| ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS (Policies) | 9 Months Ended |
| Sep. 30, 2018 |
| Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
| Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and footnotes thereto for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 , included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 1, 2018. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s consolidated financial position and its results of operations. The operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year 2018 or for any other interim period. The December 31, 2017 consolidated balance sheet is condensed from the audited financial statements as of that date. |
| Reclassification Within Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows | Reclassification Within Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Certain prior period amounts in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation to reflect the total change in deferred revenue into a single line item as well as changes in operating assets and liabilities to more closely align with the related balance sheet caption. |
| Use of Estimates and Assumptions | Use of Estimates and Assumptions The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates are used when establishing allowances for doubtful accounts and accruals for billing disputes, determining useful lives for depreciation and amortization, estimating accruals for exit activities, assessing the need for impairment charges (including those related to intangible assets and goodwill), determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations, accounting for income taxes and related valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, and estimating the grant date fair values used to compute the share-based compensation expense. Management evaluates these estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis and makes estimates based on historical experience, current conditions, and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities as well as identifying and assessing the accounting treatment with respect to commitments and contingencies. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. |
| Segment Reporting | Segment Reporting The Company reports operating results and financial data in one operating and reporting segment. The Company's Chief Executive Officer is the chief operating decision maker and manages the Company as a single profit center in order to promote collaboration, provide comprehensive service offerings across its entire customer base, and provide incentives to employees based on the success of the organization as a whole. Although certain information regarding selected products or services and acquired companies are discussed for purposes of promoting an understanding of the Company's complex business, the chief operating decision maker manages the Company and allocates resources at the consolidated level. Additionally, integration efforts related to Interoute are currently underway, but have not currently changed the manner in which the chief operating decision maker has managed the consolidated business. These integration efforts are designed to establish scale and align Interoute's network assets and product offerings within the existing business. |
| Revenue Recognition | Revenue Recognition The Company's revenue is derived primarily from telecommunications services. Revenues are recognized when control of these services is transferred to the customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those services. The Company delivers seven primary services to its customers — SD-WAN; wide area networking; managed services; internet; voice; infrastructure services; and video transport. The Company's services are provided under contracts that typically include an installation or provisioning charge along with payments of recurring charges on a monthly basis for use of the services over a committed term. Its contracts with customers specify the terms and conditions for providing such services, including installation date, recurring and non-recurring fees, payment terms, and length of term. These contracts call for the Company to provide the service in question (e.g., data transmission between point A and point Z), to manage the activation process, and to provide ongoing support (in the form of service maintenance and trouble-shooting) during the service term. The contracts do not typically provide the customer any rights to use specifically identifiable assets. Furthermore, the contracts generally provide the Company with discretion to engineer (or re-engineer) a particular network solution to satisfy each customer’s data transmission requirement, and typically prohibit physical access by the customer to the network infrastructure used by the Company and its suppliers to deliver the services. Fees charged for ongoing services are generally fixed in price and billed on a recurring monthly basis (one month in advance) for a specified term. Fees may also be based on specific usage of the related services, or usage above a fixed threshold, which are billed monthly in arrears. The usage based fees represent variable consideration as defined by Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 606, however, the nature of the fees are such that the Company is not able to estimate these amounts with a high degree of certainty and therefore the usage based fees are excluded from the transaction price and are instead recognized as revenue based on actual usage charges billed using the rates and/or thresholds specified in each contract. At the end of the term, most contracts provide for a continuation of services on the same terms, either for a specified renewal period (e.g., one year) or on a month-to-month basis. Revenue is generally recognized over time for these contracts as the customers simultaneously receive and consume the benefit of the service as the Company performs. Fees may also be billed for early terminations based on contractually stated amounts. The early termination fees represent variable consideration as defined by ASC 606. The Company estimates the amount of variable consideration it expects to be entitled to receive for such arrangements using the expected value method. Primary geographical market. The Company’s operations are located primarily in the United States and Europe. The nature and timing of revenue from contracts with customers across geographic markets is similar. The following table presents the Company's revenues disaggregated by primary geographic market based on legal entities (in millions, unaudited): Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 Primary geographic market US $ 192.7 $ 577.6 UK 92.0 165.9 Ireland 20.6 75.9 Other 117.4 181.4 Total revenue from contracts with customers 422.7 1,000.8 Lease revenue 25.9 35.2 Total telecommunications services revenue $ 448.6 $ 1,036.0 Contracts with multiple performance obligations. The majority of the Company’s contracts with customers have a single performance obligation - telecommunication services. The related installation services are generally considered not material within the context of the contract and in accordance with the guidance of ASC 606 the Company does not recognize these immaterial promised services as a separate performance obligation. Certain contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations, specifically when the Company sells its connectivity services in addition to customer premise equipment ("CPE"). For such arrangements, revenue is allocated to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The standalone selling price for each performance obligation is based on observable prices charged to customers in similar transactions or using expected cost plus margin. The Company applies the practical expedient in paragraph ASC 606-10-32-18 and does not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component if the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between when the Company transfers a promised good or service to a customer and when the customer pays for that good or service will be one year or less. Prepaid Capacity Sales and Indefeasible Right to Us e. The Company sells capacity on a long-term basis, where a certain portion of the contracted revenue is prepaid upon acceptance of the service by the customer. This prepaid amount is initially recorded as deferred revenue and amortized ratably over the term of the contract. Certain of these prepaid capacity sales are in the form of Indefeasible Rights to Use ("IRUs"), where the customer has the right to use the capacity of the fiber optic cable for a specified term. The Company records revenues from these prepaid leases of fiber optic cable IRUs over the term that the customer is given exclusive access to the assets. Universal Service Fund (USF), Gross Receipts Taxes and Other Surcharges. The Company is liable in certain cases for collecting regulatory fees and/or certain sales taxes from its customers and remitting the fees and taxes to the applicable governing authorities. Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction, that are collected by the Company from a customer, are excluded from revenue. Conversely, USF contributions are assessed to the Company by and paid to the Universal Service Administration Company ("USAC") and are based on the Company’s interstate and inter-nation end-user revenues. The Company may assess its customers a separate fee to recoup its USF expense. These fees are included in telecommunications services revenue and costs of telecommunications services. USF fees and other surcharges billed to customers and recorded on a gross basis (as service telecommunications services revenue and cost of telecommunications services) were $5.3 million and $3.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 , respectively, and $17.5 million and $11.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 , respectively. Contract balances. Accounts receivable represent amounts billed to customers where the Company has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date. Contract liabilities are generally limited to deferred revenue. Deferred revenue is a contract liability, representing advance consideration received from customers primarily related to the pre-paid capacity sales noted above, where transfer of control occurs over time, and therefore revenue is recognized over the related contractual service period. In accordance with ASC 606, the Company is required to disclose its accounts receivable balances, contract assets, and contract liabilities related to revenue from contracts with customers, which excludes lease revenue, at September 30, 2018 . The Company’s accounts receivable balance at September 30, 2018 includes $225.2 million in amounts billed for contracts with customers. There were no contract assets as of January 1, 2018 or September 30, 2018 . Refer to Note 6 - Deferred Revenue for significant changes in the contract liabilities balances during the period as well as the estimated revenue expected to be recognized for each of the years subsequent to September 30, 2018 related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) at September 30, 2018 . The Company applies the practical expedient in paragraph ASC 606-10-50-14 and does not disclose information about remaining performance obligations that have original expected durations of one year or less. Contract Costs The Company capitalizes sales commissions earned by its sales force when they are considered to be incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. These costs are deferred and then amortized over a period of benefit which is determined by taking into consideration our customer contacts, technology and other factors. Amortization of sales commissions expense is included in selling, general and administrative expenses. There were no significant amounts of assets recorded related to contract costs as of September 30, 2018 . Cost of Telecommunications Services Cost of telecommunications services includes direct costs incurred in accessing other telecommunications providers’ networks in order to maintain the Company's global Tier 1 IP network and provide telecommunication services to the Company's customers, including access, co-location, usage-based charges, and certain excise taxes and surcharges recorded on a gross basis. |
| Share-Based Compensation | Share-Based Compensation The Company issues three types of equity grants under its share-based compensation plan: time-based restricted stock, time-based stock options, and performance-based restricted stock. The time-based restricted stock and stock options generally vest over a four -year period, contingent upon meeting the requisite service period requirement. Performance awards typically vest over a shorter period, e.g. one to two years, starting when the performance criteria established in the grant have been met. The share price of the Company's common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") on the date of grant is used as the fair value for all restricted stock. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the estimated fair value for stock options. Critical inputs into the Black-Scholes option-pricing model include the following: option exercise price; fair value of the stock; expected life of the option; annualized volatility of the stock; annual rate of quarterly dividends on the stock; and risk-free interest rate. Implied volatility is calculated as of each grant date based on our historical stock price volatility along with an assessment of a peer group. Other than the expected life of the option, volatility is the most sensitive input to our option grants. The risk-free interest rate used in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model is determined by referencing the U.S. Treasury yield curve rates with the remaining term equal to the expected life assumed at the date of grant. Forfeitures are estimated based on our historical analysis of attrition levels. Forfeiture estimates are updated quarterly for actual forfeitures. The share-based compensation expense for time-based restricted stock and stock options is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. The Company begins recognizing share-based compensation expense for performance awards when the Company considers the achievement of the performance criteria to be probable through the expected vesting period. |
| Income Taxes | Income Taxes Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method pursuant to GAAP. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future impacts attributable to the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the period of the change. Further, deferred tax assets are recognized for the expected realization of available net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. A valuation allowance is recorded on gross deferred tax assets when it is "more likely than not" that such asset will not be realized. When evaluating the realizability of deferred tax assets, all evidence, both positive and negative, is evaluated. Items considered in this analysis include the ability to carry back losses, the reversal of temporary differences, tax planning strategies, and expectations of future earnings. The Company reviews its deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis to determine if a valuation allowance is required based upon these factors. Changes in the Company's assessment of the need for a valuation allowance could give rise to a change in such allowance, potentially resulting in additional expense or benefit in the period of change. The Company's income tax provision includes U.S. federal, state, local, and foreign income taxes and is based on pre-tax income or loss. In determining the annual effective income tax rate, the Company analyzes various factors, including its annual earnings and taxing jurisdictions in which the earnings were generated, transfer pricing methods, the impact of state and local income taxes, and its ability to use tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards. Under GAAP for income taxes, the amount of tax benefit to be recognized is the amount of benefit that is "more likely than not" to be sustained upon examination. The Company analyzes its tax filing positions in all of the U.S. federal, state, local, and foreign tax jurisdictions where it is required to file income tax returns, as well as for all open tax years in these jurisdictions. If, based on this analysis, the Company determines that uncertainties in tax positions exist, a liability is established in the consolidated financial statements. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions in the provision for income taxes. |
| Comprehensive Loss | Comprehensive Loss In addition to net loss, comprehensive loss includes certain charges or credits to equity occurring other than as a result of transactions with stockholders. For the Company, this consists of foreign currency translation adjustments. |
| Loss Per Share | Loss Per Share Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted loss per share reflects, in periods with earnings and in which they have a dilutive effect, the effect of common shares issuable upon exercise of stock options. |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents | Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents may include deposits with financial institutions as well as short-term money market instruments, certificates of deposit and debt instruments with maturities of three months or less when purchased. The Company invests its cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments in accordance with the terms and conditions of its 2018 Credit Agreement, which seeks to ensure both liquidity and safety of principal. The Company’s policy limits investments to instruments issued by the U.S. government and commercial institutions with strong investment grade credit ratings, and places restrictions on the length of maturity. As of September 30, 2018 , the Company held no investments in auction rate securities, collateralized debt obligations, structured investment vehicles, or non-government guaranteed mortgage-backed securities. |
| Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents | Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents that are contractually restricted from operating use are classified as restricted cash and cash equivalents. In December 2016, the Company completed a private offering of $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of 7.875% senior unsecured notes due in 2024. The proceeds of the private offering plus 60 days of prepaid interest, were deposited into escrow, where the funds remained until the closing of the acquisition of Hibernia Networks ("Hibernia") that occurred in January 2017. The proceeds were released from escrow at closing to fund the Hibernia acquisition. |
| Accounts Receivable, Net | Accounts Receivable, Net Accounts receivable balances are stated at amounts due from the customer net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Credit extended is based on an evaluation of the customer’s financial condition and is granted to qualified customers on an unsecured basis. The Company, pursuant to its standard service contracts, is typically entitled to impose a monthly finance charge of a certain percentage per month with respect to amounts that are past due. The Company’s standard terms require payment within 30 days of the date of the invoice. The Company treats invoices as past due when they remain unpaid, in whole or in part, beyond the payment date set forth in the applicable service contract. The Company determines its allowance for doubtful accounts by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade receivables are past due, the customer’s payment history and current ability to pay its obligation to the Company, and the condition of the general economy. Specific reserves are also established on a case-by-case basis by management. Credit losses have historically been within management's estimates. Actual bad debts, when determined, reduce the allowance, the adequacy of which management then reassesses. The Company writes off accounts after a determination by management that the amounts are no longer likely to be collected, following the exercise of reasonable collection efforts, and upon management's determination that the costs of pursuing collection outweigh the likelihood of recovery. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $4.2 million and $5.1 million as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , respectively. |
| Deferred Costs, Debt Issuance Costs and Original Issue Discount | Debt Issuance Costs Debt issuance costs represent costs that qualify for deferral associated with the issuance of new debt or the modification of existing debt facilities. The unamortized balance of debt issuance costs is presented as a reduction to the carrying value of long-term debt. Debt issuance costs are amortized and recognized on the condensed consolidated statements of operations as interest expense. The unamortized debt issuance costs were $32.1 million and $33.8 million as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , respectively. Original Issuance Discounts and Premiums Original issuance discounts and premiums is the difference between the face value of debt and the amount of principal received when the debt was originated. When the debt reaches maturity, the face value of the debt is payable. The Company recognizes original issuance discounts and premiums by accretion of the discount or premium as interest expense, net over the term of the debt. The unamortized portion of the original issuance discounts and premiums was a $49.4 million net discount and a $9.3 million net premium as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , respectively. Deferred Costs Installation costs related to provisioning of recurring communications services that the Company incurs from independent third party suppliers, directly attributable and necessary to fulfill a particular service contract, and which would not have been incurred but for the occurrence of that service contract, are recorded as deferred costs and expensed ratably over the contractual term of service in the same manner as the deferred revenue arising from that contract. Based on historical experience, the Company believes the initial contractual term is the best estimate for the period of earnings. If any installation costs exceed the amount of corresponding deferred revenue, the excess cost is recognized in the current period. |
| Property and Equipment | The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. If the carrying amount of an asset were to exceed its estimated future undiscounted cash flows, the asset would be considered to be impaired. Impairment losses would then be measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Assets to be disposed of, if any, are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation on these assets is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Assets are recorded at acquired cost. Costs associated with the initial customer installations and upgrade of services and acquiring and deploying customer premise equipment, including materials, internal labor costs, and related indirect labor costs are also capitalized. Indirect and overhead costs include payroll taxes, insurance, and other benefits. Capitalized labor costs include the direct costs of engineers and service delivery technicians involved in the installation and upgrades of services, and the costs of support personnel directly involved in capitalizable activities, such as project managers and supervisors. Internal labor costs are based on standards developed by position for the percentage of time spent on capitalizable projects while overhead costs are capitalized based on standards developed from historical information. Costs for repairs and maintenance, disconnecting service, or reconnecting service are expensed as incurred. The Company capitalized labor costs, including indirect and overhead costs, of $3.0 million and $1.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 , respectively, and $9.2 million and $4.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 , respectively. Assets and liabilities under capital leases are recorded at the lesser of the present value of the aggregate future minimum lease payments or the fair value of the assets under lease. Leasehold improvements and assets under capital leases are amortized over the shorter of the term of the lease, excluding optional extensions, or the useful life. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. |
| Software Capitalization | Software Capitalization Software development costs include costs to develop software programs to be used solely to meet the Company's internal needs. The Company capitalizes development costs related to these software applications once the preliminary project stage is complete and it is probable that the project will be completed. Subsequent additions, modifications or upgrades to internal-use software are capitalized only to the extent that they allow the software to perform a function it previously did not perform. Software maintenance, data conversion and training costs are expensed in the period in which they are incurred. The Company capitalized software costs of $1.4 million and $0.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 , respectively, and $3.6 million and $1.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 , respectively. |
| Goodwill | Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net identifiable assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is reviewed for impairment at least annually, in October, or more frequently if a triggering event occurs between impairment testing dates. |
| Intangible Assets | Intangible assets arising from business combinations, such as acquired customer contracts and relationships, (collectively "customer relationships"), trade names, and/or intellectual property, are initially recorded at fair value. The Company amortizes these intangible assets over the determined useful life which generally ranges from three to ten years. The Company reviews its intangible assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be fully recoverable. |
| Business Combinations and Asset Purchases | Business Combinations The Company includes the results of operations of the businesses that it acquires commencing on the respective dates of acquisition. The Company allocates the fair value of the purchase price of its acquisitions to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values. The excess of the fair value of the purchase price over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. Asset Purchases Periodically the Company acquires customer contracts that it accounts for as an asset purchase and records a corresponding intangible asset that is amortized over its estimated useful life. No goodwill is recorded in an asset purchase. |
| Accrued Supplier Expenses | Accrued Supplier Expenses The Company accrues estimated charges owed to its suppliers for services. The Company bases this accrual on the supplier contract, the individual service order executed with the supplier for that service, and the length of time the service has been active. |
| Disputed Supplier Expenses | Disputed Supplier Expenses In the normal course of business, the Company identifies errors by suppliers with respect to the billing of services. The Company performs bill verification procedures to ensure that errors in the Company's suppliers' billed invoices are identified and resolved. If the Company concludes that a vendor has billed inaccurately, the Company will record a liability only for the amount that it believes is owed. |
| Acquisition Holdbacks | Acquisition Holdbacks Acquisition holdbacks represent fixed deferred consideration to be paid out at some point in the future, typically on the one-year anniversary of an acquisition or asset purchase. The portion of the deferred consideration due within one year is recorded as a current liability until paid, and any consideration due beyond one year is recorded in other long-term liabilities. |
| Translation of Foreign Currencies | Translation of Foreign Currencies For non-U.S. subsidiaries, the functional currency is evaluated at the time of the Company's acquisition of such subsidiaries and on a periodic basis for financial reporting purposes. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been reported in U.S. Dollars by translating asset and liability amounts of foreign subsidiaries at the closing currency exchange rate, equity amounts at historical rates, and the results of operations and cash flow at the average currency exchange rate prevailing during the periods reported. The net effect of such translation gains and losses are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive loss in the stockholders' equity section of the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies other than a subsidiary's functional currency are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the time of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are remeasured at the rate of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date. Exchange differences arising upon settlement of a transaction are reported in the condensed consolidated statements of operations in other expense, net. |
| Derivative Financial Instruments | Derivative Financial Instruments The Company may use derivatives to partially offset its business exposure to foreign currency or interest rate risk on expected future cash flows. There can be no assurance the hedges will offset more than a portion of the financial impact resulting from movements in foreign currency exchange or interest rates. The Company does not hold derivatives for trading purposes. As of September 30, 2018 , the Company had derivative financial instruments in the form of interest rate swaps outstanding. The interest rate swaps were not designated as hedges and therefore do not qualify for hedge accounting. Refer to Note 7 - Debt for further information. There were no derivative financial instruments outstanding as of December 31, 2017. Additionally, during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 the Company settled a derivative financial instrument to hedge foreign currency rates. Refer to Note 2 - Business Acquisitions for further information on the terms of the arrangement. Derivatives that are not designated as hedging instruments are adjusted to fair value through earnings on the condensed consolidated statement of operations as other expense, net. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 , the Company recognized a gain of $8.3 million and a loss of $107.0 million in other expense, net, respectively, due to the change in fair value of its derivative financial instruments. The Company records the fair value of its derivative financial instruments in the condensed consolidated balance sheet as a component of other current assets when in a net asset position and a component of accrued expenses and other current liabilities when in a net liability position. |
| Fair Value Measurements | Fair Value Measurements Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company classifies certain assets and liabilities based on the following hierarchy of fair value: Level 1: Quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that can be assessed at the measurement date. Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. Level 3: Inputs reflect management's best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The inputs are unobservable in the market and significant to the instrument's valuation. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required to be recorded at fair value, management considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact and considers risks, restrictions, or other assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability. Recurring Fair Value Measurements In accordance with GAAP, certain assets and liabilities are required to be recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. For the Company, the only assets or liabilities adjusted to fair value on a recurring basis are its derivative financial instruments. The Company measures all derivatives at fair value and recognizes them as either assets or liabilities in its condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company's derivative financial instruments are valued primarily using models based on readily observable market parameters for all substantial terms of our derivative contracts, and therefore have been classified as Level 2. None of the Company's derivative financial instruments qualify for hedge accounting, and therefore all changes in the fair values of derivative instruments are recognized in earnings in the current period. The following table presents the Company's financial assets and liabilities that are required to be measured and recognized at fair value on a recurring basis classified under the appropriate level of the fair value hierarchy as of September 30, 2018 . There were no financial assets or liabilities that were required to be measured and recognized at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2017 . There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 . September 30, 2018 Quoted Prices in Active Markets Significant Other Observable Inputs Significant Unobservable Inputs (amounts in millions) Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Assets: Interest rate swap agreements $ 5.8 $ — $ 5.8 $ — Liabilities: Interest rate swap agreements $ (6.5 ) $ — $ (6.5 ) $ — Non-recurring Fair Value Measurements In addition to assets and liabilities that are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis, the Company records assets and liabilities at fair value on a non-recurring basis as required by GAAP. Assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis include goodwill, tangible assets, and intangible assets. Such assets are reviewed quarterly for impairment indicators. If a triggering event has occurred, the assets are re-measured when the estimated fair value of the corresponding asset group is less than the carrying value. The fair value measurements, in such instances, are based on significant unobservable inputs (Level 3). Other Fair Value Measurements As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 , the carrying amounts reflected in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other current liabilities, and acquisition earn-outs and holdbacks approximated fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments. |
| Concentrations of Credit Risk | C oncentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments potentially subject to concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and trade accounts receivable. At times during the periods presented, the Company had funds in excess of $250,000 insured by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or in excess of similar Deposit Insurance programs outside of the United States, on deposit at various financial institutions. Management believes the Company is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial position of the depository institutions in which those deposits are held. The Company's trade accounts receivable are generally unsecured and geographically dispersed. No single customer's trade accounts receivable balance as of September 30, 2018 or December 31, 2017 exceeded 10% of the Company's consolidated accounts receivable, net. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of revenue for the three or nine months ended September 30, 2018 or 2017 . |
| Newly Adopted Accounting Principles and Recent Accounting Pronouncements | Newly Adopted Accounting Principles In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ( Topic 606 ) as modified by subsequently issued ASUs 2015-14, 2016-08, 2016-10, 2016-12, and 2016-20 (collectively ASU 2014-09). The revenue recognition principle in ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Company has adopted this new standard as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The adoption of the new standard did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations, comprehensive (loss) income, stockholders' equity, or cash flows as of the adoption date or for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , and therefore no tabular reconciliation has been provided as there was no material effect on any financial statement line item. As part of the adoption, the Company has not retrospectively restated the contract revenue for those modifications in accordance with the contract modification guidance in paragraphs ASC 606-10-25-12 and 25-13. Instead, the Company reflected the aggregate effect of all modifications when identifying the satisfied and unsatisfied performance obligations, determining the transaction price and allocating the transaction price. The impact of this practical expedient had no significant impact on the Company's final conclusions. The Company has included the disclosures required by ASU No. 2014-09 above. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments , which is intended to reduce diversity in practice of how certain transactions are classified and presented in the statement of cash flows in accordance with ASC 230. The ASU amends or clarifies guidance on eight specific cash flow issues, some of which include classification on debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. The standard is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those periods. The guidance requires application using a retrospective transition method. The Company adopted the guidance as of January 1, 2018, and the provisions of the new guidance did not have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash , which requires that restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents during the period should be included in the beginning and ending cash and cash equivalents balance reconciliation on the statement of cash flows. When cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, or restricted cash equivalents are presented in more than one line item within the statement of financial position, an entity shall calculate a total cash amount in a narrative or tabular format that agrees to the amount shown on the statement of cash flows. Details on the nature and amounts of restricted cash should also be disclosed. The guidance is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period and should be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. The Company adopted the guidance as of January 1, 2018. The impact of the implementation is as follows: Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 2017 Net cash used in investing activities (prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-18) $ (2,373.9 ) $ (390.3 ) Impact of including restricted cash within cash and cash equivalents — (304.3 ) Net cash used in investing activities (after adoption of ASU 2016-18) $ (2,373.9 ) $ (694.6 ) In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting , which clarifies when changes to the terms or conditions of share-based equity awards must be accounted for as modifications. Entities will apply the modification accounting guidance if the value, vesting conditions, or classification of the award are not the same immediately before and after the modification. The guidance is effective prospectively for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company adopted the guidance as of January 1, 2018, and the provisions of the new guidance did not have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements. In December 2017, the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin ("SAB") No. 118 (as further clarified by FASB ASU 2018- 05, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 ), which provides guidance for companies that may not have completed their accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act ("Tax Act") in the period of enactment, which is the period that includes December 22, 2017. SAB No. 118 provides for a provisional one year measurement period for entities to finalize their accounting for certain income tax effects related to the Tax Act. The Company expects to finalize its provisional amounts within the one year measurement period. Refer to Note 9 - Income Taxes for additional disclosure. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases , which requires most leases (with the exception of leases with terms of less than one year) to be recognized on the balance sheet as an asset and a lease liability. Leases will be classified as an operating lease or a financing lease. Operating leases are expensed using the straight-line method, whereas financing leases will be treated similarly to a capital lease under the current standard. The guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. The new standard must be presented using the modified retrospective method. However, in July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements , which provides an additional (and optional) transition method to adopt the new leases standard. The modified retrospective method is applied to all prior reporting periods presented with a cumulative-effect adjustment recorded in the earliest comparative period while the optional transition relief method is applied beginning in the period of adoption with a cumulative-effect adjustment recorded to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption without adjustment to the financial statements for periods prior to adoption. The Company is still evaluating the method of adoption. The Company anticipates the new standard will have a material impact to its consolidated balance sheets. However, the Company does not believe adoption will have a material impact on its consolidated statements of operations. While the Company is continuing to assess all potential impacts of the new standard, the Company currently believes the most significant impact relates to its accounting for office space, colocation operating leases, and embedded leases within its dark fiber and duct supplier contracts. The Company expects its accounting for capital leases to remain substantially unchanged under the new standard. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairment by eliminating the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill (Step 2) to measure a goodwill impairment charge. Instead, entities will record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value (as determined in Step 1). The guidance is effective prospectively for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company does not expect the new guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income , which allows for reclassification of stranded tax effects on items resulting from the Tax Act from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to retained earnings. The guidance will be effective for the Company for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In August 2018, the SEC issued several final rules, including but not limited to SEC Final Rule Release No. 33-10532 Disclosure Update and Simplification (“Final Rule”), which amends certain redundant, duplicative, outdated, superseded or overlapping disclosure requirements. This Final Rule is intended to facilitate disclosure information provided to investors and simplify compliance without significantly impacting the mix of information provided to investors. The amendments also expand the disclosure requirements regarding the analysis of stockholders' equity for interim financial statements, in which entities will be required to present a reconciliation for each period for which a statement of comprehensive income is required to be filed. The Final Rule is effective on November 5, 2018, however the SEC staff announced that it would not object if the filer's first presentation of the changes in stockholders' equity is included in its Form 10-Q for the quarter that begins after the effective date of the amendments. As such, the Company plans to use the new presentation of a condensed consolidated statement of stockholders equity within its interim financial statements beginning in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ending March 31, 2019. Other than the new presentation, the Company does not anticipate any material impact to its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures upon adoption. |
