tw telecom 10-Q 8 May 14 2014 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_And_Entity_Informatio

Document And Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'tw telecom inc.	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001057758	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Large Accelerated Filer	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-14	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q1	'
Trading Symbol	'twtc	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	137,926,212

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$178,839	$284,419
Investments	176,394	194,576
Receivables, less allowances of $6,290 and $6,748, respectively	98,811	107,258
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	23,734	22,545
Deferred income taxes	54,026	54,026
Total current assets	531,804	662,824
Property, plant and equipment	4,775,473	4,675,335
Less accumulated depreciation	-3,049,210	-2,980,379
Property, plant and equipment, net, total	1,726,263	1,694,956
Deferred income taxes	88,332	96,087
Goodwill	412,694	412,694
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	10,322	11,555
Other assets, net	43,129	44,344
Total assets	2,812,544	2,922,460
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	71,711	38,454
Deferred revenue	48,561	48,371
Accrued taxes, franchise and other fees	52,969	55,043
Accrued interest	28,740	21,606
Accrued payroll and benefits	42,820	52,604
Accrued carrier costs	10,997	25,507
Current portion debt and capital lease obligations, net	8,878	32,470
Other current liabilities	37,772	35,241
Total current liabilities	302,448	309,296
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	1,915,081	1,916,775
Long-term deferred revenue	19,871	20,046
Other long-term liabilities	42,590	40,274
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)	'	'
Stockholders' equity:	'	'
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 20,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding	0	0
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 439,800 shares authorized, 153,760 shares issued	1,538	1,538
Additional paid-in capital	1,692,107	1,701,356
Treasury stock, 15,851 and 12,593 shares, at cost, respectively	-459,243	-357,974
Accumulated deficit	-701,966	-708,979
Accumulated other comprehensive income	118	128
Total stockholders' equity	532,554	636,069
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$2,812,544	$2,922,460

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Receivables, allowances	$6,290	$6,748
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.01	$0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)	20,000,000	20,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	439,800,000	439,800,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	153,760,000	153,760,000
Treasury stock, shares (in shares)	15,851,000	12,593,000

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Operations (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014		Mar. 31, 2013
Revenue:	'		'
Data and Internet services	$243,671		$211,721
Voice services	77,361		76,030
Network services	58,367		64,955
Service revenue	379,399		352,706
Taxes and fees	22,752		20,594
Intercarrier compensation	6,142		7,909
Total revenue	408,293		381,209
Costs and expenses:	'		'
Operating (exclusive of depreciation, amortization and accretion shown separately below)	174,039	[1]	161,082	[1]
Selling, general and administrative	106,832	[1]	93,562	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	82,456		74,395
Total costs and expenses	363,327		329,039
Operating income	44,966		52,170
Interest expense	-25,648		-28,340
Debt extinguishment costs	-1,282		0
Interest income	148		277
Income before income taxes	18,184		24,107
Income tax expense	8,393		10,963
Net income	$9,791		$13,144
Earnings per share:	'		'
Basic (in dollars per share)	$0.07		$0.09
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.07		$0.09
Weighted average shares outstanding:	'		'
Basic (in shares)	138,088		149,129
Diluted (in shares)	140,097		152,452
[1]	Includes non-cash stock-based employee compensation expense (Note 6):OperatingB $539B $583Selling, general and administrativeB $8,847B $8,879

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Operations (Parenthetical) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Operating	'	'
Allocated share-based compensation expense	$539	$583
Selling, general and administrative	'	'
Allocated share-based compensation expense	$8,847	$8,879

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'
Net income	$9,791	$13,144
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:	'	'
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities	-10	8
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	-10	8
Comprehensive income	$9,781	$13,152

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net income	$9,791	$13,144
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	82,456	74,395
Deferred income taxes	8,017	10,617
Stock-based compensation expense	9,386	9,462
Loss on debt extinguishment	1,282	0
Amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	1,613	6,795
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:	'	'
Receivables, prepaid expenses and other assets	7,844	-6,952
Accounts payable, deferred revenue and other liabilities	-5,164	-25,861
Net cash provided by operating activities	115,225	81,600
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'
Capital expenditures	-101,633	-87,800
Purchases of investments	-51,703	-50,932
Proceeds from sale of investments	69,509	33,990
Other investing activities, net	4,338	-2,240
Net cash used in investing activities	-79,489	-106,982
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options	8,517	24,449
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards	-18,897	-18,291
Purchases of treasury stock	-104,170	-54,627
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	412	601
Retirement of debt obligations	-24,418	-59
Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	-2,760	-1,709
Net cash used in financing activities	-141,316	-49,636
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-105,580	-75,018
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	284,419	806,728
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	178,839	731,710
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:	'	'
Cash paid for interest	17,083	21,631
Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds	-76	-60
Cash paid for debt extinguishment costs	939	0
Non-cash investing & financing activities:	'	'
Addition of capital lease obligations	$537	$3,053

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme4

Condensed Consolidated Statement Of Changes In Stockholders' Equity (USD $)	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Additional paid-in capital [Member]	Accumulated deficit [Member]	Accumulated other comprehensive income [Member]
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$636,069	$1,538	($357,974)	$1,701,356	($708,979)	$128
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013	'	153,760	-12,593	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net income	9,791	'	'	'	9,791	'
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	-10	'	'	'	'	-10
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation, net	262	'	'	262	'	'
Purchases of treasury stock (in shares)	'	'	-3,674	'	'	'
Purchases of treasury stock	-112,564	'	-112,564	'	'	'
Exercise of stock options net of (withholdings) to satisfy employee tax obligations upon vesting of stock awards (in shares)	'	'	512	'	'	'
Exercise of stock options net of (withholdings) to satisfy employee tax obligations upon vesting of stock awards	-10,380	'	14,635	-23,664	-1,351	'
Stock-based compensation (in shares)	'	'	-96	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	9,386	'	-3,340	14,153	-1,427	'
Balance at Mar. 31, 2014	$532,554	$1,538	($459,243)	$1,692,107	($701,966)	$118
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2014	'	153,760	-15,851	'	'	'

Organization_and_Summary_Of_Si

Organization and Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Organization and Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	'
	Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Description of Business and Capital Structure
	tw telecom inc. (together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the “Company”) is a leading national provider of managed network services, specializing in business Ethernet, data networking, converged, Internet Protocol ("IP") based virtual private network or "IP VPN", Internet access, voice, including voice over Internet Protocol or “VoIP”, and network security services to enterprise organizations, including public sector entities, and carriers throughout the United States, including their global locations.
	The Company has one class of common stock outstanding with one vote per share. The Company also is authorized to issue shares of preferred stock. The Company’s Board of Directors has the authority to establish voting powers, preferences and special rights for the preferred stock. No shares of preferred stock have been issued.
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and do not include all of the information and note disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements. These condensed consolidated financial statements should therefore be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 filed with the SEC. The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and include all adjustments of a normal, recurring nature that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present fairly the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for an interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for a full fiscal year.
	Prior Year Reclassifications
	Beginning January 1, 2014, the Company is reporting revenue from taxes and fees in a separate line item on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and is reporting revenue from dedicated high capacity Ethernet services in data and Internet services rather than network services. These reclassifications have been made in the prior year condensed consolidated statement of operations to conform to the current year presentation. Neither of these changes affects total revenue for the current period or prior periods. The following table provides revenue as currently reported and previously reported for the three months ended March 31, 2013:
			Three months ended March 31, 2013
			As Currently Reported		As Previously Reported
			(amounts in thousands)
	Revenue:
	Data and Internet services		$	211,721	$	202,082
	Voice services		76,030		92,355
	Network services		64,955		78,863
	Service revenue		352,706		373,300
	Taxes and fees		20,594		—
	Intercarrier compensation		7,909		7,909
	Total revenue		$	381,209	$	381,209
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
	The balance in accumulated other comprehensive income as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 relates to the Company's investments that are classified as available-for-sale securities. The Company recognized no material changes in accumulated other comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2014 or 2013. There were no significant items reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2014 or 2013.
	Revenue
	The Company’s revenue is derived primarily from business communications services comprised of the following:
	•	Data and Internet services include services that enable customers to connect their internal computer networks between locations and to access external networks, including Internet access and data transport at high speeds using Ethernet protocol, local and wide-area business Ethernet and IP VPN solutions, including service enhancements that provide customers with more visibility and control over their Ethernet services, which we refer to as the "Intelligent Network". Data and Internet services also include a portfolio of managed services including the data and Internet components of converged services, which fully integrates a combination of certain communication applications including IP VPN, Internet, enterprise Session Initiation Protocol ("SIP") trunking (a VoIP solution), security and managed router service into a single managed IP solution; and the data and Internet components of integrated services, which enable customers to purchase a full array of access options that include Internet services.
	•	Voice services are traditional voice capabilities, whether provided over Time Division Multiplexing ("TDM") or VoIP, including those provided as standalone and bundled services, long distance and toll free services. Voice services also include the voice components of managed and integrated services.
	•	Network services are point-to-point services that transmit voice, data and images using state-of-the-art fiber optics, and collocation services that provide secure space with controlled climate and power where customers can locate their equipment to connect to the Company’s network in facilities equipped for enterprise information technology environmental requirements.
	The Company also generates revenue from intercarrier compensation, which is comprised of switched access services and reciprocal compensation. Switched access represents the compensation from another carrier for the delivery of traffic from a long distance carrier’s point of presence to an end-user’s premises provided through the Company’s switching facilities. The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") and state public utility commissions regulate switched access rates in their respective jurisdictions. Reciprocal compensation represents compensation from local exchange carriers (“LECs”) for local exchange traffic originated on another LEC’s facilities and terminated on the Company’s facilities.
	The Company classifies certain taxes and fees billed to customers and remitted to government authorities on a gross versus net basis in revenue and expense. In making this determination, the Company assesses, among other things, whether the Company is the primary obligor or principal taxpayer for the taxes and fees assessed in each jurisdiction where the Company does business. In jurisdictions where the Company determines that it is the principal taxpayer, the Company records the taxes and fees on a gross basis, including the taxes and fees in revenue and expense. In jurisdictions where the Company determines that it is merely a collection agent for the government authority, the Company records the taxes on a net basis. The total amount of such taxes and fees classified as revenue is included in "Taxes and fees" on the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations.
	The Company’s customers include enterprise organizations in a wide variety of industry segments including, among others, the financial services, technology and scientific, health care, distribution, manufacturing and professional services industries, data centers, cloud application providers, public sector entities, system integrators and communications service providers, including incumbent local exchange carriers ("ILECs"), competitive local exchange carriers ("CLECs"), wireless communications companies and cable companies.
	Revenue for network, data and Internet, and the majority of voice services is generally billed in advance on a monthly fixed rate basis and recognized over the period the services are provided. Revenue for the majority of intercarrier compensation and certain components of voice services, such as long distance, is generally billed on a transactional basis in arrears based on a customer’s actual usage; therefore, estimates are used to recognize revenue in the period earned.
	The Company evaluates whether receivables are reasonably assured of collection based on certain factors, including the likelihood of billing being disputed by customers. If there is a billing dispute with a customer, revenue generally is not recognized until the dispute is resolved. The Company does not recognize revenue associated with contract termination charges until cash is received.
	Significant Customers
	The Company has substantial business relationships with a few large customers, including major telecommunications carriers. The Company’s 10 largest customers accounted for an aggregate of 17% of the Company’s total revenue for both the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013. No customer accounted for 5% or more of total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2014 or 2013.

Earnings_Per_Common_Share_and_

Earnings Per Common Share and Potential Common Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Earnings Per Common Share and Potential Common Share	'
	Earnings per Common Share and Potential Common Share
	Basic earnings per common share (“EPS”) is measured as the income allocated to common stockholders divided by the weighted average outstanding common shares for the period. Diluted EPS is similar to basic EPS but presents the dilutive effect on a per share basis of potential common shares (such as convertible securities and stock options) as if they had been converted to shares at the beginning of the period presented. Potential common shares that have an anti-dilutive effect (e.g., those that increase income per share) are excluded from diluted EPS.
	The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators used in the basic and diluted EPS computations:
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
		(amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
	Numerator
	Net income	$	9,791		$	13,144
	Allocation of net income to unvested restricted stock	(179		)	(255		)
	Net income allocated to common stockholders, basic	$	9,612		$	12,889
	Net income allocated to common stockholders, diluted	$	9,612		$	12,889
	Denominator
	Basic weighted average shares outstanding	138,088			149,129
	Dilutive potential common shares:
	Stock options	384			1,432
	Unvested restricted stock	1,625			1,891
	Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	140,097			152,452
	Basic earnings per share	$	0.07		$	0.09
	Diluted earnings per share	$	0.07		$	0.09
	There were no anti-dilutive shares for the three months ended March 31, 2014. Shares of common stock subject to issuance upon conversion of the Company’s 23/8% Convertible Senior Debentures due 2026 (the “Convertible Debentures”) and restricted stock awards and restricted stock units to be settled in common stock upon vesting, which were excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average shares outstanding because their inclusion would be anti-dilutive, totaled 21.0 million shares for the three months ended March 31, 2013.

Investments

Investments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Investments [Abstract]	'
Investments	'
	Investments
	The Company’s investments at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are summarized as follows:
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
		(amounts in thousands)
	Cash equivalents:
	U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds	$	28,371	$	28,845
	Commercial paper	19,895		1,335
	Total cash equivalents	$	48,266	$	30,180
	Investments:
	Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury	$	75,019	$	69,628
	Commercial paper	54,978		75,460
	Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies	46,397		49,488
	Total investments	$	176,394	$	194,576
	Total cash equivalents and investments	$	224,660	$	224,756
	At March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the carrying values of investments included in cash and cash equivalents approximated fair value. The aggregate fair value of available-for-sale securities by major security type is included in Note 5. The amortized cost basis of the available-for-sale securities was not materially different from the aggregate fair value. The contractual maturities of the Company’s available-for-sale securities are all within one year.
	Proceeds from the sale and maturity of available-for-sale securities were $69.5 million and $34.0 million during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Gains and losses on investments are calculated using the specific identification method and are recognized during the period the investment is sold. The Company recognized no material unrealized or realized net gains or losses during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013.

LongTerm_Debt_and_Capital_Leas

Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	'
	Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations
	The components of long-term debt and capital lease obligations at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 were as follows:
		Date of						Outstanding Balance as of
		Issuance / Amendment	Maturity	Interest Payments	Interest Rate	Original Principal		March 31,			December 31,
								2014			2013
						(amounts in thousands)
	Term Loan B	Apr-13	Apr-20	At least quarterly	Eurodollar rate + 2.50%	$	520,000	$	516,100		$	517,400
	8% Senior Notes	Mar-10	Mar-18	Mar/Sept	8%	430,000		—			23,479
	53/8% Senior Notes	Oct-12	Oct-22	Apr/Oct	5.38%	480,000		480,000			480,000
	53/8% Senior Notes	Aug-13	Oct-22	Apr/Oct	5.38%	450,000		450,000			450,000
	63/8% Senior Notes	Aug-13	Sep-23	Mar/Sept	6.38%	350,000		350,000			350,000
	Capital lease obligations							145,894			147,046
	Total obligations							1,941,994			1,967,925
	Unamortized discounts							(18,035		)	(18,680		)
	Current portion							(8,878		)	(32,470		)
	Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations							$	1,915,081		$	1,916,775
	8% Senior Notes due 2018
	As of December 31, 2013, tw telecom holdings inc. ("Holdings") had outstanding $23.5 million aggregate principal amount of 8% Senior Notes due 2018 (the "2018 Notes"). During the three months ended March 31, 2014, Holdings redeemed all remaining outstanding 2018 Notes at a redemption price of 104% of the principal amount. During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company recognized debt extinguishment costs of $1.3 million, comprised of $0.9 million for premiums associated with the redemption and $0.4 million for write-offs of unamortized deferred debt issuance costs and issuance discount related to the 2018 Notes.
	Covenant Compliance
	As of March 31, 2014, tw telecom inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Holdings, were in compliance with all of their debt covenants.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Measurements	'
	Fair Value Measurements
	Fair value, as defined by relevant accounting standards, is the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would complete a transaction and considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions and risk of nonperformance.
	Fair Value Hierarchy
	Relevant accounting standards set forth a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. A financial instrument’s categorization within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Relevant accounting standards establish three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:
	•	Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 1 assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis consist of the Company’s investments in U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds that are traded in an active market with sufficient volume and frequency of transactions, and are included as a component of cash and cash equivalents in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
	•	Level 2—Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets with insufficient volume or infrequent transactions (less active markets); or model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are observable or can be derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Level 2 assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis consist of the Company’s investments in commercial paper and debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury and other U.S. government agencies using observable inputs in less active markets and are included as a component of cash and cash equivalents and investments in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Level 2 liabilities that are measured, but not carried, at fair value on a recurring basis include the Company’s long-term debt. The Company’s long-term debt has not been listed on any securities exchange or quoted on an inter-dealer automated quotation system. The Company has estimated the fair value of its long-term debt based on indicative pricing published by certain investment banks or trading levels in its long-term debt.
	•	Level 3—Unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are significant to the measurement of fair value of assets or liabilities. The Company did not have any Level 3 assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.
	The following tables reflect assets that are measured and carried at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
			Fair Value Measurements At March 31, 2014						Assets
			Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		at Fair Value
			(amounts in thousands)
	Assets
	U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds		$	28,371	$	—	$	—	$	28,371
	Commercial paper		—		19,895		—		19,895
	Investments included in cash and cash equivalents		$	28,371	$	19,895	$	—	$	48,266
	Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury		—		75,019		—		75,019
	Commercial paper		—		54,978		—		54,978
	Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies		—		46,397		—		46,397
	Short-term investments		$	—	$	176,394	$	—	$	176,394
	Total assets		$	28,371	$	196,289	$	—	$	224,660
			Fair Value Measurements At December 31, 2013						Assets
			Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		at Fair Value
			(amounts in thousands)
	Assets
	U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds		$	28,845	$	—	$	—	$	28,845
	Commercial paper		—		1,335		—		1,335
	Investments included in cash and cash equivalents		$	28,845	$	1,335	$	—	$	30,180
	Commercial paper		—		75,460		—		75,460
	Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury		—		69,628		—		69,628
	Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies		—		49,488		—		49,488
	Short-term investments		$	—	$	194,576	$	—	$	194,576
	Total assets		$	28,845	$	195,911	$	—	$	224,756
	The following table summarizes the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of the Company’s long-term debt, including the current portion, at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
			March 31, 2014				December 31, 2013
			Carrying		Fair Value		Carrying		Fair Value
			Value		Level 2		Value		Level 2
			(amounts in thousands)
	Term Loan B, net of discount		$	513,856	$	516,100	$	515,063	$	519,987
	8% Senior Notes, net of discount		—		—		23,392		24,594
	53/8% Senior Notes, issued October 2012		480,000		489,600		480,000		474,000
	53/8% Senior Notes, net of discount, issued August 2013		434,209		459,000		433,744		444,375
	63/8% Senior Notes		350,000		372,750		350,000		364,000
	Total debt		$	1,778,065	$	1,837,450	$	1,802,199	$	1,826,956

StockBased_Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Stock-Based Compensation	'
	Stock-Based Compensation
	During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company granted restricted stock awards and restricted stock units with respect to 1.4 million shares and no stock options. As of March 31, 2014, the Company had 3.7 million restricted stock awards and restricted stock units that were unvested and 0.5 million stock options outstanding, of which 0.5 million were exercisable.
	As of March 31, 2014, there was $86.4 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested restricted stock awards and restricted stock units, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.7 years, and no unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock options.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	Commitments and Contingencies
	Management routinely reviews the Company’s exposure to liabilities incurred in the normal course of its business operations. Where a probable contingency exists and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, the Company records the estimated liability. Considerable judgment is required in analyzing and recording such liabilities and actual results may vary from the estimates.
	The Company’s pending legal proceedings are limited to litigation incidental to its business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial statements.

Supplemental_Guarantor_Informa

Supplemental Guarantor Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Supplemental Guarantor Information [Abstract]	'
Supplemental Guarantor Information	'
	Supplemental Guarantor Information
	The $480 million principal amount 53/8% Senior Notes due 2022 (the "2022 Notes"), $450 million principal amount 53/8% Senior Notes due 2022 (the "2022 Mirror Notes") and $350 million principal amount 63/8% Senior Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Notes") (collectively, the "Senior Notes") are unsecured obligations of Holdings ("Issuer") and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company (“Parent Guarantor”) and substantially all of the Issuer’s subsidiaries (“Combined Subsidiary Guarantors”). The guarantees are joint and several. The Combined Subsidiary Guarantors are directly or indirectly wholly owned by the Issuer, which is wholly owned by the Parent Guarantor. A significant amount of the Issuer’s cash flow is generated by the Combined Subsidiary Guarantors. As a result, funds necessary to meet the Issuer’s debt service obligations are provided in large part by distributions or advances from the Combined Subsidiary Guarantors. The Senior Notes are governed by indentures that contain certain restrictive covenants. These restrictions affect, and in many respects limit or prohibit, among other things, the ability of the Parent Guarantor, the Issuer and its subsidiaries to incur indebtedness, make prepayments of certain indebtedness, pay dividends, make investments, engage in transactions with stockholders and affiliates, issue capital stock of subsidiaries, create liens, sell assets and engage in mergers and consolidations.
	The following information sets forth the Company’s Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, Condensed Consolidating Statements of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, Condensed Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, and Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013.
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
	March 31, 2014
	(unaudited)
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	ASSETS
	Current assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	24,546		$	154,293		$	—		$	—		$	178,839
	Investments	—			176,394			—			—			176,394
	Receivables, net	—			—			98,811			—			98,811
	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	—			14,179			9,555			—			23,734
	Deferred income taxes	—			54,006			20			—			54,026
	Intercompany receivable	795,857			1,578,083			—			(2,373,940		)	—
	Total current assets	820,403			1,976,955			108,386			(2,373,940		)	531,804
	Property, plant and equipment, net	—			80,410			1,645,853			—			1,726,263
	Deferred income taxes	—			87,848			484			—			88,332
	Goodwill	—			—			412,694			—			412,694
	Intangible and other assets, net	—			34,976			18,475			—			53,451
	Total assets	$	820,403		$	2,180,189		$	2,185,892		$	(2,373,940	)	$	2,812,544
	LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
	Current liabilities:
	Accounts payable	$	—		$	10,541		$	61,170		$	—		$	71,711
	Current portion debt and capital lease obligations	—			5,480			3,398			—			8,878
	Other current liabilities	—			82,682			139,177			—			221,859
	Intercompany payable	—			—			2,373,940			(2,373,940		)	—
	Total current liabilities	—			98,703			2,577,685			(2,373,940		)	302,448
	Losses in subsidiary in excess of investment	288,142			849,208			—			(1,137,350		)	—
	Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	—			1,772,865			142,216			—			1,915,081
	Long-term deferred revenue	—			—			19,871			—			19,871
	Other long-term liabilities	—			11,708			30,882			—			42,590
	Stockholders’ equity (deficit)	532,261			(552,295		)	(584,762		)	1,137,350			532,554
	Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)	$	820,403		$	2,180,189		$	2,185,892		$	(2,373,940	)	$	2,812,544
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
	December 31, 2013
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	ASSETS
	Current assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	24,546		$	259,873		$	—		$	—		$	284,419
	Investments	—			194,576			—			—			194,576
	Receivables, net	—			—			107,258			—			107,258
	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	—			14,434			8,111			—			22,545
	Deferred income taxes	—			54,006			20			—			54,026
	Intercompany receivable	917,932			1,475,298			—			(2,393,230		)	—
	Total current assets	942,478			1,998,187			115,389			(2,393,230		)	662,824
	Property, plant and equipment, net	—			75,142			1,619,814			—			1,694,956
	Deferred income taxes	—			95,603			484			—			96,087
	Goodwill	—			—			412,694			—			412,694
	Intangible and other assets, net	—			36,001			19,898			—			55,899
	Total assets	$	942,478		$	2,204,933		$	2,168,279		$	(2,393,230	)	$	2,922,460
	LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
	Current liabilities:
	Accounts payable	$	—		$	8,298		$	30,156		$	—		$	38,454
	Current portion debt and capital lease obligations, net	—			29,008			3,462			—			32,470
Other current liabilities	—			87,333			151,039			—			238,372
Intercompany payable	—			—			2,393,230			(2,393,230		)	—
Total current liabilities	—			124,639			2,577,887			(2,393,230		)	309,296
Losses in subsidiary in excess of investment	306,440			858,499			—			(1,164,939		)	—
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	—			1,773,607			143,168			—			1,916,775
Long-term deferred revenue	—			—			20,046			—			20,046
Other long-term liabilities	—			10,526			29,748			—			40,274
Stockholders’ equity (deficit)	636,038			(562,338		)	(602,570		)	1,164,939			636,069
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)	$	942,478		$	2,204,933		$	2,168,279		$	(2,393,230	)	$	2,922,460
tw telecom inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
(unaudited)
	Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
	Guarantor						Subsidiary
							Guarantors
	(amounts in thousands)
Total revenue	$	—		$	—		$	408,293		$	—		$	408,293
Costs and expenses:
Operating, selling, general and administrative	—			71,941			208,930			—			280,871
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	—			8,591			73,865			—			82,456
Corporate expense allocation	—			(80,532		)	80,532			—			—
Total costs and expenses	—			—			363,327			—			363,327
Operating income	—			—			44,966			—			44,966
Interest expense, net	—			(20,488		)	(5,012		)	—			(25,500		)
Debt extinguishment costs	—			(1,282		)	—			—			(1,282		)
Interest expense allocation	—			21,770			(21,770		)	—			—
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	—			—			18,184			—			18,184
Income tax expense	—			8,017			376			—			8,393
Net income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	—			(8,017		)	17,808			—			9,791
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	9,791			17,808			—			(27,599		)	—
Net income	$	9,791		$	9,791		$	17,808		$	(27,599	)	$	9,791
tw telecom inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
Three Months Ended March 31, 2013
(unaudited)
	Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
	Guarantor						Subsidiary
							Guarantors
	(amounts in thousands)
Total revenue	$	—		$	—		$	381,209		$	—		$	381,209
Costs and expenses:
Operating, selling, general and administrative	—			64,807			189,837			—			254,644
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	—			6,579			67,816			—			74,395
Corporate expense allocation	—			(71,386		)	71,386			—			—
Total costs and expenses	—			—			329,039			—			329,039
Operating income	—			—			52,170			—			52,170
Interest expense, net	(8,136		)	(17,878		)	(2,049		)	—			(28,063		)
Interest expense allocation	8,136			17,878			(26,014		)	—			—
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	—			—			24,107			—			24,107
Income tax expense	—			10,617			346			—			10,963
Net income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	—			(10,617		)	23,761			—			13,144
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	13,144			23,761			—			(36,905		)	—
Net income	$	13,144		$	13,144		$	23,761		$	(36,905	)	$	13,144
tw telecom inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
(unaudited)
	Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
	Guarantor						Subsidiary
							Guarantors
	(amounts in thousands)
Net income	$	9,791		$	9,791		$	17,808		$	(27,599	)	$	9,791
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities	(10		)	(10		)	—			10			(10		)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(10		)	(10		)	—			10			(10		)
Comprehensive income	$	9,781		$	9,781		$	17,808		$	(27,589	)	$	9,781
tw telecom inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Three Months Ended March 31, 2013
(unaudited)
	Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
	Guarantor						Subsidiary
							Guarantors
	(amounts in thousands)
Net income	$	13,144		$	13,144		$	23,761		$	(36,905	)	$	13,144
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities	8			8			—			(8		)	8
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	8			8			—			(8		)	8
Comprehensive income	$	13,152		$	13,152		$	23,761		$	(36,913	)	$	13,152
tw telecom inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
(unaudited)
	Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
	Guarantor						Subsidiary
							Guarantors
	(amounts in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$	9,791		$	9,791		$	17,808		$	(27,599	)	$	9,791
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	—			8,591			73,865			—			82,456
Deferred income taxes	—			8,017			—			—			8,017
Stock-based compensation expense	—			—			9,386			—			9,386
Extinguishment costs, amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	—			2,895			—			—			2,895
Intercompany and equity investment changes	104,759			(112,076		)	(20,282		)	27,599			—
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	—			(1,304		)	3,984			—			2,680
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	114,550			(84,086		)	84,761			—			115,225
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	—			(13,880		)	(87,753		)	—			(101,633		)
Purchases of investments	—			(51,703		)	—			—			(51,703		)
Proceeds from sale of investments	—			69,509			—			—			69,509
Other investing activities, net	—			22			4,316			—			4,338
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	—			3,948			(83,437		)	—			(79,489		)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds (tax withholdings) from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards and units	(10,380		)	—			—			—			(10,380		)
Purchases of treasury stock	(104,170		)	—			—			—			(104,170		)
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	—			412			—			—			412
Retirement of debt obligations	—			(24,418		)	—			—			(24,418		)
Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	—			(1,436		)	(1,324		)	—			(2,760		)
Net cash used in financing activities	(114,550		)	(25,442		)	(1,324		)	—			(141,316		)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	—			(105,580		)	—			—			(105,580		)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,546			259,873			—			—			284,419
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	24,546		$	154,293		$	—		$	—		$	178,839
tw telecom inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Three Months Ended March 31, 2013
(unaudited)
	Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
	Guarantor						Subsidiary
							Guarantors
	(amounts in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$	13,144		$	13,144		$	23,761		$	(36,905	)	$	13,144
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	—			6,579			67,816			—			74,395
Deferred income taxes	—			10,617			—			—			10,617
Stock-based compensation expense	—			—			9,462			—			9,462
Amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	5,918			877			—			—			6,795
Intercompany and equity investment changes	27,247			(88,651		)	24,499			36,905			—
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	2,219			11,015			(46,047		)	—			(32,813		)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	48,528			(46,419		)	79,491			—			81,600
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	—			(10,903		)	(76,897		)	—			(87,800		)
Purchases of investments	—			(50,932		)	—			—			(50,932		)
Proceeds from sale of investments	—			33,990			—			—			33,990
Other investing activities, net	—			(5		)	(2,235		)	—			(2,240		)
Net cash used in investing activities	—			(27,850		)	(79,132		)	—			(106,982		)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds (tax withholdings) from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards and units	6,158			—			—			—			6,158
Purchases of treasury stock	(54,627		)	—			—			—			(54,627		)
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	—			601			—			—			601
Retirement of convertible debt obligations	(59		)	—			—			—			(59		)
Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	—			(1,350		)	(359		)	—			(1,709		)
Net cash used in financing activities	(48,528		)	(749		)	(359		)	—			(49,636		)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	—			(75,018		)	—			—			(75,018		)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,544			782,184			—			—			806,728
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	24,544		$	707,166		$	—		$	—		$	731,710

Organization_and_Summary_Of_Si1

Organization and Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Description of Business and Capital Structure	'
	Description of Business and Capital Structure
	tw telecom inc. (together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the “Company”) is a leading national provider of managed network services, specializing in business Ethernet, data networking, converged, Internet Protocol ("IP") based virtual private network or "IP VPN", Internet access, voice, including voice over Internet Protocol or “VoIP”, and network security services to enterprise organizations, including public sector entities, and carriers throughout the United States, including their global locations.
	The Company has one class of common stock outstanding with one vote per share. The Company also is authorized to issue shares of preferred stock. The Company’s Board of Directors has the authority to establish voting powers, preferences and special rights for the preferred stock. No shares of preferred stock have been issued.
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and do not include all of the information and note disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements. These condensed consolidated financial statements should therefore be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 filed with the SEC. The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and include all adjustments of a normal, recurring nature that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present fairly the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for an interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for a full fiscal year.
Prior Year Reclassifications	'
	Prior Year Reclassifications
	Beginning January 1, 2014, the Company is reporting revenue from taxes and fees in a separate line item on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and is reporting revenue from dedicated high capacity Ethernet services in data and Internet services rather than network services. These reclassifications have been made in the prior year condensed consolidated statement of operations to conform to the current year presentation. Neither of these changes affects total revenue for the current period or prior periods. The following table provides revenue as currently reported and previously reported for the three months ended March 31, 2013:
			Three months ended March 31, 2013
			As Currently Reported		As Previously Reported
			(amounts in thousands)
	Revenue:
	Data and Internet services		$	211,721	$	202,082
	Voice services		76,030		92,355
	Network services		64,955		78,863
	Service revenue		352,706		373,300
	Taxes and fees		20,594		—
	Intercarrier compensation		7,909		7,909
	Total revenue		$	381,209	$	381,209
Use of Estimates	'
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Revenue	'
	Revenue
	The Company’s revenue is derived primarily from business communications services comprised of the following:
	•	Data and Internet services include services that enable customers to connect their internal computer networks between locations and to access external networks, including Internet access and data transport at high speeds using Ethernet protocol, local and wide-area business Ethernet and IP VPN solutions, including service enhancements that provide customers with more visibility and control over their Ethernet services, which we refer to as the "Intelligent Network". Data and Internet services also include a portfolio of managed services including the data and Internet components of converged services, which fully integrates a combination of certain communication applications including IP VPN, Internet, enterprise Session Initiation Protocol ("SIP") trunking (a VoIP solution), security and managed router service into a single managed IP solution; and the data and Internet components of integrated services, which enable customers to purchase a full array of access options that include Internet services.
	•	Voice services are traditional voice capabilities, whether provided over Time Division Multiplexing ("TDM") or VoIP, including those provided as standalone and bundled services, long distance and toll free services. Voice services also include the voice components of managed and integrated services.
	•	Network services are point-to-point services that transmit voice, data and images using state-of-the-art fiber optics, and collocation services that provide secure space with controlled climate and power where customers can locate their equipment to connect to the Company’s network in facilities equipped for enterprise information technology environmental requirements.
	The Company also generates revenue from intercarrier compensation, which is comprised of switched access services and reciprocal compensation. Switched access represents the compensation from another carrier for the delivery of traffic from a long distance carrier’s point of presence to an end-user’s premises provided through the Company’s switching facilities. The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") and state public utility commissions regulate switched access rates in their respective jurisdictions. Reciprocal compensation represents compensation from local exchange carriers (“LECs”) for local exchange traffic originated on another LEC’s facilities and terminated on the Company’s facilities.
	The Company classifies certain taxes and fees billed to customers and remitted to government authorities on a gross versus net basis in revenue and expense. In making this determination, the Company assesses, among other things, whether the Company is the primary obligor or principal taxpayer for the taxes and fees assessed in each jurisdiction where the Company does business. In jurisdictions where the Company determines that it is the principal taxpayer, the Company records the taxes and fees on a gross basis, including the taxes and fees in revenue and expense. In jurisdictions where the Company determines that it is merely a collection agent for the government authority, the Company records the taxes on a net basis. The total amount of such taxes and fees classified as revenue is included in "Taxes and fees" on the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations.
	The Company’s customers include enterprise organizations in a wide variety of industry segments including, among others, the financial services, technology and scientific, health care, distribution, manufacturing and professional services industries, data centers, cloud application providers, public sector entities, system integrators and communications service providers, including incumbent local exchange carriers ("ILECs"), competitive local exchange carriers ("CLECs"), wireless communications companies and cable companies.
	Revenue for network, data and Internet, and the majority of voice services is generally billed in advance on a monthly fixed rate basis and recognized over the period the services are provided. Revenue for the majority of intercarrier compensation and certain components of voice services, such as long distance, is generally billed on a transactional basis in arrears based on a customer’s actual usage; therefore, estimates are used to recognize revenue in the period earned.
	The Company evaluates whether receivables are reasonably assured of collection based on certain factors, including the likelihood of billing being disputed by customers. If there is a billing dispute with a customer, revenue generally is not recognized until the dispute is resolved. The Company does not recognize revenue associated with contract termination charges until cash is received.
Significant Customers	'
	Significant Customers
	The Company has substantial business relationships with a few large customers, including major telecommunications carriers. The Company’s 10 largest customers accounted for an aggregate of 17% of the Company’s total revenue for both the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013. No customer accounted for 5% or more of total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2014 or 2013.
Earnings Per Share and Potential Common Share	'
	Basic earnings per common share (“EPS”) is measured as the income allocated to common stockholders divided by the weighted average outstanding common shares for the period. Diluted EPS is similar to basic EPS but presents the dilutive effect on a per share basis of potential common shares (such as convertible securities and stock options) as if they had been converted to shares at the beginning of the period presented. Potential common shares that have an anti-dilutive effect (e.g., those that increase income per share) are excluded from diluted EPS.

Organization_and_Summary_Of_Si2

Organization and Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Prior Year Reclassifications Schedule	'
	The following table provides revenue as currently reported and previously reported for the three months ended March 31, 2013:
		Three months ended March 31, 2013
		As Currently Reported		As Previously Reported
		(amounts in thousands)
	Revenue:
	Data and Internet services	$	211,721	$	202,082
	Voice services	76,030		92,355
	Network services	64,955		78,863
	Service revenue	352,706		373,300
	Taxes and fees	20,594		—
	Intercarrier compensation	7,909		7,909
	Total revenue	$	381,209	$	381,209

Earnings_Per_Common_Share_and_1

Earnings Per Common Share and Potential Common Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Earnings Per Share Reconciliation	'
	The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators used in the basic and diluted EPS computations:
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2014			2013
		(amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
	Numerator
	Net income	$	9,791		$	13,144
	Allocation of net income to unvested restricted stock	(179		)	(255		)
	Net income allocated to common stockholders, basic	$	9,612		$	12,889
	Net income allocated to common stockholders, diluted	$	9,612		$	12,889
	Denominator
	Basic weighted average shares outstanding	138,088			149,129
	Dilutive potential common shares:
	Stock options	384			1,432
	Unvested restricted stock	1,625			1,891
	Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	140,097			152,452
	Basic earnings per share	$	0.07		$	0.09
	Diluted earnings per share	$	0.07		$	0.09

Investments_Tables

Investments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Investments [Abstract]	'
Investments Schedule	'
	The Company’s investments at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are summarized as follows:
		March 31,		December 31,
		2014		2013
		(amounts in thousands)
	Cash equivalents:
	U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds	$	28,371	$	28,845
	Commercial paper	19,895		1,335
	Total cash equivalents	$	48,266	$	30,180
	Investments:
	Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury	$	75,019	$	69,628
	Commercial paper	54,978		75,460
	Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies	46,397		49,488
	Total investments	$	176,394	$	194,576
	Total cash equivalents and investments	$	224,660	$	224,756

LongTerm_Debt_and_Capital_Leas1

Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Summary Of Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	'
	The components of long-term debt and capital lease obligations at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 were as follows:
		Date of						Outstanding Balance as of
		Issuance / Amendment	Maturity	Interest Payments	Interest Rate	Original Principal		March 31,			December 31,
								2014			2013
						(amounts in thousands)
	Term Loan B	Apr-13	Apr-20	At least quarterly	Eurodollar rate + 2.50%	$	520,000	$	516,100		$	517,400
	8% Senior Notes	Mar-10	Mar-18	Mar/Sept	8%	430,000		—			23,479
	53/8% Senior Notes	Oct-12	Oct-22	Apr/Oct	5.38%	480,000		480,000			480,000
	53/8% Senior Notes	Aug-13	Oct-22	Apr/Oct	5.38%	450,000		450,000			450,000
	63/8% Senior Notes	Aug-13	Sep-23	Mar/Sept	6.38%	350,000		350,000			350,000
	Capital lease obligations							145,894			147,046
	Total obligations							1,941,994			1,967,925
	Unamortized discounts							(18,035		)	(18,680		)
	Current portion							(8,878		)	(32,470		)
	Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations							$	1,915,081		$	1,916,775

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Assets And Liabilities Measured And Carried At Fair Value On Recurring Basis	'
	The following tables reflect assets that are measured and carried at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
		Fair Value Measurements At March 31, 2014						Assets
		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		at Fair Value
		(amounts in thousands)
	Assets
	U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds	$	28,371	$	—	$	—	$	28,371
	Commercial paper	—		19,895		—		19,895
	Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	$	28,371	$	19,895	$	—	$	48,266
	Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury	—		75,019		—		75,019
	Commercial paper	—		54,978		—		54,978
	Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies	—		46,397		—		46,397
	Short-term investments	$	—	$	176,394	$	—	$	176,394
	Total assets	$	28,371	$	196,289	$	—	$	224,660
		Fair Value Measurements At December 31, 2013						Assets
		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		at Fair Value
		(amounts in thousands)
	Assets
	U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds	$	28,845	$	—	$	—	$	28,845
	Commercial paper	—		1,335		—		1,335
	Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	$	28,845	$	1,335	$	—	$	30,180
	Commercial paper	—		75,460		—		75,460
	Debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury	—		69,628		—		69,628
	Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies	—		49,488		—		49,488
	Short-term investments	$	—	$	194,576	$	—	$	194,576
	Total assets	$	28,845	$	195,911	$	—	$	224,756
Summary Of Carrying Amounts And Fair Values Of Long-Term Debt, Including Current Portion	'
	The following table summarizes the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of the Company’s long-term debt, including the current portion, at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013:
		March 31, 2014				December 31, 2013
		Carrying		Fair Value		Carrying		Fair Value
		Value		Level 2		Value		Level 2
		(amounts in thousands)
	Term Loan B, net of discount	$	513,856	$	516,100	$	515,063	$	519,987
	8% Senior Notes, net of discount	—		—		23,392		24,594
	53/8% Senior Notes, issued October 2012	480,000		489,600		480,000		474,000
	53/8% Senior Notes, net of discount, issued August 2013	434,209		459,000		433,744		444,375
	63/8% Senior Notes	350,000		372,750		350,000		364,000
	Total debt	$	1,778,065	$	1,837,450	$	1,802,199	$	1,826,956

Supplemental_Guarantor_Informa1

Supplemental Guarantor Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014
Supplemental Guarantor Information [Abstract]	'
Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet	'
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
	March 31, 2014
	(unaudited)
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	ASSETS
	Current assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	24,546		$	154,293		$	—		$	—		$	178,839
	Investments	—			176,394			—			—			176,394
	Receivables, net	—			—			98,811			—			98,811
	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	—			14,179			9,555			—			23,734
	Deferred income taxes	—			54,006			20			—			54,026
	Intercompany receivable	795,857			1,578,083			—			(2,373,940		)	—
	Total current assets	820,403			1,976,955			108,386			(2,373,940		)	531,804
	Property, plant and equipment, net	—			80,410			1,645,853			—			1,726,263
	Deferred income taxes	—			87,848			484			—			88,332
	Goodwill	—			—			412,694			—			412,694
	Intangible and other assets, net	—			34,976			18,475			—			53,451
	Total assets	$	820,403		$	2,180,189		$	2,185,892		$	(2,373,940	)	$	2,812,544
	LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
	Current liabilities:
	Accounts payable	$	—		$	10,541		$	61,170		$	—		$	71,711
	Current portion debt and capital lease obligations	—			5,480			3,398			—			8,878
	Other current liabilities	—			82,682			139,177			—			221,859
	Intercompany payable	—			—			2,373,940			(2,373,940		)	—
	Total current liabilities	—			98,703			2,577,685			(2,373,940		)	302,448
	Losses in subsidiary in excess of investment	288,142			849,208			—			(1,137,350		)	—
	Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	—			1,772,865			142,216			—			1,915,081
	Long-term deferred revenue	—			—			19,871			—			19,871
	Other long-term liabilities	—			11,708			30,882			—			42,590
	Stockholders’ equity (deficit)	532,261			(552,295		)	(584,762		)	1,137,350			532,554
	Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)	$	820,403		$	2,180,189		$	2,185,892		$	(2,373,940	)	$	2,812,544
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
	December 31, 2013
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	ASSETS
	Current assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	24,546		$	259,873		$	—		$	—		$	284,419
	Investments	—			194,576			—			—			194,576
	Receivables, net	—			—			107,258			—			107,258
	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	—			14,434			8,111			—			22,545
	Deferred income taxes	—			54,006			20			—			54,026
	Intercompany receivable	917,932			1,475,298			—			(2,393,230		)	—
	Total current assets	942,478			1,998,187			115,389			(2,393,230		)	662,824
	Property, plant and equipment, net	—			75,142			1,619,814			—			1,694,956
	Deferred income taxes	—			95,603			484			—			96,087
	Goodwill	—			—			412,694			—			412,694
	Intangible and other assets, net	—			36,001			19,898			—			55,899
	Total assets	$	942,478		$	2,204,933		$	2,168,279		$	(2,393,230	)	$	2,922,460
	LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
	Current liabilities:
	Accounts payable	$	—		$	8,298		$	30,156		$	—		$	38,454
	Current portion debt and capital lease obligations, net	—			29,008			3,462			—			32,470
	Other current liabilities	—			87,333			151,039			—			238,372
	Intercompany payable	—			—			2,393,230			(2,393,230		)	—
	Total current liabilities	—			124,639			2,577,887			(2,393,230		)	309,296
Losses in subsidiary in excess of investment	306,440			858,499			—			(1,164,939		)	—
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	—			1,773,607			143,168			—			1,916,775
Long-term deferred revenue	—			—			20,046			—			20,046
Other long-term liabilities	—			10,526			29,748			—			40,274
Stockholders’ equity (deficit)	636,038			(562,338		)	(602,570		)	1,164,939			636,069
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)	$	942,478		$	2,204,933		$	2,168,279		$	(2,393,230	)	$	2,922,460
Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Operations	'
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
	(unaudited)
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	Total revenue	$	—		$	—		$	408,293		$	—		$	408,293
	Costs and expenses:
	Operating, selling, general and administrative	—			71,941			208,930			—			280,871
	Depreciation, amortization and accretion	—			8,591			73,865			—			82,456
	Corporate expense allocation	—			(80,532		)	80,532			—			—
	Total costs and expenses	—			—			363,327			—			363,327
	Operating income	—			—			44,966			—			44,966
	Interest expense, net	—			(20,488		)	(5,012		)	—			(25,500		)
	Debt extinguishment costs	—			(1,282		)	—			—			(1,282		)
	Interest expense allocation	—			21,770			(21,770		)	—			—
	Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	—			—			18,184			—			18,184
	Income tax expense	—			8,017			376			—			8,393
	Net income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	—			(8,017		)	17,808			—			9,791
	Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	9,791			17,808			—			(27,599		)	—
	Net income	$	9,791		$	9,791		$	17,808		$	(27,599	)	$	9,791
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2013
	(unaudited)
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	Total revenue	$	—		$	—		$	381,209		$	—		$	381,209
	Costs and expenses:
	Operating, selling, general and administrative	—			64,807			189,837			—			254,644
	Depreciation, amortization and accretion	—			6,579			67,816			—			74,395
	Corporate expense allocation	—			(71,386		)	71,386			—			—
	Total costs and expenses	—			—			329,039			—			329,039
	Operating income	—			—			52,170			—			52,170
	Interest expense, net	(8,136		)	(17,878		)	(2,049		)	—			(28,063		)
	Interest expense allocation	8,136			17,878			(26,014		)	—			—
	Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	—			—			24,107			—			24,107
	Income tax expense	—			10,617			346			—			10,963
	Net income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	—			(10,617		)	23,761			—			13,144
	Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	13,144			23,761			—			(36,905		)	—
	Net income	$	13,144		$	13,144		$	23,761		$	(36,905	)	$	13,144
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income	'
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
	(unaudited)
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	Net income	$	9,791		$	9,791		$	17,808		$	(27,599	)	$	9,791
	Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
	Unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities	(10		)	(10		)	—			10			(10		)
	Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(10		)	(10		)	—			10			(10		)
	Comprehensive income	$	9,781		$	9,781		$	17,808		$	(27,589	)	$	9,781
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2013
	(unaudited)
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	Net income	$	13,144		$	13,144		$	23,761		$	(36,905	)	$	13,144
	Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
	Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities	8			8			—			(8		)	8
	Other comprehensive income, net of tax	8			8			—			(8		)	8
	Comprehensive income	$	13,152		$	13,152		$	23,761		$	(36,913	)	$	13,152
Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Cash Flows	'
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
	(unaudited)
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	Cash flows from operating activities:
	Net income	$	9,791		$	9,791		$	17,808		$	(27,599	)	$	9,791
	Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
	Depreciation, amortization and accretion	—			8,591			73,865			—			82,456
	Deferred income taxes	—			8,017			—			—			8,017
	Stock-based compensation expense	—			—			9,386			—			9,386
	Extinguishment costs, amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	—			2,895			—			—			2,895
	Intercompany and equity investment changes	104,759			(112,076		)	(20,282		)	27,599			—
	Changes in operating assets and liabilities	—			(1,304		)	3,984			—			2,680
	Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	114,550			(84,086		)	84,761			—			115,225
	Cash flows from investing activities:
	Capital expenditures	—			(13,880		)	(87,753		)	—			(101,633		)
	Purchases of investments	—			(51,703		)	—			—			(51,703		)
	Proceeds from sale of investments	—			69,509			—			—			69,509
	Other investing activities, net	—			22			4,316			—			4,338
	Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	—			3,948			(83,437		)	—			(79,489		)
	Cash flows from financing activities:
	Net proceeds (tax withholdings) from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards and units	(10,380		)	—			—			—			(10,380		)
	Purchases of treasury stock	(104,170		)	—			—			—			(104,170		)
	Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	—			412			—			—			412
	Retirement of debt obligations	—			(24,418		)	—			—			(24,418		)
	Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	—			(1,436		)	(1,324		)	—			(2,760		)
	Net cash used in financing activities	(114,550		)	(25,442		)	(1,324		)	—			(141,316		)
	Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	—			(105,580		)	—			—			(105,580		)
	Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,546			259,873			—			—			284,419
	Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	24,546		$	154,293		$	—		$	—		$	178,839
	tw telecom inc.
	CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
	Three Months Ended March 31, 2013
	(unaudited)
		Parent			Issuer			Combined			Eliminations			Consolidated
		Guarantor						Subsidiary
								Guarantors
		(amounts in thousands)
	Cash flows from operating activities:
	Net income	$	13,144		$	13,144		$	23,761		$	(36,905	)	$	13,144
	Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
	Depreciation, amortization and accretion	—			6,579			67,816			—			74,395
	Deferred income taxes	—			10,617			—			—			10,617
	Stock-based compensation expense	—			—			9,462			—			9,462
	Amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	5,918			877			—			—			6,795
	Intercompany and equity investment changes	27,247			(88,651		)	24,499			36,905			—
	Changes in operating assets and liabilities	2,219			11,015			(46,047		)	—			(32,813		)
	Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	48,528			(46,419		)	79,491			—			81,600
	Cash flows from investing activities:
	Capital expenditures	—			(10,903		)	(76,897		)	—			(87,800		)
	Purchases of investments	—			(50,932		)	—			—			(50,932		)
	Proceeds from sale of investments	—			33,990			—			—			33,990
	Other investing activities, net	—			(5		)	(2,235		)	—			(2,240		)
	Net cash used in investing activities	—			(27,850		)	(79,132		)	—			(106,982		)
	Cash flows from financing activities:
	Net proceeds (tax withholdings) from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards and units	6,158			—			—			—			6,158
	Purchases of treasury stock	(54,627		)	—			—			—			(54,627		)
	Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	—			601			—			—			601
	Retirement of convertible debt obligations	(59		)	—			—			—			(59		)
Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	—			(1,350		)	(359		)	—			(1,709		)
Net cash used in financing activities	(48,528		)	(749		)	(359		)	—			(49,636		)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	—			(75,018		)	—			—			(75,018		)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,544			782,184			—			—			806,728
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	24,544		$	707,166		$	—		$	—		$	731,710

Organization_and_Summary_Of_Si3

Organization and Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
	customers	customers
	classes
	votes
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'	'	'
Number of Classes of Common Shares	1	'	'
Number of Votes Per Share	1	'	'
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)	0	'	0
Ten largest customers percentage of total revenue	17.00%	17.00%	'
Number of customers that account for 5% or more of revenue	0	0	'

Recovered_Sheet1

Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Prior Year Reclassifications Schedule) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Prior Year Reclassifications [Line Items]	'	'
Data and Internet services	$243,671	$211,721
Voice services	77,361	76,030
Network services	58,367	64,955
Service revenue	379,399	352,706
Taxes and fees	22,752	20,594
Intercarrier compensation	6,142	7,909
Total revenue	408,293	381,209
As Currently Reported [Member]	'	'
Prior Year Reclassifications [Line Items]	'	'
Data and Internet services	'	211,721
Voice services	'	76,030
Network services	'	64,955
Service revenue	'	352,706
Taxes and fees	'	20,594
Intercarrier compensation	'	7,909
Total revenue	'	381,209
As Previously Reported [Member]	'	'
Prior Year Reclassifications [Line Items]	'	'
Data and Internet services	'	202,082
Voice services	'	92,355
Network services	'	78,863
Service revenue	'	373,300
Taxes and fees	'	0
Intercarrier compensation	'	7,909
Total revenue	'	$381,209

Earnings_Per_Common_Share_and_2

Earnings Per Common Share and Potential Common Share (Schedule Of Earnings Per Share Reconciliation) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'	'
Net income	$9,791	$13,144
Allocation of net income to unvested restricted stock	-179	-255
Net income allocated to common stockholders, basic	9,612	12,889
Net income allocated to common stockholders, diluted	$9,612	$12,889
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	138,088	149,129
Stock options (in shares)	384	1,432
Unvested restricted stock (in shares)	1,625	1,891
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	140,097	152,452
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$0.07	$0.09
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$0.07	$0.09

Earnings_Per_Common_Share_and_3

Earnings Per Common Share and Potential Common Share (Narrative) (Details)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'	'
Potentially anti-dilutive shares outstanding	0	21
Convertible and Unsecured Debenture [Member] | 2 3/8% Convertible Senior Debentures, Due 2026 Member	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Interest rate percentage	'	2.38%

Investments_Investments_Schedu

Investments (Investments Schedule) (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Cash equivalents	$48,266	$30,180
Investments	176,394	194,576
Total cash equivalents and investments	224,660	224,756
U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Cash equivalents	28,371	28,845
Commercial paper [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Cash equivalents	19,895	1,335
Investments	54,978	75,460
Debt securities issued by U.S. Treasury [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Investments	75,019	69,628
Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Investments	$46,397	$49,488

Investments_Narrative_Details

Investments (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Proceeds from the sale and maturity of available-for-sale securities	$69,509	$33,990
Maximum [Member]	'	'
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]	'	'
Available-for-sale Securities maturity period	'1 year	'

LongTerm_Debt_and_Capital_Leas2

Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations (Summary Of Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations) (Details) (USD $)

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Apr. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2010

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Oct. 31, 2012

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Aug. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Aug. 31, 2013

Term Loan [Member]

Term Loan [Member]

Term Loan [Member]

Term Loan [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Term Loan B, Due 2020 [Member]

Term Loan B, Due 2020 [Member]

Term Loan B, Due 2020 [Member]

Term Loan B, Due 2020 [Member]

8% Senior Notes, Due 2018 [Member]

8% Senior Notes, Due 2018 [Member]

8% Senior Notes, Due 2018 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued August 2013 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued August 2013 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued August 2013 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes, Due 2023 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes, Due 2023 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes, Due 2023 [Member]

Eurodollar [Member]

Debt Instrument [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Original principal

'

'

'

'

$520,000,000

'

'

'

$430,000,000

'

'

$480,000,000

'

'

$450,000,000

'

'

$350,000,000

Total debt

'

'

516,100,000

517,400,000

'

'

23,479,000

0

'

480,000,000

480,000,000

'

450,000,000

450,000,000

'

350,000,000

350,000,000

'

Capital lease obligations

145,894,000

147,046,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Total obligations

1,941,994,000

1,967,925,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Unamortized discounts

-18,035,000

-18,680,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Current portion

-8,878,000

-32,470,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations

$1,915,081,000

$1,916,775,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest rate percentage

'

'

'

'

'

'

8.00%

'

'

5.38%

'

'

5.38%

'

'

6.38%

'

'

Debt instruments maturity date

'

'

'2020

'

'

'

'2018

'

'

'2022

'

'

'2022

'

'

'2023

'

'

Basis spread on variable rate

'

'

'

'

'

2.50%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

LongTerm_Debt_and_Capital_Leas3

Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations (Textuals) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
			Senior Notes [Member]	Senior Notes [Member]
			8% Senior Notes, Due 2018 [Member]	8% Senior Notes, Due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Aggregate principal amount	'	'	$0	$23,479,000
Debt instrument redemption price	'	'	104.00%	'
Debt extinguishment costs	-1,282,000	0	1,300,000	'
Redemption premium	'	'	900,000	'
Write off of deferred debt issuance cost and unamortized debt discount	'	'	400,000	'
Interest rate percentage	'	'	'	8.00%
Debt instruments maturity date	'	'	'	'2018
Debt Instrument, Covenant Compliance	'As of MarchB 31, 2014, tw telecom inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Holdings, were in compliance with all of their debt covenants.	'	'	'
Amount of debt redeemed	'	'	$23,479,000	'

Fair_Value_Measurements_Schedu

Fair Value Measurements (Schedule Of Assets And Liabilities Measured And Carried At Fair Value On Recurring Basis) (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	$48,266	$30,180
Short-term investments	176,394	194,576
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	28,371	28,845
Short-term investments	0	0
Total assets	28,371	28,845
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	19,895	1,335
Short-term investments	176,394	194,576
Total assets	196,289	195,911
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Total assets	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	48,266	30,180
Short-term investments	176,394	194,576
Total assets	224,660	224,756
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	28,371	28,845
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. Treasury money market mutual funds [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	28,371	28,845
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Commercial paper [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Commercial paper [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	19,895	1,335
Short-term investments	54,978	75,460
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Commercial paper [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Commercial paper [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Investments included in cash and cash equivalents	19,895	1,335
Short-term investments	54,978	75,460
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Debt securities issued by U.S. Treasury [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Short-term investments	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Debt securities issued by U.S. Treasury [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Short-term investments	75,019	69,628
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Debt securities issued by U.S. Treasury [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Short-term investments	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Debt securities issued by U.S. Treasury [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Short-term investments	75,019	69,628
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Short-term investments	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Short-term investments	46,397	49,488
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Short-term investments	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Debt securities issued by U.S. Government agencies [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'	'
Short-term investments	$46,397	$49,488

Fair_Value_Measurements_Summar

Fair Value Measurements (Summary Of Carrying Amounts And Fair Values Of Long-Term Debt, Including Current Portion) (Details) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Carrying Value [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]

8% Senior Notes, net of discount [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, net of discount, Issued August 2013 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes [Member]

Term Loan [Member]

Term Loan [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Term Loan [Member]

Term Loan [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Senior Notes [Member]

Term Loan B, net of discount [Member]

Term Loan B, net of discount [Member]

8% Senior Notes, net of discount [Member]

8% Senior Notes, net of discount [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, net of discount, Issued August 2013 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, net of discount, Issued August 2013 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes [Member]

Term Loan B, net of discount [Member]

Term Loan B, net of discount [Member]

8% Senior Notes, net of discount [Member]

8% Senior Notes, net of discount [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, net of discount, Issued August 2013 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, net of discount, Issued August 2013 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes [Member]

Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Long-term Debt, Carrying Value

'

'

'

'

$1,778,065

$1,802,199

$513,856

$515,063

$0

$23,392

$480,000

$480,000

$434,209

$433,744

$350,000

$350,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Long-term Debt, Fair Value

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$1,837,450

$1,826,956

$516,100

$519,987

$0

$24,594

$489,600

$474,000

$459,000

$444,375

$372,750

$364,000

Interest rate percentage

8.00%

5.38%

5.38%

6.38%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt instruments maturity date

'2018

'2022

'2022

'2023

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

StockBased_Compensation_Detail

Stock-Based Compensation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014
Restricted Stock Awards And Units Member	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Restricted stock awards and units granted (shares)	1.4
Unvested restricted stock awards and units (shares)	3.7
Unrecognized compensation expense	$86.40
Weighted-average recognition period (in years)	'2 years 8 months 16 days
Stock Options Member	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Stock options granted (shares)	0
Options outstanding (shares)	0.5
Options exercisable (shares)	0.5
Unrecognized compensation expense	$0

Supplemental_Guarantor_Informa2

Supplemental Guarantor Information (Textuals) (Details) (Senior Notes [Member], USD $)

Mar. 31, 2014

Oct. 31, 2012

Mar. 31, 2014

Aug. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Aug. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Oct. 31, 2012

Mar. 31, 2014

Aug. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2014

Aug. 31, 2013

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued August 2013 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued August 2013 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes, Due 2023 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes, Due 2023 [Member]

Issuer [Member]

Issuer [Member]

Issuer [Member]

Issuer [Member]

Issuer [Member]

Issuer [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued October 2012 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued August 2013 [Member]

5 3/8% Senior Notes, Issued August 2013 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes, Due 2023 [Member]

6 3/8% Senior Notes, Due 2023 [Member]

Supplemental Guarantor Information Textuals [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest rate percentage

5.38%

'

5.38%

'

6.38%

'

5.38%

'

5.38%

'

6.38%

'

Principal amount

'

$480,000,000

'

$450,000,000

'

$350,000,000

'

$480,000,000

'

$450,000,000

'

$350,000,000

Supplemental_Guarantor_Informa3

Supplemental Guarantor Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$178,839	$284,419	$731,710	$806,728
Investments	176,394	194,576	'	'
Receivables, net	98,811	107,258	'	'
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	23,734	22,545	'	'
Deferred income taxes	54,026	54,026	'	'
Intercompany receivable	0	0	'	'
Total current assets	531,804	662,824	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,726,263	1,694,956	'	'
Deferred income taxes	88,332	96,087	'	'
Goodwill	412,694	412,694	'	'
Intangible and other assets, net	53,451	55,899	'	'
Total assets	2,812,544	2,922,460	'	'
Current liabilities:	'	'	'	'
Accounts payable	71,711	38,454	'	'
Current portion debt and capital lease obligations, net	8,878	32,470	'	'
Other current liabilities	221,859	238,372	'	'
Intercompany payable	0	0	'	'
Total current liabilities	302,448	309,296	'	'
Losses in subsidiary in excess of investment	0	0	'	'
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	1,915,081	1,916,775	'	'
Long-term deferred revenue	19,871	20,046	'	'
Other long-term liabilities	42,590	40,274	'	'
Stockholders' equity (deficit)	532,554	636,069	'	'
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,812,544	2,922,460	'	'
Parent Guarantor [Member]	'	'	'	'
Current assets:	'	'	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	24,546	24,546	24,544	24,544
Investments	0	0	'	'
Receivables, net	0	0	'	'
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	'	'
Deferred income taxes	0	0	'	'
Intercompany receivable	795,857	917,932	'	'
Total current assets	820,403	942,478	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0	'	'
Deferred income taxes	0	0	'	'
Goodwill	0	0	'	'
Intangible and other assets, net	0	0	'	'
Total assets	820,403	942,478	'	'
Current liabilities:	'	'	'	'
Accounts payable	0	0	'	'
Current portion debt and capital lease obligations, net	0	0	'	'
Other current liabilities	0	0	'	'
Intercompany payable	0	0	'	'
Total current liabilities	0	0	'	'
Losses in subsidiary in excess of investment	288,142	306,440	'	'
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	0	0	'	'
Long-term deferred revenue	0	0	'	'
Other long-term liabilities	0	0	'	'
Stockholders' equity (deficit)	532,261	636,038	'	'
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	820,403	942,478	'	'
Issuer [Member]	'	'	'	'
Current assets:	'	'	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	154,293	259,873	707,166	782,184
Investments	176,394	194,576	'	'
Receivables, net	0	0	'	'
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	14,179	14,434	'	'
Deferred income taxes	54,006	54,006	'	'
Intercompany receivable	1,578,083	1,475,298	'	'
Total current assets	1,976,955	1,998,187	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, net	80,410	75,142	'	'
Deferred income taxes	87,848	95,603	'	'
Goodwill	0	0	'	'
Intangible and other assets, net	34,976	36,001	'	'
Total assets	2,180,189	2,204,933	'	'
Current liabilities:	'	'	'	'
Accounts payable	10,541	8,298	'	'
Current portion debt and capital lease obligations, net	5,480	29,008	'	'
Other current liabilities	82,682	87,333	'	'
Intercompany payable	0	0	'	'
Total current liabilities	98,703	124,639	'	'
Losses in subsidiary in excess of investment	849,208	858,499	'	'
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	1,772,865	1,773,607	'	'
Long-term deferred revenue	0	0	'	'
Other long-term liabilities	11,708	10,526	'	'
Stockholders' equity (deficit)	-552,295	-562,338	'	'
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,180,189	2,204,933	'	'
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]	'	'	'	'
Current assets:	'	'	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investments	0	0	'	'
Receivables, net	98,811	107,258	'	'
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	9,555	8,111	'	'
Deferred income taxes	20	20	'	'
Intercompany receivable	0	0	'	'
Total current assets	108,386	115,389	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,645,853	1,619,814	'	'
Deferred income taxes	484	484	'	'
Goodwill	412,694	412,694	'	'
Intangible and other assets, net	18,475	19,898	'	'
Total assets	2,185,892	2,168,279	'	'
Current liabilities:	'	'	'	'
Accounts payable	61,170	30,156	'	'
Current portion debt and capital lease obligations, net	3,398	3,462	'	'
Other current liabilities	139,177	151,039	'	'
Intercompany payable	2,373,940	2,393,230	'	'
Total current liabilities	2,577,685	2,577,887	'	'
Losses in subsidiary in excess of investment	0	0	'	'
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	142,216	143,168	'	'
Long-term deferred revenue	19,871	20,046	'	'
Other long-term liabilities	30,882	29,748	'	'
Stockholders' equity (deficit)	-584,762	-602,570	'	'
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,185,892	2,168,279	'	'
Eliminations [Member]	'	'	'	'
Current assets:	'	'	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investments	0	0	'	'
Receivables, net	0	0	'	'
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	'	'
Deferred income taxes	0	0	'	'
Intercompany receivable	-2,373,940	-2,393,230	'	'
Total current assets	-2,373,940	-2,393,230	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0	'	'
Deferred income taxes	0	0	'	'
Goodwill	0	0	'	'
Intangible and other assets, net	0	0	'	'
Total assets	-2,373,940	-2,393,230	'	'
Current liabilities:	'	'	'	'
Accounts payable	0	0	'	'
Current portion debt and capital lease obligations, net	0	0	'	'
Other current liabilities	0	0	'	'
Intercompany payable	-2,373,940	-2,393,230	'	'
Total current liabilities	-2,373,940	-2,393,230	'	'
Losses in subsidiary in excess of investment	-1,137,350	-1,164,939	'	'
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net	0	0	'	'
Long-term deferred revenue	0	0	'	'
Other long-term liabilities	0	0	'	'
Stockholders' equity (deficit)	1,137,350	1,164,939	'	'
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	($2,373,940)	($2,393,230)	'	'

Supplemental_Guarantor_Informa4

Supplemental Guarantor Information (Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Operations) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Total revenue	$408,293	$381,209
Costs and expenses:	'	'
Operating, selling, general and administrative	280,871	254,644
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	82,456	74,395
Corporate expense allocation	0	0
Total costs and expenses	363,327	329,039
Operating income	44,966	52,170
Interest expense, net	-25,500	-28,063
Debt extinguishment costs	-1,282	0
Interest expense allocation	0	0
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	18,184	24,107
Income tax expense	8,393	10,963
Net income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	9,791	13,144
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Net income	9,791	13,144
Parent Guarantor [Member]	'	'
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Total revenue	0	0
Costs and expenses:	'	'
Operating, selling, general and administrative	0	0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	0	0
Corporate expense allocation	0	0
Total costs and expenses	0	0
Operating income	0	0
Interest expense, net	0	-8,136
Debt extinguishment costs	0	'
Interest expense allocation	0	8,136
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0
Net income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	9,791	13,144
Net income	9,791	13,144
Issuer [Member]	'	'
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Total revenue	0	0
Costs and expenses:	'	'
Operating, selling, general and administrative	71,941	64,807
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	8,591	6,579
Corporate expense allocation	-80,532	-71,386
Total costs and expenses	0	0
Operating income	0	0
Interest expense, net	-20,488	-17,878
Debt extinguishment costs	-1,282	'
Interest expense allocation	21,770	17,878
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Income tax expense	8,017	10,617
Net income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	-8,017	-10,617
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	17,808	23,761
Net income	9,791	13,144
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]	'	'
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Total revenue	408,293	381,209
Costs and expenses:	'	'
Operating, selling, general and administrative	208,930	189,837
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	73,865	67,816
Corporate expense allocation	80,532	71,386
Total costs and expenses	363,327	329,039
Operating income	44,966	52,170
Interest expense, net	-5,012	-2,049
Debt extinguishment costs	0	'
Interest expense allocation	-21,770	-26,014
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	18,184	24,107
Income tax expense	376	346
Net income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	17,808	23,761
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Net income	17,808	23,761
Eliminations [Member]	'	'
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Total revenue	0	0
Costs and expenses:	'	'
Operating, selling, general and administrative	0	0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	0	0
Corporate expense allocation	0	0
Total costs and expenses	0	0
Operating income	0	0
Interest expense, net	0	0
Debt extinguishment costs	0	'
Interest expense allocation	0	0
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0
Net income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	-27,599	-36,905
Net income	($27,599)	($36,905)

Supplemental_Guarantor_Informa5

Supplemental Guarantor Information (Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Net income	$9,791	$13,144
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:	'	'
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities	-10	8
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	-10	8
Comprehensive income	9,781	13,152
Parent Guarantor [Member]	'	'
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Net income	9,791	13,144
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:	'	'
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities	-10	8
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	-10	8
Comprehensive income	9,781	13,152
Issuer [Member]	'	'
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Net income	9,791	13,144
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:	'	'
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities	-10	8
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	-10	8
Comprehensive income	9,781	13,152
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]	'	'
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Net income	17,808	23,761
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:	'	'
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0	0
Comprehensive income	17,808	23,761
Eliminations [Member]	'	'
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]	'	'
Net income	-27,599	-36,905
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:	'	'
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities	10	-8
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	10	-8
Comprehensive income	($27,589)	($36,913)

Supplemental_Guarantor_Informa6

Supplemental Guarantor Information (Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net income	$9,791	$13,144
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	82,456	74,395
Deferred income taxes	8,017	10,617
Stock-based compensation expense	9,386	9,462
Extinguishment costs, amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	2,895	6,795
Intercompany and equity investment changes	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	2,680	-32,813
Net cash provided by operating activities	115,225	81,600
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'
Capital expenditures	-101,633	-87,800
Purchases of investments	-51,703	-50,932
Proceeds from sale of investments	69,509	33,990
Other investing activities, net	4,338	-2,240
Net cash used in investing activities	-79,489	-106,982
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Net proceeds (tax withholdings) from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards and units	-10,380	6,158
Purchases of treasury stock	-104,170	-54,627
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	412	601
Retirement of debt obligations	-24,418	-59
Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	-2,760	-1,709
Net cash used in financing activities	-141,316	-49,636
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-105,580	-75,018
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	284,419	806,728
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	178,839	731,710
Parent Guarantor [Member]	'	'
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net income	9,791	13,144
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0
Extinguishment costs, amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	0	5,918
Intercompany and equity investment changes	104,759	27,247
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	0	2,219
Net cash provided by operating activities	114,550	48,528
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'
Capital expenditures	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Proceeds from sale of investments	0	0
Other investing activities, net	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Net proceeds (tax withholdings) from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards and units	-10,380	6,158
Purchases of treasury stock	-104,170	-54,627
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	0
Retirement of debt obligations	0	-59
Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	-114,550	-48,528
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,546	24,544
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	24,546	24,544
Issuer [Member]	'	'
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net income	9,791	13,144
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	8,591	6,579
Deferred income taxes	8,017	10,617
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0
Extinguishment costs, amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	2,895	877
Intercompany and equity investment changes	-112,076	-88,651
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	-1,304	11,015
Net cash provided by operating activities	-84,086	-46,419
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'
Capital expenditures	-13,880	-10,903
Purchases of investments	-51,703	-50,932
Proceeds from sale of investments	69,509	33,990
Other investing activities, net	22	-5
Net cash used in investing activities	3,948	-27,850
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Net proceeds (tax withholdings) from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards and units	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock	0	0
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	412	601
Retirement of debt obligations	-24,418	0
Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	-1,436	-1,350
Net cash used in financing activities	-25,442	-749
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-105,580	-75,018
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	259,873	782,184
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	154,293	707,166
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]	'	'
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net income	17,808	23,761
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	73,865	67,816
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	9,386	9,462
Extinguishment costs, amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	0	0
Intercompany and equity investment changes	-20,282	24,499
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	3,984	-46,047
Net cash provided by operating activities	84,761	79,491
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'
Capital expenditures	-87,753	-76,897
Purchases of investments	0	0
Proceeds from sale of investments	0	0
Other investing activities, net	4,316	-2,235
Net cash used in investing activities	-83,437	-79,132
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Net proceeds (tax withholdings) from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards and units	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock	0	0
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	0
Retirement of debt obligations	0	0
Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	-1,324	-359
Net cash used in financing activities	-1,324	-359
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Eliminations [Member]	'	'
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net income	-27,599	-36,905
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0
Extinguishment costs, amortization of discount on debt and deferred debt issue costs	0	0
Intercompany and equity investment changes	27,599	36,905
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	0	0
Net cash provided by operating activities	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:	'	'
Capital expenditures	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Proceeds from sale of investments	0	0
Other investing activities, net	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Net proceeds (tax withholdings) from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards and units	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock	0	0
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	0
Retirement of debt obligations	0	0
Payment of debt and capital lease obligations	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	0	0
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$0	$0