Employee Benefits (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended																		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended											1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans		Dec. 31, 2012 Pension Plans		Dec. 31, 2011 Pension Plans		Apr. 02, 2011 Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Interest rate sensitive investments	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Investment grade bonds	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans High yield and emerging market bonds	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Convertible bonds	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Diversified strategies	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Interest rate investments with higher returns	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans U.S. stocks	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Developed market Non-U.S. stocks	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Other	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Real estate	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Pension Plans Minimum	Dec. 31, 2011 Pension Plans Minimum		Dec. 31, 2013 Pension Plans Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Pension Plans Maximum	Dec. 31, 2011 Pension Plans Maximum		Apr. 30, 2011 Pension Plans Qwest sponsored defined benefit plans	Dec. 31, 2012 Pension Plans Qwest sponsored defined benefit plans	Apr. 02, 2011 Pension Plans Qwest sponsored defined benefit plans	Dec. 31, 2013 Non-Qualified Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2013 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans	Dec. 31, 2012 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans		Dec. 31, 2013 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Equity Securities	Dec. 31, 2013 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Non-equity investments	Dec. 31, 2013 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Minimum	Dec. 31, 2013 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Maximum	Apr. 30, 2011 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Qwest sponsored defined benefit plans	Dec. 31, 2012 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Qwest sponsored defined benefit plans	Apr. 02, 2011 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Qwest sponsored defined benefit plans
Employee Benefits
Liability for the unfunded status of the defined benefit plans	$ 4,049	$ 5,844		$ 1,050		$ 2,554																									$ 490		$ 2,999	$ 3,289
Estimated projected benefit obligations				13,401		14,881		13,596																							8,300		3,688	4,075	3,930										3,300
Fair value of plan assets				12,346		12,321		11,814																							7,800		535	626	693										762
Amortization period of the plan shortfall				7 years
Unfunded status				(995)						(2,500)
Participant contributions, and direct subsidy receipts																																	157
Expected future benefit payments not payable by the trust, net of participant contributions and direct subsidiaries																																	182
Required contributions to benefit plan, next twelve months				123
Effect of change of 100 basis points in the assumed initial health care cost trend rate
Effect on the aggregate of the service and interest cost components of net periodic post-retirement benefit expense (statements of operations) - Increase																																	3
Effect on the aggregate of the service and interest cost components of net periodic post-retirement benefit expense (statements of operations) - Decrease																																	3
Effect of one-percentage point increase on postretirement benefit obligation																																	87
Effect of one-percentage point decrease on postretirement benefit obligation																																	80
Healthcare cost increase trend rates (as a percent)
Annual decrease in health care cost trend rate (as a percent)																																	(0.25%)
Health care cost trend rate (as a percent)																																	6.50%
Ultimate health care cost trend rate (as a percent)	4.50%																																4.50%	4.50%	5.00%	[1]				4.50%			5.00%
Estimated future benefit payments:
2014				1,036																												5	352
2015				1,002																													341
2016				990																													329
2017				977																													319
2018				962																													308
2019-2022				4,559																													1,369
Medicare Part D Subsidy Receipts
2014																																	13
2015																																	10
2016																																	10
2017																																	10
2018																																	10
2019-2023																																	40
Actuarial assumptions at beginning of year:
Discount rate (as a percent)																					3.50%	4.25%	5.00%	[2]	4.20%	5.10%	5.50%	[2]	5.40%				3.60%		5.30%	[1]				4.60%		4.80%	5.30%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)				3.25%		3.25%																	3.25%	[2]					3.50%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets (as a percent)				7.50%		7.50%																	7.50%	[2]			8.00%	[2]	7.50%				7.30%		7.25%	[1]			6.00%	6.00%	7.50%	7.50%	7.50%
Ultimate health care cost trend rate (as a percent)	4.50%																																4.50%	4.50%	5.00%	[1]				4.50%			5.00%
Components of net periodic benefit (income) expense
Service cost				91		87		70	[3]																								24	22	18
Interest cost				544		625		560	[3]																								140	173	152
Expected return on plan assets	(935)	(892)		(896)		(847)		(709)	[3]																								(39)	(45)	(41)
Settlements				0		0		1	[3]
Amortization of unrecognized prior service cost				5		4		2	[3]																								0	0	(2)
Amortization of unrecognized actuarial loss				84		35		13	[3]																								4	0	0
Net periodic pension benefit (income) expense				(172)		(96)		(63)	[3]																					(58)			129	150	127									92
Actuarial assumptions at end of year:
Discount rate (as a percent)																					4.20%	3.25%			5.10%	4.20%							4.50%	3.60%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)				3.25%		3.25%
Initial health care cost trend rate (as a percent)																																		8.00%	8.00%	[1]			6.50%	6.75%	7.00%	7.50%	7.50%
Ultimate health care cost trend rate (as a percent)	4.50%																																4.50%	4.50%	5.00%	[1]				4.50%			5.00%
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of year				14,881		13,596		4,534																							8,300		4,075	3,930	558										3,300
Service cost				91		87		70	[3]																								24	22	18
Interest cost				544		625		560	[3]																								140	173	152
Participant contributions																																	96	86	64
Plan amendments				0		14		12																									141	0	31
Acquisitions				0		0		8,267																									0	0	3,284
Direct subsidy receipts																																	13	19	22
Actuarial (gain) loss				(1,179)		1,565		930																									(399)	260	153
Benefits paid by company				(5)		(5)		(16)																									(266)	(268)	(219)
Benefits paid from plan assets				(931)	[4]	(1,001)	[4]	(761)	[4]																								(136)	(147)	(133)
Benefit obligation at end of year				13,401		14,881		13,596																							8,300		3,688	4,075	3,930										3,300
Aggregate accumulated benefit obligation	17,089	18,956	17,499
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year				12,321		11,814		3,732																							7,800		626	693	54										762
Return on plan assets	855	1,556		810		1,476		479																									45	80	4
Acquisitions				0		0		7,777																									0	0	768
Employer contributions				146		32		587																								5	0
Benefits paid from plan assets				(931)	[4]	(1,001)	[4]	(761)	[4]																								(136)	(147)	(133)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year				$ 12,346		$ 12,321		$ 11,814																							$ 7,800		$ 535	$ 626	$ 693										$ 762
Target allocation of plan assets
Target asset allocation percentage (as a percent)											55.50%	36.00%	13.50%	13.50%	6.00%	44.50%	14.00%	14.00%	11.50%	5.00%																	37.00%	63.00%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets (as a percent)				7.50%		7.50%																	7.50%	[2]			8.00%	[2]	7.50%				7.30%		7.25%	[1]			6.00%	6.00%	7.50%	7.50%	7.50%
Permitted investment in securities issued by the sponsor company (as a percent)	10.00%

[1] This column does not consider Qwest's actuarial assumptions for its post-retirement benefit plan as of the beginning of the year due to the acquisition date of April 1, 2011. Qwest had the following actuarial assumptions as of April 1, 2011: discount rate of 5.30%; expected long-term rate of return on plan assets of 7.50%; initial health care cost trend rate of 7.50% and ultimate health care trend rate of 5.00% to be reached in 2016.

[2] This column does not consider Qwest's actuarial assumptions for its pension plan as of the beginning of the year due to the acquisition date of April 1, 2011. Qwest had the following actuarial assumptions as of April 1, 2011: discount rate of 5.40%; expected long-term rate of return on plan assets 7.50%; and a rate of compensation increase of 3.50%.

[3] Includes $58 million of income related to the Qwest plans subsequent to the April 1, 2011 acquisition date.

[4] Non-U.S. stocks represent investments in stocks of companies based in developed countries outside the U.S. as well as commingled funds. The valuation inputs for non-U.S. stocks are based on the last published price reported on the major stock market on which the securities are traded and are classified as Level 1. The commingled funds are valued at NAV based on the market value of the underlying investments using the same valuation inputs described above. These commingled funds can be redeemed at NAV within a year of the financial statement date and are classified as Level 2.