Wikipedia

Windstream Holdings

Windstream Holdings, Inc.
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded2006; 19 years ago (2006)
HeadquartersLittle Rock, Arkansas, United States
Key people
Paul H. Sunu
(president & CEO)[1]
RevenueUS$4 billion (2023)[2]
Number of employees
11,080 (2019)[3]
ParentUniti Group Inc.
ASN
Websitewww.windstream.com Edit this at Wikidata

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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ "Windstream Newsroom - Executives". Windstream. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  2. ^ "Windstream Factsheet - 4Q 2023" (PDF). Windstream Holdings. February 21, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  3. ^ "Inline XBRL Viewer". Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  4. ^ "Windstream Business Product Line Up". Telecom Carrier Reports. Archived from the original on January 16, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  5. ^ "Research". Leichtman Research Group, Inc. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  6. ^ Anders, David (April 21, 2022). "Need Home Internet Service? Find the Internet Providers in Your Area". CNET. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  7. ^ Anders, David (April 28, 2022). "Kinetic by Windstream Home Internet Review: Your Results May Vary". CNET. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  8. ^ Anderson, Duane. "Windstream Overview and Coverage". Broadband Now. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  9. ^ "Windstream Corporation to Acquire CT Communications for $585 Million". Phx.corporate-ir.net. Archived from the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  10. ^ "Windstream Grows NC Presence with CT Buy". Telephonyonline.com. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  11. ^ "Windstream to acquire D&E Communications". Windstream.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  12. ^ Ed Gubbins May 11th, 2009 (May 11, 2009). "Blog.connectedplanetonline.com". Blog.connectedplanetonline.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Investing.businessweek.com". Investing.businessweek.com. November 10, 2009. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  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 April 8, 2014.
  16. ^ "NuVox Acquisition Complete". Windstream.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  17. ^ KDLinc.com Archived August 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Norlight.com". Norlight.com. Retrieved May 3, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ "Ngenx.com". ngenx.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2010.
  20. ^ "DA 10-1669" (PDF). FCC. September 1, 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  21. ^ "Windstream to acquire Kentucky Data Link, Norlight". News.windstream.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  22. ^ "Windstream to acquire Hosted Solutions" (Press release). Windstream Communications. November 4, 2010. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  23. ^ Edwards, Adam. "Windstream Completes Acquisition of PAETEC". Telarus Industry Briefs. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  24. ^ Corbet, Michelle (October 6, 2014). "Windstream to Roll Out TV Service Called 'Kinetic'". Arkansas Business. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  25. ^ "Windstream and EarthLink to Merge in $1.1 Billion Transaction". earthlink.com. November 7, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  26. ^ "Windstream acquires EarthLink for $1.1B, creates 145K fiber route mile network - FierceTelecom". November 7, 2016. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016.
  27. ^ "Windstream to acquire Broadview Networks". April 13, 2017. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  28. ^ Rexaline, Shanthi (February 19, 2019). "The Windstream Plunge, Explained". Yahoo Finance. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  29. ^ "Windstream Files for Bankruptcy After Aurelius Court Defeat". Bloomberg. February 25, 2019. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  30. ^ "Windstream Bankruptcy Filing Will Help Struggling Telecom 'Reorganize' Finances". news.crn.com. February 26, 2019. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  31. ^ "Windstream Secures Future for Long-Term Growth and Technology Leadership". The Associated Press. September 21, 2020. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  32. ^ "Uniti to Merge with Windstream Creating Premier Insurgent Fiber Provider". Archived from the original on March 18, 2025.
  33. ^ "Uniti and Windstream Obtain All Necessary Regulatory Approvals to Complete Merger". July 24, 2025. Archived from the original on August 1, 2025. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  34. ^ "Uniti Completes Merger with Windstream". Uniti Group, Inc. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
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