Note 8 - Property, Plant and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Notes to Financial Statements

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]

8. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Property, plant and equipment consist of the following at

December 31, 2019

and

2018:

	2019			2018			Useful Lives
Land, buildings and support assets*	$	204,834		$	197,381			5	-	42
Central office switching and transmission		396,565			387,008			5	-	12
Outside plant, cable and wire facilities		765,640			750,492			10	-	50
Other		25,423			17,126				5
Construction work in progress		32,442			38,615
		1,424,904			1,390,622
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization		(1,042,546	)		(1,017,442	)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	382,358		$	373,180

* Depreciation charges are

not

recorded for land.

Capitalized interest associated with construction in progress for the years ended

December 31, 2019

and

2018

was

$1,379

and

$2,001,

respectively. The capitalization rate used was based on a weighted average of the Company’s long-term debt outstanding, and for the years ended

December 31, 2019

and

2018

was

6.47%

and

7.29%,

respectively.

The above table includes property, plant and equipment held under finance leases. The Company also leases various land, buildings, right-of-ways and personal property under operating lease arrangements. See Note

11

“

Leases

” for additional information.