service to Sprint's prepaid customers. As result of applying Topic 606, these amounts will be reclassified from operating expenses to a reduction of revenue. • Costs incurred by the Company for the sale of devices under Sprint’s device financing and lease programs were previously recorded against revenue. Under Topic 606, these device costs will be reclassified to cost of goods and services. These amount were approximately $63.8 million in 2017. Changes to Timing of Recognition of Revenue and Related Costs: • Certain amounts payable to Sprint for the reimbursement of costs incurred by Sprint in their national sales channel will be deferred over the expected period of benefit versus expenses when incurred. We do not expect this change to have a material impact. • Installation revenues in the cable and wireline's segments will be recognized over a shorter period of benefit rather than over the estimated customer life. We do not expect this change to have a material impact on the timing of the recognition of revenue. • In our cable and wireline segments, commissions and other direct and incremental costs to fulfill a contract, which historically have been expensed when incurred, will be deferred and recognized over the expected period of benefit. We do not expect this change to have a material impact. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities.” In addition to the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments, ASU 2016-01 requires entities to measure equity investments, other than those accounted for under the equity method, at fair value and recognize changes in fair value in net income. Entities will no longer be able to use the cost method of accounting for equity securities. However, for equity investments without readily determinable fair values that do not qualify for the practical expedient to estimate fair value using net asset value per share, entities may elect a measurement alternative that will allow those investments to be recorded at cost, less impairment, and adjusted for subsequent observable price changes. Entities must record a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the standard is adopted, except for equity investments without readily determinable fair values, for which the guidance will be applied prospectively. The guidance under ASU 2016-01 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company has not yet completed its assessment of the impact of the new standard on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases”, which requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous generally accepted accounting principles. The ASU is effective on January 1, 2019, and early application is permitted. Modified retrospective application is required. The Company plans to adopt this standard when it becomes effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2019, and expects the adoption of this standard will result in the recognition of right of use assets and lease liabilities that have not previously been recorded, which will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments". The ASU is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows by providing guidance on eight specific cash flow issues. The Company intends to adopt the standard retrospectively on the effective date of January 1, 2018 and does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a material effect. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, "Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost". The update requires employers to present the service cost component of the net periodic benefit cost in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. The other components of net benefit cost, including interest cost, expected return on plan assets, amortization of prior service cost/credit and actuarial gain/loss, and settlement and curtailment effects, are to be presented outside of any subtotal of operating income. Employers will have to disclose the line(s) used to present the other components of net periodic benefit cost, if the components are not presented separately in the income statement. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. The Company does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities". This update is intended to simplify hedge accounting by better aligning an entity’s financial reporting for hedging relationships with its risk management activities. The ASU also simplifies the application of the hedge accounting guidance. The ASU is effective on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. For cash flow hedges existing at the adoption date, the standard requires adoption on a modified retrospective basis with a cumulative-effect adjustment to the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of the beginning of the year of adoption, to the extent any ineffectiveness was previously recognized. The amendments to presentation guidance and disclosure requirements under this update are required to be adopted prospectively. The Company has not yet determined the effect of the ASU on the Company's consolidated financial statements, nor has transition date been determined.

Business Combinations and Acqui

Business Combinations and Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Business Combinations and Acquisitions	Business Combinations and Acquisitions 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 has completed and finalized its analysis and allocation of the consideration value to assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The following table summarizes the final purchase price allocation to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including measurement period adjustments: (in thousands) Initial Estimate Measurement Period Adjustments Purchase Price Allocation Accounts receivable $ 48,476 $ (1,242 ) $ 47,234 Inventory 3,810 762 4,572 Restricted cash 2,167 — 2,167 Investments 1,501 — 1,501 Prepaid expenses and other assets 14,835 — 14,835 Building held for sale 4,950 — 4,950 Property, plant and equipment 223,900 3,347 227,247 Spectrum licenses 198,200 — 198,200 Acquired subscribers - wireless 198,200 7,746 205,946 Favorable lease intangible assets 11,000 6,029 17,029 Goodwill 151,627 (5,244 ) 146,383 Other long term assets 10,288 555 10,843 Total assets acquired $ 868,954 $ 11,953 $ 880,907 Accounts payable 8,648 (105 ) 8,543 Advanced billings and customer deposits 12,477 — 12,477 Accrued expenses 25,230 (2,089 ) 23,141 Capital lease liability 418 — 418 Deferred tax liabilities 124,964 4,327 129,291 Retirement benefits 19,461 (263 ) 19,198 Other long-term liabilities 14,056 6,029 20,085 Total liabilities assumed $ 205,254 $ 7,899 $ 213,153 Net assets acquired $ 663,700 $ 4,054 $ 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 of these costs during the year ended December 31, 2017. These costs include $1.8 million reflected in cost of goods and services and $4.7 million reflected in selling, general and administrative costs in the year ended December 31, 2017. 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 each period presented: (in millions) Year Ended Year Ended Operating revenues $ 646,769 $ 678,475 Income (loss) before income taxes $ 2,989 $ 54,716 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 periods 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 . 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.

Customer Concentration

Customer Concentration	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Significant Contractual Relationship [Abstract]
Customer Concentration	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. Under the Agreement, the Company was the exclusive PCS Affiliate of Sprint providing wireless mobility communications network products and services on the 1900 MHz band 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, Tennessee and Ohio. With the recent acquisition of nTelos, the Company’s wireless service area has expanded to include south-central and western Virginia, West Virginia, and small portions of Kentucky and Ohio. The Company is authorized to use the Sprint brand in its territory, and operate its network under Sprint’s radio spectrum licenses. 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 term of the Agreement was initially set for 20 years and was automatically renewable for three 10 -year options, unless terminated by either party under provisions outlined in the Agreement. Upon non-renewal by either party, the Company has the obligation to sell the business at 90% of “Entire Business Value” (“EBV”) as defined in the Agreement. EBV 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. The Agreement has been amended numerous times. During 2012, the Company amended its Agreement with Sprint in order to build a 4G LTE network in the Company’s service area. In addition to adding 4G services to the Company’s network, the Company received access to additional 1900 and 800 MHz spectrum, extended the initial term of the contract five years from 2019 to 2024 and set the maximum contract length at 45 years. The agreement also increased the cap on the Net Service Fee related to postpaid revenues. During 2014, the Company amended its Agreement with Sprint in order to allow the Company’s PCS stores to begin participating in Sprint’s handset financing programs, whereby Sprint enters into a financing agreement with the subscriber and the subscriber receives a handset from Sprint. During 2015, effective January 1, 2016, the Company amended its Agreement with Sprint in order to better allocate certain costs covered by the Net Service Fee and extended the initial term to 2029. The Net Service Fee was reduced to 8.6% , and certain costs and revenues previously included within the Net Service Fee were broken out of the Net Service Fee and are separately settled. Separately settled revenues primarily consist of revenues associated with Sprint’s wholesale subscribers using the Company’s network and net travel revenue. In addition, the Company is 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 our service territory. Additionally, during 2015, the Company received access to certain 2.5GHz spectrum. Effective with the acquisition of nTelos on May 6, 2016, the Company amended its Agreement with Sprint to expand the Company’s service area to include most of the nTelos territory. The Company agreed to complete nTelos’ network upgrade to 4G and expand coverage and capacity throughout the nTelos territory. Additionally, Sprint agreed to waive a portion of the Management Fee charged an amount of approximately $255.6 million . 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, is summarized below: December 31, 2017 2016 Sprint $43,405 $57,100 % of total accounts receivable 80% 82% Correspondingly, revenue from significant clients, those representing 10% or more of total revenue for the respective periods, is summarized as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2017 2016 2015 Sprint 72% 69% 56%

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS")	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
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 net income (loss) per share 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 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 for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 : Years Ended December 31, (in thousands, except per share amounts) 2017 2016 2015 Calculation of net income (loss) per share: Net income (loss) $ 66,390 $ (895 ) $ 40,864 Weighted average shares outstanding 49,150 48,807 48,388 Basic income (loss) per share $ 1.35 $ (0.02 ) $ 0.84 Effect of stock options outstanding: Basic weighted average shares outstanding 49,150 48,807 48,388 Effect from dilutive shares and options outstanding 876 — 636 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 50,026 48,807 49,024 Diluted income (loss) per share $ 1.33 $ (0.02 ) $ 0.83 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) 2017 2016 2015 Awards excluded from the computation of diluted net income per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive 21 800 92

Investments

Investments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Investments [Abstract]
Investments	Investments At December 31, 2017 and 2016 , other investments, comprised of equity securities which do not have readily determinable fair values, consist of the following: December 31, December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 Cost method: CoBank $ 6,818 $ 6,177 Other – Equity in other telecommunications partners 811 742 7,629 6,919 Equity method: Other 564 450 564 450 Total other investments $ 8,193 $ 7,369 The classifications of debt and equity securities are determined by management 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 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. This category includes required investments to obtain services, primarily with CoBank. 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 $689 thousand and $540 thousand in the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 , 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. The Company's investments carried at fair value consisted of: December 31, December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 Taxable bond funds $ — $ 24 Domestic equity funds 2,856 2,787 International equity funds 423 96 $ 3,279 $ 2,907 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 gains of $450 thousand and $143 thousand in 2017 and 2016 , respectively, and losses of $141 thousand in 2015 . Fair values for these investments are determined by quoted market prices (“Level 2 fair values”) 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. The increases or decreases to the liability are recorded as pension expense included within "Non-operating income (loss), net" in our consolidated statements of operations.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	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. This 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. 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 describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value: 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 carried at fair value, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate fair value due to their short-term nature. The Company's Credit Facilities (as defined in Note 13, Long-Term Debt, below) and interest rate swaps approximate fair value because of their 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 10, 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 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016: (in thousands) For the year ended December 31, 2017 Balance sheet location: Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash Equivalents: Money market funds $ 150 $ — $ — $ 150 Prepaid expenses & other: Interest rate swaps — 2,411 — 2,411 Deferred charges & other assets, net: Interest rate swaps — 10,776 — 10,776 Total $ 150 $ 13,187 $ — $ 13,337 (in thousands) For the year ended December 31, 2016 Balance sheet location: Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Prepaid expenses & other: Interest rate swaps — 12,118 — 12,118 Accrued liabilities and other: Interest rate swaps — (895 ) — (895 ) Total $ — $ 11,223 $ — $ 11,223 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 $8.2 million and $7.4 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 , respectively, of which $6.8 million and $6.2 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.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following at December 31, 2017 and 2016 : Estimated December 31, December 31, Useful Lives 2017 2016 (in thousands) Land $ 6,418 $ 13,057 Buildings and structures 10 – 40 years 195,540 115,960 Cable and wire 4 – 40 years 286,999 235,471 Equipment and software 2 – 17 years 730,228 720,830 Plant in service 1,219,185 1,085,318 Plant under construction 62,202 73,759 Total property, plant and equipment 1,281,387 1,159,077 Less accumulated amortization and depreciation 595,060 460,955 Property, plant and equipment, net $ 686,327 $ 698,122 Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, was $151.1 million , $124.0 million , and $69.3 million , respectively. The Company leases fiber under indefeasible right of use agreements, (IRUs). The value of the Company's IRUs, which are classified as capital lease agreements that were included in property, plant and equipment, net as of December 31, 2017 was $5.9 million . At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had unamortized capitalized software costs for software in service of $28.0 million and $ 15.7 million , respectively. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, plant under construction consisted primarily of equipment and software, which was not placed into service.

Derivative and Hedging

Derivative and Hedging	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
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. 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's derivatives are instrument interest rate swaps, designated as cash flow hedges, that involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counter parties in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount. The Company entered into a pay-fixed, receive-variable interest rate swap of $174.6 million of notional principal in September 2012. This interest rate swap was designated as a cash flow hedge. The outstanding notional amount of this cash flow hedge was $117.9 million and $135.3 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 , 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. This interest rate swap was designated as a cash flow hedge. The outstanding notional amount of this cash flow hedge was $300.4 million and $301.1 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 , 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, and the outstanding notional will decrease as the Company makes scheduled principal payments on the 2016 debt. In combination with the swap entered into in 2012 described above, the Company is hedging approximately 50% of the outstanding debt. 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 Company uses its derivatives to hedge the variable cash flows associated with existing variable-rate debt. 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. Amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive income related to the interest rate swap designated and that qualify as a cash flow hedge are reclassified to interest expense as interest payments are made on the Company’s variable-rate debt. As of December 31, 2017 , the Company estimates that $2.4 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, December 31, Balance Sheet Location of Derivative Financial Instruments: Prepaid expenses and other $ 2,411 $ — Deferred charges and other assets, net 10,776 12,118 Accrued liabilities and other — (895 ) Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments $ 13,187 $ 11,223 The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive income by component for the twelve months ended December 31, 2017 : (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, 2016 $ 11,223 $ (4,435 ) $ 6,788 Net change in unrealized gain (loss) 2,390 (636 ) 1,754 Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense (426 ) 114 (312 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) 1,964 (522 ) 1,442 Balance as of December 31, 2017 $ 13,187 $ (4,957 ) $ 8,230

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Intangible Assets Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2017 are shown below: (in thousands) December 31, Measurement Period Adjustments December 31, 2017 Goodwill - Wireline segment $ 10 $ — $ 10 Goodwill - Cable segment 104 — 104 Goodwill - Wireless segment 145,142 1,241 146,383 Goodwill $ 145,256 $ 1,241 $ 146,497 Intangible assets consist of the following at December 31, 2017 and 2016 : 2017 2016 (in thousands) Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Non-amortizing intangibles: Cable franchise rights $ 64,334 $ — $ 64,334 $ 64,334 $ — $ 64,334 Railroad crossing rights 141 — 141 97 — 97 64,475 — 64,475 64,431 — 64,431 Finite-lived intangibles: Affiliate contract expansion - wireless 410,157 (105,964 ) 304,193 404,957 (32,768 ) 372,189 Favorable leases - wireless 13,103 (1,222 ) 11,881 16,950 (1,130 ) 15,820 Acquired subscribers – cable 25,265 (25,100 ) 165 25,265 (24,631 ) 634 Other intangibles 463 (198 ) 265 2,212 (754 ) 1,458 Total finite-lived intangibles 448,988 (132,484 ) 316,504 449,384 (59,283 ) 390,101 Total intangible assets $ 513,463 $ (132,484 ) $ 380,979 $ 513,815 $ (59,283 ) $ 454,532 For the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , amortization expense, related to intangible assets was approximately $27.4 million , $34.9 million and $1.4 million , respectively. Affiliate contract expansion is amortized over the expected benefit period and is further reduced by the amount of waived management fees received from Sprint which totaled $60.7 million since May 6, 2016, the date of the non-monetary exchange. Unfavorable leases in the wireless segment total $3.2 million and are included in deferred lease and amortized to rent expense. During 2017, the Company determined that benefits received from acquired subscribers, which were previously reported as an intangible asset with a net carrying value of $102 million as of December 31, 2016, were not separable from the benefits to be received under the affiliate expansion agreement. Accordingly the Company combined the intangible asset previously reported as acquired subscribers with the affiliate contract expansion intangible during 2017 and has amended the comparable amounts presented as of December 31, 2016. 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 Total Amount Reflected as Rent Expense Amount Reflected as Amortization Expense (in thousands) 2018 $ 21,700 $ 916 $ 20,784 2019 17,106 843 16,263 2020 14,193 800 13,393 2021 11,483 800 10,683 2022 10,040 800 9,240 thereafter 47,034 7,722 39,312 Total $ 121,556 $ 11,881 $ 109,675 Affiliate contract expansion will be further reduced by approximately $194.9 million for waived management fees as such are received from Sprint. Amortization of the unfavorable lease liability in the Wireless segment, to be classified as rent expense, is expected to be $3.2 million .

Accrued Liabilities

Accrued Liabilities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Accrued Liabilities	Accrued Liabilities Accrued liabilities and other, classified as current liabilities, include the following: (in thousands) December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Sales and property taxes payable $ 3,872 $ 6,628 Severance accrual 1,028 4,267 Asset retirement obligations 492 5,841 Accrued programming costs 2,805 2,939 Other current liabilities 5,717 9,410 Accrued liabilities and other $ 13,914 $ 29,085 Other liabilities, classified as long-term liabilities, include the following: (in thousands) December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Non-current portion of deferred revenues $ 14,030 $ 8,933 Straight-line management fee waiver — 11,974 Other 1,263 2,836 Other liabilities $ 15,293 $ 23,743 The Company's asset retirement obligations 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 life of the leasehold improvement or equipment. 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, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 are summarized below: Years Ended December 31, 2017 2016 2015 (in thousands) Balance at beginning of year $ 21,507 $ 7,266 $ 6,928 Liabilities acquired in acquisition — 14,056 — Additional liabilities accrued 2,404 157 490 Changes to prior estimates (1,695 ) — (467 ) Payments made (1,296 ) (609 ) (77 ) Accretion expense 783 637 392 Balance at end of year $ 21,703 $ 21,507 $ 7,266

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Leases [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies The Company leases land, buildings and tower space under various non-cancelable agreements, which expire between the years 2018 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, 2017 , are as follows: Year Ending Amount (in thousands) 2018 $ 52,527 2019 52,224 2020 52,186 2021 52,310 2022 52,576 2023 and after 221,445 $ 483,268 The Company’s total rent expense under operating leases was $53.1 million , $43.8 million , and $16.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , 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, 2017 are as follows: Year Ending Amount (in thousands) 2018 $ 6,245 2019 5,858 2020 5,317 2021 3,329 2022 2,167 2023 1,556 $ 24,472 The Company’s total rental income was $7.2 million , $7.2 million , and $6.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , respectively. Total rental income includes month-to-month leases which are excluded from the table above. 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

Long-Term Debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	Long-Term Debt Total debt consists of the following: December 31, December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 Term loan A-1 436,500 472,875 Term loan A-2 400,000 375,000 836,500 847,875 Less: unamortized loan fees 14,542 18,610 Total debt, net of unamortized loan fees $ 821,958 $ 829,265 Current maturities of long term debt, net of unamortized loan fees $ 64,397 $ 32,041 Long-term debt, less current maturities, net of unamortized loan fees $ 757,561 $ 797,224 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" or "Credit Facilities"). 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 under the 2016 credit agreement 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 includes a $75 million Revolver Facility and permits the Company to enter into one or more Incremental Term Loan Facilities not to exceed $150 million in the aggregate. At December 31, 2017 , no draw had been made under the Revolver Facility and the Company had not entered into any Incremental Loan Facility. The debt issuance costs associated with the Revolver Facility are included in deferred charges and other assets on the balance sheet, and are amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the Revolver Facility. As of December 31, 2017 , the Company’s indebtedness totaled approximately $822.0 million , net of unamortized loan fees of $14.5 million , with an annualized overall weighted average interest rate of approximately 4.23% . As of December 31, 2017, the Term Loan A-1 bears interest at one-month LIBOR plus a margin of 2.75% , while the Term Loan A-2 bears interest at one-month LIBOR plus a margin of 3.00% . LIBOR resets monthly. These loans are more fully described below. (See Note 18, Subsequent Events ). The Term Loan A-1 requires quarterly principal repayments of $6.1 million , which began on September 30, 2016 and continued through June 30, 2017, increasing to $12.1 million quarterly from September 30, 2017 through June 30, 2020; then increasing to $18.2 million quarterly from September 30, 2020 through March 31, 2021, with the remaining balance due June 30, 2021. The Term Loan A-2 requires quarterly principal repayments of $10.0 million beginning on September 30, 2018 through March 31, 2023, with the remaining balance due June 30, 2023. The 2016 credit agreement also required the Company to enter into one or more hedge agreements to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. The Company elected to hedge the minimum required under the 2016 credit agreement, and entered into a pay-fixed, receive-variable swap on 50% of the aggregate expected principal balance of the term loans outstanding. 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 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. Indebtedness outstanding under any of the facilities may be accelerated by an Event of Default, as defined in the 2016 credit agreement. The Facilities are 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 3.75 to 1.00 from the closing date through December 30, 2018, then 3.25 to 1.00 through December 30, 2019, 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 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. These ratios are generally less restrictive than the covenant ratios the Company had been required to comply with under its previously existing debt arrangements. As shown below, as of December 31, 2017 , the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants in its credit agreements. Actual Covenant Requirement Total Leverage Ratio 2.93 3.75 or Lower Debt Service Coverage Ratio 3.73 2.00 or Higher Minimum Liquidity Balance (in millions) $ 151.9 $25 million or Higher Future maturities of long-term debt principal are as follows: Year Ending Amount (in thousands) 2018 $ 68,500 2019 88,500 2020 100,625 2021 318,875 2022 40,000 2023 220,000 Total $ 836,500 The Company has no fixed-rate debt instruments as of December 31, 2017 . The estimated fair value of the variable-rate debt approximates its carrying value due to its floating interest rate structure. The fair value of the Company’s interest rate swap was an asset of $13.2 million and $11.2 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016 , respectively. (See Note 10, Derivatives and Hedging ). 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, 2017 , in anticipation of the early 2018 distribution of the credits by CoBank. Patronage credits have historically been paid in a mix of cash and shares of CoBank stock. The 2017 payout mix was 75% cash and 25% shares.

Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	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 PCS operating subsidiary leases capacity through ValleyNet. The following tables summarize the historical transactions that occurred with ValleyNet: (in thousands) Years Ended December 31, Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income 2017 2016 2015 Facility Lease Revenue $ 2,201 $ 2,384 $ 2,726 Costs of Goods and Services 3,673 3,067 2,391 Consolidated Balance Sheet December 31, December 31, Accounts Receivable related to ValleyNet $ 180 $ 191 Accounts Payable related to ValleyNet 303 448

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	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 the income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act in its 2017 financial statements in accordance with SAB No. 118. The changes to existing U.S. tax laws as a result of the 2017 Tax Act, which we believe have the most significant impact on the Company’s federal income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2017 are as follows: Reduction of the U.S. Corporate Income Tax Rate and Deferred Tax Effects 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 increase in 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. While we have made a reasonable estimate of the impact of the 2017 Tax Act on deferred tax assets and liabilities, that estimate could change as we complete our analyses of all impacts of the 2017 Tax Act, including, but not limited to, our calculation of immediate expensing for certain qualified assets acquired and placed into service after September 27, 2017, additional limitations on deductibility of executive compensation and the state tax effect of adjustments made to federal temporary differences. As we finalize our analysis of the tax law changes in the 2017 Tax Act, including the impact on our current year tax return filing positions throughout the 2018 fiscal year, we will update our provisional amounts for this remeasurement. The Company will continue to analyze the effects of the 2017 Tax Act on its financial statements and operations. Additional impacts, discussed above, will be recorded as they are identified during the measurement period as provided for in SAB 118, which extends to one year from the enactment date. Total income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 were allocated as follows: Years Ended December 31, 2017 2016 2015 (in thousands) Income tax (benefit) expense on continuing operations $ (53,133 ) $ 2,840 $ 27,726 Shareholders’ equity, for compensation expense for tax purposes in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes — — (679 ) Other comprehensive income for changes in cash flow hedge 522 4,162 (476 ) $ (52,611 ) $ 7,002 $ 26,571 The Company and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in several jurisdictions. The provision for the federal and state income taxes attributable to income from continuing operations consists of the following components: Years Ended December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 2015 Current expense Federal taxes $ 1,552 $ 44,779 $ 23,579 State taxes (630 ) 10,936 5,275 Total current provision 922 55,715 28,854 Deferred expense (benefit) Federal taxes (52,886 ) (47,056 ) (744 ) State taxes (1,169 ) (5,819 ) (384 ) Total deferred provision (54,055 ) (52,875 ) (1,128 ) Income tax expense (benefit) on continuing operations $ (53,133 ) $ 2,840 $ 27,726 Effective tax rate (400.8 )% 146.0 % 40.4 % A reconciliation of income taxes determined by applying the federal and state tax rates to income from continuing operations is as follows for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 : Years Ended December 31, 2017 2016 2015 ($ in thousands) Computed “expected” tax expense (35%) $ 4,640 $ 681 $ 24,007 State income taxes, net of federal tax effect (1,129 ) 6 3,179 Changes in state DTL for mergers — 3,320 — Excess share based compensation (3,314 ) (1,709 ) — Nondeductible merger expenses — 801 — Revaluation of U.S. deferred income taxes (53,449 ) — — Other, net 119 (259 ) 540 Income tax expense (benefit) on continuing operations $ (53,133 ) $ 2,840 $ 27,726 The effective tax rate decreased in 2017 primarily due to approximately $53.4 million of tax benefits recorded in connection with the 2017 Tax Act, as a result of the revaluation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, and excess tax benefits from stock based compensation resulting from the adoption of ASU 2016-09, "Compensation-Stock Compensation", by the Company in 2016. 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. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured based on the enacted tax rates that will apply in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be reversed into income or deducted. As such, during December 2017, the Company recorded provisional amounts to its deferred tax assets and liabilities as a result of the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act. Net deferred tax assets and liabilities consist of the following temporary differences at December 31, 2017 and 2016 : December 31, December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 Deferred tax assets: Deferred revenues $ 3,907 $ 8,849 Net operating loss carry-forwards 14,983 29,472 Accruals and reserves 5,189 10,517 Pension benefits 3,556 6,994 Asset retirement obligations 4,608 8,495 Total gross deferred tax assets 32,243 64,327 Less valuation allowance (862 ) (709 ) Net deferred tax assets 31,381 63,618 Deferred tax liabilities: Plant-in-service 89,494 139,753 Intangible assets 37,682 70,799 Interest rate swaps 3,511 4,433 Other, net 1,573 470 Total gross deferred tax liabilities 132,260 215,455 Net deferred tax liabilities $ 100,879 $ 151,837 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 $15.0 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, 2017 , the Company had approximately $63.3 million of federal net operating losses expiring through 2035. The Company also had approximately $34.2 million of state net operating losses expiring through 2036. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016 , 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, 2017 . The Company's returns are generally open to examination from 2014 forward and the net operating losses acquired in the acquisition of nTelos are open to examination from 2002 forward. Tax returns for open tax years related to federal and state jurisdictions remain subject to examination, but the amounts currently subject to examination are not considered material.

Segment Reporting

Segment Reporting	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting	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, Tennessee 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 192 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, internet 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, internet and voice services provided to customers in Shenandoah County, Virginia. • Wireline provides regulated and unregulated voice services, DSL internet access and long distance access services throughout Shenandoah County and portions of Rockingham, Frederick, Warren and Augusta counties, Virginia. The segment also provides video and cable modem internet access services in portions of Shenandoah County, and leases fiber optic facilities throughout the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, northern Virginia and adjacent areas along the Interstate 81 corridor through West Virginia, Maryland and portions of central and southern Pennsylvania. • Additionally, our 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, 2017 : (in thousands) Wireless Cable Wireline Other Eliminations Consolidated Totals External revenues Service revenues $ 431,184 $ 107,338 $ 20,388 — — $ 558,910 Other revenues 18,945 8,579 25,557 — — 53,081 Total external revenues 450,129 115,917 45,945 — — 611,991 Internal revenues 4,949 3,245 33,308 — (41,502 ) — Total operating revenues 455,078 119,162 79,253 — (41,502 ) 611,991 Operating expenses Costs of goods and services 152,279 59,349 38,536 39 (38,696 ) 211,507 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 Totals External revenues Service revenues $ 359,769 $ 99,070 $ 19,646 — — $ 478,485 Other revenues 24,364 7,927 24,512 — — 56,803 Total external revenues 384,133 106,997 44,158 — — 535,288 Internal revenues 4,620 1,737 30,816 — (37,173 ) — Total operating revenues 388,753 108,734 74,974 — (37,173 ) 535,288 Operating expenses Costs of goods and services 133,113 58,581 36,259 — (34,433 ) 193,520 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 Year ended December 31, 2015 : (in thousands) Wireless Cable Wireline Other Eliminations Consolidated Totals External revenues Service revenues $ 192,752 $ 88,980 $ 19,386 — — $ 301,118 Other revenues 11,609 7,793 21,965 — — 41,367 Total external revenues 204,361 96,773 41,351 — — 342,485 Internal revenues 4,440 849 26,069 — (31,358 ) — Total operating revenues 208,801 97,622 67,420 — (31,358 ) 342,485 Operating expenses Costs of goods and services 63,570 54,611 31,668 — (28,519 ) 121,330 Selling, general and administrative 35,792 19,412 6,612 13,844 (2,839 ) 72,821 Integration and acquisition expenses — — — 3,546 — 3,546 Depreciation and amortization 34,416 23,097 12,736 453 — 70,702 Total operating expenses 133,778 97,120 51,016 17,843 (31,358 ) 268,399 Operating income (loss) $ 75,023 $ 502 $ 16,404 $ (17,843 ) $ — $ 74,086 Capital Expenditures $ 25,200 $ 20,400 $ 22,100 $ 1,979 $ — $ 69,679 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) 2017 2016 2015 Total consolidated operating income (loss) $ 46,510 $ 22,526 $ 74,086 Interest expense (38,237 ) (25,102 ) (7,355 ) Non-operating income, net 4,984 4,521 1,859 Income (loss) before income taxes $ 13,257 $ 1,945 $ 68,590 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.

Quarterly Results (unaudited)

Quarterly Results (unaudited)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Quarterly Results (unaudited)	Quarterly Results (unaudited) The following table reflects selected quarterly results for the Company. Three Months Ended (in thousands except per share data) March 31, 2017 June 30, 2017 September 30, 2017 December 31, 2017 Operating revenues $ 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 Three Months Ended (in thousands except per share data) March 31, 2016 June 30, 2016 September 30, 2016 December 31, 2016 Operating revenues $ 92,571 $ 130,309 $ 156,836 $ 155,572 Operating income (loss) 21,312 (7,046 ) (3,929 ) 12,189 Net income (loss) 13,880 (6,995 ) (7,596 ) (184 ) Net income (loss) per share - basic $ 0.29 $ (0.14 ) $ (0.16 ) $ — Net income (loss) per share - diluted $ 0.28 $ (0.14 ) $ (0.16 ) $ —

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Event	Subsequent Events Expansion: Effective February 1, 2018, we signed the Expansion Agreement with Sprint to expand our wireless service area to include certain areas in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, (the “Expansion Area”). The Expansion Agreement required us to make a one-time payment of $60.0 million to Sprint for the right to service the Expansion Area pursuant to the Affiliate Agreements plus an additional payment of up to $5.0 million for certain equipment at the Sprint cell sites in the Expansion Area for maximum potential consideration of $65.0 million . We also amended our affiliate agreements with Sprint to reflect the provisions of the Expansion Agreement. A post-closing reconciliation to validate Sprint subscribers in the Expansion Area identified 59,097 Sprint subscribers in the Expansion Area instead of the 66,822 originally identified, which resulted in an $8 million reduction in purchase price. Credit Facility Modification: On February 16, 2018, the Company, entered into a Second Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Second Amendment”) with CoBank, ACB, as administrative agent of its Credit Agreement, described more fully in Note 13, Long-Term Debt , and the various financial institutions party thereto (the “Lenders”), which modifies the Credit Agreement by (i) reducing the interest rate paid by the Company by approximately 50 basis points with respect to certain loans made by the Lenders to the Company under the Credit Agreement, and (ii) allowing the Company to make charitable contributions to Shentel Foundation, a Virginia nonstock corporation, of up to $1.5 million in any fiscal year.

Schedule II Valuation and Quali

Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts and Reserves	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts and Reserves	Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts and Reserves Changes in the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts for accounts receivable for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 are summarized below: Description Balance at Beginning of Year Recoveries added to allowance Bad debt expense Losses charged to allowance Balance at End of Year (in thousands) 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 Year Ended December 31, 2015 Allowance for doubtful accounts $ 762 $ 602 $ 1,640 $ (2,586 ) $ 418

Summary of Significant Accoun28

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of consolidation	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	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, 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	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	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 realized value. Inventory cost is computed on an average cost basis. Net realized value is determined by reviewing current replacement cost, marketability and obsolescence.
Property, plant and equipment	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.
Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets	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 is 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 2017 impairment tests were based on the operating segment structure, where each operating segment was also considered a reporting unit. During the fourth quarter of 2017 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 impairment evaluations performed during 2017 and 2016, 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	Finite-lived Intangible Assets: 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 subscribers-cable, and off market leases. Affiliate contract expansion and acquired subscribers-cable intangibles 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, 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 periods: 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	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.
Business Combinations	Business combinations: Business combinations, including purchased intangible assets, are accounted for at fair value. Acquisition costs are expensed as incurred and recorded in 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	Revenue recognition: The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, services have been rendered or products have been delivered, the price to the buyer is fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Revenues are recognized by the Company based on the various types of transactions generating the revenue. For services, revenue is recognized as the services are performed. Under the Sprint Management Agreement, postpaid wireless service revenues are reported net of an 8% Management Fee and an 8.6% Net Service Fee, retained by Sprint. Prepaid wireless service revenues are reported net of a 6% Management Fee retained by Sprint.
Advertising Costs	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.
Income taxes	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 tax assets generated on a state-by-state basis from net operating losses apportioned to that state. The Company uses a more likely than not threshold to make that determination and has concluded that at December 31, 2017 and 2016 , a valuation allowance against certain state deferred tax assets is necessary, as discussed in Note 15, 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	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, 2017 and 2016, the fair value of our pension plan assets and certain other postretirement benefits in aggregate was $22.6 million and $24.1 million , respectively, and the fair value of our projected benefit obligations in aggregate was $28.2 million and $34.4 million , respectively. As a result, the plans were underfunded by approximately $5.6 million and $10.3 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and were recorded as a net liability in our consolidated balance sheets. The change in the net liability of the plan in 2017 was affected primarily by a lump-sum payout offer. During 2017, the Company amended the Pension Plan to include an opportunity for participants to elect to receive a lump-sum payout of vested pension benefits in lieu of receiving any future pension benefits, ("the lump-sum payout offer"). The lump-sum payout offer was concluded during 2017 and was accounted for as a settlement and the future pension obligation was remeasured in the fourth quarter of 2017 following the payout of all elected lump-sum payments. The Company recorded a net gain on the aforementioned settlement and re-measurement of approximately $1.1 million . 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	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 that 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.
Adoption of New Accounting Principles	Adoption of New Accounting Principles 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 and note disclosures, that would be expected to impact the Company except for the following: In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09 (Topic 606), “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” which among other things, requires companies to identify contractual performance obligations and recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration for which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. We adopted the new revenue guidance effective January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method by recognizing a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings. Based on the Company’s evaluation, which has not been finalized, we do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our results of operations or cash flows in the periods after adoption. A significant focus of the adoption of the new standard relates to our assessment of the Sprint affiliate agreement as a series of performance obligations to provide continuous network access and that Sprint, not the end subscriber, meets the definition of a customer under Topic 606. The revenues we earn under the affiliate agreement are variable based on Sprint’s underlying subscriber activity. A summary of the most significant changes that will be implemented in 2018 in connection with the standard are presented below. Changes to Presentation of Revenue and Expenses: • Certain amounts payable to Sprint for the reimbursement of costs incurred by Sprint in their national sales channel (commissions and fulfillment costs) and to provide on-going service to their prepaid customers in our territory were historically recorded as expense when incurred. Under Topic 606, these amounts represent consideration payable to our customer and will be recorded as a reduction of revenue as we do not separate goods or services that are distinct from the services we provide. In 2017 these amounts were approximately $63.5 million for the national sales channel cost and $16.9 million for the on-going service to Sprint's prepaid customers. As result of applying Topic 606, these amounts will be reclassified from operating expenses to a reduction of revenue. • Costs incurred by the Company for the sale of devices under Sprint’s device financing and lease programs were previously recorded against revenue. Under Topic 606, these device costs will be reclassified to cost of goods and services. These amount were approximately $63.8 million in 2017. Changes to Timing of Recognition of Revenue and Related Costs: • Certain amounts payable to Sprint for the reimbursement of costs incurred by Sprint in their national sales channel will be deferred over the expected period of benefit versus expenses when incurred. We do not expect this change to have a material impact. • Installation revenues in the cable and wireline's segments will be recognized over a shorter period of benefit rather than over the estimated customer life. We do not expect this change to have a material impact on the timing of the recognition of revenue. • In our cable and wireline segments, commissions and other direct and incremental costs to fulfill a contract, which historically have been expensed when incurred, will be deferred and recognized over the expected period of benefit. We do not expect this change to have a material impact. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities.” In addition to the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments, ASU 2016-01 requires entities to measure equity investments, other than those accounted for under the equity method, at fair value and recognize changes in fair value in net income. Entities will no longer be able to use the cost method of accounting for equity securities. However, for equity investments without readily determinable fair values that do not qualify for the practical expedient to estimate fair value using net asset value per share, entities may elect a measurement alternative that will allow those investments to be recorded at cost, less impairment, and adjusted for subsequent observable price changes. Entities must record a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the standard is adopted, except for equity investments without readily determinable fair values, for which the guidance will be applied prospectively. The guidance under ASU 2016-01 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company has not yet completed its assessment of the impact of the new standard on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases”, which requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous generally accepted accounting principles. The ASU is effective on January 1, 2019, and early application is permitted. Modified retrospective application is required. The Company plans to adopt this standard when it becomes effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2019, and expects the adoption of this standard will result in the recognition of right of use assets and lease liabilities that have not previously been recorded, which will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments". The ASU is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows by providing guidance on eight specific cash flow issues. The Company intends to adopt the standard retrospectively on the effective date of January 1, 2018 and does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a material effect. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, "Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost". The update requires employers to present the service cost component of the net periodic benefit cost in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. The other components of net benefit cost, including interest cost, expected return on plan assets, amortization of prior service cost/credit and actuarial gain/loss, and settlement and curtailment effects, are to be presented outside of any subtotal of operating income. Employers will have to disclose the line(s) used to present the other components of net periodic benefit cost, if the components are not presented separately in the income statement. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. The Company does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities". This update is intended to simplify hedge accounting by better aligning an entity’s financial reporting for hedging relationships with its risk management activities. The ASU also simplifies the application of the hedge accounting guidance. The ASU is effective on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. For cash flow hedges existing at the adoption date, the standard requires adoption on a modified retrospective basis with a cumulative-effect adjustment to the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of the beginning of the year of adoption, to the extent any ineffectiveness was previously recognized. The amendments to presentation guidance and disclosure requirements under this update are required to be adopted prospectively. The Company has not yet determined the effect of the ASU on the Company's consolidated financial statements, nor has transition date been determined.
Earnings per share	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 net income (loss) per share 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 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.
Investments	The classifications of debt and equity securities are determined by management 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 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. This category includes required investments to obtain services, primarily with CoBank. 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 $689 thousand and $540 thousand in the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 , 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.
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 life of the leasehold improvement or equipment. 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	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.

Summary of Significant Accoun29

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Stock Compensation Expense, Stock Options and Restricted Stock	Pre-tax share and stock-based compensation charges from our incentive plans included in net income (loss) were as follows: (in thousands) 2017 2016 2015 Stock compensation expense $ 4,184 $ 3,506 $ 2,719 Capitalized stock compensation 604 485 386 Stock compensation expense, net 3,580 3,021 2,333 Excess tax benefits, net of deficiencies $ 3,314 $ 1,709 $ 679
Schedule of finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	Finite-lived intangible assets and liabilities are being amortized over the following periods: 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 Intangible assets consist of the following at December 31, 2017 and 2016 : 2017 2016 (in thousands) Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Non-amortizing intangibles: Cable franchise rights $ 64,334 $ — $ 64,334 $ 64,334 $ — $ 64,334 Railroad crossing rights 141 — 141 97 — 97 64,475 — 64,475 64,431 — 64,431 Finite-lived intangibles: Affiliate contract expansion - wireless 410,157 (105,964 ) 304,193 404,957 (32,768 ) 372,189 Favorable leases - wireless 13,103 (1,222 ) 11,881 16,950 (1,130 ) 15,820 Acquired subscribers – cable 25,265 (25,100 ) 165 25,265 (24,631 ) 634 Other intangibles 463 (198 ) 265 2,212 (754 ) 1,458 Total finite-lived intangibles 448,988 (132,484 ) 316,504 449,384 (59,283 ) 390,101 Total intangible assets $ 513,463 $ (132,484 ) $ 380,979 $ 513,815 $ (59,283 ) $ 454,532

Business Combinations and Acq30

Business Combinations and Acquisitions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Business Combinations [Abstract]
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) Initial Estimate Measurement Period Adjustments Purchase Price Allocation Accounts receivable $ 48,476 $ (1,242 ) $ 47,234 Inventory 3,810 762 4,572 Restricted cash 2,167 — 2,167 Investments 1,501 — 1,501 Prepaid expenses and other assets 14,835 — 14,835 Building held for sale 4,950 — 4,950 Property, plant and equipment 223,900 3,347 227,247 Spectrum licenses 198,200 — 198,200 Acquired subscribers - wireless 198,200 7,746 205,946 Favorable lease intangible assets 11,000 6,029 17,029 Goodwill 151,627 (5,244 ) 146,383 Other long term assets 10,288 555 10,843 Total assets acquired $ 868,954 $ 11,953 $ 880,907 Accounts payable 8,648 (105 ) 8,543 Advanced billings and customer deposits 12,477 — 12,477 Accrued expenses 25,230 (2,089 ) 23,141 Capital lease liability 418 — 418 Deferred tax liabilities 124,964 4,327 129,291 Retirement benefits 19,461 (263 ) 19,198 Other long-term liabilities 14,056 6,029 20,085 Total liabilities assumed $ 205,254 $ 7,899 $ 213,153 Net assets acquired $ 663,700 $ 4,054 $ 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.
Unaudited Pro Forma Results	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 each period presented: (in millions) Year Ended Year Ended Operating revenues $ 646,769 $ 678,475 Income (loss) before income taxes $ 2,989 $ 54,716

Customer Concentration (Tables)

Customer Concentration (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Significant Contractual Relationship [Abstract]
Schedules of Concentration of Risk, by Risk Factor [Table Text Block]	Correspondingly, revenue from significant clients, those representing 10% or more of total revenue for the respective periods, is summarized as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2017 2016 2015 Sprint 72% 69% 56% Accounts receivable from significant clients, those representing 10% or more of total accounts receivable for the dates noted, is summarized below: December 31, 2017 2016 Sprint $43,405 $57,100 % of total accounts receivable 80% 82%

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("E32

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS") (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
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 for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 : Years Ended December 31, (in thousands, except per share amounts) 2017 2016 2015 Calculation of net income (loss) per share: Net income (loss) $ 66,390 $ (895 ) $ 40,864 Weighted average shares outstanding 49,150 48,807 48,388 Basic income (loss) per share $ 1.35 $ (0.02 ) $ 0.84 Effect of stock options outstanding: Basic weighted average shares outstanding 49,150 48,807 48,388 Effect from dilutive shares and options outstanding 876 — 636 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 50,026 48,807 49,024 Diluted income (loss) per share $ 1.33 $ (0.02 ) $ 0.83
Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	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) 2017 2016 2015 Awards excluded from the computation of diluted net income per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive 21 800 92

Investments (Tables)

Investments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Investments [Abstract]
Other Investments	At December 31, 2017 and 2016 , other investments, comprised of equity securities which do not have readily determinable fair values, consist of the following: December 31, December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 Cost method: CoBank $ 6,818 $ 6,177 Other – Equity in other telecommunications partners 811 742 7,629 6,919 Equity method: Other 564 450 564 450 Total other investments $ 8,193 $ 7,369
Investments Carried at Fair Value	The Company's investments carried at fair value consisted of: December 31, December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 Taxable bond funds $ — $ 24 Domestic equity funds 2,856 2,787 International equity funds 423 96 $ 3,279 $ 2,907

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
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 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016: (in thousands) For the year ended December 31, 2017 Balance sheet location: Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash Equivalents: Money market funds $ 150 $ — $ — $ 150 Prepaid expenses & other: Interest rate swaps — 2,411 — 2,411 Deferred charges & other assets, net: Interest rate swaps — 10,776 — 10,776 Total $ 150 $ 13,187 $ — $ 13,337 (in thousands) For the year ended December 31, 2016 Balance sheet location: Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Prepaid expenses & other: Interest rate swaps — 12,118 — 12,118 Accrued liabilities and other: Interest rate swaps — (895 ) — (895 ) Total $ — $ 11,223 $ — $ 11,223

Property, Plant and Equipment (

Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following at December 31, 2017 and 2016 : Estimated December 31, December 31, Useful Lives 2017 2016 (in thousands) Land $ 6,418 $ 13,057 Buildings and structures 10 – 40 years 195,540 115,960 Cable and wire 4 – 40 years 286,999 235,471 Equipment and software 2 – 17 years 730,228 720,830 Plant in service 1,219,185 1,085,318 Plant under construction 62,202 73,759 Total property, plant and equipment 1,281,387 1,159,077 Less accumulated amortization and depreciation 595,060 460,955 Property, plant and equipment, net $ 686,327 $ 698,122

Derivative and Hedging (Tables)

Derivative and Hedging (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
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, December 31, Balance Sheet Location of Derivative Financial Instruments: Prepaid expenses and other $ 2,411 $ — Deferred charges and other assets, net 10,776 12,118 Accrued liabilities and other — (895 ) Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments $ 13,187 $ 11,223
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive income by component for the twelve months ended December 31, 2017 : (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, 2016 $ 11,223 $ (4,435 ) $ 6,788 Net change in unrealized gain (loss) 2,390 (636 ) 1,754 Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense (426 ) 114 (312 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) 1,964 (522 ) 1,442 Balance as of December 31, 2017 $ 13,187 $ (4,957 ) $ 8,230

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill	Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2017 are shown below: (in thousands) December 31, Measurement Period Adjustments December 31, 2017 Goodwill - Wireline segment $ 10 $ — $ 10 Goodwill - Cable segment 104 — 104 Goodwill - Wireless segment 145,142 1,241 146,383 Goodwill $ 145,256 $ 1,241 $ 146,497
Intangible Assets Resulting from Acquisition	Intangible assets consist of the following at December 31, 2017 and 2016 : 2017 2016 (in thousands) Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Non-amortizing intangibles: Cable franchise rights $ 64,334 $ — $ 64,334 $ 64,334 $ — $ 64,334 Railroad crossing rights 141 — 141 97 — 97 64,475 — 64,475 64,431 — 64,431 Finite-lived intangibles: Affiliate contract expansion - wireless 410,157 (105,964 ) 304,193 404,957 (32,768 ) 372,189 Favorable leases - wireless 13,103 (1,222 ) 11,881 16,950 (1,130 ) 15,820 Acquired subscribers – cable 25,265 (25,100 ) 165 25,265 (24,631 ) 634 Other intangibles 463 (198 ) 265 2,212 (754 ) 1,458 Total finite-lived intangibles 448,988 (132,484 ) 316,504 449,384 (59,283 ) 390,101 Total intangible assets $ 513,463 $ (132,484 ) $ 380,979 $ 513,815 $ (59,283 ) $ 454,532
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets	Finite-lived intangible assets and liabilities are being amortized over the following periods: 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 Intangible assets consist of the following at December 31, 2017 and 2016 : 2017 2016 (in thousands) Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Non-amortizing intangibles: Cable franchise rights $ 64,334 $ — $ 64,334 $ 64,334 $ — $ 64,334 Railroad crossing rights 141 — 141 97 — 97 64,475 — 64,475 64,431 — 64,431 Finite-lived intangibles: Affiliate contract expansion - wireless 410,157 (105,964 ) 304,193 404,957 (32,768 ) 372,189 Favorable leases - wireless 13,103 (1,222 ) 11,881 16,950 (1,130 ) 15,820 Acquired subscribers – cable 25,265 (25,100 ) 165 25,265 (24,631 ) 634 Other intangibles 463 (198 ) 265 2,212 (754 ) 1,458 Total finite-lived intangibles 448,988 (132,484 ) 316,504 449,384 (59,283 ) 390,101 Total intangible assets $ 513,463 $ (132,484 ) $ 380,979 $ 513,815 $ (59,283 ) $ 454,532
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 Total Amount Reflected as Rent Expense Amount Reflected as Amortization Expense (in thousands) 2018 $ 21,700 $ 916 $ 20,784 2019 17,106 843 16,263 2020 14,193 800 13,393 2021 11,483 800 10,683 2022 10,040 800 9,240 thereafter 47,034 7,722 39,312 Total $ 121,556 $ 11,881 $ 109,675 Affiliate contract expansion will be further reduced by approximately $194.9 million for waived management fees as such are received from Sprint. Amortization of the unfavorable lease liability in the Wireless segment, to be classified as rent expense, is expected to be $3.2 million .

Accrued Liabilities (Tables)

Accrued Liabilities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Change in Asset Retirement Obligation	Changes in the liability for asset retirement obligations for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 are summarized below: Years Ended December 31, 2017 2016 2015 (in thousands) Balance at beginning of year $ 21,507 $ 7,266 $ 6,928 Liabilities acquired in acquisition — 14,056 — Additional liabilities accrued 2,404 157 490 Changes to prior estimates (1,695 ) — (467 ) Payments made (1,296 ) (609 ) (77 ) Accretion expense 783 637 392 Balance at end of year $ 21,703 $ 21,507 $ 7,266
Summary of Accrued Liabilities and Other	Accrued liabilities and other, classified as current liabilities, include the following: (in thousands) December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Sales and property taxes payable $ 3,872 $ 6,628 Severance accrual 1,028 4,267 Asset retirement obligations 492 5,841 Accrued programming costs 2,805 2,939 Other current liabilities 5,717 9,410 Accrued liabilities and other $ 13,914 $ 29,085
Summary of Other Liabilities	Other liabilities, classified as long-term liabilities, include the following: (in thousands) December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Non-current portion of deferred revenues $ 14,030 $ 8,933 Straight-line management fee waiver — 11,974 Other 1,263 2,836 Other liabilities $ 15,293 $ 23,743

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Leases [Abstract]
Future Minimum Lease Payments	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, 2017 , are as follows: Year Ending Amount (in thousands) 2018 $ 52,527 2019 52,224 2020 52,186 2021 52,310 2022 52,576 2023 and after 221,445 $ 483,268
Future Minimum Payments Receivable	The total minimum rental receipts under lease agreements at December 31, 2017 are as follows: Year Ending Amount (in thousands) 2018 $ 6,245 2019 5,858 2020 5,317 2021 3,329 2022 2,167 2023 1,556 $ 24,472

Long-Term Debt (Tables)

Long-Term Debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-term Debt	Total debt consists of the following: December 31, December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 Term loan A-1 436,500 472,875 Term loan A-2 400,000 375,000 836,500 847,875 Less: unamortized loan fees 14,542 18,610 Total debt, net of unamortized loan fees $ 821,958 $ 829,265 Current maturities of long term debt, net of unamortized loan fees $ 64,397 $ 32,041 Long-term debt, less current maturities, net of unamortized loan fees $ 757,561 $ 797,224
Financial Covenants in Credit Agreements	As shown below, as of December 31, 2017 , the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants in its credit agreements. Actual Covenant Requirement Total Leverage Ratio 2.93 3.75 or Lower Debt Service Coverage Ratio 3.73 2.00 or Higher Minimum Liquidity Balance (in millions) $ 151.9 $25 million or Higher
Maturities of Long-term Debt	Future maturities of long-term debt principal are as follows: Year Ending Amount (in thousands) 2018 $ 68,500 2019 88,500 2020 100,625 2021 318,875 2022 40,000 2023 220,000 Total $ 836,500

Related Party Transactions (Tab

Related Party Transactions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Schedule of Related Party Transactions	The following tables summarize the historical transactions that occurred with ValleyNet: (in thousands) Years Ended December 31, Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income 2017 2016 2015 Facility Lease Revenue $ 2,201 $ 2,384 $ 2,726 Costs of Goods and Services 3,673 3,067 2,391 Consolidated Balance Sheet December 31, December 31, Accounts Receivable related to ValleyNet $ 180 $ 191 Accounts Payable related to ValleyNet 303 448

Income Taxes (Tables)

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Allocation of Income Tax Expense	Total income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 were allocated as follows: Years Ended December 31, 2017 2016 2015 (in thousands) Income tax (benefit) expense on continuing operations $ (53,133 ) $ 2,840 $ 27,726 Shareholders’ equity, for compensation expense for tax purposes in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes — — (679 ) Other comprehensive income for changes in cash flow hedge 522 4,162 (476 ) $ (52,611 ) $ 7,002 $ 26,571
Components of Federal and State Income Taxes	The provision for the federal and state income taxes attributable to income from continuing operations consists of the following components: Years Ended December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 2015 Current expense Federal taxes $ 1,552 $ 44,779 $ 23,579 State taxes (630 ) 10,936 5,275 Total current provision 922 55,715 28,854 Deferred expense (benefit) Federal taxes (52,886 ) (47,056 ) (744 ) State taxes (1,169 ) (5,819 ) (384 ) Total deferred provision (54,055 ) (52,875 ) (1,128 ) Income tax expense (benefit) on continuing operations $ (53,133 ) $ 2,840 $ 27,726 Effective tax rate (400.8 )% 146.0 % 40.4 %
Reconciliation of Income Taxes	A reconciliation of income taxes determined by applying the federal and state tax rates to income from continuing operations is as follows for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 : Years Ended December 31, 2017 2016 2015 ($ in thousands) Computed “expected” tax expense (35%) $ 4,640 $ 681 $ 24,007 State income taxes, net of federal tax effect (1,129 ) 6 3,179 Changes in state DTL for mergers — 3,320 — Excess share based compensation (3,314 ) (1,709 ) — Nondeductible merger expenses — 801 — Revaluation of U.S. deferred income taxes (53,449 ) — — Other, net 119 (259 ) 540 Income tax expense (benefit) on continuing operations $ (53,133 ) $ 2,840 $ 27,726
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities	December 31, 2017 and 2016 : December 31, December 31, (in thousands) 2017 2016 Deferred tax assets: Deferred revenues $ 3,907 $ 8,849 Net operating loss carry-forwards 14,983 29,472 Accruals and reserves 5,189 10,517 Pension benefits 3,556 6,994 Asset retirement obligations 4,608 8,495 Total gross deferred tax assets 32,243 64,327 Less valuation allowance (862 ) (709 ) Net deferred tax assets 31,381 63,618 Deferred tax liabilities: Plant-in-service 89,494 139,753 Intangible assets 37,682 70,799 Interest rate swaps 3,511 4,433 Other, net 1,573 470 Total gross deferred tax liabilities 132,260 215,455 Net deferred tax liabilities $ 100,879 $ 151,837

Segment Reporting (Tables)

Segment Reporting (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Selected Financial Data for Segments	Year ended December 31, 2017 : (in thousands) Wireless Cable Wireline Other Eliminations Consolidated Totals External revenues Service revenues $ 431,184 $ 107,338 $ 20,388 — — $ 558,910 Other revenues 18,945 8,579 25,557 — — 53,081 Total external revenues 450,129 115,917 45,945 — — 611,991 Internal revenues 4,949 3,245 33,308 — (41,502 ) — Total operating revenues 455,078 119,162 79,253 — (41,502 ) 611,991 Operating expenses Costs of goods and services 152,279 59,349 38,536 39 (38,696 ) 211,507 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 Totals External revenues Service revenues $ 359,769 $ 99,070 $ 19,646 — — $ 478,485 Other revenues 24,364 7,927 24,512 — — 56,803 Total external revenues 384,133 106,997 44,158 — — 535,288 Internal revenues 4,620 1,737 30,816 — (37,173 ) — Total operating revenues 388,753 108,734 74,974 — (37,173 ) 535,288 Operating expenses Costs of goods and services 133,113 58,581 36,259 — (34,433 ) 193,520 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 Year ended December 31, 2015 : (in thousands) Wireless Cable Wireline Other Eliminations Consolidated Totals External revenues Service revenues $ 192,752 $ 88,980 $ 19,386 — — $ 301,118 Other revenues 11,609 7,793 21,965 — — 41,367 Total external revenues 204,361 96,773 41,351 — — 342,485 Internal revenues 4,440 849 26,069 — (31,358 ) — Total operating revenues 208,801 97,622 67,420 — (31,358 ) 342,485 Operating expenses Costs of goods and services 63,570 54,611 31,668 — (28,519 ) 121,330 Selling, general and administrative 35,792 19,412 6,612 13,844 (2,839 ) 72,821 Integration and acquisition expenses — — — 3,546 — 3,546 Depreciation and amortization 34,416 23,097 12,736 453 — 70,702 Total operating expenses 133,778 97,120 51,016 17,843 (31,358 ) 268,399 Operating income (loss) $ 75,023 $ 502 $ 16,404 $ (17,843 ) $ — $ 74,086 Capital Expenditures $ 25,200 $ 20,400 $ 22,100 $ 1,979 $ — $ 69,679
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) 2017 2016 2015 Total consolidated operating income (loss) $ 46,510 $ 22,526 $ 74,086 Interest expense (38,237 ) (25,102 ) (7,355 ) Non-operating income, net 4,984 4,521 1,859 Income (loss) before income taxes $ 13,257 $ 1,945 $ 68,590

Quarterly Results (unaudited) (

Quarterly Results (unaudited) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
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, 2017 June 30, 2017 September 30, 2017 December 31, 2017 Operating revenues $ 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 Three Months Ended (in thousands except per share data) March 31, 2016 June 30, 2016 September 30, 2016 December 31, 2016 Operating revenues $ 92,571 $ 130,309 $ 156,836 $ 155,572 Operating income (loss) 21,312 (7,046 ) (3,929 ) 12,189 Net income (loss) 13,880 (6,995 ) (7,596 ) (184 ) Net income (loss) per share - basic $ 0.29 $ (0.14 ) $ (0.16 ) $ — Net income (loss) per share - diluted $ 0.28 $ (0.14 ) $ (0.16 ) $ —

Nature of Operations (Details)

Nature of Operations (Details)	Dec. 31, 2017state
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Non Sprint operations, number of states	4

Summary of Significant Accoun46

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details)	Jan. 01, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)shares	Dec. 31, 2005shares	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Impairment charges on long-lived assets		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Impairment of intangible assets, finite-lived		$ 0	0
Management fee		8.00%
Net service fee		8.60%
Management fee retained		6.00%
Advertising expense		$ 15,500,000	12,200,000	7,300,000
Net benefit from retirement plans		$ (1,388,000)	(4,396,000)	$ 0
Number of stock incentive plans		2				2
Affiliate contract expansion [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		4 years
Affiliate contract expansion [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		14 years
Favorable Leases - Wireless [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		1 year
Favorable Leases - Wireless [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		28 years
Unfavorable Leases Wireless [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		1 year
Unfavorable Leases Wireless [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		28 years
Acquired Subscribers – Cable [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		3 years
Acquired Subscribers – Cable [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		10 years
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		15 years
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Useful life, finite-lived intangible assets		20 years
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member] | Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Costs incurred on behalf of Sprint device financing program		$ 63,800,000
Payable to Customer, Reimbursement of Costs [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member] | Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	$ 63,500,000
Payments to Provide On-going Services [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member] | Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	$ 16,900,000
Ntelos Holding, Corp | Pension Plan [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Fair value of pension plan assets		22,600,000	24,100,000			$ 22,600,000
Fair value of projected benefit obligations		28,200,000	34,400,000			28,200,000
Funded status of retirement plans		5,600,000	$ 10,300,000			5,600,000
Net benefit from retirement plans						1,100,000
Non Vested Shares [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Compensation, nonvested awards, compensation cost not yet recognized		$ 2,500,000				$ 2,500,000
Compensation, nonvested awards, cost not yet recognized, period for recognition		2 years 6 months
The 2005 Plan [Member]
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 [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Additional number of shares authorized for issuance (in shares) | shares				3,000,000
Management Shares [Member] | The 2014 Plan [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Award term for authorization of grants				10 years

Summary of Significant Accoun47

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Stock Compensation Expense (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Stock compensation expense	$ 4,184,000	$ 3,506,000	$ 2,719,000
Capitalized stock compensation	604,000	485,000	386,000
Stock compensation expense, net	3,580,000	3,021,000	2,333,000
Excess Tax Benefits, net of deficiencies	$ 3,314	$ 1,709,000	$ 679,000

Business Combinations and Acq48

Business Combinations and Acquisitions - Narrative (Details) customer in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Apr. 06, 2017USD ($)customer	May 06, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses			$ 11,030	$ 42,232	$ 3,546
Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Aggregate purchase price		$ 667,800
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses		75,700	17,500
Limit of Waived Feed Under Affiliate Agreement		$ 255,600
Debt Issuance Costs, Gross			23,000
Ntelos Holding, Corp | Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Before amendment right or obligation to sell business		80.00%
Ntelos Holding, Corp | Maximum [Member]
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
Affiliated Entity [Member] | Sprint PCS Management Agreement, Former Retail, Post and Prepaid Subscribers, Sprint-branded Affiliate Customers [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of customers | customer	25
Cost of Goods and Services Sold [Member] | Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses			1,800
Selling, General and Administrative [Member] | Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses			$ 4,700

Business Combinations and Acq49

Business Combinations and Acquisitions - Schedule of Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation and Revisions Recorded (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	May 06, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	May 06, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Goodwill		$ 146,497		$ 146,497	$ 145,256
Measurement Period Adjustments
Goodwill, revisions		1,241
Waived management fees, included in affiliate contract expanse accumulated amortization		$ 194,900	$ 255,600	$ 60,700
Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Accounts receivable	$ 48,476		47,234
Inventory	3,810		4,572
Restricted cash	2,167		2,167
Investments	1,501		1,501
Prepaid expenses and other assets	14,835		14,835
Building held for sale	4,950		4,950
Property, plant and equipment	223,900		227,247
Goodwill	151,627		146,383
Other long term assets	10,288		10,843
Total assets acquired	868,954		880,907
Accounts payable	8,648		8,543
Advanced billings and customer deposits	12,477		12,477
Accrued expenses	25,230		23,141
Capital lease liability	418		418
Deferred tax liabilities	124,964		129,291
Retirement benefits	19,461		19,198
Other long-term liabilities	14,056		20,085
Total liabilities assumed	205,254		213,153
Net assets acquired	663,700		667,754
Measurement Period Adjustments
Accounts receivable, revisions			(1,242)
Inventory, revisions			762
Restricted cash, revisions			0
Investments, revisions			0
Prepaid expenses and other assets, revisions			0
Building held for sale			0
Property, plant and equipment, revisions			3,347
Goodwill, revisions			(5,244)
Other long term assets, revisions			555
Total assets acquired, revisions			11,953
Accounts payable, revisions			(105)
Advanced billings and customer deposits			0
Accrued expenses, revisions			(2,089)
Capital lease liability, revisions			0
Deferred tax liabilities, revisions			4,327
Retirement benefits, revisions			(263)
Other long-term liabilities			6,029
Total liabilities assumed, revisions			7,899
Net assets acquired, revisions			4,054
Spectrum Licenses [Member] | Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Finite-lived intangible assets	198,200		198,200
Measurement Period Adjustments
Intangibles, revisions			0
Acquired Subscribers Wireless [Member] | Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Finite-lived intangible assets	198,200		205,946
Measurement Period Adjustments
Intangibles, revisions			7,746
Favorable lease intangible assets [Member] | Ntelos Holding, Corp
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net [Abstract]
Finite-lived intangible assets	11,000		17,029
Measurement Period Adjustments
Intangibles, revisions			$ 6,029
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Measurement Period Adjustments
Waived management fees, included in affiliate contract expanse accumulated amortization	255,600
Nonmonetary Exchange of Intangibles [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Spectrum Licenses [Member]
Measurement Period Adjustments
Nonmonetary transaction amount	198,200
Nonmonetary Exchange of Intangibles [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Acquired Subscribers Wireless [Member]
Measurement Period Adjustments
Nonmonetary transaction amount	205,900
Nonmonetary Exchange of Intangibles [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member] | Affiliate Contract Agreement [Member]
Measurement Period Adjustments
Nonmonetary transaction amount	$ 405,000

Business Combinations and Acq50

Business Combinations and Acquisitions - Unaudited Pro forma Results of the Company (Details) - Ntelos Holding, Corp - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Operating revenues	$ 646,769	$ 678,475
Income (loss) before income taxes	$ 2,989	$ 54,716

Customer Concentration (Details

Customer Concentration (Details) $ in Thousands	Apr. 06, 2017customer	May 06, 2016USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)customer	May 06, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2012megahertz	Dec. 31, 1999renewal	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Initial term of contract									20 years
Number of contract renewals | renewal									3
Length of renewals									10 years
Right or obligation to sell business, percentage of EBV									90.00%
Additional term of contract								5 years
Management fee on post paid services				8.00%
Expected future net service fee			8.60%
Waived management fees, included in affiliate contract expanse accumulated amortization				$ 194,900	$ 255,600					$ 60,700
Maximum [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Megahertz spectrum used | megahertz								1,900
Additional term of contract								45 years
Minimum [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Megahertz spectrum used | megahertz								800
Accounts Receivable [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Concentration risk, amount				$ 43,405		$ 57,100
Concentration risk				80.00%		82.00%
Sales Revenue, Goods, Net [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Number of major customers | customer				1
Concentration risk				72.00%		69.00%	56.00%
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Waived management fees, included in affiliate contract expanse accumulated amortization		$ 255,600
Sprint PCS Management Agreement, Former Retail, Post and Prepaid Subscribers, Sprint-branded Affiliate Customers [Member] | Affiliated Entity [Member]
Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]
Number of customers | customer	25,000

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("E52

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								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Calculation of net income (loss) per share:
Net income (loss)	$ 60,595	$ 3,534	$ (80)	$ 2,341	$ (184)	$ (7,596)	$ (6,995)	$ 13,880	$ 66,390	$ (895)	$ 40,864
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)									49,150	48,807	48,388
Basic income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.23	$ 0.07	$ 0	$ 0.05	$ 0	$ (0.16)	$ (0.14)	$ 0.29	$ 1.35	$ (0.02)	$ 0.84
Effect of stock options and awards outstanding:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)									49,150	48,807	48,388
Effect from dilutive shares and options outstanding (in shares)									876	0	636
Diluted weighted average shares (in shares)									50,026	48,807	49,024
Diluted income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.21	$ 0.07	$ 0	$ 0.05	$ 0	$ (0.16)	$ (0.14)	$ 0.28	$ 1.33	$ (0.02)	$ 0.83

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("E53

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("EPS") - Schedule of Antidilutive Shares (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Awards excluded from the computation of diluted net income per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive	21	800	92

Earnings (Loss) Per Share ("E54

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

Investments - Other Investments

Investments - Other Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Investment [Line Items]
Cost method investments	$ 7,629	$ 6,919
Equity method investments	564	450
Other Long-term Investments	8,193	7,369
Other Equity Investments [Member]
Investment [Line Items]
Equity method investments	564	450
CoBank [Member]
Investment [Line Items]
Cost method investments	6,818	6,177
Other Equity Investments [Member]
Investment [Line Items]
Cost method investments	$ 811	$ 742

Investments - Investments Carri

Investments - Investments Carried at Fair Value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
SERP	$ 3,279	$ 2,907
Taxable Bond Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
SERP	0	24
Domestic Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
SERP	2,856	2,787
International Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
SERP	$ 423	$ 96

Investments - Narrative (Detail

Investments - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Investments [Abstract]
Unrealized losses			$ 141
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Realized gains, available for sale securities	$ 450	$ 143
Increase in cost method investments	$ 689	$ 540

Fair Value Measurements - Hiera

Fair Value Measurements - Hierarchy (Details) - Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total Assets	$ 13,337,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total Assets, Net		$ 11,223,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total Assets	150,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total Assets, Net		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total Assets	13,187,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total Assets, Net		11,223,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total Assets	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Total Assets, Net		0
Money Market Funds [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds	150,000
Money Market Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds	150,000
Money Market Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds	0
Money Market Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money market funds	0
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	2,411,000	12,118,000
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	0	0
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	2,411,000	12,118,000
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	0	0
Deferred charges and other assets, net [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	10,776,000
Deferred charges and other assets, net [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	0
Deferred charges and other assets, net [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	10,776,000
Deferred charges and other assets, net [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	$ 0
Other Liabilities [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps		(895,000)
Other Liabilities [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps		0
Other Liabilities [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps		(895,000)
Other Liabilities [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps		$ 0

Fair Value Measurements - Narra

Fair Value Measurements - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Long-term Investments	$ 8,193	$ 7,369
Cost method investments	7,629	6,919
CoBank [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cost method investments	$ 6,818	$ 6,177

Property, Plant and Equipment60

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 1,281,387	$ 1,159,077
Less accumulated amortization and depreciation	595,060	460,955
Property, plant and equipment, net	686,327	698,122
Depreciation	151,063	123,995	$ 69,287
Capital lease agreements	5,900
Unamortized capitalized software costs	28,000	15,700
Land [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	6,418	13,057
Building and Structures [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 195,540	115,960
Building and Structures [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	10 years
Building and Structures [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	40 years
Cable and Wire [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 286,999	235,471
Cable and Wire [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	4 years
Cable and Wire [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	40 years
Equipment and Software [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 730,228	720,830
Equipment and Software [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	2 years
Equipment and Software [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives	16 years 8 months 12 days
Plant In Service [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 1,219,185	1,085,318
Plant Under Construction [Member]
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Total property, plant and equipment	$ 62,202	$ 73,759

Derivative and Hedging - Narrat

Derivative and Hedging - Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)	May 31, 2016USD ($)counterparty	Sep. 30, 2012USD ($)
Derivative [Line Items]
Other long-term investments	$ 8,193,000	$ 7,369,000
Cost method investments	7,629,000	6,919,000
Interest Expense [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Amount reclassified as an increase to interest expense during next twelve months	2,400,000
Interest Rate Swap, September 2012 [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Amount of notional principal interest rate swap				$ 174,600,000
Notional amount of interest rate swaps	117,900,000	135,300,000
Interest Rate Swap, May 2016 [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Amount of notional principal interest rate swap			$ 256,600,000
Notional amount of interest rate swaps	$ 300,400,000	301,100,000
Number of counterparties | counterparty			3
Percentage hedged	50.00%
CoBank [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Cost method investments	$ 6,818,000	$ 6,177,000

Goodwill and Intangible Asset62

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill beginning balance	$ 145,256
Measurement period adjustments	1,241
Goodwill ending balance	146,497
Wireline [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill beginning balance	10
Measurement period adjustments	0
Goodwill ending balance	10
Cable [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill beginning balance	104
Measurement period adjustments	0
Goodwill ending balance	104
Wireless [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill beginning balance	145,142
Measurement period adjustments	1,241
Goodwill ending balance	$ 146,383

Derivative and Hedging - Schedu

Derivative and Hedging - Schedule of Derivative Financial Instruments as well as its Classification on the Consolidated Balance Sheet (Details) - Interest Rate Swap [Member] - Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net, by Balance Sheet Classification [Abstract]
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments	$ 13,187	$ 11,223
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net, by Balance Sheet Classification [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	2,411	0
Deferred charges and other assets, net [Member]
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net, by Balance Sheet Classification [Abstract]
Interest rate swaps	10,776	12,118
Other Liabilities [Member]
Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net, by Balance Sheet Classification [Abstract]
Derivative Liability	$ 0	$ (895)

Goodwill and Intangible Asset64

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Non-amortizing intangibles:	$ 64,475	$ 64,431
Gross Carrying Amount	448,988	449,384
Accumulated Amortization	(132,484)	(59,283)
Total	316,504	390,101
Total intangible assets, gross	513,463	513,815
Intangible assets, net	380,979	454,532
Amortization expense	27,400	34,900	$ 1,400
Affiliate contract expansion [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	410,157	404,957
Accumulated Amortization	(105,964)	(32,768)
Total	304,193	372,189
Favorable Leases - Wireless [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	13,103	16,950
Accumulated Amortization	(1,222)	(1,130)
Total	11,881	15,820
Acquired Subscribers – Cable [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	25,265	25,265
Accumulated Amortization	(25,100)	(24,631)
Total	165	634
Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	463	2,212
Accumulated Amortization	(198)	(754)
Total	265	1,458
Cable Franchise Rights [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Non-amortizing intangibles:	64,334	64,334
Railroad Crossing Rights [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Non-amortizing intangibles:	$ 141	$ 97

Derivative and Hedging - Sche65

Derivative and Hedging - Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Before Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance as of December 31, 2016	$ 11,223
Balance as of December 31, 2017	13,187
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance as of December 31, 2016	(4,435)
Balance as of December 31, 2017	(4,957)
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance as of December 31, 2016	6,788
Balance as of December 31, 2017	8,230
Gains on Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Before Tax [Roll Forward]
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)	2,390
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense	(426)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	1,964
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Tax [Roll Forward]
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)	(636)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense	114
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	(522)
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)	1,754
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense	(312)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	$ 1,442

Goodwill and Intangible Asset66

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Amortization Expense for Intangible Assets (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
2,018	$ 21,700
2,019	17,106
2,020	14,193
2,021	11,483
2,022	10,040
thereafter	47,034
Total	121,556
Rent Expense [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
2,018	916
2,019	843
2,020	800
2,021	800
2,022	800
thereafter	7,722
Total	11,881
Amortization [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
2,018	20,784
2,019	16,263
2,020	13,393
2,021	10,683
2,022	9,240
thereafter	39,312
Total	$ 109,675

Goodwill and Intangible Asset67

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended				20 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	May 06, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2017
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization expense	$ 27,400		$ 34,900	$ 1,400
Waived management fees, included in affiliate contract expanse accumulated amortization	194,900	$ 255,600			$ 60,700
Unfavorable leases, wireless segment	316,504		390,101		316,504
Net carrying value, intangible assets	316,504		390,101		316,504
Unfavorable lease liability, classified as rent expense	21,700				21,700
Unfavorable Leases Wireless [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Unfavorable leases, wireless segment	3,200				3,200
Net carrying value, intangible assets	3,200				3,200
Unfavorable lease liability, classified as rent expense	$ 3,200				$ 3,200
Acquired Subscribers [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Unfavorable leases, wireless segment			102,000
Net carrying value, intangible assets			$ 102,000

Accrued Liabilities (Details)

Accrued Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Sales and property taxes payable	$ 3,872	$ 6,628
Severance accrual	1,028	4,267
Asset retirement obligations	492	5,841
Accrued programming costs	2,805	2,939
Other current liabilities	5,717	9,410
Accrued liabilities and other	$ 13,914	$ 29,085

Accrued Liabilities - Other Lia

Accrued Liabilities - Other Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Non-current portion of deferred revenues	$ 14,030	$ 8,933
Straight-line management fee waiver	0	11,974
Other	1,263	2,836
Other liabilities	$ 15,293	$ 23,743

Accrued Liabilities - Asset Rem

Accrued Liabilities - Asset Removal Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	$ 21,507	$ 7,266	$ 6,928
Liabilities acquired in acquisition	0	14,056	0
Additional liabilities accrued	2,404	157	490
Changes to prior estimates	(1,695)	0	(467)
Payments made	(1,296)	(609)	(77)
Accretion expense	783	637	392
Balance at end of year	$ 21,703	$ 21,507	$ 7,266

Commitments and Contingencies -

Commitments and Contingencies - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)renewal_term	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Rent expense	$ 53.1	$ 43.8	$ 16.9
Rent income	$ 7.2	$ 7.2	$ 6.3
Towers [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Number of renewals | renewal_term	4
Term of renewals	5 years
Towers [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Terms of leases	5 years
Towers [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Terms of leases	10 years
Other [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Terms of leases	5 years
Other [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Terms of leases	20 years

Commitments and Contingencies72

Commitments and Contingencies - Future Minimum Lease Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2,018	$ 52,527
2,019	52,224
2,020	52,186
2,021	52,310
2,022	52,576
2023 and after	221,445
Total future lease payments	$ 483,268

Commitments and Contingencies73

Commitments and Contingencies - Future Minimum Payments Receivable (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable [Abstract]
2,018	$ 6,245
2,019	5,858
2,020	5,317
2,021	3,329
2,022	2,167
2,023	1,556
Total minimum rental receipts	$ 24,472

Long Term Debt (Details)

Long Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	$ 836,500	$ 847,875
Less: unamortized loan fees	14,542	18,610
Total debt, net of unamortized loan fees	821,958	829,265
Current maturities of long term debt, net of unamortized loan fees	64,397	32,041
Long-term debt, less current maturities, net of unamortized loan fees	757,561	797,224
Term loan A-1 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	436,500	472,875
Term loan A-2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	$ 400,000	$ 375,000

Long-Term Debt - Narrative (Det

Long-Term Debt - Narrative (Details)	Dec. 18, 2015USD ($)facility	Jan. 31, 2017USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of credit facilities | facility	3
Total debt, net of unamortized loan fees				$ 821,958,000	$ 829,265,000
Unamortized loan fees				$ 14,542,000	18,610,000
Weighted average interest rate				4.23%
Variable swap rate	50.00%
Total leverage ratio through December 30, 2019	3.25
Total leverage ratio thereafter	3
Debt service coverage ratio, actual				3.73
Minimum liquidity balance	$ 25,000,000			$ 25,000,000
Derivative asset, fair value				13,200,000	$ 11,200,000
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%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fixed interest rate	1.16%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total leverage ratio from closing date through December 30, 2018	3.75
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt service coverage ratio, actual	2
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of credit facility	5 years
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 75,000,000
Proceeds from line of credit				$ 0
Incremental Term Loan Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of credit facilities | facility	1
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 150,000,000
Term loan A-1 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of credit facility	5 years
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 485,000,000
Quarterly principal payment period one				6,100,000
Quarterly principal payment period two				12,100,000
Quarterly principal payment period three				18,200,000
Term loan A-1 [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	2.75%
Term loan A-1 [Member] | Ntelos Holding, Corp
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility amount borrowed	$ 485,000,000
Term loan A-2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of credit facility	7 years
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 400,000,000
Proceeds from line of credit		$ 25,000,000	$ 50,000,000
Quarterly principal payment period one				$ 10,000,000
Term loan A-2 [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	3.00%
Term loan A-2 [Member] | Ntelos Holding, Corp
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility amount borrowed	$ 325,000,000
Term loan A-2 [Member] | Delayed Draw Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility remaining borrowing capacity	$ 75,000,000

Long-Term Debt - Financial Cove

Long-Term Debt - Financial Covenants in Credit Agreements (Details)	Dec. 18, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Total leverage ratio, actual		2.93
Debt service coverage ratio, actual		3.73
Minimum liquidity balance, actual		$ 151,900,000
Total leverage ratio, covenant requirement		3.75
Debt service coverage ratio, covenant requirement		2
Minimum liquidity balance	$ 25,000,000	$ 25,000,000

Long-Term Debt - Maturities of

Long-Term Debt - Maturities of Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Maturities of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
2,018	$ 68,500
2,019	88,500
2,020	100,625
2,021	318,875
2,022	40,000
2,023	220,000
Total	$ 836,500	$ 847,875

Related Party Transactions (Det

Related Party Transactions (Details) - ValleyNet [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income
Facility Lease Revenue	$ 2,201	$ 2,384	$ 2,726
Costs of Goods and Services	3,673	3,067	$ 2,391
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Accounts Receivable related to ValleyNet	180	191
Accounts Payable related to ValleyNet	$ 303	$ 448

Income Taxes - Allocation of In

Income Taxes - Allocation of Income Tax Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income tax (benefit) expense on continuing operations	$ (53,133)	$ 2,840	$ 27,726
Shareholders’ equity, for compensation expense for tax purposes in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes	0	0	(679)
Other comprehensive income for changes in cash flow hedge	522	4,162	(476)
Income tax expense	$ (52,611)	$ 7,002	$ 26,571

Income Taxes - Components of Fe

Income Taxes - Components of Federal and State Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current expense
Federal taxes	$ 1,552	$ 44,779	$ 23,579
State taxes	(630)	10,936	5,275
Total current provision	922	55,715	28,854
Deferred expense (benefit)
Federal taxes	(52,886)	(47,056)	(744)
State taxes	(1,169)	(5,819)	(384)
Total deferred provision	(54,055)	(52,875)	(1,128)
Income tax expense (benefit) on continuing operations	$ (53,133)	$ 2,840	$ 27,726
Effective tax rate	(400.80%)	146.00%	40.40%

Income Taxes - Reconciliation o

Income Taxes - Reconciliation of Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Computed “expected” tax expense (35%)	$ 4,640	$ 681	$ 24,007
State income taxes, net of federal tax effect	(1,129)	6	3,179
Changes in state DTL for mergers	0	3,320	0
Excess share based compensation	(3,314)	(1,709)	0
Nondeductible merger expenses	0	801	0
Revaluation of U.S. deferred income taxes	(53,449)	0	0
Other, net	119	(259)	540
Income tax expense (benefit) on continuing operations	$ (53,133)	$ 2,840	$ 27,726
Federal statutory income tax rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Ass

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Deferred tax assets:
Deferred revenues	$ 3,907	$ 8,849
Net operating loss carry-forwards	14,983	29,472
Accruals and reserves	5,189	10,517
Pension benefits	3,556	6,994
Asset retirement obligations	4,608	8,495
Total gross deferred tax assets	32,243	64,327
Less valuation allowance	(862)	(709)
Net deferred tax assets	31,381	63,618
Deferred tax liabilities:
Plant-in-service	89,494	139,753
Intangible assets	37,682	70,799
Interest rate swaps	3,511	4,433
Other, net	1,573	470
Total gross deferred tax liabilities	132,260	215,455
Net deferred tax liabilities	$ 100,879	$ 151,837

Income Taxes - Narrative (Detai

Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Decrease in income tax expense and deferred tax liabilities	$ 53,400,000
State net operating loss carry-forwards, net of federal tax	15,000,000
Valuation allowance	900,000
Federal and state net operating losses	63,300,000
Unrecognized tax benefits	0	$ 0
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Federal and state net operating losses	$ 34,200,000

Segment Reporting - Selected Fi

Segment Reporting - Selected Financial Data for Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
External revenues
Service revenues									$ 558,910	$ 478,485	$ 301,118
Other revenues									53,081	56,803	41,367
Total operating revenues	$ 151,617	$ 152,382	$ 153,867	$ 154,125	$ 155,572	$ 156,836	$ 130,309	$ 92,571	611,991	535,288	342,485
Operating expenses
Cost of goods and services									211,507	193,520	121,330
Selling, general and administrative									165,937	133,325	72,821
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses									11,030	42,232	3,546
Depreciation and amortization									177,007	143,685	70,702
Operating Expenses									565,481	512,762	268,399
Operating income (loss)	$ 18,110	$ 9,475	$ 8,252	$ 10,673	$ 12,189	$ (3,929)	$ (7,046)	$ 21,312	46,510	22,526	74,086
Capital Expenditures									146,489	173,231	69,679
Wireless [Member]
External revenues
Service revenues									431,184	359,769	192,752
Other revenues									18,945	24,364	11,609
Total operating revenues									450,129	384,133	204,361
Operating expenses
Capital Expenditures									82,620	123,400	25,200
Cable [Member]
External revenues
Service revenues									107,338	99,070	88,980
Other revenues									8,579	7,927	7,793
Total operating revenues									115,917	106,997	96,773
Operating expenses
Capital Expenditures									34,487	32,400	20,400
Wireline [Member]
External revenues
Service revenues									20,388	19,646	19,386
Other revenues									25,557	24,512	21,965
Total operating revenues									45,945	44,158	41,351
Operating expenses
Capital Expenditures									22,581	20,200	22,100
Other Segments [Member]
External revenues
Service revenues									0	0	0
Other revenues									0	0	0
Total operating revenues									0	0	0
Operating expenses
Capital Expenditures									6,801	(2,769)	1,979
Operating Segments | Wireless [Member]
External revenues
Total operating revenues									455,078	388,753	208,801
Operating expenses
Cost of goods and services									152,279	133,113	63,570
Selling, general and administrative									118,257	95,851	35,792
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses									10,793	25,927	0
Depreciation and amortization									139,610	107,621	34,416
Operating Expenses									420,939	362,512	133,778
Operating income (loss)									34,139	26,241	75,023
Operating Segments | Cable [Member]
External revenues
Total operating revenues									119,162	108,734	97,622
Operating expenses
Cost of goods and services									59,349	58,581	54,611
Selling, general and administrative									19,999	19,248	19,412
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									23,968	23,908	23,097
Operating Expenses									103,316	101,737	97,120
Operating income (loss)									15,846	6,997	502
Operating Segments | Wireline [Member]
External revenues
Total operating revenues									79,253	74,974	67,420
Operating expenses
Cost of goods and services									38,536	36,259	31,668
Selling, general and administrative									6,923	6,474	6,612
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									12,829	11,717	12,736
Operating Expenses									58,288	54,450	51,016
Operating income (loss)									20,965	20,524	16,404
Operating Segments | Other Segments [Member]
External revenues
Total operating revenues									0	0	0
Operating expenses
Cost of goods and services									39	0	0
Selling, general and administrative									23,564	14,492	13,844
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses									237	16,305	3,546
Depreciation and amortization									600	439	453
Operating Expenses									24,440	31,236	17,843
Operating income (loss)									(24,440)	(31,236)	(17,843)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
External revenues
Total operating revenues									(41,502)	(37,173)	(31,358)
Operating expenses
Cost of goods and services									(38,696)	(34,433)	(28,519)
Selling, general and administrative									(2,806)	(2,740)	(2,839)
Acquisition, integration and migration expenses									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Operating Expenses									(41,502)	(37,173)	(31,358)
Operating income (loss)									0	0	0
Capital Expenditures									0	0	0
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Wireless [Member]
External revenues
Total operating revenues									4,949	4,620	4,440
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Cable [Member]
External revenues
Total operating revenues									3,245	1,737	849
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Wireline [Member]
External revenues
Total operating revenues									33,308	30,816	26,069
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Other Segments [Member]
External revenues
Total operating revenues									$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Segment Reporting - Reconciliat

Segment Reporting - Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]
Total consolidated operating income (loss)	$ 18,110	$ 9,475	$ 8,252	$ 10,673	$ 12,189	$ (3,929)	$ (7,046)	$ 21,312	$ 46,510	$ 22,526	$ 74,086
Interest expense									(38,237)	(25,102)	(7,355)
Non-operating income, net									4,984	4,521	1,859
Income (loss) before income taxes									$ 13,257	$ 1,945	$ 68,590

Quarterly Results (unaudited)86

Quarterly Results (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Operating revenues	$ 151,617	$ 152,382	$ 153,867	$ 154,125	$ 155,572	$ 156,836	$ 130,309	$ 92,571	$ 611,991	$ 535,288	$ 342,485
Operating income (loss)	18,110	9,475	8,252	10,673	12,189	(3,929)	(7,046)	21,312	46,510	22,526	74,086
Net income (loss)	$ 60,595	$ 3,534	$ (80)	$ 2,341	$ (184)	$ (7,596)	$ (6,995)	$ 13,880	$ 66,390	$ (895)	$ 40,864
Net income (loss) per share - basic (in dollars per share)	$ 1.23	$ 0.07	$ 0	$ 0.05	$ 0	$ (0.16)	$ (0.14)	$ 0.29	$ 1.35	$ (0.02)	$ 0.84
Net income (loss) per share - diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 1.21	$ 0.07	$ 0	$ 0.05	$ 0	$ (0.16)	$ (0.14)	$ 0.28	$ 1.33	$ (0.02)	$ 0.83

Subsequent Events (Details)

Subsequent Events (Details) - Subsequent Event [Member]	Feb. 16, 2018USD ($)	Feb. 01, 2018USD ($)customer
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
One-time payment, Expansion Agreement		$ 60,000,000
Reduction of interest paid, basis points	0.05%
Total consideration, Expansion Agreement		$ 65,000,000
Number of subscribers, after review | customer		59,097
Number of subscribers, initial amount | customer		66,822
Amount to be returned by Sprint		$ 8,000,000
Credit facility modification, charitable contributions	$ 1,500,000
Maximum [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Additional payment, Expansion Agreement		$ 5,000,000

Schedule II Valuation and Qua88

Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts and Reserves (Details) - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Year	$ 759	$ 418	$ 762
Recoveries added to allowance	616	628	602
Bad debt expense	2,179	2,456	1,640
Losses charged to allowance	(3,088)	(2,743)	(2,586)
Balance at End of Year	$ 466	$ 759	$ 418