Debt Interest Rates (Details)		6 Months Ended
	Feb. 17, 2017	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019
Senior secured credit facilities [Domain]
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt instrument, Default interest rate		2.00%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Increase (Decrease)		2.00%
DIP Facilities [Member]
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		1.50%
Senior secured credit facility, Tranche B7
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.25%
Secured Debt | Senior secured credit facility, Tranche B6 – variable rates, due March 29, 2021 (a)
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		10.50%
Quarterly Amortization Payment on Term Loans, Stated As A Percent of Initial Principal Amount	0.25%
Secured Debt | Senior secured credit facility, Tranche B7 - variable rates, due February 17, 2024
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		9.75%
Unsecured Debt | Senior First Lien Notes – 8.625%, due October 31, 2025 (b) (e)
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.625%
Unsecured Debt | Senior Second Lien Notes - 10.500%, due June 30, 2024 (c) (e)
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		10.50%
Unsecured Debt | Senior Second Lien Notes - 9.000%, due June30, 2025 (c) (e)
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		9.00%
Unsecured Debt | 2020 Notes - 7.750%, due October 15, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.75%
Unsecured Debt | 2021 Notes - 7.750% due October 1, 2021
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.75%
Unsecured Debt | 2022 Notes - 7.500% due June 1, 2022
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.50%
Unsecured Debt | 2023 Notes - 7.500% due April 1, 2023
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.50%
Unsecured Debt | 2023 Notes - 6.375%, due August 1, 2023
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		6.375%
Unsecured Debt | 2024 Notes - 8.750% due December 15, 2024
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.75%
Line of Credit | Senior secured credit facility, Revolving line of credit - variable rates, due April 24, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.50%
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate, at Point in Time			7.23%
Windstream Holdings of the Midwest, Inc. | Secured Debt | Windstream Holdings of the Midwest, Inc. - 6.75%, due April 1, 2028
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		6.75%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | DIP Facilities [Member]
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		1.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage		0.50%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		2.50%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Secured Debt | Senior secured credit facility, Tranche B7
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	3.25%
Federal Funds Effective Rate [Member] | DIP Facilities [Member]
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		0.50%
Minimum
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage		0.40%
Minimum | Line of Credit | Senior secured credit facility, Revolving line of credit - variable rates, due April 24, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage			4.38%
Minimum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Secured Debt | Senior secured credit facility, Tranche B7
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	0.75%
Minimum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Secured Debt | Senior secured credit facility, Tranche B6 [Member]
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	0.75%
Maximum
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage		0.50%
Maximum | Line of Credit | Senior secured credit facility, Revolving line of credit - variable rates, due April 24, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage			8.50%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Minimum | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		0.25%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Minimum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		1.25%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		1.00%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		2.00%
Secured Debt | Maximum | Base Rate [Member] | Senior secured credit facility, Tranche B6 – variable rates, due March 29, 2021 (a)
Debt Disclosure [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	4.00%