| **Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Receivables** | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
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| **Receivables [Abstract]**                             |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Receivables     | Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful ReceivablesReceivables consist of the following at December 31, 2013 and 2012 (amounts in thousands): 2013 2012Trade$225,689 148,902Employee1,037 703Other1,646 831Total receivables$228,372 150,436As described in Note 1(u), 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% of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.  We had USF net receivables of $124.3 million and $70.1 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The increase is primarily due to ACS’s contribution of $14.2 million in USF receivables upon the close of the Wireless Agreement on July 22, 2013 and the receipt of $18.5 million in Rural Health payments from USF in January 2014.  The comparable 2012 Rural Health payment was received in 2012.Changes in the allowance for doubtful receivables during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 are summarized below (amounts in thousands):   Additions Deductions  DescriptionBalance at beginning of year Charged to costs and expenses Charged to other accounts Write-offs net of recoveries Balance at end of yearDecember 31, 2013$3,215 2,370 (446) 2,793 2,346December 31, 2012$5,796 3,649 (2,261) 3,969 3,215December 31, 2011$9,189 4,294 (29) 7,658 5,796In 2012 we received notice that a 2010 appeal of a decision impacting our Rural Health Care Division support was successful and received payment of $1.6 million.  The original reserve was recorded by reducing revenue therefore we recognized revenue and reduced our allowance upon winning the appeal and this amount is included in Additions - 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 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 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=28368275&loc=d3e5074-111524Reference 4: 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=28368275&loc=d3e5066-111524Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 7 -Article 9Reference 6: 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=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph k -Article 4Reference 8: 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=28368275&loc=d3e5162-111524
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