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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
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 preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or the U.S., requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results to be reported in future periods could differ from our estimates.
Cash and cash equivalents | Cash equivalents may include all investments with an original maturity of three months or less. The Company places its temporary cash investments with high credit quality financial institutions. Generally, such investments are in excess of FDIC or SIPC insurance limits.
Inventories | The Company's inventories consist primarily of items held for resale such as devices and accessories. The Company values its inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Inventory cost is computed on an average cost basis. Net realizable value is determined by reviewing current replacement cost, marketability and obsolescence.
Property, plant and equipment | Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. 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. 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.
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 provide us with the non-exclusive right to provide video services in a specified area. Spectrum licenses are issued by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) which provide us the exclusive right to utilize designated radio frequency spectrum within specific geographic service areas to provide wireless communication services. While some cable franchises and spectrum licenses are issued for a fixed time (generally ten years and up to fifteen years, respectively), renewals have been granted routinely and at nominal costs. The Company believes it will be able to meet all requirements necessary to secure renewal of its cable franchise rights and spectrum licenses. Moreover, the Company has determined that there are currently no legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors that limit the useful lives of our cable franchises or spectrum licenses and as a result, we account for cable franchise rights and spectrum licenses as indefinite-lived intangible assets. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but rather, are subject to impairment testing annually, in the fourth quarter, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be fully recoverable. These assets are evaluated for impairment based on the identification of reporting units. Our reporting units effectively align with our new reporting segments. We evaluated our reporting units for impairment both before and after our realignment of reporting segments and reporting units during the fourth quarter of 2019 on the basis of qualitative factors. Our consideration of qualitative factors included but was not limited to macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, company specific events, changes in circumstances, after tax cash flows and market capitalization trends.
Finite-lived Intangible Assets | Finite-lived intangible assets, property, plant, and equipment, and other long-lived assets are amortized or depreciated over their estimated useful lives, as summarized in the respective footnotes below. These assets are evaluated for impairment based on the identification of asset groups. Our asset groups align with our new reporting segments. We evaluated our asset groups for impairment both before and after our realignment of reporting segments and asset groups during the fourth quarter of 2019.
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.
Retirement plans | The nTelos Pension Plan was assumed in the 2016 acquisition of nTelos. This frozen plan covers certain employees who met eligibility requirements and were employed by nTelos prior to October 1, 2003. Benefits under the plan 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 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.
New Accounting Standards | We implemented Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 842-Leases, ("ASC 842"), on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective method and thus did not retroactively adjust prior periods. ASC 842 replaced previous leasing guidance with a comprehensive lease measurement and recognition standard and expanded disclosure requirements. The new standard required lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheet as liabilities, with corresponding right-of-use, or ROU assets. See Note 8, Leases for more information. We adopted ASU No. 2018-02-Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income, ("ASC 220"), as of January 1, 2019. We elected not to reclassify stranded income tax effects from accumulated other comprehensive income (OCI) to retained earnings and have implemented this election as its accounting policy as of January 1, 2019. The Company utilizes the portfolio approach as its policy to release the income tax effects from accumulated OCI as the entire portfolio is liquidated, sold, or extinguished. We implemented ASC 606-Revenue from Contracts with Customers, ("ASC 606"), on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method and thus did not retroactively adjust prior periods. This new pronouncement provided us with a single revenue recognition model for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers and significantly expanded the disclosure requirements for revenue arrangements. We have disclosed our results under both the new and old standards for the first year after adoption. See Note 3, Revenue from Contracts with Customers for more information. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses ("ASC 326"): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which requires the application of a current expected credit loss (“CECL”) impairment model to financial assets measured at amortized cost (including trade accounts receivable), net investments in leases, and certain off-balance-sheet credit exposures. Under the CECL model, lifetime expected credit losses on such financial assets are measured and recognized at each reporting date based on historical, current, and forecasted information. Furthermore, the CECL model requires financial assets with similar risk characteristics to be analyzed on a collective basis. ASC 326 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those years. The Company intends to adopt this standard as of January 1, 2020. The Company does not expect there to be a significant impact to consolidated financial statements upon the adoption.
Investment | SERP Investments at Fair Value: As noted above, the SERP’s investments were designated as trading securities and will be liquidated and paid out to the participants following their retirement. Changes to the investments’ fair value are presented in Other income (expense). The SERP’s investments are held in index funds for which the net asset value is used as a practical expedient for fair value. Cost Method Investments: Our investment in CoBank’s Class A common stock represented substantially all of our cost method investments with a balance of $8.7 million and $7.7 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. We invested in the CoBank cooperative in connection with our Credit Facility discussed in Note 9, Long-Term Debt. We receive equity-based patronage distributions in the form of both equity and cash, which are recognized in Other income (expense) and totaled $4.2 million in 2019 and $2.8 million in both 2018 and 2017. Historically, approximately 75% of the patronage distributions are received in cash and 25% in additional shares of common stock. 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. Equity Method Investments:
Commitments and contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies

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