Supplemental Guarantor Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended						8 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 128,748	$ 206,920	$ 200,240	$ 188,573	$ 174,675	$ 173,932	$ 173,634	$ 476,314	$ 770,408
Costs and Expenses:
Interest expense								181,797	275,394
Depreciation and amortization								238,748	375,970
General and administrative expense								11,208	35,402
Operating expense (exclusive of depreciation, accretion and amortization)								13,743	49,668
Transaction related costs								5,210	33,669
Total costs and expenses								450,706	770,103
Income before income taxes	8,532	(4,752)	(2,215)	(1,208)	8,480	7,405	9,671	25,608	305
Income tax expense								738	517
Net (loss) income	$ 8,301	$ (4,370)	$ (2,343)	$ (1,535)	$ 8,036	$ 7,166	$ 9,403	24,870	(212)
Comprehensive (loss) income								19,443	(1,154)
Eliminations
Costs and Expenses:
Interest expense								(181,797)	(273,022)
Total costs and expenses								(181,797)	(273,022)
Earnings (losses) from consolidated subsidiaries								(354,953)	(479,234)
Income before income taxes								(173,156)	(206,212)
Net (loss) income								(173,156)	(206,212)
Comprehensive (loss) income								(167,729)	(205,270)
CS&L, Inc.
Costs and Expenses:
Interest expense								181,797	267,959
General and administrative expense								1,934	4,829
Transaction related costs									3,945
Total costs and expenses								183,731	276,733
Earnings (losses) from consolidated subsidiaries								208,601	276,521
Income before income taxes								24,870	(212)
Net (loss) income								24,870	(212)
Comprehensive (loss) income								19,443	(1,154)
CSL Capital, LLC
Costs and Expenses:
Interest expense								181,797	273,022
Total costs and expenses								181,797	273,022
Earnings (losses) from consolidated subsidiaries								208,601	288,468
Income before income taxes								26,804	15,446
Net (loss) income								26,804	15,446
Comprehensive (loss) income								21,377	14,771
Guarantors
Revenues:
Total revenues								458,334	731,713
Costs and Expenses:
Interest expense									7,046
Depreciation and amortization								173,648	279,507
General and administrative expense								9,274	28,161
Operating expense (exclusive of depreciation, accretion and amortization)									25,666
Transaction related costs								5,210	29,566
Total costs and expenses								188,132	369,946
Earnings (losses) from consolidated subsidiaries								(62,249)	(85,755)
Income before income taxes								207,953	276,012
Income tax expense								201	647
Net (loss) income								207,752	275,365
Comprehensive (loss) income								207,752	275,365
Non-Guarantors
Revenues:
Total revenues								17,980	38,695
Costs and Expenses:
Interest expense									389
Depreciation and amortization								65,100	96,463
General and administrative expense									2,412
Operating expense (exclusive of depreciation, accretion and amortization)								13,743	24,002
Transaction related costs									158
Total costs and expenses								78,843	123,424
Income before income taxes								(60,863)	(84,729)
Income tax expense								537	(130)
Net (loss) income								(61,400)	(84,599)
Comprehensive (loss) income								(61,400)	(84,866)
Leasing
Revenues:
Total revenues								458,614	677,368
Costs and Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization								236,177	344,083
Leasing | Guarantors
Revenues:
Total revenues									674,683
Leasing | Non-Guarantors
Revenues:
Total revenues									2,685
Fiber Infrastructure
Revenues:
Total revenues									70,568
Costs and Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization									28,629
Fiber Infrastructure | Guarantors
Revenues:
Total revenues									57,030
Fiber Infrastructure | Non-Guarantors
Revenues:
Total revenues									13,538
Rental Revenues
Revenues:
Total revenues								458,614
Rental Revenues | Guarantors
Revenues:
Total revenues								458,334
Rental Revenues | Non-Guarantors
Revenues:
Total revenues								280
Consumer CLEC
Revenues:
Total revenues								17,700	22,472
Costs and Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization								2,571	3,258
Consumer CLEC | Non-Guarantors
Revenues:
Total revenues								$ 17,700	$ 22,472