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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024
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 for continuing operations have been eliminated in consolidation. Use of estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results reported in future periods could differ from our estimates. Revenue recognition: The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). The Company provides broadband data, video and voice services to residential, small and midsize businesses (“SMB”) and commercial customers in portions of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Delaware, Ohio and Indiana, via fiber optic and hybrid fiber coaxial cable networks. The Company also provides voice and DSL telephone services to customers in Virginia’s Shenandoah County and portions of adjacent counties and Ohio’s Ross County and portions of adjacent counties as a Rural Local Exchange Carrier (“RLEC”). Transaction price is measured as the amount billed, which is generally determined by list prices for goods and services less discounts offered. We allocate the total transaction price in these transactions based upon the standalone selling price of each distinct good or service. We generally recognize these revenues over time as customers simultaneously receive and consume the benefits of the service, with the exception of equipment sales and home wiring, which are recognized as revenue at a point in time when control transfers and when installation is complete, respectively. A significant portion of the Company’s revenues are derived from customers who may cancel their subscriptions at any time without penalty. As such, the amount of deferred revenue related to unsatisfied performance obligations is not necessarily indicative of the future revenue to be recognized from the Company’s existing customers. Installation fees charged upfront without transfer of commensurate goods or services to the customer are allocated to services and are recognized ratably over the longer of the contract term or the period in which the unrecognized fee remains material to the contract, which we estimate to be approximately one year. Additionally, the Company incurs commission expenses related to in-house sales team members and third-party vendors which are capitalized and amortized over the expected customer benefit period. The Company also provides Ethernet and Wavelength fiber optic services to commercial fiber customers under capacity agreements, and the related revenue is recognized over time. In some cases, non-refundable upfront fees are charged for connecting commercial fiber customers to our fiber network. Those amounts are recognized ratably over the initial contract term. The Company also leases dedicated fiber optic strands to customers as part of “dark fiber” agreements, which are accounted for as leases under ASC 842, Leases (“ASC 842”). 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, 2024, 2023 and 2022 was $15.0 million, $11.4 million and $6.8 million, respectively. Fair value measurements: The Company measures certain assets and liabilities at fair value. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received to sell 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. The Company uses the fair value hierarchy to evaluate inputs used in determining the fair value of its assets and liabilities. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are (i) observable inputs, such as quoted prices in active markets (level 1); (ii) inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly (level 2); and (iii) unobservable inputs that require the Company to use present value and other valuation techniques in the determination of fair value (level 3). The Company remeasures long-lived assets such as property, plant and equipment, intangible assets and goodwill at fair value when they are deemed to be impaired. The fair value of these assets is determined with valuation techniques using the best information available and may include quoted market prices, market comparables or discounted cash flow models. The carrying amounts reported in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate fair value because of the short-term nature of these financial instruments. The carrying amount of the Company’s long-term debt, which have a floating interest rate, approximates fair value. The Company’s interest rate swaps are marked to market on a quarterly basis and are presented on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value. As described in more detail in Note 3, Acquisition of Horizon, Shentel determined the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as a result of the Horizon Acquisition as of the acquisition date. Cash and cash equivalents: Cash equivalents 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. Allowance for credit losses: Accounts receivable have been reduced by an allowance for amounts that may be uncollectible in the future. This estimated allowance is based primarily on the aging category, historical collection experience and management’s evaluation of the financial condition of the customer. The Company writes off accounts receivable balances deemed uncollectible against the allowance for credit losses generally when the account is turned over for collection to an outside collection agency. Changes in the Company’s allowance for credit losses for accounts receivable for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 are summarized below:
(in thousands) |  | Balance at Beginning of Year |  | Recoveries added to allowance |  | Provision for Credit Losses |  | Write-offs |  | Balance at End of Year
Year Ended December 31, 2024 |  |
Allowance for credit losses |  | $ | 886 |  |  | $ | 599 |  |  | $ | 2,132 |  |  | $ | (2,461) |  |  | $ | 1,156 |
Year Ended December 31, 2023 |  |
Allowance for credit losses |  | $ | 776 |  |  | $ | 424 |  |  | $ | 2,852 |  |  | $ | (3,166) |  |  | $ | 886 |
Year Ended December 31, 2022 |  |
Allowance for credit losses |  | $ | 352 |  |  | $ | 414 |  |  | $ | 1,972 |  |  | $ | (1,962) |  |  | $ | 776 |
Investments: The Company investments measured at fair value primarily consist of supplemental executive retirement plan (“SERP”) investments in a rabbi trust as a source of funding for future payments under the plan. The SERP’s investments were designated as trading securities and will be liquidated and paid out to the participants six months after retirement. The benefit obligation to participants is always equal to the value of the SERP assets under ASC 710, Compensation. Changes to the investments’ fair value are presented in Other income, net, while the reciprocal changes in the liability representative of compensatory expense, are presented in selling, general and administrative expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company’s investments measured at cost primarily consist of CoBank’s Class A common stock derived from the CoBank patronage program. The investment is recognized as the Company’s initial investment in CoBank plus subsequent patronage distributions received from CoBank. Property, plant and equipment: Property, plant and equipment is 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 and internal labor 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. Labor costs associated with customer installation activities at existing service locations are expensed as incurred under industry specific guidance. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of their useful lives or respective lease terms. Land is not depreciated. 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 represent the value attributed to our non-exclusive right to provide video services in a specified area. Spectrum licenses issued by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) provide us with either an exclusive or priority access 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 period (generally ten years and up to fifteen years, respectively), renewals have been granted routinely and at a nominal cost. 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. Goodwill is evaluated for impairment based on the identification of reporting units. Our reporting unit aligns with our one reportable segment. We evaluated goodwill for impairment on October 1, 2024 using a quantitative assessment. This assessment estimated the fair values of our reporting unit primarily based on a discounted cash flow analysis that included market participant estimates of future cash flows expected to be generated by the business. We also considered the reconciliation of the Company's market capitalization to the reporting unit value and consideration of an appropriate control premium. As a result of this assessment, management concluded that the estimated fair value of the reporting unit exceeded the carrying value by 11%. As such, no impairment charge was recognized during the period. We evaluated cable franchise rights and spectrum licenses for impairment on October 1, 2024 primarily on the basis of qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances lead us to conclude that it is more likely than not that goodwill or our indefinite life intangibles has been impaired. 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. We concluded that there were no indicators that impairment of our reporting unit or indefinite-lived intangible assets was more likely than not. Long-lived assets: Finite-lived intangible assets, property, plant, and equipment, and other long-lived assets held for use are amortized or depreciated over their estimated useful lives, as summarized in the respective notes below. These assets are evaluated for impairment based on the identification of asset groups. Our asset groups align with our reportable segments. We evaluated our asset groups for impairment during the fourth quarter of 2024 and concluded that there were no indicators that an asset group impairment was more likely than not. Asset retirement obligations: Certain of the Company’s lease agreements contain provisions requiring the Company to restore facilities or remove property in the event that the lease agreement is not renewed. The Company records an estimate for the cost to comply with these provisions based on what a willing third party would charge for the retirement activity on the date of recognizing the asset retirement obligation. Upon retirement of the related asset and performance of the asset retirement activities, the Company derecognizes the asset retirement obligation and records a gain or loss to reflect the difference between the Company’s estimate and the actual cost to retire the asset. Current ARO liabilities are recorded in accrued liabilities and other in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and noncurrent ARO liabilities are presented in the consolidated balance sheets as “other liabilities.” Benefit plan obligations: The Benefit plan obligations caption includes the following:
($ in thousands) | December 31, 2024 |  | December 31, 2023
Supplemental executive retirement plans | $ | 2,812 |  |  | $ | 2,290 |
Postretirement medical benefits plans | 1,889 |  |  | 1,653 |
Pension plan obligation | 244 |  |  | — |
Total | $ | 4,945 |  |  | $ | 3,943 |
Prior to the acquisition of Horizon, Shentel maintained a supplemental executive retirement plan for certain employees (the “Shentel SERP”). The Shentel SERP is a benefit plan that provides deferred compensation to certain employees which holds investments in a rabbi trust as a source of funding for future payments under the plan. The Shentel SERP’s investments were designated as trading securities and will be liquidated and paid out to the participants upon retirement. The benefit obligation to participants is always equal to the value of the Shentel SERP assets under ASC 710, Compensation. Changes to the investments’ fair value are presented in Other income, net, while the reciprocal changes in the liability representative of compensatory expense, are presented in selling, general and administrative expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Prior to December 31, 2023, Shentel maintained a frozen defined benefit plan. On October 13, 2021, Shentel’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution to terminate its pension plan. The Company terminated the pension plan and all benefits were distributed in June 2023 through the combination of lump sum payments and the purchase of non-participating annuity contracts at the option of the pension plan participants. The Company made an additional $2.9 million contribution from its cash balance as a result of the settlement and recognized a settlement gain of $0.7 million in other income (expense) for the year ended December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2024, Shentel acquired four plans in conjunction with the acquisition of Horizon. These plans included one unfunded supplemental executive retirement plan, one frozen unfunded postretirement medical benefits plan and two frozen defined benefit plans. Including the plan acquired from Horizon, both of Shentel’s postretirement medical benefits plans represent frozen, unfunded, defined benefit plans. The total postretirement plan liability was determined using discount rates of 5.5% and 4.9% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The total fair value of pension plan assets was $21.6 million as of December 31, 2024. These investments were held in mutual funds and were valued based on the net asset value per share. The pension plan projected benefit obligations was $21.4 million as of December 31, 2024, determined using a discount rate of 5.0%. Leases: The Company leases various telecommunications sites, warehouses, retail stores, and office facilities for use in our business. These agreements include fixed rental payments as well as variable rental payments such as those based on relevant inflation indices. The accounting lease term includes optional renewal periods that we are reasonably certain to exercise based on our assessment of relevant contractual and economic factors. The related lease payments are discounted at lease commencement using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate in order to measure the lease liability and right-of-use asset. The incremental borrowing rate is determined using a portfolio approach based on the rate of interest that the Company would have to pay to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments on a collateralized basis over a similar term. The Company uses the observable unsecured borrowing rate and risk-adjusts that rate to approximate a collateralized rate. Income taxes: The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the consolidated financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. In assessing the ability to realize deferred tax assets, the Company 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. The Company 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, projections for future taxable income over the periods for which the deferred tax assets are deductible, and the option to elect out of bonus depreciation on in-serviced fixed assets, the Company believes it more likely than not that the net deferred tax assets will be realized. The Company recognizes a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits. The Company records a liability for the difference between the benefit recognized and measured for financial statement purposes and the tax position taken or expected to be taken on the tax return. Changes in the estimate are recorded in the period in which such determination is made. Stock-based compensation: The cost of employee services received in exchange for share-based awards classified as equity is measured using the estimated fair value of the award on the date of the grant, and the related expense is recorded over the recipient’s respective service period. The fair value for the Company’s RSUs are determined using the Company’s stock price and the fair value for the Company’s RTSR awards are determined using a Monte Carlo simulation. The Company records forfeitures for its RSUs and RTSRs as they occur. Certain of the Company’s share-based awards contain retirement clauses which state that awards will continue to vest without the requirement of continuous employment after a participant achieves certain service- and age-based requirements (“Retirement Eligibility”). The Company accelerates expense associated with eligible awards for employees who have achieved Retirement Eligibility on the later of the grant date or the date in which Retirement Eligibility is achieved. Government grants: Shentel receives grants from the U.S. Government and its agencies, as well as various state governments under various programs designed to fund telecommunications operations and broadband infrastructure expansion into rural or underserved areas. The grant programs are evaluated to determine if they represent grants related to revenue or capital expenditures. Grants for revenue and operating activities are recorded as RLEC & Other revenue, which is a category within service revenue and other in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations as the services are provided. Grants for capital expenditures are recorded as a reduction to the corresponding property, plant and equipment asset balance and are recognized through a reduction in depreciation expense over the life of the corresponding asset in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Government grants related to revenue and operations are classified as operating cash inflows and grants for capital expenditures are classified as investing cash inflows. The Company monitors government grants for requirements to ensure that conditions related to grants have been met and there is reasonable assurance that the Company will be able to retain the grant proceeds and to ensure that any contingencies that may arise from not meeting the conditions are appropriately recognized. See Note 15, Government Grants for additional information. Redeemable noncontrolling interest: As discussed in Note 1, Nature of Operations, Shentel Broadband, a subsidiary of Shentel, issued 81,000 shares of Shentel Broadband’s Series A Preferred Stock in exchange for $81 million in cash. The Series A Preferred Stock has a par value of $0.01 per share. As of December 31, 2024, 100,000 shares of the Series A Preferred Stock were authorized for issuance and 81,000 shares of the Series A Preferred Stock were outstanding. Shentel has applied the guidance in ASC 480‑10‑S99‑3A, “SEC Staff Announcement: Classification and Measurement of Redeemable Securities”, and has therefore classified the Series A Preferred Stock outside of shareholders’ equity on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets because the shares contain liquidation features that are not solely within the Company’s control. The Series A Preferred Stock was recorded at its fair value on the date of issuance, net of $1.6 million of issuance costs. The Company does not adjust the carrying value of the Series A Preferred Stock to the liquidation preference of such shares because of the uncertainty of whether or when a liquidation event would occur. Subsequent adjustments to increase the carrying value to the liquidation preferences will be made only when it becomes probable that such a liquidation event will occur. Furthermore, the Company classifies the Series A Preferred Stock as redeemable noncontrolling interest due to the fact that the Series A Preferred Stock is issued by its subsidiary, Shentel Broadband. See Note 13, Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest for additional information. Accounting for acquisitions: The Company accounts for acquisitions by using the acquisition method of accounting, in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total purchase price is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with the acquisition based on their estimated fair values. Fair values are determined using the income approach, market approach and/or cost approach depending on the nature of the asset or liability being valued and the reliability of available information. The income approach estimates fair value by discounting associated lifetime expected future cash flows to their present value and relies on significant assumptions regarding future revenues, expenses, working capital levels and discount rates. The market approach estimates fair value by analyzing recent actual market transactions for similar assets or liabilities. The cost approach estimates fair value based on the expected cost to replace or reproduce the asset or liability and relies on assumptions regarding the occurrence and extent of any physical, functional and/or economic obsolescence. Segments: Shentel’s Chief Executive Officer represents the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”). The CODM regularly reviews the Company’s results to assess performance and allocates resources at a consolidated level. All of Shentel’s services are delivered through an integrated network and have similar types or classes of customers. Furthermore, the decision to allocate resources and to upgrade the Company’s service delivery over an integrated network is performed at the consolidated level. As such, management has identified one operating segment, Broadband, which is the Company’s reportable segment under this organizational and reporting structure. New Accounting Standards In October 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-06, “Disclosure Improvements: Codification Amendments in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative,” (“ASU 2023-06”) which aligns the disclosure and presentation requirements of a variety of the FASB’s ASC Topics with the requirements described in the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative. ASU 2023-06 will become effective for each amendment on the effective date of the SEC’s corresponding disclosure rule changes; these dates are unknown as of this filing. The Company is currently assessing the impact of adopting ASU 2023-06 on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures,” (“ASU 2023-07”). The amendments in ASU 2023-07 improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. These enhanced disclosures requirements also include, but are not limited to, the requirement to disclose other segment income and expense items, the title and the position of the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance. The Company has adopted this ASU and has included the required disclosures within these financial statements. See Note 18, Segment Information for additional information. In December 2023, FASB issued ASU 2023-09 “Income Taxes (Topic 740), Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” This accounting update requires public entities, on an annual basis, to provide disclosure of specific categories in the rate reconciliation, as well as disclosure of income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. The updated disclosure requirements are to be adopted for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early Adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact of adopting ASU 2023-07 on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company does not anticipate adoption will have a material impact on the financial position, results of operations, cash flows or disclosures.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the business description and accounting policies concepts. Business description describes the nature and type of organization including but not limited to organizational structure as may be applicable to holding companies, parent and subsidiary relationships, business divisions, business units, business segments, affiliates and information about significant ownership of the reporting entity. Accounting policies describe all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Topic 235 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/235/tableOfContent Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Topic 275 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/275/tableOfContent + Details
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