Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013 segments		Mar. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments	2
Revenues	$ 8,793,000,000		$ 8,734,000,000
Inter-segment revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]
Segment Operating Expenses	(7,269,000,000)		(7,521,000,000)
Segment Reporting Information Operating Income or Loss	1,524,000,000		1,213,000,000
Depreciation and Amortization	(1,492,000,000)		(1,666,000,000)
Other, net	(3,000,000)	[2]	198,000,000
Operating income (loss)	29,000,000		(255,000,000)
Interest Expense	(432,000,000)		(298,000,000)
Equity in losses of unconsolidated investments and other, net	(202,000,000)		(273,000,000)
Loss before income taxes	(605,000,000)		(826,000,000)
Segment Reporting Information, Capital Expenditures	1,381,000,000		783,000,000
Payment received for incremental costs or obligations incurred by the Company for Spectrum Hosting	0		236,000,000
Gain Loss from asset dispositions and exchanges	0		29,000,000
Net benefit resulting from favorable developments relating to access cost disputes associated with prior periods			17,000,000
Asset impairments	0		84,000,000
Wireless [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment	8,089,000,000		7,950,000,000
Inter-segment revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]
Segment Operating Expenses	(6,694,000,000)		(6,898,000,000)
Segment Reporting Information Operating Income or Loss	1,395,000,000		1,052,000,000
Segment Reporting Information, Capital Expenditures	1,270,000,000		678,000,000
Wireline [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment	702,000,000		781,000,000
Inter-segment revenues	191,000,000	[1]	217,000,000	[1]
Segment Operating Expenses	(765,000,000)		(837,000,000)
Segment Reporting Information Operating Income or Loss	128,000,000		161,000,000
Segment Reporting Information, Capital Expenditures	64,000,000		47,000,000
Corporate, Other And Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment	2,000,000		3,000,000
Inter-segment revenues	(191,000,000)	[1]	(217,000,000)	[1]
Segment Operating Expenses	190,000,000		214,000,000
Segment Reporting Information Operating Income or Loss	1,000,000		0
Equity in losses of unconsolidated investments and other, net	(202,000,000)		(273,000,000)
Segment Reporting Information, Capital Expenditures	$ 47,000,000		$ 58,000,000

[1] Inter-segment revenues consist primarily of wireline services provided to the Wireless segment for resale to or use by wireless subscribers.

[2] (2)Other, net for the three-month period ended March 31, 2013 consists of severance and exit costs, partially offset by favorable developments in connection with an E911 regulatory tax-related contingency. Other, net for the three-month period ended March 31, 2012 consists of net operating income of $236 million associated with the termination of the spectrum hosting arrangement with LightSquared, a gain of $29 million on spectrum swap transactions, and a benefit of $17 million resulting from favorable developments relating to access cost disputes associated with prior periods, partially offset by asset impairments totaling $84 million.