Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
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 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, 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 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.
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 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. Leasehold improvements are depreciated 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 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”) and 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 (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 align with our reporting segments. We evaluated our reporting units for impairment during the fourth quarter of 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, 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.
Long-lived 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 reporting segments. We evaluated our asset groups for impairment during the fourth quarter of 2020.
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 pension plan is frozen and covers certain employees who 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. This plan was amended on December 31, 2012, to freeze future benefit plan accruals for participants.
New Accounting Standards	New Accounting Standards The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses ("ASC 326"): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, as of January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective transition method. ASC 326 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. There was no significant impact to consolidated financial statements upon adoption. The Company adopted ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software ("ASC 350"): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement that is a Service Contract, as of January 1, 2020. This standard aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. Upon adoption of the standard, implementation costs were capitalized in the period incurred and will be amortized over the term of the hosting arrangement. There was no significant impact to consolidated financial statements upon adoption. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04 “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” This accounting update provides optional accounting relief to entities with contracts, hedge accounting relationships or other transactions that reference London Interbank Offering Rate (LIBOR) or other interest rate benchmarks for which the referenced rate is expected to be discontinued or replaced. This optional relief generally allows for contract modifications solely related to the replacement of the reference rate to be accounted for as a continuation of the existing contract instead of as an extinguishment of the contract, and therefore would not require reassessment of a previous accounting determination. The Company's Credit Agreement and interest rate swaps have LIBOR as a reference rate. We plan to apply the accounting relief as relevant contract modifications are made to our Credit Agreement and interest rate swap contracts during the course of the reference rate reform transition period. The optional relief can be applied beginning January 1, 2020, and ending December 31, 2022. 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, along with the corresponding right-of-use, or ROU, assets. See Note 9, 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. We utilize the portfolio approach as our policy to release the income tax effects from accumulated OCI as the entire portfolio is liquidated, sold, or extinguished.
Investment	SERP Investments at Fair Value: The Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) is a benefit plan that provides deferred compensation to certain employees. The Company holds the related 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 upon 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 (expense), while the reciprocal changes in the liability are presented in selling, general and administrative expense. Cost Method Investments: Our investment in CoBank’s Class A common stock represented substantially all of our cost method investments with a balance of $9.8 million and $8.7 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We recognized approximately $4.2 million, $4.2 million and $2.8 million of patronage income in Other income (expense) in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Historically, approximately 75% of the patronage distributions were collected in cash and 25% in equity. Equity Method Investments: At December 31, 2020, the Company had a 20.0% ownership interest in Valley Network Partnership (“ValleyNet”). The Company and ValleyNet purchase capacity on one another’s fiber network. We recognized revenue of $0.9 million, $1.0 million, and $1.7 million from providing service to ValleyNet during 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. We recognized Cost of service of $2.7 million, $3.0 million, and $3.4 million for the use of ValleyNet’s network during 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

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, 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 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.

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 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. Leasehold improvements are depreciated 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 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”) and 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 (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 align with our reporting segments. We evaluated our reporting units for impairment during the fourth quarter of 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, 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.

Long-lived 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 reporting segments. We evaluated our asset groups for impairment during the fourth quarter of 2020.

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 pension plan is frozen and covers certain employees who 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. This plan was amended on December 31, 2012, to freeze future benefit plan accruals for participants.

New Accounting Standards

The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses ("ASC 326"): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, as of January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective transition method. ASC 326 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. There was no significant impact to consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

The Company adopted ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software ("ASC 350"): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement that is a Service Contract, as of January 1, 2020. This standard aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. Upon adoption of the standard, implementation costs were capitalized in the period incurred and will be amortized over the term of the hosting arrangement. There was no significant impact to consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04 “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” This accounting update provides optional accounting relief to entities with contracts, hedge accounting relationships or other transactions that reference London Interbank Offering Rate (LIBOR) or other interest rate benchmarks for which the referenced rate is expected to be discontinued or replaced. This optional relief generally allows for contract modifications solely related to the replacement of the reference rate to be accounted for as a continuation of the existing contract instead of as an extinguishment of the contract, and therefore would not require reassessment of a previous accounting determination. The Company's Credit Agreement and interest rate swaps have LIBOR as a reference rate. We plan to apply the accounting relief as relevant contract modifications are made to our Credit Agreement and interest rate swap contracts during the course of the reference rate reform transition period. The optional relief can be applied beginning January 1, 2020, and ending December 31, 2022.

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, along with the corresponding right-of-use, or ROU, assets. See Note 9, 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. We utilize the portfolio approach as our policy to release the income tax effects from accumulated OCI as the entire portfolio is liquidated, sold, or extinguished.

Investment

SERP Investments at Fair Value: The Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) is a benefit plan that provides deferred compensation to certain employees. The Company holds the related 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 upon 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 (expense), while the reciprocal changes in the liability are presented in selling, general and administrative expense.

Cost Method Investments: Our investment in CoBank’s Class A common stock represented substantially all of our cost method investments with a balance of $9.8 million and $8.7 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We recognized approximately $4.2 million, $4.2 million and $2.8 million of patronage income in Other income (expense) in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Historically, approximately 75% of the patronage distributions were collected in cash and 25% in equity.

Equity Method Investments: At December 31, 2020, the Company had a 20.0% ownership interest in Valley Network Partnership (“ValleyNet”). The Company and ValleyNet purchase capacity on one another’s fiber network. We recognized revenue of $0.9 million, $1.0 million, and $1.7 million from providing service to ValleyNet during 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. We recognized Cost of service of $2.7 million, $3.0 million, and $3.4 million for the use of ValleyNet’s network during 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.