Segments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								10 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013 Segment		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Segments [Abstract]
Number of business segments										3
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 46,202	$ 47,088	$ 47,141	$ 48,769	$ 46,582	$ 45,813	$ 43,857	$ 46,944	$ 10,783	$ 189,200		$ 183,196		$ 163,538
Asset impairment										638		0		0
Depreciation and amortization										29,322		26,746		23,056
Operating income (loss)	4,469	4,286	5,006	3,857	5,090	4,557	4,487	5,252		17,618		19,386		19,655
Interest expense										4,619		5,749		6,275
Income taxes										5,286		5,383		5,042
Net Income	1,923	1,862	2,321	1,626	2,525	1,741	1,738	2,294	939	7,732		8,298		8,401
Total assets	266,880				268,304				268,304	266,880		268,304		243,986
Property, plant and equipment, net	181,326				182,959				182,959	181,326		182,959		154,254
Additions to property, plant and equipment										27,992	[1]	30,386	[1]	21,440	[1]
Fiber and Data [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										67,895		60,940		45,922
Equipment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										61,683		60,133		48,932
Telecom [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										57,946		60,086		66,570
Telecom [Member] | South Central Minnesota [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of communities serviced by incumbent local exchange carrier operations										13
Telecom [Member] | Rural Northwest Iowa [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of communities serviced by incumbent local exchange carrier operations										13
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										1,676	[2]	2,037	[2]	2,114	[2]
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										189,200		183,196		163,538
Operating Segments [Member] | Fiber and Data [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										67,026		60,109		45,149
Asset impairment										638
Depreciation and amortization										11,992		9,923		6,394
Operating income (loss)										7,726		9,801		7,346
Interest expense										0		3		2
Income taxes										3,030		3,865		2,922
Net Income										4,700		5,933		4,423
Total assets	116,366				113,855				113,855	116,366		113,855		73,953	[3]
Property, plant and equipment, net	97,841				94,375				94,375	97,841		94,375		59,858
Additions to property, plant and equipment										15,662	[1]	19,812	[1]	11,553	[1]
Operating Segments [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										61,683		60,133		48,932
Asset impairment										0
Depreciation and amortization										477		300		302
Operating income (loss)										3,363		2,507		2,746
Interest expense										0		0		0
Income taxes										1,305		984		1,094
Net Income										2,058		1,523		1,651
Total assets	20,639				20,866				20,866	20,639		20,866		22,455	[3]
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,958				1,430				1,430	1,958		1,430		1,383
Additions to property, plant and equipment										992		364		428
Operating Segments [Member] | Telecom [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										56,310		58,632		65,143
Asset impairment										0
Depreciation and amortization										14,852		15,150		15,164
Operating income (loss)										7,518		7,788		10,250
Interest expense										0		2		5
Income taxes										2,919		3,061		4,076
Net Income										4,603		4,743		6,176
Total assets	106,622				111,429				111,429	106,622		111,429		120,144
Property, plant and equipment, net	76,366				81,547				81,547	76,366		81,547		88,698
Additions to property, plant and equipment										9,782		7,560		8,554
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										4,181		4,322		4,314
Asset impairment										0
Depreciation and amortization										2,001		1,373		1,196
Operating income (loss)										(989)	[2]	(710)	[2]	(687)	[2]
Interest expense										4,619		5,744		6,268
Income taxes										(1,968)		(2,527)		(3,050)
Net Income										(3,629)		(3,901)		(3,849)
Total assets	23,253				22,154				22,154	23,253		22,154		27,434
Property, plant and equipment, net	5,161				5,607				5,607	5,161		5,607		4,315
Additions to property, plant and equipment										1,556		2,650		905
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										0		0		0
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Fiber and Data [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										869		831		773
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										0		0		0
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Telecom [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										1,636		1,454		1,427
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenue										$ (2,505)	[2]	$ (2,285)	[2]	$ (2,200)	[2]

[1] Net of Broadband Stimulus Funds received and purchases/usage of materials and supplies.

[2] Includes intersegment eliminations

[3] Breakout of total assets between the Fiber & Data and Equipment Segments is based on estimates for 2011 as the two segments were not accounted for separately. Estimated total assets for the Equipment Segment in 2011 do not include goodwill or other intangibles.