Exhibit 5.1


                                January 25, 2001

The Board of Directors
NTELOS Inc.
P.O. Box 1990
Waynesboro, Virginia 22980

                                   NTELOS Inc.
                       Registration Statement on Form S-8

Gentlemen:

         We are acting as counsel for NTELOS Inc. (the  "Company") in connection
with its  Registration  Statement on Form S-8, as filed with the  Securities and
Exchange  Commission,  with  respect  to up to 75,000  additional  shares of the
Company's  Common Stock to be issued by the Company (the  "Shares")  pursuant to
the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan").  In connection with the
filing of the Registration Statement,  you have requested our opinion concerning
certain corporate matters.

         In rendering this opinion, we have relied upon, among other things, our
examination of such records of the Company and  certificates of its officers and
of public officials as we have deemed necessary.

         Based upon the foregoing and the further  qualifications  stated below,
we are of the opinion that:

     1.   The Company has been duly  incorporated and is validly existing and in
          good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

     2.   The Shares have been duly  authorized  and, when such shares have been
          issued  in  accordance  with the terms of the  Plan,  will be  legally
          issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         We  consent  to the  filing of this  opinion  with the  Securities  and
Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Form S-8. In giving this consent, we do
not admit that we are within the category of persons  whose  consent is required
by  section  7 of the  Securities  Act of  1933  or the  rules  and  regulations
promulgated thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                                     Very truly yours,

                                     /s/ Hunton & Willliams

                                     HUNTON & WILLIAMS