| **Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Receivables**            | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
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| **Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Receivables [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Receivables [Text Block]   | (3)       Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Receivables

Receivables consist of the following at December 31, 2012and 2011 (amounts in thousands):
   2012 2011 Trade$ 148,902  140,533 Employee  703  720 Other  831  574 Total Receivables$ 150,436  141,827
As described in Note 1(t), Revenue Recognition, we receive support from each of the various USF programs: high cost, low income, rural health care, and schools and libraries.  This support was 19%, 19% and 18% of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.  We had USF net receivables of $70.1 million and $69.8 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

 

Changes in the allowance for doubtful receivables during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 are summarized below (amounts in thousands):
     Additions Deductions   Description Balance at beginning of year Charged to costs and expenses Charged to other accounts Write-offs net of recoveries Balance at end of year December 31, 2012$ 5,796  3,649  (2,261)  3,969  3,215 December 31, 2011$ 9,189  4,294  (29)  7,658  5,796 December 31, 2010$ 7,060  3,085  1,670  2,626  9,189
Charged to other accounts during the year ended December 31, 2010, includes a $1.6 million reserve for a customer that participates in the Rural Health Care Division support program that is operated by the USAC.  We provided service to this customer pursuant to a contract from July 2008 to June 2009.  In 2010 we received a funding commitment letter from USAC for the year from July 2008 to June 2009 committing funding for all but $1.7 million of that particular year.  USAC denied funding of $1.7 million based on the timing of customer-owned equipment placed in service in relation to service charges.  In August 2010, we filed with the FCC a request for review of the denial.  We recorded a reserve by reducing revenue $1.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2010.  During the second quarter of 2011, we decreased the allowance by $100,000 to true up 2008 and 2009's funding amounts.  After recording the adjustment in 2011, the allowance related to this customer was $1.6 million at December 31, 2011.  In 2012 we received notice our appeal was successful and received payment of the $1.6 million, allowing us to recognize revenue and reduce our allowance and this amount is included in charged to other accounts during the year ended December 31, 2012. |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for claims held for amounts due a entity, excluding financing receivables. Examples include, but are not limited to, trade accounts receivables, notes receivables, loans receivables. Includes disclosure for allowance for credit losses.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(k)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 3, 4 -Article 5Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7512638&loc=d3e5074-111524Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7512638&loc=d3e5162-111524Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3,4) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph k -Article 4Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 01-6 -Paragraph 13 -Subparagraph d -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7512638&loc=d3e5066-111524Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 7 -Article 9
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