Total global revenue for the broadband access equipment market was $4.4 billion in the first quarter, up 14% and fueled by fiber and fixed wireless access projects, according to a study by the Dell’Oro Group.    

“Despite all the challenges with supply chains, logistics, and labor, service providers continue to invest heavily to expand their fiber broadband networks, particularly in North America,” Dell’Oro Group Vice President, Broadband Access and Home Networking Jeff Heynen said in a press release. “Many of these deployments are to deliver multi-gig services, as operators look to stay one step ahead of their competitors.”

Also: Equipment, Worker Shortage Could Delay Fiber Buildout 

In its 1Q 2022 Broadband Access and Home Networking quarterly report, Dell’Oro found that total cable access concentrator revenue increased 5% year-over-year to about $257 million as solid growth in Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) deployments help offset declines in traditional CCAP licenses. Total fixed wireless CPE unit shipments reached 3.8 million units in the quarter, with 5G Sub-6GHz units showing the fastest growth.

Also: It’s Time to Take Frontier Communications’ Fiber Plans Seriously 

Telco and cable operators across the country have stepped up fiber and fixed wireless deployments, especially as federal funding has emerged to help finance buildouts in rural areas. In addition, Altice USA said earlier this year it would accelerate its fiber-to-the-home build, expanding the technology to 6.5 million homes by 2025. AT&T has plans to pass 30 million additional homes with fiber by 2025 and Frontier Communications said it would extend its fiber network to 10 million homes by 2025,  while other smaller operators like TDS Telecommunications -- which plans to nearly double its total service addresses from 1.4 million to 2.2 million over the next five years, mainly through fiber expansion -- Shentel and MetroNet have all expressed plans to step up buildouts to bring faster speeds and greater capacity to broadband customers.  ■ 

Shenandoah Telecommunications shareholders will receive a special cash dividend of $18.75 for every share of the telecom company they own on Aug. 2, about one month after the company completed the sale of wireless assets to T-Mobile.

Shentel agreed to sell wireless assets with about 1.1 million subscribers to T-Mobile for $1.95 billion in cash in February. 

T-Mobile bought Sprint in April 2020 for $26 billion and as part of that deal had an option to purchase Shentel’s wireless assets after an appraisal process. Shentel, which had been a Sprint affiliate since 1999, conducted the appraisal in 2020 that placed the value of the assets at $2.1 billion. After a series of negotiations, T-Mobile and Shentel agreed upon the $1.95 billion price. 

At the time Shentel said it would use the proceeds of the sale -- about $1.5 billion after taxes -- plus $195 million of cash on hand to pay down about $702 million in debt and issue the dividend to shareholders. In a letter to shareholders on July 6, Shentel president and CEO Christopher French said the sale was completed on July 2 for $1.94 billion after adjustments and certain transaction expenses.

The company has said it will reinvest about $19.6 million of the special dividend in shares of Shentel stock through its dividend reinvestment plan over a period of 30 days after the dividend payment date. It expects that the total payout to Shentel shareholders, before any reinvestments, will be about $936.6 million. 

The $18.75 per share dividend is payable on Aug. 2 to shareholders of record as of July 13,, the company said. Because the special dividend is more than 25% of the current share price, as per NASDAQ rules the stock will trade ex-dividend beginning on August 3, the first business day after the payment date, the company said in the press release. The trading price will then reflect the value of the stock without the special dividend.

Shentel stock has spiked over the past few days -- it was up 15.5% on July 2 and another 7.6% on July 6 after news that the T-Mobile deal had been completed was released. In a research note, Raymond James analyst Ric Prentiss, who downgraded the stock to “sell,” said the increase was due to “significant retail buying based on the headline of the special dividend declaration,” according to website seekingalpha.com.  The stock was trading at $56.38 on July 7, down $4.53 per share or 7% each. 

“The completion of the wireless sale and payment of the special dividend are significant milestones in the company’s almost 120 years – and we are excited to begin a new chapter in our long and successful history,” French said in the press release. “Going forward, we are a broadband-centric company, focused on growing our cable, Glo fiber, Beam fixed wireless, and commercial fiber businesses. We believe we have the experience and expertise to continue to execute on our growth strategy, providing quality telecommunications services to our customers and the communities we serve.”

Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel) said it will sell its wireless assets to T-Mobile, part of the larger telecom company’s purchase of Sprint last year, for $1.95 billion in cash and will use the proceeds to pay down some debt and issue a special cash dividend to its shareholders. 

Shentel said the deal, expected to close in the second quarter, will bring it about $1.5 billion after taxes. Those proceeds will be used to pay down about $702 million in debt and to issue an $18.75 per share cash dividend to shareholders. Shentel shares closed at $42.23 each on Feb. 2 up 6.5%, or $2.59 each. The stock was priced at $50 per share, up 18.4% or $7.77 each, in pre-market trading Feb. 3. 

T-Mobile purchased Sprint in April for $26 billion and as part of that deal had the right to exercise an option to purchase Shentel’s wireless assets after an appraisal process.  Shentel has been a Sprint affiliate for its wireless service since 1999.  That appraisal was conducted in 2020, ultimately pinning a $2.1 billion value on the operations . After a series of negotiations, the parties agreed on a $1.95 billion price.   

Shentel’s wireless service has about 1.1 million customers and provides service in a six-state area covering all of West Virginia, the Western region of Virginia, Central Pennsylvania, Central Maryland and parts of Ohio and Kentucky. The unit has about 400 employees and generates about $400 million in revenue per year. 

“We are pleased to provide clarity on the expected sale price of Shentel Wireless and our ability to return significant value to our shareholders,” said Shentel CEO Christopher French in a press release. “The expected transaction closing in the second quarter along with the continued rapid expansion of our Glo Fiber to the Home and Beam fixed wireless services are part of our transformation to a broadband centric company. Shentel has a long history of growth and technology innovation and we are very excited about the new opportunities to bring state-of-the-art broadband to our customers and create value for our shareholders.” 

T-Mobile said it has agreed to purchase wireless assets with about 1.1 million customers from Shenandoah Telecommunications, part of an earlier agreement the CLEC had with Sprint Communications, but the parties still have to agree on price.

ShenTel has had an affiliate agreement with Sprint for more than two decades, and has about 1.1 million wireless customers in parts of West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Sprint was purchased by T-Mobile in April for $26 billion. 

When T-Mobile exercised its right to acquire the Shentel wireless properties, it triggered an appraisal process to determine the business value to be paid by T-Mobile. Shentel said in a press release the process could take “at least several months.” 

Shentel’s wireless business generates about $400 million in annual revenue and has around 400 employees. According to Shentel, it had been in talks with T-Mobile about the framework of the appraisal process prior to the telecom company exercising its option, but the parties were unable to agree on terms.

“Over the last 21 years, the dedicated employees of our wireless business have charted an enormously successful path in the wireless industry,” said Shentel CEO Christopher E. French said in a press release. “We have built the best performing wireless network, deployed an unmatched footprint of stores and kiosks and provided industry leading customer service to over 1 million mostly rural subscribers in our region. Without Shentel, many of our wireless customers would not have otherwise had a reliable provider they could count on for critical connectivity to keep in touch with loved ones or to support their livelihood.”

Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (Shentel) is offering a new pre-paid broadband service it said can help families working and learning from home during the pandemic. 

Its new Mbps Flex package offers 25 Mbps speed at $25 per month to all new customers. Installation and the modem are free and there will be no credit check and is available regardless of past payment history.  

Related: Shentel Ups Broadband Speeds

The package will be available through June 30 to customers in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky and Ohio. 

UPDATED: Small cable operators are answering the call to provide wider access to broadband services as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt lives across the country, offering free service to low-income qualifying homes and beefing up speeds to account for increased traffic as residents increasingly work from home.

While larger companies like Comcast,Charter, Altice USA and others have grabbed headlines with their broadband offerings during the crisis, small cable is stepping up to the plate too, including Mediacom Communications, Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel) and TDS Telecom, to name a few.

Related: NCTA: Cable Stepping Up to Confront Coronavirus 

Shentel, which offers service in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky and Ohio, said it will temporarily increase the speed of every eligible small business and residential broadband data customer to a minimum speed tier of 50 Megabits per second with a 750 gigabyte data allowance at no additional charge regardless of their current plan. In addition, Shentel said it will waive all installation fees for new broadband data subscribers and increase data allowances by 250 GB for all customers whose current rate plan includes a monthly data allowance. These changes take effect immediately and will remain in effect through April 30.

“We believe the decision to increase data speeds and allowances is a critical step to help our customers throughout our service area at this time of great uncertainty,” Shentel CEO Christopher French said in a press release. “Shentel has served many of these markets for more than 100 years and cares deeply for the health and wellbeing of our customers. By temporarily increasing the speeds and data allowances at no additional charge for our customers, we hope we are making the situation surrounding COVID-19 a little easier to deal with when they may be forced to work from home, do school work or attend classes virtually.”

Shentel also addressed concerns over whether its broadband service will be able to handle the increased capacity, adding that its core network is designed with geographically redundant equipment and diverse fiber facilities to support maximum uptime. All network devices support secure remote management and monitoring capabilities.

TDS Telecommunications, which offers service to 900 rural, suburban and metropolitan communities in 26 states, said it will be offering broadband access to low-income individuals and/or families with children and college students for 60 days. This offer is for new customers in communities where TDS provides service.

“As a company, our first priority is the health and well-being of our employees, customers and the communities we serve,” TDS SVP of corporate affairs Drew Petersen said in a press release. “During this difficult time, we want to ensure those who cannot afford broadband services have the essential access they need.”

TDS also signed the “Keep America Connected” pledge, and will forego charging late payment penalties for customers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic; suspend disconnects for customers due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic who fail to pay their bills; and open its WiFi hotspots for 60 days.

“We are proud to be associated with this important communications service continuity program and commend the FCC for their proactive attention to public safety during this most difficult time,” Petersen added.

Sparklight (Cable One) is opening  WiFi hotspots across its footprint for public use during the crisis, according to the company. WiFi hotspots can be accessed free of charge in Sparklight local office parking lots. the company announced last week that it is making unlimited data available on all Internet services for the next 30 days, and is offering payment deferrals and waiving late fees for its customers for the next 60 days.

The company said it plans to reassess after 30 days based on the continued impact and evolving nature of the virus. 

“We live and work in the communities we serve and these are our friends and neighbors impacted by effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19), so we want to do our part to help,” CEO Julie Laulis said in a press release. “We understand that our customers rely on their Internet service to stay connected to family, work, school and information, and we are committed to ensuring they receive the assistance they need during this time.”

Later, CableOne said its family of brands (Sparklight, NewWave Communications and Fidelity Communications) are offering a 15 Mbps Internet plan for $10 per month is available for the next 60 days to help low income families, seniors and college students . No documentation will be required to sign up for this plan.

Comporium, the small market cable and telecom company based in xx South Carolina, said it is offering internet to new customers in homes with K-12 and higher education students.

The news comes as South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper moved to close all public schools in those states through the end of March.

Comporium is offering 60 days of free Standard HSI service and free installation to new customers in homes where a student lives and meets the following requirements:

• It is the primary home of a student in kindergarten through high school, in technical school, in college, or in graduate school;
• Currently without our internet service and that hasn’t had internet service with Comporium for the past 90 days; and
• Located where Comporium would normally provide internet service.

Comporium is also waiving installation fees and normal security deposit process and plans to keep this opportunity available to new customers through the end of March, after which it will reevaluate the situation.

The company said it is working with customers to ensure their internet service is not disconnected during the COVID-19 outbreak as well as the Lancaster County School District to assist them as they prepared to meet their students’ needs remotely. As more school districts in its service territory prepare to send students and teachers home, the company said it will assist them in any way to make their jobs easier. 

The company also addressed fears that its network won't be able to handle the additional residential internet traffic, adding that it has recently made upgrades to both its core network and field equipment. The company said its broadband network is "more than capable of handling the additional strain of many people working and learning from home," and that its technicians are also monitoring the network continuously to ensure that they detect and address any problems as soon as possible.

MCTV  in Stark, Wayne and seven other counties in Eastern Ohio also will offer free Internet access for families without online service.

[embed]https://twitter.com/MCTVOhio/status/1239928307413639168[/embed]

“The well-being of our employees, customers and neighbors is our top priority,” said MCTV president Katherine Gessner in a press release. “MCTV is committed to providing the communities we serve reliable access to online resources and information needed to continue education efforts during this time of need.”

MCTV will offer free Internet access for households that do not have an MCTV broadband subscription currently but do have K-12 or college students. Free Internet will be provided for families who have not been a MCTV customer for 90 days. The offer is available now through April 30.

“These are unprecedented times not just for our communities but for the entire world,” Gessner  continued. “The impact of changes we are all experiencing is immense and MCTV will be here to serve our communities so they can stay connected to what matters most at this time – family, friends, education and healthcare resources."

[embed]https://twitter.com/wctel/status/1239964955337613319[/embed]

Other smaller operators like Wyandotte Municipal Services in Wyandotte, Michigan; and Abbeville, South Carolina-based West Carolina Telephone are offering similar free service offerings and fee waivers.  

In addition:

• In Virginia, Illinois, Cass Communications said it will not terminate services to residential or small business customers who cannot pay their bills because of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, adding that it also will waive late fees and will open its WiFi hotspots.
• Clinton, North Carolina-based Star Communications said it is working to establish 30 drive-up WiFi hotspots at various schools and other public locations in Sampson and Bladen counties in the state, a move toward facilitating learning for students forced away from their classrooms and a public in need of connectivity during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
• Atlantic Broadband has introduced a special tier for a limited time -- Atlantic Broadband Internet Assist -- for residents in need in its services areas that don’t currently have internet service. The new 15 x 1 Mbps service, normally priced at $9.99 per month plus taxes, will be offered free for 60 days. New Internet Assist customers also will receive free installation and a free modem with the service. The cable operator also has a new tier for business customers that want to supply at home workers with voice and internet service called Atlantic Broadband Business Assist. The Business Assist package includes 50 Mbps High Speed Internet, a modem, a Hosted Voice Seat, and a Polycom Phone (or equivalent). It is being offered on a temporary basis at the discounted rate of $29.99 (a savings of approximately $100/month off standard prices).
• Service Electric has joined the FCC Keep Americans Connected Pledge, adding it will offer free broadband modems to qualifying customers and a 60-day financial grace period, during the outbreak.
• Buckeye Broadband has pledged not to disconnect high-speed internet or phone services to customers for non-payment due to economic hardship related to the outbreak. The policy was effective March 17 and is in place for 30 days. Company leaders said they will continue to review the policy “to ensure we are responding to current conditions and meeting our customers’ needs.” Buckeye Broadband also will work with local schools to identify students whose families cannot afford Internet access, and has committed to provide those students with an Internet connection at no charge during that time so that they can continue their studies.
• Eagle Broadband, Northland Communications and Vyve Broadband have signed the FCC’s Keep Americans Connected pledge. Additionally, customer care teams will offer flexible payment options to help see customers through this period. Eagle, Northland and Vyve are working with local leaders to help keep communities connected and also invite residents in need to use WiFi in the proximity of their local offices.
• Anchorage, Alaska-based GCI is offering existing broadband customers free upgrades to the next higher tier of service until May 31,  and free internet access to qualifying homes until the same date. 

#coronavirus #COVID-19

CHICAGO — Bridging the digital divide in small rural communities is still a top priority and one that can help operators drive sales growth even as video customers dwindle, a panel of top small cable CEOs said at The Independent Show’s Opening General Session.

“Providing that local connection, and not just driving the content of those customers, [is critical],” said Buckeye Broadband president and general manager Geoff Shook at the session titled Hot Topics, Cool Leaders. “Owning that relationship from the edge of the end user’s device all the way through the businesses.”

MCTV president Katherine Gessner added that just providing the service isn’t enough for success. Education is a key part of the puzzle.

Gessner told the audience that in MCTV’s initial moves to convert some newly acquired customers from fairly antiquated systems to fiber-to-the home, they were reluctant to switch, even though converting meant they would get data speeds four times faster than their old DSL service.

“They didn’t understand what you could do with it [higher speeds],” Gessner said. “We found out there was a waiting list for DSL. They didn’t want to switch because they were scared that if our service didn’t work they couldn’t go back.”

For Schurz Communications, president and CEO Todd Schurz said one solution has been to partner with other providers in building out broadband networks. Schurz is currently working with local governments, using some state grants in Vermont and Minnesota, working with telephone co-ops in Iowa, electric co-ops in Minnesota, and Native American nations in Minnesota and Arizona.

“What we have found, all of these are structured differently, there’s no one model that fits everything,” Schurz said. “But it’s something that everybody realizes they need to do.”

“If you can go to some of these local entities and say, ‘You don’t have to build a digital headend, you don’t have to worry about all of that infrastructure, and you can put your resources into upgrading the local network, and we will then take the handoff,’ that seems to work pretty well,” he said.

As the industry moves closer toward 5G wireless services, smaller operators are helping to lead the way. At Shentel, executive VP and chief operating officer David Heimbach said that while his company is moving forward on wireline initiatives like DOCSIS
3.1 — which should be completed by the end of the year — they are also making inroads with 5G.

Heimbach said Shentel is currently trialing a 5G service, but there is still plenty of time before that service becomes essential. Of the 5 billion discrete wireless customers worldwide, he said, only one-third are on a 4G network and only 15% of mobile customers are expected to have 5G by 2025.

“This has a long tail on it,” Heimbach said.

But small operators are forging ahead, building out their networks and providing state-of-the-art service to customers, largely funded by their own coffers.

Gessner said that although MCTV did look into obtaining federal grants to build its fiber network, it didn’t make sense in the long run. MCTV began overbuilding its network with fiber to the home in 2014 or 2015 and last year began acquiring a few small properties near its traditional territory. The upgrades have resulted in strong broadband growth, she said.

“We shut off the analog plant in the first system in November and went from 0% internet penetration to about 20% in about seven months,” Gessner said. “It really opened our eyes to the need for rural broadband.” 

Shentel said it has upped the downstream speeds of several broadband tiers without raising the price and has introduced a new top-speed tier that maxes out at 150 Mbps.  

The upgrades, which took place last month and affecting its customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, bump its 15 Mbps tier to 25 Mbps, while the legacy 25 Mbps offering doubles to 50 Mbps, and its 101 Mbps tier jumps to the aforementioned 150 Mbps.

“While it may seem that the speed upgrade happened with a flip of the switch, a lot of work went into this project,” said Tom Whitaker, SVP-cable at Shentel, in a statement. “Shentel invests heavily in our infrastructure and technology. These investments of time, talent and money have enabled us to improve bandwidth and provide customers with faster service.”

Jumping on a trend that’s becoming increasingly popular with U.S. ISPs, Shenandoah Telecommunications Co. has rolled out a pay-as-you-go Internet service.

That service, called Flex, offers 30 days of service for $19.99. Per the FAQ, vustomers are required to buy a $99 starter kit that comes with a wireless  modem, a month of service and a key card. Customers can refill by bringing the Flex Key Card to a ShenTel store or buy more access online flex.shentel.com (customers in the latter group must provide their modem’s MAC ID).

To keep the prepaid offering from cannibalizing its post-paid base, ShenTel limits Flex to  3 Mbps downstream. Customers who want or need more speed will need to take a post-paid service plan.

“Having in-home Internet access has become essential to everyday life. Flex is a great product for folks looking for an entry-level Internet service, without the burden of a contract and expensive monthly payments,” ShenTel vice president Tom Whitaker said, according to CED.

ShenTel joins other ISPs that are testing or have launched prepaid Internet offerings that are generally targeted to “unbanked” consumers, those with bad credit and others who do not otherwise qualify for a post-paid product.

Comcast started to test a prepaid Internet product in the fall of 2012, and has followed with a prepaid TV product in select areas that has recently begun to support HD as a baseline (the original prepaid TV product was standard-def only). Frontier Communications rolled out a prepaid Internet product more than a year ago.

Shenandoah Telecommunications Co., has agreed to purchase nTelos Holdings in a deal valued at about $330 million in cash and debt and separately expanded its affiliate relationships with Sprint that will nearly double its wireless customer base.

ShenTel agreed to pay $9.25 per share in cash for nTelos, a 25% premium to its Aug. 7 close of $7.38 per share. As part of the deal, ShenTel will acquire all of nTelos’ wireless network assets, retail stores and about 298,000 customers in its Western markets. ShenTel will complete nTelos’ plans to shutter its Eastern markets, and at closing will pay off its $523 million in outstanding debt. The companies said their respective boards of directors have approved the deal unanimously.

Speculation around a ShenTel deal with Telos was heavy in May after the Financial Times reported the two were close to a deal. 

In concert with the NTelos deal, ShenTel and Sprint have agreed to exchange certain assets in nTelos’ Western area. ShenTel will convert about 290,000 nTelos retail wireless customers into Sprint branded affiliate customers, and an additional 8,000 nTelos retail wireless customers into Sprint branded retail customers. Sprint will then transition its existing retail wireless operations in the nTelos footprint, including about 291,000 retail customers in nTelos’ footprint, to Sprint branded affiliate customers.

These existing Sprint retail customers, in combination with the nTelos customers, will enable Shentel to serve approximately 581,000 additional customers under its affiliate arrangement with Sprint. As part of the transaction, ShenTel and Sprint have also agreed to extend their Affiliate relationship by five years through 2029. Sprint will receive certain spectrum assets of nTelos, and has agreed to reduce the retained revenues that would otherwise be due to Sprint under the Affiliate Agreement by $252 million over an expected period of five to six years. In addition, at closing Sprint will purchase from ShenTel the nTelos equipment receivables for nTelos customers at a discounted amount to be paid over 24 months.

After taking into account the payments from Sprint for the exchange of certain assets, ShenTel net consideration of the nTelos acquisition will be $330 million. After the closing, Shentel's wireless segment will continue to operate as a Sprint Affiliate and is expected to serve a licensed market area with a total population of 5.4 million, a network that covers 4.3 million POPs and total subscribers of over 1 million.

"This is an exciting time for our company,” said ShenTel chairman and CEO, Christopher French in a statement. “This transaction more than doubles Shentel's wireless customer base, enhances our presence in the Mid-Atlantic region by adding a highly complementary footprint and further strengthens our longstanding partnership with Sprint.  With the close of this deal, Shentel will be positioned as one of the top six public wireless providers in the United States.  We look forward to welcoming nTelos employees to the Shentel team and to serving the nTelos customers."

ShenTel was active in the cable deal market in 2010, when it purchased Jet Broadband for about $148 million and purchased systems passing about 7,000 homes from Suddenlink Communications.

ShenTel will finance the nTelos acquisition and network upgrade with $960 million in credit facilities (including term loans totaling $885 million and a revolver of $75 million) from a syndicate of lenders.  The acquisition is expected to close by early 2016. Moelis & Company LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to Shentel. Hunton & Williams LLP acted as legal counsel to Shentel.

Shenandoah Telecommunication announced earlier this month that it has joined a growing list of MSOs that have joined the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Corporate Alliance Program, an initiative that offers new training and education and programs, and one that aims to expand the SCTE’s base of individual members.

“Shentel employee membership and participation in SCTE has always been strong,” said Tom Whitaker, VP of Shentel Cable, in a statement. “SCTE represents the gold standard in technology training for our industry. Working with SCTE to provide our technicians with the most current training and certifications ensures our customers the best possible service experience.”

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers has added three cable operators -- Cablevision Systems, Charter Communications and Cox Communications -- to its recently announced Corporate Alliance Program.  

The SCTE announced the CAP in April, with Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Suddenlink Communications on board as charter members. Cablevision Systems, Liberty Global, Charter Communications and Cox Communications have also joined.

Alpha Technologies and Arris Group are in as “beta vendor partners,” and will help the organization develop a full vendor program that’s expected to launch sometime in 2015.

 “We look forward to Shentel’s input as a Corporate Alliance Program member as we continue to shape SCTE training and certifications to meet the needs of our rapidly evolving industry,” said Lindsay Johnston, SVP of operations at SCTE. 

Anthem Media Group's Fight Network and FNTSY Sports Network have launched on Shentel Cable's new Fans Choice Sports package. Anthem said the new $5.95 sports package became available to Shentel Cable customers on Aug. 19 and also includes NFL RedZone HD, Fox Soccer Plus HD, ESPN Buzzer Beater HD, World Fishing Network HD, Pursuit Channel and Horse Racing TV HD.

Fight Network HD can be found on channel 363, while FNTSY Sports Network HD is available on channel 366. In order to receive Fans Choice, Shentel Cable TV customers must be subscribed to the Ultimate or Ultimate HD TV package. Shentel Cable is available in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of western Maryland.

“Sports enthusiasts will love this package,” Tom Whitaker, vice president of Shentel Cable, said in a release. “There is something for just about every kind of sports fan. Whether you’re a football fanatic, a fly fisherman or dedicated to combat sports, the Fans Choice package has programming to satisfy all your sports entertainment cravings.”

Pursuit Channel said it has gained about 60,000 subscribers through carriage by Shenandoah Telecommunications Co. in Virginia, West Virginia and parts of western Maryland. Shentel will add the hunting, fishing and shooting programmer in its Fans Choice sports package on or after Tuesday, Aug. 19, the network said.

"We are excited to add the Pursuit Channel to our lineup," Tom Whitaker, vice president of Shentel Cable, said in a release. "The channel will do well with our demographic. Our customers live in areas where hunting and fishing and other outdoor activities are part of an important tradition."

Pursuit Channel said it has distribution to more than 42 million homes, including all DirecTV and Dish Network subscribers.