Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments										3
Non Sprint-Nextel operations, number of states	4									4
External revenues [Abstract]
Service revenues										$ 243,943,000	$ 210,597,000	$ 158,047,000
Other revenues										44,132,000	40,548,000	37,159,000
Total external revenues										288,075,000	251,145,000	195,206,000
Internal revenues										0	0	0
Total operating revenues	74,998,000	72,876,000	71,378,000	68,823,000	66,505,000	62,657,000	61,555,000	60,428,000		288,075,000	251,145,000	195,206,000
Operating expenses [Abstract]
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										117,407,000	106,640,000	74,673,000
Goodwill impairment										10,952,000	0	0
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										60,646,000	56,445,000	45,572,000
Depreciation and amortization										64,412,000	55,770,000	42,630,000
Total operating expenses										253,417,000	218,855,000	162,875,000	[1]
Gain on sale of directory										0	0	4,000,000
Operating income (loss)	9,297,000	5,407,000	11,137,000	8,817,000	8,035,000	9,170,000	7,994,000	7,091,000		34,658,000	32,290,000	36,331,000
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]
Total consolidated operating income	9,297,000	5,407,000	11,137,000	8,817,000	8,035,000	9,170,000	7,994,000	7,091,000		34,658,000	32,290,000	36,331,000
Interest expense										(7,850,000)	(8,289,000)	(4,716,000)
Non-operating income, net										1,803,000	204,000	552,000
Income from continuing operations before income taxes										28,611,000	24,205,000	32,167,000
Assets by segment [Abstract]
Assets	570,740,000				479,979,000					570,740,000	479,979,000
Settlement of qualified pension plan and curtailment of the SERP									3,800,000
Wireless [Member]
External revenues [Abstract]
Service revenues										162,912,000	137,118,000	111,279,000
Other revenues										13,398,000	13,129,000	13,575,000
Total external revenues										176,310,000	150,247,000	124,854,000
Internal revenues										3,328,000	3,191,000	3,034,000
Total operating revenues										179,638,000	153,438,000	127,888,000
Operating expenses [Abstract]
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										63,906,000	56,705,000	44,794,000
Goodwill impairment										0
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										30,716,000	29,455,000	21,558,000
Depreciation and amortization										31,660,000	23,906,000	23,187,000
Total operating expenses										126,282,000	110,066,000	89,539,000	[1]
Gain on sale of directory												0
Operating income (loss)										53,356,000	43,372,000	38,349,000
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]
Total consolidated operating income										53,356,000	43,372,000	38,349,000
Assets by segment [Abstract]
Assets	179,929,000				147,093,000					179,929,000	147,093,000
Cable [Member]
External revenues [Abstract]
Service revenues										66,010,000	59,051,000	32,527,000
Other revenues										10,024,000	8,733,000	4,241,000
Total external revenues										76,034,000	67,784,000	36,768,000
Internal revenues										289,000	276,000	51,000
Total operating revenues										76,323,000	68,060,000	36,819,000
Operating expenses [Abstract]
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										48,978,000	47,417,000	26,904,000
Goodwill impairment										10,952,000
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										22,335,000	18,827,000	13,858,000
Depreciation and amortization										23,519,000	23,198,000	11,314,000
Total operating expenses										105,784,000	89,442,000	52,076,000	[1]
Gain on sale of directory												0
Operating income (loss)										(29,461,000)	(21,382,000)	(15,257,000)
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]
Total consolidated operating income										(29,461,000)	(21,382,000)	(15,257,000)
Assets by segment [Abstract]
Assets	202,436,000				212,683,000					202,436,000	212,683,000
Wireline [Member]
External revenues [Abstract]
Service revenues										15,021,000	14,428,000	14,241,000
Other revenues										20,710,000	18,686,000	19,343,000
Total external revenues										35,731,000	33,114,000	33,584,000
Internal revenues										18,927,000	16,414,000	13,617,000
Total operating revenues										54,658,000	49,528,000	47,201,000
Operating expenses [Abstract]
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										24,785,000	19,702,000	17,503,000
Goodwill impairment										0
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										6,859,000	7,528,000	8,845,000
Depreciation and amortization										9,171,000	8,453,000	7,883,000
Total operating expenses										40,815,000	35,683,000	34,231,000	[1]
Gain on sale of directory												4,000,000
Operating income (loss)										13,843,000	13,845,000	16,970,000
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]
Total consolidated operating income										13,843,000	13,845,000	16,970,000
Assets by segment [Abstract]
Assets	88,776,000				84,456,000					88,776,000	84,456,000
Other [Member]
External revenues [Abstract]
Service revenues										0	0	0
Other revenues										0	0	0
Total external revenues										0	0	0
Internal revenues										0	0	0
Total operating revenues										0	0	0
Operating expenses [Abstract]
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										25,000	125,000	226,000
Goodwill impairment										0
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										2,993,000	3,207,000	3,259,000
Depreciation and amortization										62,000	213,000	246,000
Total operating expenses										3,080,000	3,545,000	3,731,000	[1]
Operating income (loss)										(3,080,000)	(3,545,000)	(3,731,000)
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]
Total consolidated operating income										(3,080,000)	(3,545,000)	(3,731,000)
Assets by segment [Abstract]
Assets	458,650,000				381,230,000					458,650,000	381,230,000
Eliminations [Member]
External revenues [Abstract]
Service revenues										0	0	0
Other revenues										0	0	0
Total external revenues										0	0	0
Internal revenues										(22,544,000)	(19,881,000)	(16,702,000)
Total operating revenues										(22,544,000)	(19,881,000)	(16,702,000)
Operating expenses [Abstract]
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										(20,287,000)	(17,309,000)	(14,754,000)
Goodwill impairment										0
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below										(2,257,000)	(2,572,000)	(1,948,000)
Depreciation and amortization										0	0	0
Total operating expenses										(22,544,000)	(19,881,000)	(16,702,000)	[1]
Operating income (loss)										0	0	0
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]
Total consolidated operating income										0	0	0
Assets by segment [Abstract]
Assets	(359,051,000)				(345,483,000)					(359,051,000)	(345,483,000)
Total Segments [Member]
Assets by segment [Abstract]
Assets	$ 929,791,000				$ 825,462,000					$ 929,791,000	$ 825,462,000

[1] Total operating expenses for 2010 includes $3.8 million of expense, pre-tax, resulting from the settlement of the qualified pension plan and curtailment of the SERP during the second quarter of 2010.