Debt and Other Financing Arrangements Long-Term Debt and Other (Details) - USD ($) shares in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 1998	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 1993	Mar. 31, 2015	Oct. 15, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Nov. 20, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Receivables from discontinued operations				$ 1,700,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations		$ 1,231,800,000			$ 1,689,400,000				$ 1,231,800,000	$ 1,689,400,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current		13,800,000			11,600,000				13,800,000	11,600,000
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt									0	0	$ 536,000,000
Equity Method Investment Sold, Partnership Units			6.0	14.3			16.0
Proceeds from sale of CyrusOne investment		47,600,000	$ 170,300,000	$ 426,000,000			$ 355,900,000		643,900,000	355,900,000	0
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		0			0				0	0
Receivables facility amount outstanding		17,600,000			19,200,000				17,600,000	19,200,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Current		5,900,000							5,900,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Two		5,600,000							5,600,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Three		23,000,000							23,000,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Four		5,400,000							5,400,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Five		984,800,000							984,800,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal After Year Five		155,000,000							155,000,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Gross		1,179,700,000							1,179,700,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Net		1,178,000,000			1,686,100,000				1,178,000,000	1,686,100,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months		7,900,000							7,900,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due in Two Years		5,000,000							5,000,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due in Three Years		4,000,000							4,000,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due in Four Years		3,800,000							3,800,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due in Five Years		2,600,000							2,600,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due Thereafter		44,300,000							44,300,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Principal Payments Due		67,600,000							67,600,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months		13,800,000							13,800,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two		10,600,000							10,600,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three		27,000,000							27,000,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four		9,200,000							9,200,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five		987,400,000							987,400,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five		199,300,000							199,300,000
Long-term Debt, Gross		1,247,300,000							1,247,300,000
Net unamortized discount		1,700,000			3,200,000				1,700,000	3,200,000
Net unamortized discount		0							0
Total debt		1,245,600,000			1,701,000,000				1,245,600,000	1,701,000,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months		12,300,000							12,300,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Two Years		9,100,000							9,100,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Three Years		7,900,000							7,900,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Four Years		7,400,000							7,400,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Five Years		6,000,000							6,000,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Thereafter		61,800,000							61,800,000
Capital Lease Obligations														$ 54,500,000
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs									400,000	900,000	6,700,000
Amortization of Deferred Charges [Abstract]
Amortization of Financing Costs									4,100,000	5,100,000	5,900,000
Deferred Finance Costs [Abstract]
Deferred Finance Costs, Noncurrent, Net		11,200,000			18,500,000				$ 11,200,000	18,500,000
Debt Covenants [Abstract]
Consolidated total leverage ratio, maximum allowed under Line of Credit Facility									6.50
Consolidated senior secured leverage ratio, maximum allowed under Line of Credit Facility									3.50
Consolidated interest coverage ratio, minimum allowed under Line of Credit Facility									1.50
Line of credit facility, maximum capital expenditures in current year									$ 319,000,000
Line of credit facility, maximum aggregate capital expenditures over life of the agreement									626,400,000
Capital expenditures									$ 283,600,000	182,300,000	196,900,000
Consolidated Adjusted Senior Debt to EBITDA ratio									4:00
Secured Debt, Other		197,100,000							$ 197,100,000
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Loss on extinguishment of debt									20,900,000	19,600,000	29,600,000
Tranche B Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 522,500,000			527,800,000				$ 522,500,000	527,800,000						$ 540,000,000
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt											529,800,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		4.00%							4.00%
Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount															$ 500,000,000
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage								104.125%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.25%							8.25%
Senior Subordinated Notes due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 0			300,000,000				$ 0	300,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.75%							8.75%
Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 478,500,000			661,200,000				$ 478,500,000	661,200,000
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt												$ 775,000,000
Customary Events of Default Amount for Existing Debt Instruments		$ 35,000,000							$ 35,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.375%							8.375%
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount										22,700,000
Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 26,300,000			40,000,000				$ 26,300,000	40,000,000
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt													$ 50,000,000
Customary Events of Default Amount for Existing Debt Instruments		$ 20,000,000							$ 20,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.25%							7.25%
Various Cincinnati Bell Telephone Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 128,700,000			134,500,000				$ 128,700,000	134,500,000
Customary Events of Default Amount for Existing Debt Instruments		20,000,000							20,000,000
Cincinnati Bell Telephone Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 134,500,000							$ 134,500,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		6.30%							6.30%
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt	$ 150,000,000
Line of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 175,000,000					$ 150,000,000		$ 175,000,000								$ 200,000,000
Standby Letters of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		30,000,000							30,000,000
Bridge Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		25,000,000							25,000,000
Capital lease Obligations and Other Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations		59,900,000			9,900,000				59,900,000	9,900,000
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current		13,800,000			11,600,000				$ 13,800,000	11,600,000
Senior Notes due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage								104.125%
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount											500,000,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt											29,600,000
Senior Subordinated Notes due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage				102.188%		104.375%
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount				$ 300,000,000		$ 325,000,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt				$ (10,400,000)		$ (19,400,000)
Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage			105.242%	106.45%					105.543%
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount			$ 137,600,000	$ 45,100,000	22,700,000				$ 182,700,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt			$ (7,800,000)	$ (3,100,000)					$ (10,900,000)
Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage									99.853%
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount									$ 13,700,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt									$ (100,000)
Cincinnati Bell Telephone Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage									90.84%
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount									$ 5,800,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt									$ (500,000)
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One [Member] | Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage									102.792%
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Three [Member] | Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage									101.396%
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Four [Member] | Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage									100.00%
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt [Member] | Tranche B Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		5,400,000			5,400,000				$ 5,400,000	5,400,000
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt [Member] | Capital lease Obligations and Other Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current		8,400,000			6,200,000				8,400,000	6,200,000
Long-Term Debt, Less Current Portion [Member] | Long-Term Debt, Less Current Portion [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations		1,231,800,000			1,689,400,000				1,231,800,000	1,689,400,000
Long-term debt, less current portion, before deducting unamortized discount or premium [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations		$ 1,233,500,000			$ 1,692,600,000				1,233,500,000	1,692,600,000
Continuing Operations [Member]
Debt Covenants [Abstract]
Capital expenditures									$ 283,600,000	$ 175,800,000	$ 180,900,000