Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Sep. 30, 2014	Apr. 24, 2015		May 05, 2015	Apr. 26, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Oct. 17, 2012
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividends, Cash	$ 150,500,000
Derivative, Number of Instruments Held	10								4
Other Lease Obligation, Lease Terms			10 years
Common stock, shares authorized	166,700,000							166,700,000
Common stock, par value	$ 0.0001							$ 0.0001
Common stock, shares issued	100,800,000							100,500,000
Common stock, shares outstanding	100,800,000							100,500,000
Dividends, per share declared to shareholders	$ 1.50
Spin-off of Certain Network and Real Estate Assets
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Subsequent Event, Date				Apr. 24, 2015
Percent of REIT Shares Distributed				80.40%
Dividends, Cash				1,035,000,000
REIT debt issued to Windstream Services, LLC.				2,500,000,000
Number of Shares, Stock Dividend Ratio, REIT				1
Number of Shares, Stock Dividend Ratio, Windstream Holdings, Inc.				5
Costs Associated with Debt Exchange				35,400,000
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt				21,500,000
Number of swaps terminated				7
Costs associated with Termination of Swaps				22,700,000
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners				19.60%
Master Lease Agreement
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Other Lease Obligation, Lease Terms				15 years
Number of Renewal Options				4
Lease Term of Renewal Options				5 years
Amount of Capital Expenditures that could be Funded by the REIT				250,000,000
Years of CapEx Funding				5 years
Adjustment to Rate of Master Lease if CapEx Funded				8.125%
Other Lease Obligation, Lease Terms, with CapEx Funding				20 years
Number of Renewal Options, Reduced				3
Other Lease Obligation, Annual Rental Payments				650,000,000
Effective interest rate, Master Lease Agreement				10.15%
Annual Rent Escalations After Third Year of Initial Lease Term				0.50%
Long-term Lease Obligation				5,100,000,000
Pre-Spin-off/Pre-Reverse Stock Split Pro Rata Dividend
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividends, per share declared to shareholders				$ 0.0659
Pro-rated Per Share Quarterly Dividend, Equivalent				$ 0.25
Common stock dividend declared, date of record						Apr. 10, 2015
Dividend Declared
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividends, per share declared to shareholders						0.1104
Common stock dividend declared, date declared						May 05, 2015
Common stock dividend declared, payable date						Jul. 15, 2015
Common stock dividend declared, date of record						Jun. 30, 2015
Windstream Holdings, Inc.
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Total shares, authorized	200,000,000
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$ 0.0001
Common stock, shares authorized	166,700,000
Common stock, par value	$ 0.0001
Windstream Holdings, Inc. | Spin-off of Certain Network and Real Estate Assets
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Term loans				1,700,000,000
Windstream Holdings, Inc. | Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Reverse Stock Split
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Share conversion factor - post stock split							1
Share conversion factor - pre stock split							6
Real Estate Investment Trust | Spin-off of Certain Network and Real Estate Assets
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Term loans				2,140,000,000
Secured Debt | Spin-off of Certain Network and Real Estate Assets
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Total Debt Issued to Windstream				400,000,000
Secured Debt | Real Estate Investment Trust | Spin-off of Certain Network and Real Estate Assets
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				6.00%
Debentures and notes, without collateral				400,000,000
Unsecured Debt | Spin-off of Certain Network and Real Estate Assets
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Total Debt Issued to Windstream				1,077,300,000
Unsecured Debt | Real Estate Investment Trust | Spin-off of Certain Network and Real Estate Assets
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				8.25%
Debentures and notes, without collateral				1,110,000,000
Term Loans | Spin-off of Certain Network and Real Estate Assets
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Total Debt Issued to Windstream				970,200,000
Senior secured credit facility, Revolving line of credit - variable rates, due 2020 | Line of Credit
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Decrease, Repayments	295,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	1,250,000,000
Senior secured credit facility, Revolving line of credit - variable rates, due 2020 | Line of Credit | Spin-off of Certain Network and Real Estate Assets
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Decrease, Repayments				752,200,000
Senior secured credit facility, Revolving line of credit - variable rates, due 2020 | Line of Credit | Amendment to Senior Credit Facility
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity				1,250,000,000
2018 Notes - 9.875% due December 1, 2018 | Unsecured Debt | PAETEC Holding Corp.
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	9.875%
2018 Notes - 9.875% due December 1, 2018 | Unsecured Debt | PAETEC Holding Corp. | Redemption of Long-term Debt
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				9.875%
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount				450,000,000	[1]
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Price per $1,000				1,049.38	[1]
2018 Notes - 8.125%, due September 1, 2018 | Unsecured Debt
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	8.125%
Debentures and notes, without collateral	400,000,000	[1]						400,000,000
2018 Notes - 8.125%, due September 1, 2018 | Unsecured Debt | Redemption of Long-term Debt
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				8.125%
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount				400,000,000
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Price per $1,000				$ 1,040.63	[1]
Preferred Stock | Windstream Holdings, Inc.
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Shares Authorized	33,333,333
Common Stock | Windstream Holdings, Inc.
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Common stock, shares authorized	166,666,667
Common Stock | Windstream Holdings, Inc. | Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Reverse Stock Split
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Common stock, shares issued							100,900,000
Common stock, shares outstanding							100,900,000
Annual dividend rate per share				$ 0.60

[1] On April, 24, 2015, Windstream Services called for the redemption of these notes on May 27, 2015 (see Note 13).