Debt and Other Obligations	12 Months Ended
Debt and Other Obligations	Dec. 31, 2011
Debt and Other Obligations [Abstract]
Debt and Other Obligations	Note 10. Debt and Other Obligations Our long-term obligations as of December 31, 2011 were $118,828,000, excluding current maturities of $1,200,000 on debt and $207,000 on current maturities of capital leases. Long-term obligations as of December 31, 2010 were $114,067,000 excluding current maturities of $4,550,000 on debt and $342,000 of capital leases. On August 11, 2011, we entered into a $150,000,000 credit agreement with a syndicate of nine banks that matures on December 31, 2016. The credit facility is comprised of a $30,000,000 revolving credit component ($29,965,000 available to borrow as of December 31, 2011; $35,000 is reserved for outstanding letters of credit) and a $120,000,000 term loan component ($119,700,000 outstanding as of December 31, 2011). The term loans are structured in a Term Loan B facility. The outstanding principal balance of Term Loan B is $119,700,000 as of December 31, 2011. Under the terms, we are required to make quarterly principal payments of $300,000 beginning March 31, 2012. There was no outstanding principal balance under the revolving credit component as of December 31, 2011 and the revolving credit component does not require quarterly principal payments. Any remaining amounts outstanding on the revolving credit component and Term Loan B will be due at maturity on December 31, 2016. The term loan component has a provision whereby we periodically receive patronage capital refunds. Patronage refunds are recorded as an offset to interest expense and amounted to $529,000 in 2011, $525,000 in 2010 and $512,000 in 2009. Our credit facility requires us to comply, on a consolidated basis, with specified financial ratios and tests. Specifically, the maximum leverage ratio is not to exceed 3.5 through December 31, 2012, 3.25 in 2013 and 3.00 thereafter. Our leverage ratio as of December 31, 2011 was 2.8. The second financial ratio, the debt service coverage ratio, must not be less than 2.5 during the term of the agreement. Our debt service coverage ratio as of December 31, 2011 was 5.5. Tables outlining these calculations can be found in the Liquidity and Capital Resources section found on page 16. The credit facility includes new allowances for continued payment of dividends and common stock repurchases and eliminates a specific capital expenditures limitation which was in place in our previous facility. Our obligations under the credit facility are secured by a first-priority lien on the property and assets, tangible and intangible, of HickoryTech and its current subsidiaries, which includes total assets except for the Business Sector accounts receivable and inventory. We have also given a first-priority pledge of the capital stock of our current subsidiaries to secure the credit facility. The credit facility contains certain restrictions that, among other things, limit or restrict our ability to create liens or encumbrances; incur additional debt; issue stock; make asset sales, transfers, or dispositions; and engage in mergers and acquisitions, pay dividends or purchase/redeem Company stock over specified maximum values. The credit facility requires us to enter in or maintain effective interest rate protection agreements on at least 50% of the Term Loans outstanding balance for a period of two years to manage our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. We continually monitor the interest rates on our bank loans. We currently have interest rate swap agreements, effectively fixing the LIBOR rate portion of the interest rate on $72,000,000 of our variable interest rate debt covering 60% of our debt. Additional information on our interest-rate swap agreements can be found under Note 13. "Financial Derivative Instruments." Our effective interest rate was 4.1%, 4.1% and 5.5% in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Annual requirements for principal payments for the years subsequent to 2011 are as follows: 2012 - $1,200,000; 2013 - $1,200,000; 2014 - $1,200,000, 2015 - $1,200,000 and 2016 - $114,900,000.

The entire disclosure for information about short-term and long-term debt arrangements, which includes amounts of borrowings under each line of credit, note payable, commercial paper issue, bonds indenture, debenture issue, own-share lending arrangements and any other contractual agreement to repay funds, and about the underlying arrangements, rationale for a classification as long-term, including repayment terms, interest rates, collateral provided, restrictions on use of assets and activities, whether or not in compliance with debt covenants, and other matters important to users of the financial statements, such as the effects of refinancing and noncompliance with debt covenants.

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