Shentel to acquire Eastern Kentucky telcom firm

Shenandoah Telecommunications Co. is expanding.

Edinburg-based Shentel plans to purchase Big Sandy Broadband, a cable television, broadband Internet and phone provider in eastern Kentucky’s Floyd and Johnson counties.

“Big Sandy has been family-owned for nearly 60 years, “ Dave Heimbach, Shentel’s COO, said in a statement. “We appreciate those strong roots. Shentel was founded in 1902, and has a long history of serving rural areas like Floyd and Johnson counties.”

The purchase price was not disclosed.

Shentel said the deal will include all of Big Sandy’s assets along with current customers. Employees of Big Sandy have been offered jobs with Shentel.

The integration of Big Sandy, which is based in West Van Lear, Ky., into Shentel is expected to be completed by the second quarter this year.

Shentel provides cable television, broadband Internet, and voice services through its high-speed network to customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.

The company also is an affiliate of Sprint, with wireless coverage in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.

Shentel provides fiber services to commercial and wholesale customers along its 5,641-mile network in  four states.

Big Sandy Broadband will add approximately 4,700 revenue generating units (RGUs) to Shentel’s cable segment, including more than 2,200 broadband RGUs.

The Big Sandy system is adjacent to existing Shentel cable markets in West Virginia, and it is part of the Charleston, W.Va., television market.