Windstream $WIN to spin off assets into publicly traded REIT

Windstream (Nasdaq: WIN), a leading provider of advanced network communications, today announced plans to spin off certain telecommunications network assets into an independent, publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT). The transaction will enable Windstream to accelerate network investments, provide enhanced services to customers and maximize shareholder value. The transaction will allow the REIT, which will own Windstream’s existing fiber and copper network and other fixed real estate assets, to expand its network and diversify its assets through acquisitions. The company’s board of directors approved the plan following the receipt of a favorable private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service. Source: Filing