Note 7 - Property and Equipment

9 Months Ended

Sep. 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			September 30, 2012
Land					$	1,156,843		$	1,156,843
Building and improvements		20	-	40		12,246,942			12,268,433
Telephone equipment		6	-	20		227,825,837			221,449,892
Cable television equipment			7			10,918,212			11,010,734
Furniture and equipment		8	-	14		2,967,336			2,971,953
Vehicles		7	-	9		6,089,631			6,081,456
Computer software equipment		5	-	7		15,590,698			15,607,496
Internet equipment			5			3,923,314			3,904,910
Total property, plant and equipment						280,718,813			274,451,717
Accumulated depreciation						(214,836,838	)		(216,526,577	)
Net property, plant and equipment					$	65,881,975		$	57,925,140