Supplemental Guarantor Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Condensed Financial Information Of Parent Company Only Disclosure [Abstract]

The following information summarizes our Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the year ended December 31, 2016 and for the period from April 24, 2015 to December 31, 2015, and the Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2016 and for the period from April 24, 2015 to December 31, 2015:

	Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet As of December 31, 2016
(Thousands)	CS&L			CSL Capital			Guarantors		Non-Guarantors			Eliminations			Consolidated
Assets:
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	—		$	—		$	1,975,455	$	694,582		$	—		$	2,670,037
Cash and cash equivalents		131,145			—			32,426		8,183			—			171,754
Accounts receivable, net		(3	)		—			8,989		6,295			—			15,281
Affiliate receivable		—			—			—		2,413			(2,413	)		—
Goodwill		—			—			145,054		117,280			—			262,334
Intangible assets, net		—			—			37,033		123,551			—			160,584
Straight-line revenue receivable		—			—			29,084		4			—			29,088
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		2,801,234			2,036,717			761,609		-			(5,599,560	)		—
Other assets		1,066			—			6,567		2,041			—			9,674
Total Assets	$	2,933,442		$	2,036,717		$	2,996,217	$	954,349		$	(5,601,973	)	$	3,318,752
Liabilities and Shareholders' (Deficit) Equity:
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	$	—		$	—		$	25,081	$	15,896		$	—		$	40,977
Accrued interest payable		27,812			27,812			—		—			(27,812	)		27,812
Deferred revenue		—			—			157,857		103,547			—			261,404
Derivative liability		6,102			6,102			—		—			(6,102	)		6,102
Affiliate payable		—			—			2,413		—			(2,413	)		—
Dividends payable		94,607			—			—		—			—			94,607
Deferred income taxes		—			—			1,603		26,791			—			28,394
Capital lease obligations		—			—			47,977		6,558			—			54,535
Contingent consideration		98,600			—			—		—			—			98,600
Notes and other debt, net		4,028,214			4,028,214			—		—			(4,028,214	)		4,028,214
Total liabilities		4,255,335			4,062,128			234,931		152,792			(4,064,541	)		4,640,645

Convertible preferred stock		80,552			—			—		—			—			80,552

Shareholders' (Deficit) Equity:
Common stock		15			—			—		—			—			15
Additional paid-in capital		141,092			—			—		—			—			141,092
Accumulated other comprehensive income		(6,369	)		(6,102	)		—		(267	)		6,369			(6,369	)
Distributions in excess of earnings		(1,537,183	)		(2,019,309	)		2,761,286		801,824			(1,543,801	)		(1,537,183	)
Total shareholders' deficit		(1,402,445	)		(2,025,411	)		2,761,286		801,557			(1,537,432	)		(1,402,445	)
Total Liabilities, Convertible Preferred Stock, and Shareholders' Deficit	$	2,933,442		$	2,036,717		$	2,996,217	$	954,349		$	(5,601,973	)	$	3,318,752

	Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet As of December 31, 2015
(Thousands)	CS&L			CSL Capital			Guarantors		Non-Guarantors		Eliminations			Consolidated
Assets:
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	—		$	—		$	1,841,712	$	533,048	$	—		$	2,374,760
Cash and cash equivalents		17			—			140,197		2,284		—			142,498
Accounts receivable, net		—			—			474		1,609		—			2,083
Affiliate receivable		—			—			151		—		(151	)		—
Intangible assets, net		—			—			—		10,530		—			10,530
Straight-line rent receivable		—			—			11,795		—		—			11,795
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		2,458,679			2,458,679			510,093		—		(5,427,451	)		—
Other assets		—			—			672		298		—			970
Total Assets	$	2,458,696		$	2,458,679		$	2,505,094	$	547,769	$	(5,427,602	)	$	2,542,636

Liabilities and Shareholders' (Deficit) Equity:
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	$	—		$	—		$	9,204	$	1,205	$	—		$	10,409
Accrued Interest payable		24,440			24,440			—		—		(24,440	)		24,440
Deferred Revenue		—			—			44,862		22,955		—			67,817
Derivative liability		5,427			5,427			—		—		(5,427	)		5,427
Affiliate payable		—			—			—		151		(151	)		—
Dividends payable		90,507			—			—		—		—			90,507
Deferred income taxes		—			—			1,677		4,037		—			5,714
Notes and other debt, net		3,505,228			3,505,228			—		—		(3,505,228	)		3,505,228
Total liabilities		3,625,602			3,535,095			55,743		28,348		(3,535,246	)		3,709,542

Common Stock		15			—			—		—		—			15
Additional paid-in capital		1,392			—			—		—		—			1,392
Accumulated other comprehensive income		(5,427	)		(5,427	)		—		—		5,427			(5,427	)
Distributions in excess of earnings		(1,162,886	)		(1,070,989	)		2,449,351		519,421		(1,897,783	)		(1,162,886	)
Total shareholders' deficit		(1,166,906	)		(1,076,416	)		2,449,351		519,421		(1,892,356	)		(1,166,906	)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' (Deficit) Equity	$	2,458,696		$	2,458,679		$	2,505,094	$	547,769	$	(5,427,602	)	$	2,542,636

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

	Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income For the Year Ended December 31, 2016
(Thousands)	CS&L			CSL Capital		Guarantors			Non-Guarantors			Eliminations			Consolidated
Revenues:
Leasing	$	—		$	—	$	674,683		$	2,685		$	—		$	677,368
Fiber Infrastructure							57,030			13,538						70,568
Consumer CLEC		—			—		—			22,472			—			22,472
Total revenues		—			—		731,713			38,695			—			770,408
Costs and Expenses:
Interest expense		267,959			273,022		7,046			389			(273,022	)		275,394
Depreciation and amortization		—			—		279,507			96,463			—			375,970
General and administrative expense		4,829			—		28,161			2,412			—			35,402
Operating expense (exclusive of depreciation, accretion and amortization)		—			—		25,666			24,002			—			49,668
Transaction related costs		3,945			—		29,566			158			—			33,669
Total costs and expenses		276,733			273,022		369,946			123,424			(273,022	)		770,103
Earnings from consolidated subsidiaries		276,521			288,468		(85,755	)		—			(479,234	)		—
(Loss) income before income taxes		(212	)		15,446		276,012			(84,729	)		(206,212	)		305
Income tax expense		—			—		647			(130	)		—			517
Net (loss) income	$	(212	)	$	15,446	$	275,365		$	(84,599	)	$	(206,212	)	$	(212	)

Comprehensive (loss) income	$	(1,154	)	$	14,771	$	275,365		$	(84,866	)	$	(205,270	)	$	(1,154	)

	Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income For the Period from April 24 - December 31, 2015
(Thousands)	CS&L		CSL Capital		Guarantors			Non-Guarantors			Eliminations			Consolidated
Revenues:
Rental revenues	$	—	$	—	$	458,334		$	280		$	—		$	458,614
Consumer CLEC		—		—		—			17,700			—			17,700
Total revenues		—		—		458,334			17,980			—			476,314
Costs and Expenses:
Interest expense		181,797		181,797		—			—			(181,797	)		181,797
Depreciation and amortization		—		—		173,648			65,100			—			238,748
General and administrative expense		1,934		—		9,274			—			—			11,208
Operating expense (exclusive of depreciation, accretion and amortization)		—		—		—			13,743			—			13,743
Transaction related costs		—		—		5,210			—			—			5,210
Total costs and expenses		183,731		181,797		188,132			78,843			(181,797	)		450,706
Earnings (losses) from consolidated subsidiaries		208,601		208,601		(62,249	)		—			(354,953	)		—
(Loss) Income before income taxes		24,870		26,804		207,953			(60,863	)		(173,156	)		25,608
Income tax expense		—		—		201			537			—			738
Net (loss) income	$	24,870	$	26,804	$	207,752		$	(61,400	)	$	(173,156	)	$	24,870

Comprehensive (loss) income	$	19,443	$	21,377	$	207,752		$	(61,400	)	$	(167,729	)	$	19,443

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

	Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows For the Year Ended December 31, 2016
(Thousands)	CS&L			CSL Capital		Guarantors			Non-Guarantors			Eliminations			Consolidated
Cash flow from operating activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$	(59,076	)	$	—	$	626,147		$	18,686		$	(209,769	)	$	375,988

Cash flow from investing activities
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		—			—		(315,494	)		(173,294	)		—			(488,788	)
Acquisition of ground lease investments		—			—		—			(11,543	)		—			(11,543	)
Other capital expenditures		—			—		(14,567	)		(20,333	)		—			(34,900	)
Net cash used in investing activities		—			—		(330,061	)		(205,170	)		—			(535,231	)

Cash flow from financing activities
Principal payment on debt		(22,027	)		—		—			—			—			(22,027	)
Dividends paid		(367,830	)		—		—			—			—			(367,830	)
Proceeds from issuance of Notes		548,875			—		—			—			—			548,875
Borrowings under revolving credit facility		641,000			—		—			—			—			641,000
Payments under revolving credit facility		(641,000	)		—		—			—			—			(641,000	)
Capital lease payments		—			—		(1,357	)		(192	)		—			(1,549	)
Deferred financing costs		(20,557	)		—		—			—			—			(20,557	)
Common stock issuance, net of costs		54,213			—		—			—			—			54,213
Net share settlement		(2,359	)		—		—			—			—			(2,359	)
Intercompany transactions, net		(111	)		—		(402,500	)		192,842			209,769			—
Net cash provided (used in) by financing activities		190,204			—		(403,857	)		192,650			209,769			188,766
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents		—			—		—			(267	)		—			(267	)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		131,128			—		(107,771	)		5,899			—			29,256
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31, 2015		17			—		140,197			2,284						142,498
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31, 2016	$	131,145		$	—	$	32,426		$	8,183		$	—		$	171,754

	Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows For the Period from April 24 - December 31, 2015
(Thousands)	CS&L			CSL Capital		Guarantors			Non-Guarantors			Eliminations			Consolidated
Cash flow from operating activities
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	106,332		$	—	$	426,719		$	13,519		$	(253,362	)	$	293,208

Cash flow from investing activities
Consideration paid to Windstream Services		(1,035,029	)		—		—			—			—			(1,035,029	)
Capital expenditures - other		—			—		(33,178	)		(11,235	)		—			(44,413	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(1,035,029	)		—		(33,178	)		(11,235	)		—			(1,079,442	)

Cash flow from financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of Term Loans		1,127,000			—		—			—			—			1,127,000
Deferred financing costs		(30,057	)		—		—			—			—			(30,057	)
Principal payment on debt		(10,700	)		—		—			—			—			(10,700	)
Common stock issuance costs		(543	)		—		—			—			—			(543	)
Net share settlement		(113	)													(113	)
Dividends paid		(156,854	)		—		—			—			—			(156,854	)
Intercompany transactions, net		—			—		(253,362	)		—			253,362			—
Cash in-lieu of fractional shares		(19	)		—		—			—			—			(19	)
Net cash provided by financing activities		928,714			—		(253,362	)		—			253,362			928,714

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents		17			—		140,179			2,284			—			142,480
Cash and cash equivalents, April 24, 2015		—			—		18			—			—			18
Cash and cash equivalents, December 31, 2015	$	17		$	—	$	140,197		$	2,284		$	—		$	142,498