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Exhibit 10

HICKORY TECH CORPORATION   DIRECTORS' STOCK OPTION PLAN   Amended and Restated March 29, 2000

1.Purpose of the Plan.  The purpose of this Hickory Tech Corporation Directors' Stock Option Plan is to
attract and retain the best available individuals for service as Directors of the Company and to provide additional incentive to the Outside Directors of the Company to serve as Directors.

2.Definitions.



3.Shares Subject to the Plan.  Subject to Section 10, the maximum aggregate number of Shares
that may be optioned and sold under the Plan is 300,000 shares of Common Stock. If an Option should expire or become unexercisable for any reason without having been exercised in full, the unpurchased
Shares that were subject thereto shall become available for future grant under the Plan.

4.Grants of Options under the Plan.  On the date of the close of the audit following each of the fiscal
years in which the Company satisfies the Performance Criteria, each Outside Director shall automatically receive an Option to purchase 5,000 Shares at the Fair Market Value on the date of grant. Each
Option shall be for a term of ten years.

5.Grant of Options under the Plan for new Outside Directors.  New Outside Directors joining the Board
will receive a one-time grant of Options to purchase Shares at the Fair Market Value on the date of the grant. The date of the grant will be the date of their appointment to the Board. The
grant amount will be equal to the number of Options granted to other Outside Directors during the most recent issuance of Options under the annual Directors' Stock Option Plan.

6.One-time Grant of Options for Outside Directors.  Outside Directors will receive a
one-time grant of Options to be issued effective March 29, 2000. This additional one-time grant would be based on the Director's number of years of service on the Board.
This one-time grant would provide for 1,000 Options



per
year of service, with a maximum of 5,000 Options. This would not affect any other issuance of Options under the Directors' Stock Option Plan.

7.Powers of the Board.  Subject to the provisions and restrictions of the Plan, the Board shall have
the authority, in its discretion: (i) to determine the fair market value of the Common Stock; (ii) to interpret the Plan; (iii) to authorize any person to execute on behalf of the
Company any instrument required to effectuate the grant of an Option granted hereunder; and (iv) to make all other determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of the
Plan. All decisions, determinations and interpretations of the Board shall be final and binding on all Optionees and any other holders of any Options granted under the Plan.

8.Effective Date of Plan.  The Plan shall become effective upon its approval by the shareholders of the
Company as described in Section 15.

9.Fair Market Value.  The fair market value of a Share shall be, in the event the Common Stock is
traded on the Nasdaq National Market System or listed on a stock exchange, the average closing sale price on such system or exchange during the five trading days on which there was actual trading
ending on the trading day on which there was actual trading immediately preceding the date of grant of the Option, as reported inThe Wall Street
Journal. In the event the Common Stock is not so traded or listed, the Board shall determine fair market value.

10.Exercise of Option.



11.Non-Transferability of Options.  The Option may not be sold, pledged, assigned,
hypothecated, transferred or disposed of in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised, during the lifetime of the Optionee, only by the Optionee.

12.Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization, Dissolution or Merger.  In the event that the number of
outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company is changed by a stock dividend, stock split,
reverse stock split, combination, reclassification or similar change in the capital structure of the Company without consideration, the number of Shares available under this Plan and the number of
Shares subject to outstanding Options and the exercise price per share of such Options shall be proportionately adjusted. Such adjustment shall be made by the Board, whose determination in that
respect shall be conclusive.

13.Amendment and Termination of the Plan.







14.Conditions Upon Issuance of Shares.  As a condition to the exercise of an Option, the Company may
require the person exercising such Option to represent and warrant at the time of any such exercise that the Shares are being purchased only for investment and without any present intention to sell or
distribute such Shares, if, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, such a representation is required by law.

15.Reservation of Shares.  The Company, during the term of this Plan, will at all times reserve and keep
available such number of the Shares available for issuance pursuant to this Plan as shall be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the Plan.

16.Option Agreement.  Options may, but need not, be evidenced by written Option Agreements in such form
as the Board shall approve.

17.Shareholder Approval.  The Plan shall be subject to approval by the shareholders of the Company.



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