POWER OF ATTORNEY
For Executing Forms 3, 4, and 5

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints John P. Fletcher or Kristi M. Moody as his or her true and lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

(1) 	execute, for and on behalf of the undersigned as a director of Windstream
Holdings, Inc. and any successor corporation, any one or more Forms 3, 4, and 5
in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the rules thereunder;

(2) 	do and perform any and all acts, for and on behalf of the undersigned, that
  may be necessary or desirable to complete the execution of any such Form 3, 4,
  and 5 and the timely filing of such form with the United States Securities and
  Exchange Commission and any other authority; and

(3) 	take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing that, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to,
in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
  undersigned, pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and
shall contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in
his discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to the foregoing attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, and proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
  herein granted, as fully to all intents, and purposes as such attorney-in-fact
  might or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or
revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or
his substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
of this Power of Attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.  The
undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorney-in-fact, in serving in such
  capacity at the request of the undersigned, is not assuming any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or other applicable securities laws or rules.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed this as of the 2nd day of May, 2017.

Alan L. Wells


S:\0179\BOARD WINDSTREAM\New Directors\Power of Attorney Form 3, 4, & 5 -
Wells.doc