Note 7 - Property and Equipment

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]

7.           Property and Equipment

     Other than those assets that have been written down to their fair values due to impairment, property and equipment purchased is reported at cost less accumulated depreciation.  Depreciation of regulated property and equipment is computed principally using the straight-line method over useful lives determined by the Alabama Public Service Commission (the “APSC”), the Maine Public Utilities Commission (the “MPUC”), the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable (the “MDTC”), the Missouri Public Service Commission (the “MPSC”), the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (the “NHPUC”), the Vermont Public Service Board (the “VPSB”) and the West Virginia Public Service Commission (the “WVPSC”)..  Depreciation of unregulated property and equipment primarily employs the straight-line method over industry standard useful lives.

Property and equipment are composed of the following:

	Estimated Life			December 31, 2011			June 30, 2012
Land				$	1,156,843		$	1,156,843
Building and improvements	20	-	40		12,246,942			12,254,667
Telephone equipment	6	-	20		227,825,837			220,807,755
Cable television equipment		7			10,918,212			11,001,522
Furniture and equipment	8	-	14		2,967,336			2,971,952
Vehicles	7	-	9		6,089,631			6,075,952
Computer software equipment	5	-	7		15,590,698			15,602,392
Internet equipment		5			3,923,314			3,911,180
Total property, plant and equipment					280,718,813			273,782,263
Accumulated depreciation					(214,836,838	)		(214,151,535	)
Net property, plant and equipment				$	65,881,975		$	59,630,728