Windstream Holdings, Inc.
Subsidiary
Foundation2006 (age 20)
LocationLittle Rock, Arkansas, United States
Key peoplePaul H. Sunu
(president & CEO)[1]
Num employees11,080 (2019)[2]
ParentUniti Group Inc.
IndustryTelecommunications
RevenueUS$4 billion (2023)[3]

Windstream Holdings, Inc., trading as Windstream Communications, is a provider of voice and data network communications to businesses across the United States.[4] Under the Kinetic brand, it offers broadband, phone and digital streaming TV services to consumers within its coverage area. It is [when?] the ninth largest residential telephone provider in the country[5] with service covering more than 8.1 million people in 21 states.[6][7][8]

History

Valor Telecom was formed in 2000 to take over GTE Southwest assets that Verizon was selling following its acquisition of GTE.[citation needed] In 2006, Windstream Corporation was formed through the spinoff of Alltel's landline business and merger with Valor.[citation needed]

In 2007, Windstream Corp. purchased CT Communications for $585 million adding 158,000 access lines and 29,000 broadband customers.[9][10] The 2009 acquisition of D&E Communications of Ephrata, Pennsylvania for $330 million added a further 165,000 access lines and 44,000 broadband customers.[11][12][13]

The next year's purchase of Iowa Telecom for $1.1 billion added 256,000 access lines, 95,000 broadband customers, 26,000 digital TV customers and a presence in rural Iowa and Minnesota.[14] In 2010, the firm acquired Nuvox, previously formed from a merger of NuVox Communications, NewSouth Communications, FDN Communications,[15] Gabriel Communications and Trivergent Communications.[16]

On August 17, 2010, it announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Q-Comm Corporation in a transaction valued at approximately $782 million. This includes Q-Comm's wholly owned subsidiaries Kentucky Data Link, Inc. (KDL),[17] a fiber services provider in 22 states and Norlight, Inc.,[18] a CLEC primarily serving the Midwest. Q-Comm subsidiaries nGenX[19] and Cinergy Metronet[20] will be spun off as independent companies prior to the close of the deal.[21]

In November 2010, Windstream announced that it would acquire Hosted Solutions for $310 million; Hosted is a North Carolina–based managed hosting, cloud and colocation provider with a footprint of five datacenters in Cary, Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina as well as Boston.[22] In 2011, the firm acquired PAETEC Holding Corp., a Rochester, New York telecommunications company.[23]

On October 6, 2014, Windstream, in partnership with Ericsson, announced plans to launch its next-gen TV service Kinetic.[24]

On April 24, 2015, it announced that it had completed the tax-free spinoff of "select telecommunications network assets," into Communications Sales and Leasing Inc. (CS&L). On April 17, 2017, one after selling its remaining shares in CSAL and one after merging with EarthLink,[25][26] the company announced that it would acquire Broadview Networks for $227 million.[27]

In 2019, the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York ruled that Windstream had defaulted on bond payments and its stock value fell by 60%.[28] It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in response to a judgment against the company for $310 million.[29][30] The following year, it emerged from bankruptcy as a privately held company, having reduced its debt by over $4 billion.[31]

On July 24, 2025, one year after beginning merger talks,[32] Windstream and Uniti Group received all necessary approvals to carry out the merger.[33] On August 1, Uniti Group Inc. announced that this transaction had been completed.[34]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Windstream Newsroom - Executives". Windstream. Archived 31 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Inline XBRL Viewer". Archived 2020-06-11 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
  3. ^ "Windstream Factsheet - 4Q 2023". Windstream Holdings. February 21, 2024. Archived May 16, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "Windstream Business Product Line Up". Telecom Carrier Reports. Archived 2012-01-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  5. ^ "Research". Leichtman Research Group, Inc.. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  6. ^ Anders, David (April 21, 2022). "Need Home Internet Service? Find the Internet Providers in Your Area". CNET. Red Ventures. Archived March 7, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  7. ^ Anders, David (April 28, 2022). "Kinetic by Windstream Home Internet Review: Your Results May Vary". CNET. Red Ventures. Archived May 6, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  8. ^ Anderson, Duane. "Windstream Overview and Coverage". Broadband Now. Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
  9. ^ "Windstream Corporation to Acquire CT Communications for $585 Million". Phx.corporate-ir.net. Archived 2016-01-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  10. ^ "Windstream Grows NC Presence with CT Buy". Telephonyonline.com. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  11. ^ "Windstream to acquire D&E Communications". Windstream.com. Archived 2021-04-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  12. ^ Ed Gubbins May 11th, 2009 (2009-05-11). "Blog.connectedplanetonline.com". Blog.connectedplanetonline.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-02. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  13. ^ "Investing.businessweek.com". Investing.businessweek.com. 2009-11-10. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  14. ^ "The transaction is expected to close in mid 2010"
  15. ^ "CLECs FDN, NuVox merge". Connected Planet Online. March 22, 2007. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  16. ^ "NuVox Acquisition Complete". Windstream.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  17. ^ KDLinc.com Archived August 8, 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Norlight.com". Norlight.com. Retrieved 2013-05-03.[dead link]
  19. ^ "Ngenx.com". ngenx.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2010.
  20. ^ "DA 10-1669". FCC. September 1, 2010. Archived 31 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  21. ^ "Windstream to acquire Kentucky Data Link, Norlight". News.windstream.com. Archived 2013-05-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
  22. ^ "Windstream to acquire Hosted Solutions". Windstream Communications. November 4, 2010. Archived 2015-09-11 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  23. ^ Edwards, Adam. "Windstream Completes Acquisition of PAETEC". Telarus Industry Briefs. Archived from the original on 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  24. ^ Corbet, Michelle (6 October 2014). "Windstream to Roll Out TV Service Called 'Kinetic'". Arkansas Business. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  25. ^ "Windstream and EarthLink to Merge in $1.1 Billion Transaction". earthlink.com. 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  26. ^ "Windstream acquires EarthLink for $1.1B, creates 145K fiber route mile network - FierceTelecom". 7 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016.
  27. ^ "Windstream to acquire Broadview Networks". April 13, 2017. Archived April 13, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  28. ^ Rexaline, Shanthi (2019-02-19). "The Windstream Plunge, Explained". Yahoo Finance. Archived 2019-02-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  29. ^ "Windstream Files for Bankruptcy After Aurelius Court Defeat". Bloomberg. 25 February 2019. Archived 2019-02-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  30. ^ "Windstream Bankruptcy Filing Will Help Struggling Telecom 'Reorganize' Finances". news.crn.com. 26 February 2019. Archived 2023-02-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
  31. ^ "Windstream Secures Future for Long-Term Growth and Technology Leadership". The Associated Press. 2020-09-21. Archived 2024-02-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  32. ^ "Uniti to Merge with Windstream Creating Premier Insurgent Fiber Provider". Archived March 18, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
  33. ^ "Uniti and Windstream Obtain All Necessary Regulatory Approvals to Complete Merger". 2025-07-24. Archived 2025-08-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  34. ^ "Uniti Completes Merger with Windstream". Uniti Group, Inc.. Retrieved 2025-09-19.