[Breaking News] Shentel to buy out Ntelos

[lilotimz]

 

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE: S) and Shentel (Nasdaq:SHEN) today announced they have amended their affiliate agreement and entered into several other agreements concurrent with Shentel entering into an agreement to acquire NTELOS Holdings Corp. (nTelos) (Nasdaq:NTLS). The related agreements call for Sprint to pay Shentel up to $252 million over approximately 5-6 years through a reduction in Sprint’s retained revenues under the affiliate agreement in consideration for spectrum, customers, and value derived from the amended Shentel affiliate relationship and related commercial terms.

“With this agreement, Sprint will grow its customer base, improve its financial performance, acquire spectrum in important markets and improve and expand 4G LTE coverage to Sprint and nTelos customers.”

Upon closing of Shentel’s purchase of nTelos, Sprint will receive nTelos spectrum assets covering 5.4 million people in parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky and North Carolina. Shentel will terminate the existing network wholesale agreements between Sprint and nTelos, continue to upgrade the nTelos network to 4G LTE and expand coverage in the areas with at least an additional 150 sites over the next three years, using spectrum acquired by Sprint and made available to Shentel as part of the transaction. Shentel will also be able to utilize Sprint’s 2.5 GHz spectrum within its footprint. This will provide an enhanced and more complete network for the new and existing Sprint customers.

 

In addition, the approximately 290,000 nTelos retail wireless customers and Sprint’s approximately 291,000 retail wireless customers in the area will be converted to Sprint-branded affiliate customers, and an additional 8,000 nTelos retail customers will be converted into Sprint- branded retail customers. It is anticipated that Sprint will transition its existing retail wireless operations within the nTelos territory to Shentel. As part of the transaction, Shentel and Sprint have also agreed to extend their affiliate relationship an additional 5 years to 2029.

 

“Sprint and Shentel have a long successful relationship and this announcement will only make it stronger,” said Michael C. Schwartz, Sprint senior vice president of Corporate and Business Development. “With this agreement, Sprint will grow its customer base, improve its financial performance, acquire spectrum in important markets and improve and expand 4G LTE coverage to Sprint and nTelos customers.”

 

Sprint expects the transaction to have a positive impact on EBITDA in the first year following the close of the agreement.

Current Sprint and Shentel customers will not be impacted by these transactions. Current nTelos customers do not need to take any immediate action. Once the transaction closes, the nTelos customers are expected to be able to continue to use their current phone, and Shentel, along with Sprint, will begin to transition the nTelos customers to the Sprint billing system and customer care services. Additional information will be communicated directly to the nTelos customers and posted to a new website, www.WelcomeToShentel.com.

 

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in early 2016.

 

 

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150810006072/en/

 

 

Great news for those in ntelos land! 

[S4GRU]

OH, GLORIOUS DAY!  I never thought this day would come.  There are tears of joy in Roanoke, Blacksburg, Charleston, Huntington/Tri Cities, Beckley, Staunton, Lynchburg, Danville, Charlottesville, Morgantown and Martinsville.  Children are running through the streets, cheering.  YAY!!!

[Deval]

Begs the question, what exact spectrum holdings does nTelos have?

 

Based on what I'm reading, Shentel will take over building out their network, and essentially become a super affiliate? Also gain access to B41 spectrum to deploy?

 

Talk about a win for rural areas. 

[KD8JBF]

ABOUT DAMN TIME!

[lilotimz]

Begs the question, what exact spectrum holdings does nTelos have?

 

Based on what I'm reading, Shentel will take over building out their network, and essentially become a super affiliate? Also gain access to B41 spectrum to deploy?

 

Talk about a win for rural areas.

Significant amounts of band 2/4/41 and maybe band 12 in some areas.

 

They also hold pcs spectrum in adjacent territories that they don't serve. Band 4 can be swapped with tmobile or whoever else for PCS.

 

With Shentel at the lead ntelos land may be transformed from one of the worst to one of the best sprint user markets.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5

[KD8JBF]

Some future upgrades planned:

 

EDIT: From (www.welcometoshentel.com)

 

"Shentel is committed to investing over $300 million to continue and accelerate the upgrade and expansion of the existing nTelos wireless network which will result in significantly better wireless service for the wireless customers in that region."

 

"As part of the expansion of the network, Shentel is committed to adding an additional 150 coverage sites which will provide an enhanced and more complete network for the new Sprint customers."

 

 

[S4GRU]

I love how Shentel is going to be adding 150 new sites.  Aggressive.

[lilotimz]

I love how Shentel is going to be adding 150 new sites. Aggressive.

No doubt it's funded by a certain JPN company. This shows that they're pretty serious about expanding and improving sprints performance.

 

Next up.. Swiftel land.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5

[cdk]

Begs the question, what exact spectrum holdings does nTelos have?

 

Based on what I'm reading, Shentel will take over building out their network, and essentially become a super affiliate? Also gain access to B41 spectrum to deploy?

 

Talk about a win for rural areas.

 

They have some nice PCS spectrum holdings throughout their service area (and nearby it as mentioned), a decent AWS block in parts of VA, and I believe they have some BRS/EBS as well.

 

If only they hadn't sold the PCS spectrum that they had in the Richmond and Norfolk area.

[Deval]

That's great to hear then.

 

Isn't the Poconos covered by nTelos? That's a spot that needs help.

[S4GRU]

Next up.. Swiftel land.

Sent from my Nexus 5

 

Oooh, I quiver with anticipation!  I love when you talk dirty to me.

[gr8nuguy]

Awesome news

 

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

[sbolen]

Oooh, I quiver with anticipation! I love when you talk dirty to me.

Do we need to add a NSFW tag to this post?

[cdk]

More articles on the subject.

 

http://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Shentel+%28SHEN%29+to+Acquire+NTELOS+Holdings+%28NTLS%29+for+$9.25Share/10798943.html

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ntelos-to-be-acquired-by-shentel-2015-08-10

Edited August 10, 2015 by cdk

[Rawvega]

Next up.. Swiftel land.

 

 

THIS x 1000!

[Nickel]

Oooh, I quiver with anticipation!  I love when you talk dirty to me.

[JDP121]

From Sprint's Newsroom:

 

http://newsroom.sprint.com/news-releases/sprint-and-shentel-to-expand-affiliate-territory-to-cover-former-ntelos-area.htm

[Jaramie3]

So do this mean that I will get LTE in Lynchburg??

[twospirits]

So question... 

With the following numbers mentioned in the articles

189,000 Post paid retail subscribers

102,000 prepaid retail subscribers

-----------

291,000 Total transition into Sprint branded customers

 

 

223,000 postpaid nTelos retail subscribers

067,000 prepaid nTelos retail subscribers

----------

290,000 Total that are transition to Sprint affiliate

 

 

006,000 postpaid nTelos retail subscribers

002,000 prepaid nTelos retail subscribers

----------

008,000 Total converted to Sprint retail customers

 

589.000 Total customers <----- am I to assume that this is the amount that will be added in the next quarterly report?

 

 

TS

[dnicekid]

So sprint gains customers???

This put them back in #3?

Who is swiftel?

Does it makes sense for sprint to eventually buy shentel?

[cdk]

So question... 

 

.....

 

589.000 Total customers <----- am I to assume that this is the amount that will be added in the next quarterly report?

 

 

TS

 

I think the total adds are 290,000, the 291,000 number I believe is Sprint customers that will become Shentel customers (so no net ads there). I am not sure about the other 8,000 though.

[Mr.Nuke]

589.000 Total customers <----- am I to assume that this is the amount that will be added in the next quarterly report?

TS

No. The nTelos customers are the only adds. The other approximately 300,000 are currently Sprint customers in nTelos territory that Sprint is putting into the Shentel affiliate agreement.

[dnicekid]

So how exactly does this help sprint?

Do they have nationwide something that sprint can use?

[twospirits]

I think the total adds are 290,000, the 291,000 number I believe is Sprint customers that will become Shentel customers (so no net ads there). I am not sure about the other 8,000 though.

 

 

No. The nTelos customers are the only adds. The other approximately 300,000 are currently Sprint customers in nTelos territory that Sprint is putting into the Shentel affiliate agreement.

Ah okay. Thanks for the clarification. (The numbers I grabbed including that 8,000 was from the  link that cdk posted).

 

TS

[davidtm]

So how exactly does this help sprint?

Do they have nationwide something that sprint can use?

The primary benefit is for us Sprint folks who live in nTelos-land. We will FINALLY get 4G service, which we've NEVER had before (unless we traveled elsewhere). It will take time - I read in one of those links that this deal doesn't close till early 2016 - and there's backhaul to get. However, Shentel was fast and thorough in upgrading their network, so it will be a quality product at the end. I'm hoping that maybe this project is on a slightly faster track, coming on the heels of the recent visit to Japan. :-D

 

Sent from Tapatalk on either my HTC One M9 or Tab4 10.1, it kinda depends