Description of Business and Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation — The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations, other comprehensive income, financial position and cash flows for each period presented. The adjustments referred to above are of a normal and recurring nature. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to SEC rules and regulations for interim reporting. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the requirements of Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers and ASU 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. All amounts and disclosures set forth in this Form 10-Q have been updated to comply with the new standards. Certain prior period amounts reported in our condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation, as a result of adopting the new standards. On January 1, 2018, the Company changed the composition of its operating segments to align more closely with the Company's broader strategy and how it manages business operations. This strategy groups Competitive Local Exchange Carrier ("CLEC") revenue, which was previously included as part of the Entertainment and Communications segment, as part of the IT Services and Hardware segment in order to consolidate all company-wide VoIP sales. Accordingly, the Company recast the previously reported 2017 segment disclosures. See Note 11 for all required disclosures. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2017 was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full year or any other interim period.
Business Combinations	Business Combinations — In accounting for business combinations, we apply the accounting requirements of ASC 805, “Business Combinations,” which requires the recording of net assets of acquired businesses at fair value. In developing estimates of fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities, management analyzes a variety of factors including market data, estimated future cash flows of the acquired operations, industry growth rates, current replacement cost for fixed assets, and market rate assumptions for contractual obligations. Such a valuation requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions, particularly with respect to the intangible assets. In addition, any contingent consideration is presented at fair value at the date of acquisition and transaction costs are expensed as incurred. See Note 4 for required disclosures related to mergers and acquisitions.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates — Preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to various regulatory and tax proceedings, lawsuits, claims and other matters. The Company believes adequate provision has been made for all such asserted and unasserted claims in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Such matters are subject to many uncertainties and outcomes that are not predictable with assurance.
Investment in CyrusOne	Investment in CyrusOne — In the first quarter of 2017, the Company sold its remaining 2.8 million shares of CyrusOne Inc. common stock for net proceeds totaling $140.7 million that resulted in a realized gain of $117.7 million. As of March 31, 2017, we no longer have an investment in CyrusOne Inc.
Income Taxes	Income taxes — The Company’s income tax provision for interim periods is determined through the use of an estimated annual effective tax rate applied to year-to-date ordinary income as well as the tax effects associated with discrete items. During 2017, the Company re-classed $14.9 million of Alternative Minimum Tax ("AMT") refundable tax credits from "Deferred income taxes, net" to "Receivables" as these credits are expected to be utilized during 2018. Acceleration of the AMT refundable tax credits was the result of the Company's decision to make an election on its 2017 federal income tax return to claim the credits in lieu of claiming bonus depreciation. In addition, new tax legislation enacted in 2017 repealed AMT for corporate tax payers. The balance of any remaining AMT credits will be refunded over the next 5 years beginning with the return filed in 2019. In the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company re-classed $0.7 million from "Deferred income taxes, net" to "Receivables" as it expects to receive this portion of the remaining AMT credits in 2019.
Operating Taxes	Operating taxes — The Company elected to record certain operating taxes such as property, sales, use, and gross receipts taxes including telecommunications surcharges as expenses, primarily within cost of services. These taxes are not included in income tax expense because the amounts to be paid are not dependent on our level of income. Liabilities for audit exposures are established based on management's assessment of the probability of payment. The provision for such liabilities is recognized as either property, plant and equipment, operating tax expense, or depreciation expense depending on the nature of the audit exposure. Upon resolution of an audit, any remaining liability not paid is released against the account in which it was originally recorded. Certain telecommunication taxes and surcharges that are collected from customers are also recorded as revenue; however, at the time of adoption of ASC 606, revenue associated with these charges is excluded from the transaction price. This approach is consistent with how these taxes were previously recorded under ASC Topic 605.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards	Recently Issued Accounting Standards — In February 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) - Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which allows entities to elect to make a one-time reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The ASU is effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company early adopted this guidance effective December 31, 2017, resulting in a provisional reclassification adjustment of $32.2 million to "Accumulated deficit" from "Other comprehensive loss" on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The amount of the reclassification is calculated on the basis of the difference between the historical and newly enacted tax rates on deferred taxes related to our pension and postretirement benefit plans. In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation, which amends the scope of modification accounting for share-based payment arrangements. The ASU is effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company prospectively adopted the standard effective January 1, 2018 and has applied the amended guidance to any awards modified on or after this date. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, which amends the requirements in ASC 715 related to the income statement presentation of the components of net periodic benefit cost for an entity’s sponsored defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans. The ASU requires entities to disaggregate the current service cost component from the other components of net benefit cost (the “other components”) and present it with other current compensation costs for related employees in the income statement. The other components shall be presented elsewhere in the income statement and outside of income from operations, if such a subtotal is presented, on a retrospective basis as of the date of adoption. In addition, only the service cost component of net benefit cost is eligible for capitalization on a prospective basis. The ASU is effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company retrospectively adopted the standard effective January 1, 2018. The Company re-classed $1.7 million and $1.5 million of other components of net benefit cost from "Cost of Services" and "Selling, general and administrative," respectively, to a new line below Operating income, "Other components of pension and postretirement benefit plans expense," on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flow - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which amends ASC 230 to add or clarify guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The FASB issued the ASU with the intent of reducing diversity in practice. The ASU is effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which represents a wholesale change to lease accounting. The standard introduces a lessee model that brings most leases on the balance sheet as well as aligns certain underlying principles of the new lessor model with those in ASC 606. The ASU is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. As issued, the standard requires lessors and lessees to use a modified retrospective transition method for existing leases. On January 5, 2018, the FASB issued a proposed ASU that would allow entities to elect a practical expedient when adopting the guidance to not restate their comparative periods in transition as well as providing lessors with a practical expedient to not separate lease and nonlease components if certain criteria are met. Once the ASU is final, the Company plans to elect both practical expedients upon adoption. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of this ASU on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The standard’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This standard also includes expanded disclosure requirements that result in an entity providing users of financial statements with comprehensive information about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from the entity’s contracts with customers. The Company adopted the new standard and all subsequent amendments as of January 1, 2018 using the full retrospective method which requires each prior reporting period presented to be adjusted beginning with this issuance of the Company’s 2018 interim financial statements. The most significant impact of adopting the new standard is the change to the treatment of hardware revenue in the Infrastructure Solutions category from recording hardware revenue as a principal (gross) to recording revenue as an agent (net). Based on our assessment of ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), issued by the FASB in March 2016, the Company acts as an agent and as such will record hardware sales net of the related cost of products. ASU 2016-08 clarifies the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations focusing on a control model rather than a risk and reward model. As a result of adopting ASU 2014-09, revenue and cost of products for the three months ended March 31, 2017 decreased by $28.6 million. Changes in accounting policies related to variable consideration or rebates did not have a material effect on the financial statements. Fulfillment and acquisition costs that are now recorded as an asset and amortized on a monthly basis decreased expense for the three months ended March 31, 2017 by $0.3 million and increased basic earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2017 by $0.01. An incremental asset related to fulfillment and acquisition costs of $32.3 million was recorded on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2017, with an offsetting reduction in "Accumulated deficit." As a result of the entry, total contract asset related to fulfillment and acquisition costs was $32.4 million as of December 31, 2017. The impact of these adjustments resulted in a decrease of $7.1 million to "Deferred income tax assets" as of December 31, 2017, with the offset to "Accumulated deficit." See Note 3 for required disclosures as a result of adopting ASC Topic 606. Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standard-setting bodies that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements upon adoption.
Earnings Per Share	Basic earnings per common share (“EPS”) is based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that would occur upon issuance of common shares for awards under stock-based compensation plans or conversion of preferred stock, but only to the extent that they are considered dilutive.
Revenue	The Entertainment and Communications segment provides products and services to both consumer and enterprise customers that can be categorized as either Fioptics, Enterprise Fiber or Legacy. The products and services within these three categories can be further categorized as either Data, Voice, Video or Other. Fioptics and Legacy revenue include both consumer and enterprise customers. Enterprise Fiber revenue includes ethernet and dedicated internet access services that are provided to enterprise customers. Consumer customers have implied month-to-month contracts, while enterprise customers typically have contracts with a duration of one to five years and automatically renew on a month to month basis. Customers are invoiced on a monthly basis for services rendered. Contracts for projects that are included within the Other revenue stream are typically short in duration and less than one year. The IT Services and Hardware segment provides a full range of Information Technology ("IT") solutions, including Communications, Cloud and Consulting services. IT Services and Hardware customers enter into contracts that have a typical duration of one to five years, with renewal options at the end of the term. Customers are invoiced on a monthly basis for services rendered. The IT Services and Hardware segment also provides enterprise customers with Infrastructure Solutions, which includes the sale of hardware and maintenance contracts. These contracts are typically satisfied in less than twelve months and revenue is recognized at a point in time. The Company accounts for revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which was adopted on January 1, 2018, using the full retrospective method. See below for further discussion of the adoption, including the impact on our 2017 financial statements. The Company has elected the practical expedient described in ASC 606-10-32-18 that allows an entity to not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component if the entity expects that the period of time between the transfer of a promised good or service to the customer and when the customer pays will be one year or less. Customers are typically billed immediately upon the rendering of services or the delivery of products. Payment terms for customers are between 30 and 180 days. In the instance that payment terms are greater than twelve months, the guidance in ASC 606-10-32-15 will be applied to determine the transaction price.
Fair Value Measurement	The fair value of our long-term debt was based on closing or estimated market prices of the Company’s debt at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, which is considered Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.