Long-Term Debt and Revolving Promissory Notes (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended																	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended						1 Months Ended	2 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011 Predecessor	Dec. 31, 2010 Predecessor	Dec. 31, 2011 Predecessor	Dec. 31, 2011 Qwest Communications International Inc.	Dec. 31, 2012 Qwest Communications International Inc.	Mar. 31, 2011 Qwest Communications International Inc. Predecessor	Dec. 31, 2010 Qwest Communications International Inc. Predecessor	Dec. 31, 2012 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2011 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes Qwest Communications International Inc.	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior notes Qwest Communications International Inc.	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes Qwest Capital Funding	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior notes Qwest Capital Funding	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes Qwest Capital Funding Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes Qwest Capital Funding Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior notes Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes Qwest Corporation Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes Qwest Corporation Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Capital lease and other obligations Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2011 Capital lease and other obligations Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 Capital lease and other obligations Qwest Communications Company, LLC	Dec. 31, 2011 Capital lease and other obligations Qwest Communications Company, LLC	Dec. 31, 2012 Floating rate notes due 2013 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 17, 2012 Floating rate notes due 2013 Qwest Corporation	Apr. 30, 2012 7.0% Notes due April 2052 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 7.0% Notes due April 2052 Qwest Corporation	Apr. 02, 2012 7.0% Notes due April 2052 Qwest Corporation	Jun. 30, 2012 7.0% Notes due July 2052 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 7.0% Notes due July 2052 Qwest Corporation	Jun. 25, 2012 7.0% Notes due July 2052 Qwest Corporation	Jul. 31, 2012 7.5% Notes due 2023 Qwest Corporation	Jul. 20, 2012 7.5% Notes due 2023 Qwest Corporation	May 31, 2012 7.5% Notes due 2014 Qwest Communications International Inc.	May 17, 2012 7.5% Notes due 2014 Qwest Communications International Inc.	Apr. 30, 2012 8.375% Notes due 2016 Qwest Corporation	Apr. 18, 2012 8.375% Notes due 2016 Qwest Corporation	Apr. 30, 2012 7.625% Notes due 2015 Qwest Corporation	Apr. 18, 2012 7.625% Notes due 2015 Qwest Corporation	Mar. 31, 2012 7.5% Notes due February 15, 2014 Qwest Communications International Inc.	Mar. 02, 2012 7.5% Notes due February 15, 2014 Qwest Communications International Inc.	Oct. 04, 2011 6.75% Notes due 2021 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 6.75% Notes due 2021 Qwest Corporation	Sep. 21, 2011 7.50% Notes due 2051 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 7.50% Notes due 2051 Qwest Corporation	Jun. 08, 2011 7.375% Notes due 2051 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 7.375% Notes due 2051 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 Revolving credit facility CenturyLink	Jan. 31, 2011 Revolving credit facility CenturyLink	Dec. 31, 2012 Credit facility CenturyLink LIBOR	Dec. 31, 2012 Credit facility CenturyLink Prime Rate	Dec. 31, 2012 Credit facility CenturyLink Fed Funds Rate	Dec. 31, 2012 Credit facility CenturyLink Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Credit facility CenturyLink Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Letters of credit CenturyLink	Dec. 31, 2010 3.50% Convertible Senior Notes Qwest Communications International Inc.	Dec. 31, 2010 3.50% Convertible Senior Notes Qwest Communications International Inc.	Feb. 28, 2011 7.25% Notes due 2011 Qwest Capital Funding	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes item	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes Qwest Communications International Inc. Minimum	Oct. 31, 2011 8.875% Notes due 2012 Qwest Corporation	Dec. 31, 2012 Revolving promissory note Qwest Communications International Inc. CenturyLink	Apr. 30, 2012 Revolving promissory note Qwest Corporation CenturyLink, Inc. affiliate	Dec. 31, 2012 Revolving promissory note, two Qwest Communications International Inc. CenturyLink, Inc. affiliate	Apr. 18, 2012 Revolving promissory note, two Qwest Communications International Inc. CenturyLink, Inc. affiliate	Jun. 30, 2011 7.875% Notes due 2011 Qwest Corporation	Oct. 26, 2012 8.00% Notes due 2015 Qwest Communications International Inc.
Long-term Debt
Interest Rates (as a percent)												7.125%				6.50%	7.75%			6.50%	8.375%									7.00%			7.00%		7.50%		7.50%		8.375%		7.625%		7.50%	6.75%		7.50%		7.375%										3.50%	3.50%	7.25%			8.875%					7.875%	8.00%
Amount outstanding												$ 800	$ 2,650	$ 981	$ 981			$ 7,386	$ 7,829			$ 113	$ 176	$ 145	$ 195
Number of investment grade rating agencies																																																													1
Unamortized premiums, net										127	320	49	117	27	28
Total long-term debt	12,296	9,628																																																820							120
Less current maturities	(117)	(856)			(117)
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	12,179	8,772			12,179	2,767	849
Principal amount																										750
Net proceeds from issuance of debt																												508			387													927		557		642
Redemption price as a percentage of principal amount of notes plus accrued and unpaid interest																													100.00%			100.00%															100.00%		100.00%
Period to reset interest rate																										3 months
Interest rate as of remeasurement date																											3.558%
Principal amount of notes issued																												525			400													950		575		661																	580
Repayment of debt instrument																																		484		500						800																1,118	1,118	179			1,500					825	550
Embedded derivative settlement amount																																																											616
Maximum borrowing capacity available																																							811		400										2,000						400							3,000			1,000
Maximum capacity of the letter of credit arrangement																																																									160
Principal amount of notes for which cash tender offers are received and accepted																																						575		308
Repayment of debt instrument																																																											475
Percentage of principal amount of notes for which tender offer was received and accepted																																						71.00%		77.00%
Amount for which cash tender offer is received and accepted																																						722		369
Variable interest rate base																																																				LIBOR	Prime Rate	Fed Funds Rate
Interest rate margin (as a percent)																																													0.50%										0.25%	2.25%
Net gain loss on early retirement of debt	(8)	(23)		(45)			27		(5)																															(46)				8																			(6)						15
Maturities of long-term debt (excluding unamortized premiums, discounts, and other)
2013		856
2014		687
2015		134
2016		243
2017		503
2018 and thereafter		7,002
Total long-term debt		9,425
Revolving Promissory Note
Amount outstanding																																																																2,000		701
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)																																																																6.706%		6.706%
Amount of gross interest expense, net of capitalized interest and interest expense - affiliates
Gross interest expense	495	637	232	1,057
Capitalized interest	(9)	(26)	(5)	(18)
Interest expense	486	611	227	1,039
Interest expense-affiliates		144				12	91	1	1
Additional disclosure
Aggregate amount of debt instrument over which provisions of cross acceleration relating to other debt obligations are applicable																																																														$ 100