Debt and Other Financing Arrangements Long-Term Debt and Other (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due 2015 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Senior Subordinated Notes due 2018 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Subordinated Notes due 2018 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]	Dec. 31, 1993 Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Cincinnati Bell Telephone Unsecured Notes due 2023 [Member]	Nov. 30, 1998 Cincinnati Bell Telephone Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Cincinnati Bell Telephone Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Cincinnati Bell Telephone Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Various Cincinnati Bell Telephone Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due 2015 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due 2020 [Member] Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Cincinnati Bell Telephone Unsecured Notes due 2023 [Member] Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Various Cincinnati Bell Telephone Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Tranche B Term Loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 8 3/8% Subordinated Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 CyrusOne LP [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Receivables program maximum capacity	$ 105.0
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt	525.0	0	2,134.3	525.0		500.0		625.0		775.0		50.0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	13.6	0	46.5
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	505.2
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount																			247.5	91.1			73.0	760.0	560.0
Net Debt Proceeds After Premium or Discount						492.8		616.2		779.3
Redemption Price, Percentage of Principal, Prior to Year 1							100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Redemption Price Year 1				103.188%			104.125%		104.375%		104.188%
Redemption Price Year 2				102.125%			102.063%		102.188%		102.792%
Redemption Price Year 3				101.063%			100.00%		100.00%		101.396%
Redemption Price, Percentage of Face Value, Prior to Year 1				100.00%			1.00%		1.00%		1.00%
Redemption Price, Present Value of Percentage of Face Value, Prior to Year 1							104.125%		104.375%		104.188%
Redemption, Maximum Percentage of Principal Amount				35.00%					35.00%		35.00%
Redemption Price, Percentage of Principal Amount				106.375%					108.75%		108.375%
Minimum Percentage of Principal Amount Outstanding, After Redemption	65.00%
Debt redemption period	90
Redemption Price Year 4				100.00%							100.00%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum														7.27%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum														7.18%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				6.375%	7.00%		8.25%		8.75%		8.375%		7.25%			6.30%
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt														80.0	150.0
Debt Redemption used from Proceeds						439.9		560.0		756.2											91.1	73.0
Other Financing Arrangements Liabilities [Abstract]
Financing Arrangements Liability, Carrying Value	60.8	47.9
Financing Arrangement, Future Minimum Payments, Current	6.0
Financing Arrangement, Future Minimum Payments Due in Two Years	6.4
Financing Arrangement, Future Minimum Payments Due in Three Years	6.6
Financing Arrangement, Future Minimum Payments Due in Four Years	6.7
Financing Arrangement, Future Minimum Payments Due in Five Years	6.9
Financing Arrangement, Future Minimum Payments Due Thereafter	42.3
Financing Arranagement, Future Minimum Payments Due Total	74.9
Repayments of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Current	1.2
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	52.1
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	0.1
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	0
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	500.0
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal After Year Five	2,008.4
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Gross	2,561.8
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Net	2,554.3
Current portion of long-term debt	13.4	13.0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	61.8
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	8.6
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	9.0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	2,098.9
Long-term Debt, Gross	2,696.9
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount	7.5	8.7
Long-term debt	2,689.4	2,533.6														134.5	134.5
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Current	12.2
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Two Years	9.7
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Three Years	8.5
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Four Years	9.0
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Five Years	5.2
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Thereafter	90.5
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due	135.1
Capital lease payments with interest due by year [Abstract]
Capital Leases, Future Payments Including Interest Due, Current	21.8
Capital Leases, Future Payments Including Interest Due in Two Years	18.5
Capital Leases, Future Payments Including Interest Due in Three Years	16.7
Capital Leases, Future Payments Including Interest Due in Four Years	16.6
Capital Leases, Future Payments Including Interest Due in Five Years	12.3
Capital Leases, Future Payments Including Interest Due Thereafter	139.3
Amortization of Deferred Charges [Abstract]
Amortization of Financing Costs	7.2	7.0	6.6
Deferred Finance Costs [Abstract]
Deferred Finance Costs, Noncurrent, Net	47.1	35.7
Debt Covenants [Abstract]
Line of credit facility, maximum aggregate capital expenditures over next five years	955
Consolidated Adjusted Senior Debt to EBITDA ratio, maximum	4:00
Restricted Payments Basket Availability	200
Unencumbered assets, minimum																										150.00%
Customary Events of Default Amount for Existing Debt Instruments							$ 35.0		$ 35.0		$ 35.0		$ 20.0					$ 20.0