Windstream said in a news release Tuesday that it would pay NuVox owners $183 million worth of newly issued Windstream stock, $280 million in cash and assume about $180 million in debt.

According to Windstream, the acquisition would add about 90,000 land-line customers in 16 states in the southeast and midwest. Windstream currently has about 3 million access lines, the company said.

The transaction should close in the first half of 2010, Windstream said.

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