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Acquired Intangible Assets (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets:      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross Carrying Amount $ 2,320us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross $ 999us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross  
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization (921)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization (826)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization  
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 1,399us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet 173us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet  
Impairment of Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill) 17us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill    
Acquired finite-lived intangible asset amortization expense 95us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets 73us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets 90us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
Total Acquired Intangible Assets      
Total Intangible assets, Gross Carrying Amount 2,335lvlt_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwillGross 1,031lvlt_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwillGross  
Total intangible assets, Net 1,414us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwill 205us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwill  
Estimated amortization expense of acquired finite-lived intangible asset      
2013 242us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseNextTwelveMonths    
2014 223us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearTwo    
2015 208us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearThree    
2016 205us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFour    
2017 188us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFive    
Thereafter 333us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseAfterYearFive    
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 1,399us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet 173us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet  
Vyvx Trade Name      
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets:      
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 15us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill
/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TradeNamesMember
32us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill
/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TradeNamesMember
 
Customer Contracts and Relationships      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets:      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross Carrying Amount 1,977us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_CustomerContractsAndRelationshipsMember
786us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_CustomerContractsAndRelationshipsMember
 
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization (741)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_CustomerContractsAndRelationshipsMember
(678)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_CustomerContractsAndRelationshipsMember
 
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 1,236us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_CustomerContractsAndRelationshipsMember
108us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_CustomerContractsAndRelationshipsMember
 
Acquired finite-lived intangible assets, amortization period (in years) 6 years 9 months 18 days    
Estimated amortization expense of acquired finite-lived intangible asset      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 1,236us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_CustomerContractsAndRelationshipsMember
108us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_CustomerContractsAndRelationshipsMember
 
Trademarks      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets:      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross Carrying Amount 115us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TrademarksMember
55us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TrademarksMember
 
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization (47)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TrademarksMember
(31)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TrademarksMember
 
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 68us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TrademarksMember
24us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TrademarksMember
 
Acquired finite-lived intangible assets, amortization period (in years) 4 years 2 months 12 days    
Estimated amortization expense of acquired finite-lived intangible asset      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 68us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TrademarksMember
24us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= us-gaap_TrademarksMember
 
Patents and Developed Technology      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets:      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross Carrying Amount 228us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_PatentsAndDevelopedTechnologyMember
158us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_PatentsAndDevelopedTechnologyMember
 
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization (133)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_PatentsAndDevelopedTechnologyMember
(117)us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_PatentsAndDevelopedTechnologyMember
 
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 95us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_PatentsAndDevelopedTechnologyMember
41us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_PatentsAndDevelopedTechnologyMember
 
Acquired finite-lived intangible assets, amortization period (in years) 4 years    
Estimated amortization expense of acquired finite-lived intangible asset      
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net $ 95us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_PatentsAndDevelopedTechnologyMember
$ 41us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= lvlt_PatentsAndDevelopedTechnologyMember