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, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	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		$ 1,199,100,000				$ 1,223,800,000						$ 1,199,100,000	$ 1,223,800,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current		7,500,000				13,800,000						7,500,000	13,800,000
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt												635,000,000	$ 0	$ 0
Equity Method Investment Sold, Partnership Units								14.3		16.0			20.3	16.0
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		0				0						0	$ 0
Receivables facility amount outstanding		89,500,000				17,600,000						89,500,000	17,600,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Current		200,000										200,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Two		0										0
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Three		89,500,000										89,500,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Four		315,800,000										315,800,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal in Year Five		0										0
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Repayments of Principal After Year Five		735,200,000										735,200,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Gross		1,140,700,000										1,140,700,000
Long-Term Debt, Excluding Capital Leases, Net		1,137,300,000										1,137,300,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months		7,300,000										7,300,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due in Two Years		6,400,000										6,400,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due in Three Years		6,300,000										6,300,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due in Four Years		4,400,000										4,400,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due in Five Years		3,500,000										3,500,000
Capital Leases, Future Principal Payments Due Thereafter		41,400,000										41,400,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Principal Payments Due		69,300,000										69,300,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months		7,500,000										7,500,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two		6,400,000										6,400,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three		95,800,000										95,800,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four		320,200,000										320,200,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five		3,500,000										3,500,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five		776,600,000										776,600,000
Long-term Debt, Gross		1,210,000,000										1,210,000,000
Net unamortized premium (discount)		8,500,000				(1,700,000)						8,500,000	(1,700,000)
Debt Issuance Costs, Noncurrent, Net		11,900,000										11,900,000
Net unamortized discount		0										0
Total debt		1,206,600,000				1,237,600,000						1,206,600,000	1,237,600,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months		11,800,000										11,800,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Two Years		10,500,000										10,500,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Three Years		10,000,000										10,000,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Four Years		7,900,000										7,900,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Five Years		6,700,000										6,700,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Thereafter		55,700,000										55,700,000
Capital Lease Obligations																	$ 54,500,000
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs												11,100,000	400,000	$ 900,000
Debt Issuance Costs, Net		0										0
Amortization of Deferred Charges [Abstract]
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs												$ 3,000,000	4,100,000	5,100,000
Debt Covenants [Abstract]
Consolidated total leverage ratio, maximum allowed under Line of Credit Facility												5.50
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												$ 301,000,000
Line of credit facility, maximum aggregate capital expenditures over life of the agreement												498,600,000
Capital expenditures												$ 286,400,000	283,600,000	182,300,000
Consolidated Adjusted Senior Debt to EBITDA ratio												5:00
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Loss on extinguishment of debt		(4,800,000)	$ (11,400,000)	$ (5,200,000)	$ (2,400,000)	(400,000)	$ (7,800,000)	$ (13,500,000)				$ 19,000,000	20,900,000	19,600,000
Senior Notes due 2024 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		625,000,000				0						$ 625,000,000	0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt		$ 200,000,000	$ 425,000,000
Issuance of Long-Term Debt, Original Issue Premium, Percentage		105.00%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.00%										7.00%
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs												$ 9,700,000
Tranche B Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 315,800,000				522,500,000						$ 315,800,000	522,500,000						$ 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, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.75%										8.75%
Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 0				478,500,000						$ 0	478,500,000
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		$ 22,300,000				26,300,000						$ 22,300,000	26,300,000
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		$ 87,900,000				128,700,000						$ 87,900,000	128,700,000
Cincinnati Bell Telephone Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Customary Events of Default Amount for Existing Debt Instruments		$ 20,000,000										$ 20,000,000
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		$ 150,000,000				175,000,000						$ 150,000,000	175,000,000	150,000,000						$ 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		62,000,000				59,900,000						62,000,000	59,900,000
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current		7,500,000				13,800,000						$ 7,500,000	$ 13,800,000
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												103.328%	105.543%
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount		84,600,000										$ 478,500,000	$ 182,700,000	22,700,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt												$ (17,800,000)	$ (10,900,000)	$ (200,000)
Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage												100.75%	99.853%
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount												$ 4,000,000	$ 13,700,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt												$ (100,000)	$ (100,000)
Cincinnati Bell Telephone Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage												92.232%	90.84%
Extinguishment of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount												$ 40,800,000	$ 5,800,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt												2,800,000	500,000
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt [Member] | Tranche B Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		0				5,400,000						0	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		7,500,000				8,400,000						7,500,000	8,400,000
Long-Term Debt, Less Current Portion [Member]
Repayments of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Debt Issuance Costs, Noncurrent, Net		11,900,000				8,000,000						11,900,000	8,000,000
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		1,199,100,000				1,223,800,000						1,199,100,000	1,223,800,000
Long-term debt, less current portion, before deducting unamortized discount or premium [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations		$ 1,202,500,000				$ 1,233,500,000						$ 1,202,500,000	$ 1,233,500,000