Windstream Holdings Inc. said today that it will use proceeds from the $575 million sale of its data center operation to retire $300 million in debt and fund what it calls Project Excel, a plan to extend Internet service at speeds up to 100 megabits per second to customers that are located in its markets, including Iowa. The announcement today was paired with the Little Rock, Ark.-based company’s third-quarter earnings report. Windstream lost about 8 cents per share on revenues of $1.47 billion, compared with earnings of 7 cents per share on revenues of $1.46 billion in the year-ago period. Windstream also said it has completed $20 million, or 25 percent, of a share repurchase plan and repurchased $290 million of its high-coupon bonds. The company projected fourth-quarter revenues of up to $1.4 billion and total 2015 revenues of $5.6 billion. Windstream acquired Iowa Telecommunications Services Inc. in 2009.