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Debt - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
Debt - Additional Information (Detail)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) offering	May 31, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($) offering	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net pre-tax losses on early debt redemption					$ 200,000,000
Borrowing capacity	$ 9,500,000,000.0		$ 9,000,000,000		9,500,000,000.0			$ 9,500,000,000
Amount of unused borrowing capacity under credit facility	9,400,000,000				9,400,000,000
Principal amount outstanding in connection with the guarantee of debt obligations	114,640,000,000			$ 117,095,000,000	114,640,000,000
5.32% Notes Due 2053
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument		5.32%
Aggregate principal amount		$ 700,000,000
Cash proceeds, net of issuance costs		700,000,000
Floating Rate Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount		2,500,000,000
Floating Rate Notes Due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount		1,800,000,000
Cash proceeds, net of issuance costs		1,800,000,000
Repayments of debt		$ 2,500,000,000
Percentage of principal amount redeemed		100.00%
Asset-Backed Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Asset-backed debt	8,600,000,000				8,600,000,000
Guarantee of Debentures of Operating Telephone Company Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount outstanding in connection with the guarantee of debt obligations	800,000,000				800,000,000
Guarantee of Debt Obligations of GTE Corporation
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount outstanding in connection with the guarantee of debt obligations	400,000,000				400,000,000
2016 ABS Financing Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Asset-backed debt	400,000,000				$ 400,000,000
Term loan agreement prepaid amount	2,000,000,000			$ 400,000,000
Collateral revolving period					2 years
Amount of unused borrowing capacity under credit facility	2,400,000,000				$ 2,400,000,000
2018 ABS Financing Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Asset-backed debt	500,000,000				$ 500,000,000
Collateral revolving period					1 year
Amount drawn down		$ 500,000,000
Commercial paper
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt outstanding	300,000,000				$ 300,000,000
Senior and junior asset-backed notes \| Asset Backed Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount			$ 1,183,000,000
Class A-1a Senior Secured Notes \| Asset Backed Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument			2.82%
Debt instrument maturity period			2 years 5 months 26 days
Class A-1b Senior Secured Notes \| Asset Backed Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity period			2 years 5 months 26 days
Class B Junior Secured Notes \| Asset Backed Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument			3.05%
Debt instrument maturity period			3 years 1 month 20 days
Class C Junior Secured Notes \| Asset Backed Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument			3.20%
Debt instrument maturity period			3 years 4 months 10 days
Network Equipment \| Vendor Financing Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Value of purchase assets financed					900,000,000	$ 200,000,000
Financing arrangements outstanding	1,400,000,000				1,400,000,000	$ 1,200,000,000
Equipment Credit Facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity									$ 4,000,000,000
Amount drawn down					1,700,000,000
Equipment Credit Facilities \| Network Equipment
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity										$ 1,000,000,000.0
Credit facility outstanding balance	$ 800,000,000				800,000,000
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Floating Rate Notes Due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, percentage points added to the reference rate		1.10%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Floating Rate Notes Due 2025 \| May 2018 Redemption
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, percentage points added to the reference rate		1.372%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Class A-1b Senior Secured Notes \| Asset Backed Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, percentage points added to the reference rate			0.26%
Verizon Communications Inc \| June 2018 Exchange Offers
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of separate private exchange offers \| offering	13
Debt exchange offer, principal amount purchased	$ 500,000,000				$ 500,000,000
Payments for debt exchange offers	$ 500,000,000
Verizon Communications Inc \| 4.329% Notes Due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	4.329%				4.329%
Aggregate principal amount	$ 4,300,000,000				$ 4,300,000,000
Verizon Communications Inc \| Old Notes In Exchange New Notes \| June 2018 Exchange Offers
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt exchange offer, principal amount purchased	$ 4,100,000,000				$ 4,100,000,000
Verizon Communications Inc \| Old Notes In Exchange New Notes \| Maximum \| June 2018 Exchange Offers
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	5.15%				5.15%
Verizon Communications Inc \| Old Notes In Exchange New Notes \| Minimum \| June 2018 Exchange Offers
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument	1.75%				1.75%
March 2018 Tender Offers
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt tender offer, consideration paid			$ 2,800,000,000
March 2018 Tender Offers \| Verizon Communications Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt tender offer, principal amount purchased			$ 2,900,000,000
March 2018 Tender Offers \| Verizon Communications Inc
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of separate private tender offers \| offering			13
March 2018 Tender Offers \| Verizon Communications Inc \| Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument			5.012%
March 2018 Tender Offers \| Verizon Communications Inc \| Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt instrument			1.75%
Subsequent Event
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt repurchased amount							$ 600,000,000