Lumen (LUMN) 10-Q 7 May 20 2020 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Cover Page

Cover Page - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	May 04, 2020
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2020
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-7784
Entity Registrant Name	CENTURYLINK, INC.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	LA
Entity Tax Identification Number	72-0651161
Entity Address, Address Line One	100 CenturyLink Drive,
Entity Address, City or Town	Monroe,
Entity Address, State or Province	LA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	71203
City Area Code	318
Local Phone Number	388-9000
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		1,097,502,122
Entity Central Index Key	0000018926
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
COMMON STOCK
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share
Trading Symbol	CTL
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
PREFERRED STOCK
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Preferred Stock Purchase Rights
No Trading Symbol Flag	true
Security Exchange Name	NYSE

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPER

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Income Statement [Abstract]
OPERATING REVENUE	[1]	$ 5,228	$ 5,427
OPERATING EXPENSES
Cost of services and products (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	[1]	2,235	2,300
Selling, general and administrative		853	932
Depreciation and amortization		1,160	1,188
Goodwill impairment		0	6,506
Total operating expenses	[1]	4,248	10,926
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)		980	(5,499)
OTHER (EXPENSE) INCOME
Interest expense		(449)	(523)
Other loss, net		(98)	(5)
Total other expense, net		(547)	(528)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		433	(6,027)
Income tax expense		119	138
NET INCOME (LOSS)		$ 314	$ (6,165)
BASIC AND DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE
BASIC (in dollars per share)		$ 0.29	$ (5.77)
DILUTED (in dollars per share)		$ 0.29	$ (5.77)
WEIGHTED-AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING
BASIC (in shares)		1,075,459	1,068,878
DILUTED (in shares)		1,081,754	1,068,878
[1]	Reclassifications were made within certain 2019 comparative figures due to the retrospective application of an accounting policy election during the first quarter of 2020. Refer to Note 1 - Background and our Form 8-K filing dated April 30, 2020 for further information.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
NET INCOME (LOSS)	$ 314	$ (6,165)
Items related to employee benefit plans:
Change in net actuarial loss, net of ($12) and ($14) tax	38	43
Change in net prior service credit, net of $- and ($1) tax	1	1
Realized loss on interest rate swaps	5	0
Unrealized holding loss on interest rate swaps, net of $26 and $6 tax	(80)	(17)
Foreign currency translation adjustment and other net of $23 and ($1) tax	(239)	5
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(275)	32
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	$ 39	$ (6,133)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CO_2

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Change in net actuarial loss, tax	$ (12)	$ (14)
Change in net prior service costs, tax	0	(1)
Unrealized holding loss on interest rate swaps, tax	26	6
Foreign currency translation adjustment and other, tax	$ 23	$ (1)

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,564	$ 1,690
Restricted cash - current	3	3
Accounts receivable, less allowance of $99 and $106	2,175	2,259
Assets held for sale	7	8
Other	941	808
Total current assets	4,690	4,768
Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $29,814 and $29,346	25,956	26,079
GOODWILL AND OTHER ASSETS
Goodwill	21,473	21,534
Operating lease assets	1,667	1,686
Restricted cash	24	24
Customer relationships, net	7,245	7,596
Other intangible assets, net	1,981	1,971
Other, net	1,020	1,084
Total goodwill and other assets	33,410	33,895
TOTAL ASSETS	64,056	64,742
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,129	2,300
Accounts payable	1,581	1,724
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
Salaries and benefits	729	1,037
Income and other taxes	354	311
Current operating lease liabilities	416	416
Interest	337	280
Other	369	386
Current portion of deferred revenue	788	804
Total current liabilities	5,703	7,258
LONG-TERM DEBT	33,481	32,394
DEFERRED CREDITS AND OTHER LIABILITIES
Deferred income taxes, net	2,957	2,918
Benefit plan obligations, net	4,516	4,594
Noncurrent operating lease liabilities	1,316	1,342
Other	2,792	2,766
Total deferred credits and other liabilities	11,581	11,620
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 12)
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Preferred stock—non-redeemable, $25.00 par value, authorized 2,000 and 2,000 shares, issued and outstanding 7 and 7 shares	0	0
Common stock, $1.00 par value, authorized 2,200,000 and 2,200,000 shares, issued and outstanding 1,097,711 and 1,090,058 shares	1,098	1,090
Additional paid-in capital	21,634	21,874
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,955)	(2,680)
Accumulated deficit	(6,486)	(6,814)
Total stockholders' equity	13,291	13,470
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	$ 64,056	$ 64,742

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowance	$ 99	$ 106
PP&E, accumulated depreciation	$ 29,814	$ 29,346
Preferred stock-non-redeemable, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 25	$ 25
Preferred stock-non-redeemable, shares authorized (in shares)	2,000,000	2,000,000
Preferred stock-non-redeemable, shares issued (in shares)	7,000	7,000
Preferred stock-non-redeemable, shares outstanding (in shares)	7,000	7,000
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 1	$ 1
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	2,200,000,000	2,200,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	1,097,711,000	1,090,058,000
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	1,097,711,000	1,090,058,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income (loss)	$ 314	$ (6,165)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	1,160	1,188
Impairment of goodwill and other assets	2	6,508
Deferred income taxes	105	126
Provision for uncollectible accounts	35	46
Net loss (gain) on early retirement of debt	79	(9)
Share-based compensation	69	33
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	60	5
Accounts payable	(115)	(239)
Accrued income and other taxes	(16)	45
Other current assets and liabilities, net	(366)	(336)
Retirement benefits	(25)	(14)
Changes in other noncurrent assets and liabilities, net	(14)	(4)
Other, net	11	(2)
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,299	1,182
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(974)	(931)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment and other assets	35	25
Net cash used in investing activities	(939)	(906)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	1,237	0
Payments of long-term debt	(2,488)	(153)
Net proceeds from revolving line of credit	1,125	145
Dividends paid	(291)	(285)
Other, net	(69)	(27)
Net cash used in financing activities	(486)	(320)
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(126)	(44)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	1,717	518
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	1,591	474
Supplemental cash flow information:
Income taxes paid, net	(6)	(7)
Interest paid (net of capitalized interest of $23 and $15)	(383)	(480)
Total	$ 1,591	$ 474

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CA_2

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Capitalized interest	$ 23	$ 15

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	COMMON STOCK	ADDITIONAL PAID-IN CAPITAL	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	ACCUMULATED DEFICIT
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2018		$ 1,080	$ 22,852	$ (2,461)	$ (1,643)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Issuance of common stock through dividend reinvestment, incentive and benefit plans		10
Shares withheld to satisfy tax withholdings			(26)
Share-based compensation and other, net			34
Dividends declared			(285)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	$ 32			32
Net income (loss)	(6,165)				(6,165)
Balance at end of period at Mar. 31, 2019	$ 13,524	1,090	22,575	(2,429)	(7,712)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE (in dollars per share)	$ 0.25
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 13,470	1,090	21,874	(2,680)	(6,814)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Issuance of common stock through dividend reinvestment, incentive and benefit plans		8
Shares withheld to satisfy tax withholdings			(33)
Share-based compensation and other, net			79
Dividends declared			(286)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(275)			(275)
Net income (loss)	314				314
Other					5
Balance at end of period at Mar. 31, 2020	$ 13,291	$ 1,098	$ 21,634	$ (2,955)	$ (6,486)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE (in dollars per share)	$ 0.25

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF ST_2

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (Parenthetical) - ACCUMULATED DEFICIT $ in Millions	Jan. 01, 2019USD ($)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02
Cumulative net effect of adoption, tax	$ 37
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13
Cumulative net effect of adoption, tax	$ 2

Background

Background	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Background	Background General We are an international facilities-based communications company engaged primarily in providing a broad array of integrated services to our residential and business customers. Our specific products and services are detailed in Note 11—Segment Information Basis of Presentation Our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019 , which was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, and our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements provided herein have been prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q. 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 condensed or omitted pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). However, in our opinion, the disclosures made therein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. We believe that these consolidated financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the results for the interim periods. The consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the first three months of the year are not necessarily indicative of the consolidated results of operations and cash flows that might be expected for the entire year. These consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 . The accompanying consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our subsidiaries in which we have a controlling interest. Intercompany amounts and transactions with our consolidated subsidiaries have been eliminated. To simplify the overall presentation of our consolidated financial statements, we report immaterial amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests in certain of our subsidiaries as follows: (i) income attributable to noncontrolling interests in other loss, net, (ii) equity attributable to noncontrolling interests in additional paid-in capital and (iii) cash flows attributable to noncontrolling interests in other, net, financing activities. We reclassified certain prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation, including the categorization of our revenue and expenses in our segment reporting. See Note 11—Segment Information for additional information. These changes had no impact on total operating revenue, total operating expenses or net income (loss) for any period. There were no book overdrafts included in accounts payable at March 31, 2020 . Included in accounts payable at December 31, 2019 was $106 million representing book overdrafts. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies The significant accounting policy below is in addition to the significant accounting policies described in Note 1 — Background and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II Item 8 of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 . Change in Accounting Policy During the first quarter of 2020, we elected to change the presentation for taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction, including federal and certain state Universal Service Fund (USF) regulatory fees, to present all such taxes on a net basis in our consolidated statement of operations. Prior to the first quarter of 2020, we assessed whether we were the primary obligor or principal taxpayer for the taxes assessed in each jurisdiction where we do business. The previous policy resulted in presenting such USF fees on a gross basis within operating revenue and cost of services and products, and all other significant taxes on a net basis. This change in accounting policy was applied retrospectively and decreased both operating revenue and cost of services and products by $215 million and $220 million for the quarters ended March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2019, respectively. The change had no impact on operating income (loss), net income (loss), or earnings (loss) per share in the consolidated statements of operations. We changed our policy to present such taxes on the net basis and believe the new policy is preferable because of the historical and potential future regulatory rate changes outside of our control resulting in significant variability in tax and fee revenue that are not indicative of our operating performance. We believe the net presentation provides the most useful and transparent financial information and improves comparability and consistency of financial results. Operating Lease Income CenturyLink leases various IRUs, office facilities, switching facilities and other network sites to third parties under operating leases. Lease and sublease income are included in operating revenue in the consolidated statements of operations. For the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 our gross rental income was $333 million and $199 million , respectively, which represents approximately 6% and 4% , respectively, of our operating revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 , respectively. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements Financial Instruments In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, " Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ". The primary impact of ASU 2016-13 for us is a change in the model for the recognition of credit losses related to our financial instruments from an incurred loss model, which recognized credit losses only if it was probable that a loss had been incurred, to an expected loss model, which requires our management team to estimate the total credit losses expected on the portfolio of financial instruments. We adopted ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020 and recognized a cumulative adjustment to our accumulated deficit as of the date of adoption of $9 million net of tax effect. Please refer to Note 4—Credit Losses on Financial Instruments for more information. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (Topic 740). ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions for investments, intra-period allocations and interim calculations, and adds guidance to reduce complexity in accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 will become effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and early adoption is permitted. We are evaluating the impact the adoption will have on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. The ASU is intended to help stakeholders during the global market-wide reference rate transition period. Therefore, it will be in effect for a limited time through December 31, 2022. We are evaluating the optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contract modifications and hedging relationships, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued and the related impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill, Customer Relationship

Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets	Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill, customer relationships and other intangible assets consisted of the following: March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Dollars in millions) Goodwill $ 21,473 21,534 Customer relationships, less accumulated amortization of $10,114 and $9,809 $ 7,245 7,596 Indefinite-life intangible assets $ 269 269 Other intangible assets subject to amortization: Capitalized software, less accumulated amortization of $3,031 and $2,957 $ 1,617 1,599 Trade names and patents, less accumulated amortization of $98 and $91 95 103 Total other intangible assets, net $ 1,981 1,971 Our goodwill was derived from numerous acquisitions where the purchase price exceeded the fair value of the net assets acquired. We assess our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually, or, under certain circumstances, more frequently, such as when events or changes in circumstances indicate there may be impairment. We are required to write down the value of goodwill only when our assessment determines the carrying value of equity of any of our reporting units exceeds its fair value. Our annual impairment assessment date for goodwill is October 31, at which date we assess our reporting units. Our annual impairment assessment date for indefinite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill is December 31. Our reporting units are not discrete legal entities with discrete full financial statements. Our assets and liabilities are employed in and relate to the operations of multiple reporting units. For each reporting unit, we compare its estimated fair value of equity to its carrying value of equity that we assign to the reporting unit. If the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is greater than the carrying value, we conclude that no impairment exists. If the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, we record an impairment equal to the excess amount. Depending on the facts and circumstances, we typically estimate the fair value of our reporting units by considering either or both of (i) a market approach, which includes the use of multiples of publicly-traded companies whose services are comparable to ours, and (ii) a discounted cash flow method, which is based on the present value of projected cash flows and a terminal value, which represents the expected normalized cash flows of the reporting units beyond the cash flows from the discrete projection period . Both our January 2019 internal reorganization and the decline in our stock price triggered impairment testing in the first quarter of 2019. Because our low stock price was a key trigger for impairment testing during the first quarter of 2019, we estimated the fair value of our operations in such quarter using only the market approach. Applying this approach, we utilized company comparisons and analyst reports within the telecommunications industry which have historically supported a range of fair values derived from annualized revenue and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) multiples between 2.1x and 4.9x and 4.9x and 9.8x, respectively. We selected a revenue and EBITDA multiple for each of our reporting units within this range. We reconciled the estimated fair values of the reporting units to our market capitalization as of the date of each of our triggering events during the first quarter of 2019 and concluded that the indicated control premium of approximately 4.5% and 4.1% was reasonable based on recent market transactions. In the quarter ended March 31, 2019, based on our assessments performed with respect to the reporting units as described above, we concluded that the estimated fair value of certain of our reporting units was less than our carrying value of equity as of the date of each of our triggering events during the first quarter. As a result, we recorded non-cash, non-tax-deductible goodwill impairment charges aggregating to $6.5 billion in the quarter ended March 31, 2019. The market multiples approach that we used in the quarter ended March 31, 2019 incorporated significant estimates and assumptions related to the forecasted results for the remainder of the year, including revenues, expenses, and the achievement of certain cost synergies. In developing the market multiple, we also considered observed trends of our industry participants. Our assessment included many qualitative factors that required significant judgment. Alternative interpretations of these factors could have resulted in different conclusions regarding the size of our impairments. During the first quarter of 2020, we observed a decline in our stock price as a result of events occurring after the end of 2019, including the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated whether such events would indicate the fair value of our reporting units were below their carrying values. We believe these events have impacted the global economy more directly than us, and when considered with other factors, we have concluded it is not more likely than not that our fair values of our reporting units were less than their carrying values as of the quarter ended March 31, 2020. In light of the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy, we will continue to evaluate the general economic trends which could have an impact on our assessment of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of one or more reporting units is less than its carrying amount. Future changes could cause our reporting unit fair values to be less than our carrying value, resulting in potential impairments of our goodwill which could have a material effect on our results of operations and financial condition. The extent of the impact, if any, will depend on future developments including actions taken to contain the coronavirus and its long-term impacts on the overall economy. The following table shows the rollforward of goodwill assigned to our reportable segments from December 31, 2019 through March 31, 2020 : International and Global Accounts Enterprise Small and Medium Business Wholesale Consumer Total (Dollars in millions) As of December 31, 2019 $ 2,670 4,738 3,259 3,813 7,054 21,534 Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change and other (61 ) — — — — (61 ) As of March 31, 2020 $ 2,609 4,738 3,259 3,813 7,054 21,473 Total amortization expense for intangible assets for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 totaled $431 million and $429 million , respectively. As of March 31, 2020 , the gross carrying amount of goodwill, customer relationships, indefinite-life and other intangible assets was $43.9 billion . We estimate that total amortization expense for intangible assets for the years ending December 31, 2020 through 2024 will be as follows: (Dollars in millions) 2020 (remaining nine months) $ 1,269 2021 1,226 2022 999 2023 916 2024 851

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition Reconciliation of Total Revenue to Revenue from Contracts with Customers The following table provides the amount of revenue that is not subject to ASC 606, but is instead governed by other accounting standards: Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions) Total revenue (1) $ 5,228 5,427 Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (2) (481 ) (358 ) Total revenue from contracts with customers $ 4,747 5,069 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) Reclassifications were made within certain 2019 comparative figures due to the retrospective application of an accounting policy election during the first quarter of 2020. Refer to Note 1 - Background and our Form 8-K filing dated April 30, 2020 for further information. (2) Includes regulatory revenue, lease revenue, sublease rental income and revenue from fiber capacity lease arrangements, none of which are within the scope of ASC 606. Customer Receivables and Contract Balances The following table provides balances of customer receivables, contract assets and contract liabilities as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 : March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Dollars in millions) Customer receivables (1) $ 2,110 2,194 Contract assets 125 130 Contract liabilities 943 1,028 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) Gross customer receivables of $2.2 billion and $2.3 billion , net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $85 million and $94 million , at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 , respectively. Contract liabilities are consideration we have received from our customers or billed in advance of providing goods or services promised in the future. We defer recognizing this consideration as revenue until we have satisfied the related performance obligation to the customer. Contract liabilities include recurring services billed one month in advance and installation and maintenance charges that are deferred and recognized over the actual or expected contract term, which typically ranges from one to five years depending on the service. Contract liabilities are included within deferred revenue in our consolidated balance sheet. During the three months ended March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2019 , we recognized $495 million and $490 million , respectively, of revenue that was included in contract liabilities as of January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2019 , respectively. Performance Obligations As of March 31, 2020 , our estimated revenue expected to be recognized in the future related to performance obligations associated with customer contracts that are unsatisfied (or partially satisfied) is approximately $5.7 billion . We expect to recognize approximately 90% of this revenue through 2022 , with the balance recognized thereafter. We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed (for example, uncommitted usage or non-recurring charges associated with professional or technical services to be completed), or contracts that are classified as leasing arrangements that are not subject to ASC 606. Contract Costs The following table provides changes in our contract acquisition costs and fulfillment costs: Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Acquisition Costs Fulfillment Costs Acquisition Costs Fulfillment Costs (Dollars in millions) Beginning of period balance $ 326 221 322 187 Costs incurred 49 36 57 34 Amortization (55 ) (37 ) (50 ) (23 ) End of period balance $ 320 220 329 198 Acquisition costs include commission fees paid to employees as a result of obtaining contracts. Fulfillment costs include third party and internal costs associated with the provision, installation and activation of telecommunications services to customers, including labor and materials consumed for these activities. Deferred acquisition and fulfillment costs are amortized based on the transfer of services on a straight-line basis over the average customer life of 30 months for consumer customers and 12 to 60 months for business customers and amortized fulfillment costs are included in cost of services and products and amortized acquisition costs are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. The amount of these deferred costs that are anticipated to be amortized in the next twelve months are included in other current assets on our consolidated balance sheets. The amount of deferred costs expected to be amortized beyond the next twelve months is included in other non-current assets on our consolidated balance sheets. Deferred acquisition and fulfillment costs are assessed for impairment on an annual basis.

Credit Losses on Financial Inst

Credit Losses on Financial Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Credit Loss [Abstract]
Credit Losses on Financial Instruments	Credit Losses on Financial Instruments In accordance with ASC 326, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses" ("ASC 326") we aggregate financial assets with similar risk characteristics such that expected credit losses reflect the credit quality or deterioration over the life of the asset. We monitor certain risk characteristics within our aggregated financial assets and revise their composition accordingly, to the extent internal and external risk factors change each reporting period. Financial assets that do not share risk characteristics with other financial assets are evaluated separately. Our financial assets measured at amortized cost primarily consist of accounts receivable. In developing our accounts receivable portfolio, we pooled certain assets with similar credit risk characteristics based on the nature of our customers, their industry, policies used to grant credit terms and their historical and expected credit loss patterns. We grouped assets from our International and Global Accounts, Enterprise, Small and Medium Business and Wholesale segments into the Business portfolio in the below table. Prior to the adoption of the new credit loss standard, the allowance for doubtful accounts receivable reflected our best estimate of probable losses inherent in our receivable portfolio determined based on historical experience, specific allowances for known troubled accounts, and other currently available evidence. We implemented the new standard, using a loss rate method to estimate our allowance for credit losses. Our current expected credit loss rate begins with the use of historical loss experience as a percentage of accounts receivable. We measure our historical loss period based on the average days to move accounts receivable to credit loss. When asset specific characteristics and current conditions change from those in the historical period, due to changes in our credit and collections strategy, or credit loss and recovery policies, we perform a qualitative and quantitative assessment to update our current loss rate, which as noted below has increased due to an increase in historic loss experience and weakening economic forecasts. We use regression analysis to develop an expected loss rate using historical experience and economic data over a forecast period. We measure our forecast period based on the average days to collect payment on billed accounts receivable. The historical, current, and expected credit loss rates are combined and applied to period end accounts receivable, which results in our allowance for credit losses. If there is a deterioration of a customer's financial condition or if future default rates in general, including impacts of COVID-19, differ from those currently anticipated, we may have to adjust the allowance for credit losses, which would affect earnings in the period that adjustments are made. The assessment of the correlation between historical observed default rates, current conditions, and forecast economic conditions requires judgment. Alternative interpretations of these factors could have resulted in different conclusions regarding the allowance for credit losses. The amount of credit loss is sensitive to changes in circumstances and forecasted economic conditions. Our historical credit loss experience, current conditions, and forecast of economic conditions may also not be representative of the customer’s actual default in the future. The following table presents the activity of our allowance for credit losses by accounts receivable portfolio: (Dollars in millions) Business Consumer Total Beginning balance at January 1, 2020 (1) $ 58 37 95 Current Period provision for expected losses 18 17 35 Write-offs charged against the allowance (19 ) (24 ) (43 ) Recoveries collected 6 7 13 Foreign currency exchange rate change adjustment (1 ) — (1 ) Ending Balance at March 31, 2020 $ 62 37 99 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) The beginning balance includes the cumulative effect of the adoption of new credit loss standard For the three months ended March 31, 2020, our allowance for credit losses for our business and consumer accounts receivable portfolio increased due to an increase in historical loss experience and weakening economic forecasts, partially offset by foreign currency exchange rate change.

Long-Term Debt and Credit Facil

Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities	Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities The following chart reflects the consolidated long-term debt of CenturyLink, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including unamortized discounts and premiums and unamortized debt issuance costs, but excluding intercompany debt: Interest Rates (1) Maturities March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Dollars in millions) Senior Secured Debt: (2) CenturyLink, Inc. 2017 Revolving Credit Facility (3) 2.889% 2025 $ 1,375 250 Term Loan A (3)(4) LIBOR + 2.00% 2025 1,152 1,536 Term Loan A-1 (3)(4) LIBOR + 2.00% 2025 329 333 Term Loan B (3)(5) LIBOR + 2.25% 2027 4,987 5,880 Senior note 4.000% 2027 1,250 — Subsidiaries: Level 3 Financing, Inc. Tranche B 2027 Term Loan (6) LIBOR + 1.75% 2027 3,111 3,111 Senior notes 3.400% - 3.875% 2027 - 2029 1,500 1,500 Embarq Corporation subsidiaries First mortgage bonds 7.125% - 8.375% 2023 - 2025 138 138 Senior Notes and Other Debt: CenturyLink, Inc. Senior notes 5.125% - 7.650% 2020 - 2042 8,618 8,696 Subsidiaries: Level 3 Financing, Inc. Senior notes 4.625% - 5.625% 2022 - 2027 5,515 5,515 Qwest Corporation Senior notes 6.125% - 7.750% 2021 - 2057 4,856 5,956 Term Loan (7) LIBOR + 2.00% 2025 100 100 Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. Senior notes 6.875% - 7.750% 2021 - 2031 352 352 Embarq Corporation and subsidiary Senior note 7.995% 2036 1,437 1,450 Finance lease and other obligations Various Various 205 222 Unamortized discounts, net (45 ) (52 ) Unamortized debt issuance costs (270 ) (293 ) Total long-term debt 34,610 34,694 Less current maturities (8) (1,129 ) (2,300 ) Long-term debt, excluding current maturities $ 33,481 32,394 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) As of March 31, 2020 . (2) See Note 7—Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 for a description of certain parent or subsidiary guarantees and liens securing this debt. (3) CenturyLink's credit agreement was amended as noted below, extending the maturity date of its (a) Term Loan A, Term Loan A-1 and Revolving Credit Facilities from 2022 to 2025 and (b) Term Loan B from 2025 to 2027. (4) Term Loans A and A-1 had interest rates of 2.989% and 4.549% as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 , respectively. (5) Term Loan B had interest rates of 3.239% and 4.549% as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. (6) The Tranche B 2027 Term Loan had an interest rate of 2.739% as of March 31, 2020 and 3.549% as of December 31, 2019 , respectively. (7) Qwest Corporation Term Loan had an interest rate of 2.990% as of March 31, 2020 and 3.800% as of December 31, 2019, respectively. (8) See "Subsequent Event" for further details on the April 1, 2020 redemption of $973 million of senior unsecured notes. Long-Term Debt Maturities Set forth below is the aggregate principal amount of our long-term debt (excluding unamortized discounts, net and unamortized debt issuance costs) maturing during the following years as of March 31, 2020 : (Dollars in millions) 2020 (remaining nine months) (1) $ 1,094 2021 2,419 2022 2,377 2023 2,160 2024 2,037 2024 and thereafter 24,838 Total long-term debt $ 34,925 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) See "—Subsequent Events" below. Amended and Restated Credit Agreement On January 31, 2020, CenturyLink, Inc. amended and restated its credit agreement dated June 19, 2017 (as so amended and restated, the “Amended Credit Agreement”). Coupled with CenturyLink’s prepayment on January 24, 2020 of $1.25 billion of indebtedness outstanding under its Term Loan B facility (using principally the net proceeds from its below-described sale the same day of $1.25 billion of its 4.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2027), the Amended Credit Agreement currently provides for approximately $8.699 billion in senior secured credit facilities, consisting of an approximately $1.166 billion Term Loan A credit facility, a $333 million Term Loan A-1 credit facility, a $5.0 billion Term Loan B credit facility and a $2.2 billion revolving credit facility (collectively, the “Amended Senior Secured Credit Facilities”). The Amended Credit Agreement, among other things, (i) extended the maturity date of (a) the Term Loan A, Term Loan A-1 and Revolving Credit facilities from November 1, 2022 to January 31, 2025 and (b) the Term Loan B facility from January 31, 2025 to March 15, 2027, and (ii) lowered the interest rate applicable to loans made under each of the Amended Senior Secured Credit Facilities. As so amended, (i) loans under the Term Loan A, Term Loan A-1 and Revolving Credit facilities will bear interest at a rate equal to, at CenturyLink’s option, the Eurodollar rate or the alternative base rate (each as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin between 1.50% to 2.25% per annum for Eurodollar loans and 0.50% to 1.25% per annum for alternative base rate loans, depending on CenturyLink’s then current total leverage ratio, and (ii) loans under the Term Loan B facility will bear interest at the rate equal to, at CenturyLink’s option, the Eurodollar rate plus 2.25% per annum or the alternative base rate plus 1.25% per annum. The subsidiary guarantor and collateral provisions and the financial covenants contained in the Amended Credit Agreement are unchanged from the credit agreement dated June 19, 2017. These January 2020 transactions resulted in an aggregate net loss of $67 million from modification and extinguishment of the debt. Repayments During the three months ended March 31, 2020 , CenturyLink and its affiliates repurchased approximately $2.4 billion of their respective debt securities, which primarily included $1.25 billion of CenturyLink, Inc. credit agreement debt, $1.1 billion of Qwest Corporation senior notes and $78 million of CenturyLink, Inc. senior notes, which resulted in a loss of $79 million , including the modification of the Amended Credit Agreement discussed above. Additionally, during the period CenturyLink paid $31 million of amortization payments under its term loans. New Issuance On January 24, 2020, CenturyLink issued $1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of its 4.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Notes”). As noted above, CenturyLink used the net proceeds from this offering to repay a portion of the outstanding indebtedness under its Term Loan B facility. The 2027 Notes are unconditionally guaranteed by each of CenturyLink's domestic subsidiaries that guarantee CenturyLink's Amended Credit Agreement, subject to the receipt of certain regulatory approvals and various exceptions and limitations. While the 2027 Notes are not secured by any of the assets of CenturyLink, certain of the note guarantees are secured by a first priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of such guarantors (including the stock of certain of their respective subsidiaries), which assets also secure obligations under the Amended Credit Agreement on a pari passu basis. Covenants Certain of our debt instruments contain affirmative and negative covenants. Debt at CenturyLink, Inc. and Level 3 Financing, Inc. contain more extensive covenants including, among other things and subject to certain exceptions, restrictions on their ability to declare or pay dividends, repay certain other indebtedness, create liens, incur additional indebtedness, make investments, engage in transactions with their affiliates, dispose of assets and merge or consolidate with any other person. Also, CenturyLink, Inc. and certain of its affiliates will be required to offer to purchase certain of their respective outstanding debt under certain circumstances in connection with certain specified "change of control" transactions. Certain of our debt instruments contain cross acceleration provisions. Compliance As of March 31, 2020 , CenturyLink, Inc. believes it and its subsidiaries were in compliance with the provisions and financial covenants in their respective material debt agreements in all material respects. Subsequent Event On April 1, 2020, we paid at maturity $973 million

Severance

Severance	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Severance	Severance Periodically, we reduce our workforce and accrue liabilities for the related severance costs. These workforce reductions result primarily from the progression or completion of our post-acquisition integration plans, increased competitive pressures, cost reduction initiatives, process improvements through automation and reduced workload demands due to the loss of customers purchasing certain services. Changes in our accrued liabilities for severance expenses were as follows: Severance (Dollars in millions) Balance at December 31, 2019 $ 89 Accrued to expense — Payments, net (34 ) Balance at March 31, 2020 $ 55

Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Employee Benefits	Employee Benefits Net periodic benefit expense (income) for our combined pension plan includes the following components: Combined Pension Plan Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions) Service cost $ 16 14 Interest cost 82 110 Expected return on plan assets (149 ) (156 ) Recognition of prior service credit (3 ) (2 ) Recognition of actuarial loss 50 57 Net periodic pension benefit (income) expense $ (4 ) 23 Net periodic benefit expense for our post-retirement benefit plans includes the following components: Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions) Service cost $ 4 4 Interest cost 20 27 Recognition of prior service cost 4 4 Net periodic post-retirement benefit expense $ 28 35 Service costs are included in the cost of services and products and selling, general and administrative line items on the consolidated statements of operations and all other costs listed above are included in the other income, net line item on the consolidated statements of operations. Benefits paid by our qualified pension plan are paid through a trust that holds all of the plan's assets. Based on current laws and circumstances, we do not expect any contributions to be required for our qualified pension plan during 2020 . The amount of required contributions to our qualified pension plan in 2021 and beyond will depend on a variety of factors, most of which are beyond our control, including earnings on plan investments, prevailing interest rates, demographic experience, changes in plan benefits and changes in funding laws and regulations. We occasionally make voluntary contributions in addition to required contributions. Based on current circumstances, we do not anticipate making a voluntary contribution to the trust for our qualified pension plan in 2020 .

Earnings (Loss) Per Common Shar

Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share	Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share were calculated as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts, shares in thousands) Income (Loss) (Numerator): Net income (loss) $ 314 (6,165 ) Net income (loss) applicable to common stock for computing basic earnings per common share 314 (6,165 ) Net income (loss) as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted earnings per common share $ 314 (6,165 ) Shares (Denominator): Weighted-average number of shares: Outstanding during period 1,092,970 1,083,588 Non-vested restricted stock (17,511 ) (14,710 ) Weighted-average shares outstanding for computing basic earnings per common share 1,075,459 1,068,878 Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities: Shares issuable under convertible securities 10 — Shares issuable under incentive compensation plans 6,285 — Number of shares as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted earnings (loss) per common share 1,081,754 1,068,878 Basic earnings (loss) per common share $ 0.29 (5.77 ) Diluted earnings (loss) per common share (1) $ 0.29 (5.77 ) ______________________________________________________________________ (1) For the three months ended March 31, 2019 , we excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share 3.3 million shares, potentially issuable under incentive compensation plans or convertible securities, as their effect, if included, would have been anti-dilutive. Our calculation of diluted earnings (loss) per common share excludes shares of common stock that are issuable upon exercise of stock options when the exercise price is greater than the average market price of our common stock. We also exclude unvested restricted stock awards that are antidilutive as a result of unrecognized compensation cost. Such shares averaged 2.7 million and 5.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 , respectively.

Fair Value of Financial Instrum

Fair Value of Financial Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Fair Value of Financial Instruments Our financial instruments consist of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, long-term debt, excluding finance lease and other obligations, and interest rate swap contracts. Due to their short-term nature, the carrying amounts of our cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their fair values. The three input levels in the hierarchy of fair value measurements defined by the Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure framework are generally as follows: Input Level Description of Input Level 1 Observable inputs such as quoted market prices in active markets. Level 2 Inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable. Level 3 Unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists. The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of our financial liabilities as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 : March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Input Level Carrying Amount Fair Value Carrying Amount Fair Value (Dollars in millions) Long-term debt, excluding finance lease and other obligations 2 $ 34,405 33,117 34,472 35,737 Interest rate swap contracts (see Note 10) 2 152 152 51 51

Derivative Financial Instrument

Derivative Financial Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Financial Instruments	Derivative Financial Instruments From time to time, CenturyLink, Inc. uses derivative financial instruments, primarily interest rate swaps, to manage our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates. Our primary objective in managing interest rate risk is to decrease the volatility of our earnings and cash flows affected by changes in the underlying rates. We have floating rate long-term debt (see Note 5—Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities to our consolidated financial statements in Item 1 of Part I of this report). These obligations expose us to variability in interest payments due to changes in interest rates. If interest rates increase, interest expense increases. Conversely, if interest rates decrease, interest expense also decreases. We have designated our currently outstanding interest rate swap agreements as cash flow hedges. As described further below, under these hedges, we receive variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for us making fixed-rate payments over the lives of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount. The change in the fair value of the interest rate swap agreements is reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") and, as described below, is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged transaction affects earnings. We do not use derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. In February 2019, we entered into five variable-to-fixed interest rate swap agreements to hedge the interest payments on $2.5 billion notional amount of floating rate debt. The five interest rate swap agreements are with different counterparties; one for $700 million and the other four for $450 million each. The transactions were effective beginning March 31, 2019 and mature March 31, 2022. Under the terms of these interest rate swap transactions, we receive interest payments based on one-month floating LIBOR terms and pay interest at the fixed rate of 2.48% . In June 2019, we entered into six variable-to-fixed interest rate swap agreements to hedge the interest payments on $1.5 billion notional amount of floating rate debt. The six interest rate swap agreements are with different counterparties for $250 million each. The transactions were effective beginning June 30, 2019 and mature June 30, 2022. Under the terms of these interest rate swap transactions, we receive interest payments based on one-month floating LIBOR terms and pay interest at the fixed rate of 1.58% . As of March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2019 we evaluated the effectiveness of our hedges qualitatively and any hedges we had entered into at the time qualified as effective hedge relationships. CenturyLink, Inc. is exposed to credit-related losses in the event of non-performance by counterparties. The counterparties to any of the financial derivatives we enter into are major institutions with investment grade credit ratings. We evaluate counterparty credit risk before entering into any hedge transaction and continue to closely monitor the financial market and the risk that our counterparties will default on their obligations as part of our quarterly qualitative effectiveness evaluation. Amounts accumulated in AOCI related to derivatives are indirectly recognized in earnings as periodic settlement payments are made throughout the term of the swaps. The table below presents the fair value of our derivative financial instruments as well as their classification on the consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 as follows (in millions): March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Derivatives designated as Balance Sheet Location Fair Value Cash flow hedging contracts Other current and noncurrent liabilities $ 152 51 The amount of unrealized losses recognized in AOCI consists of the following (in millions): Derivatives designated as hedging instruments 2020 2019 Cash flow hedging contracts Three Months Ended March 31, $ 106 23 The amount of realized losses reclassified from AOCI to the statement of operations consists of the following (in millions): Derivatives designated as hedging instruments 2020 2019 Cash flow hedging contracts Three Months Ended March 31, $ 5 — Amounts currently included in AOCI will be reflected as earnings prior to the settlement of these cash flow hedging contracts in 2022. We estimate that $73 million of net losses on the interest rate swaps (based on the estimated LIBOR curve as of March 31, 2020

Segment Information

Segment Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information As described in more detail below, our segments are managed based on the direct costs of providing services to their customers and the associated selling, general and administrative costs (primarily salaries and commissions). Shared costs that were previously reported in segments are managed separately and included in "Operations and Other", in the tables below. We reclassified certain prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation, See Note 1— Background for further detail on these changes. At March 31, 2020 , we had the following five reportable segments: • International and Global Accounts Management ("IGAM") Segment. Under our IGAM segment, we provide our products and services to approximately 200 global enterprise customers and to enterprises and carriers in three operating regions: Europe Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific; • Enterprise Segment. Under our enterprise segment, we provide our products and services to large and regional domestic and global enterprises, as well as public sector, which includes the U.S. Federal government, state and local governments and research and education institutions; • Small and Medium Business ("SMB") Segment. Under our SMB segment, we provide our products and services to small and medium businesses directly and through our indirect channel partners; • Wholesale Segment. Under our wholesale segment, we provide our products and services to a wide range of other communication providers across the wireline, wireless, cable, voice and data center sectors. Our wholesale customers range from large global telecom providers to small regional providers; and • Consumer Segment. Under our consumer segment, we provide our products and services to residential customers. Additionally, Connect America Fund ("CAF") federal support revenue and other revenue from leasing and subleasing are reported in our consumer segment as regulatory revenue. Product and Service Categories We categorize our products and services revenue among the following four categories for the IGAM, Enterprise, SMB and Wholesale segments: • IP and Data Services , which includes primarily VPN data networks, Ethernet, IP, content delivery and other ancillary services; • Transport and Infrastructure , which includes wavelengths, dark fiber, private line, colocation and data center services, including cloud, hosting and application management solutions, professional services and other ancillary services; • Voice and Collaboration , which includes primarily local and long-distance voice, including wholesale voice, and other ancillary services, as well as VoIP services; and • IT and Managed Services , which includes information technology services and managed services, which may be purchased in conjunction with our other network services. We categorize our products and services revenue among the following four categories for the Consumer segment: • Broadband , which includes high-speed, fiber based and lower speed DSL broadband services; • Voice , which includes local and long-distance services; • Regulatory Revenue, which consists of (i) CAF and other support payments designed to reimburse us for various costs related to certain telecommunications services and (ii) other operating revenue from the leasing and subleasing of space; and • Other, which includes retail video services (including our linear and TV services), professional services and other ancillary services. The following tables summarize our segment results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 based on the segment categorization we were operating under at March 31, 2020 . Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 International and Global Accounts Enterprise Small and Medium Business Wholesale Consumer Total Segments Operations and Other Total (Dollars in millions) Revenue: IP and Data Services $ 400 628 269 327 — 1,624 — 1,624 Transport and Infrastructure 316 380 89 447 — 1,232 — 1,232 Voice and Collaboration 91 356 290 183 — 920 — 920 IT and Managed Services 58 56 10 1 — 125 — 125 Broadband — — — — 722 722 — 722 Voice — — — — 421 421 — 421 Regulatory — — — — 156 156 — 156 Other — — — — 28 28 — 28 Total revenue 865 1,420 658 958 1,327 5,228 — 5,228 Expenses: Cost of services and products 233 447 104 131 42 957 1,278 2,235 Selling, general and administrative 65 136 110 17 115 443 410 853 Less: share-based compensation — — — — — — (69 ) (69 ) Total expense 298 583 214 148 157 1,400 1,619 3,019 Total adjusted EBITDA $ 567 837 444 810 1,170 3,828 (1,619 ) 2,209 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 International and Global Accounts Enterprise Small and Medium Business Wholesale Consumer Total Segments Operations and Other Total (Dollars in millions) Revenue (1) : IP and Data Services $ 408 638 276 338 — 1,660 — 1,660 Transport and Infrastructure 309 347 95 495 — 1,246 — 1,246 Voice and Collaboration 89 366 317 195 — 967 — 967 IT and Managed Services 57 74 12 2 — 145 — 145 Broadband — — — — 722 722 — 722 Voice — — — — 477 477 — 477 Regulatory — — — — 157 157 — 157 Other — — — — 53 53 — 53 Total revenue 863 1,425 700 1,030 1,409 5,427 — 5,427 Expenses: Cost of services and products (1) 231 428 105 134 58 956 1,344 2,300 Selling, general and administrative (1) 67 148 124 14 144 497 435 932 Less: share-based compensation — — — — — — (33 ) (33 ) Total expense (1) 298 576 229 148 202 1,453 1,746 3,199 Total adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 565 849 471 882 1,207 3,974 (1,746 ) 2,228 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) Reclassifications were made within certain 2019 comparative figures due to the retrospective application of an accounting policy election during the first quarter of 2020, in addition to customer and cost assignment reporting changes. Refer to Note 1 - Background and our Form 8-K filing dated April 30, 2020 for further information. Revenue and Expenses Our segment revenue includes all revenue from our five segments as described in more detail above. Our segment revenue is based upon each customer's classification. We report our segment revenue based upon all services provided to that segment's customers. Our segment expenses include specific cost of service expenses incurred as a direct result of providing services and products to segment customers, along with selling, general and administrative expenses that are directly associated with specific segment customers or activities. The following items are excluded from our segment results, because they are centrally managed and not monitored by or reported to our chief operating decision maker by segment: • Network expenses not incurred as a direct result of providing services and products to segment customers; • centrally managed expenses such as Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing, Product Management and IT, which are reported as "Operations and Other"; • depreciation and amortization expense or impairments; • interest expense, because we manage our financing on a consolidated basis and have not allocated assets or debt to specific segments; • stock-based compensation; and • other income and expense items are not monitored as a part of our segment operations. The following table reconciles total segment adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss): Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions) Total segment adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 3,828 3,974 Depreciation and amortization (1,160 ) (1,188 ) Impairment of goodwill — (6,506 ) Other operating expenses (1) (1,619 ) (1,746 ) Stock-based compensation (69 ) (33 ) Operating income (loss) 980 (5,499 ) Total other expense, net (547 ) (528 ) Income (loss) before income taxes 433 (6,027 ) Income tax expense 119 138 Net income (loss) $ 314 (6,165 ) ______________________________________________________________________ (1)

Commitments and Contingencies a

Commitments and Contingencies and Other Items	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies and Other Items	Commitments and Contingencies and Other Items We are subject to various claims, legal proceedings and other contingent liabilities, including the matters described below, which individually or in the aggregate could materially affect our financial condition, future results of operations or cash flows. As a matter of course, we are prepared to both litigate these matters to judgment as needed, as well as to evaluate and consider reasonable settlement opportunities. Irrespective of its merits, litigation may be both lengthy and disruptive to our operations and could cause significant expenditure and diversion of management attention. We review our litigation accrual liabilities on a quarterly basis, but in accordance with applicable accounting guidelines only establish accrual liabilities when losses are deemed probable and reasonably estimable and only revise previously-established accrual liabilities when warranted by changes in circumstances, in each case based on then-available information. As such, as of any given date we could have exposure to losses under proceedings as to which no liability has been accrued or as to which the accrued liability is inadequate. Amounts accrued for our litigation and non-income tax contingencies at March 31, 2020 aggregated to approximately $143 million and are included in other current liabilities and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet as of such date. The establishment of an accrual does not mean that actual funds have been set aside to satisfy a given contingency. Thus, the resolution of a particular contingency for the amount accrued could have no effect on our results of operations but nonetheless could have an adverse effect on our cash flows. In this Note, when we refer to a class action as "putative" it is because a class has been alleged, but not certified in that matter. Principal Proceedings Shareholder Class Action Suit CenturyLink and certain CenturyLink board members and officers were named as defendants in a putative shareholder class action lawsuit filed on June 12, 2018 in the Boulder County District Court of the state of Colorado, captioned Houser et al. v. CenturyLink, et al. The complaint asserts claims on behalf of a putative class of former Level 3 shareholders who became CenturyLink shareholders as a result of our acquisition of Level 3. It alleges that the proxy statement provided to the Level 3 shareholders failed to disclose various material information of several kinds, including information about strategic revenue, customer loss rates, and customer account issues, among other items. The complaint seeks damages, costs and fees, rescission, rescissory damages, and other equitable relief. Switched Access Disputes Subsidiaries of CenturyLink, Inc. are among hundreds of companies involved in an industry-wide dispute, raised in nearly 100 federal lawsuits (filed between 2014 and 2016) that have been consolidated in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas for pretrial procedures. The disputes relate to switched access charges that local exchange carriers ("LECs") collect from interexchange carriers ("IXCs") for IXCs' use of LEC's access services. In the lawsuits, IXCs, including Sprint Communications Company L.P. ("Sprint") and various affiliates of Verizon Communications Inc. ("Verizon"), assert that federal and state laws bar LECs from collecting access charges when IXCs exchange certain types of calls between mobile and wireline devices that are routed through an IXC. Some of these IXCs have asserted claims seeking refunds of payments for access charges previously paid and relief from future access charges. In November 2015, the federal court agreed with the LECs and rejected the IXCs' contention that federal law prohibits these particular access charges. Final judgments have been entered in the consolidated lawsuits and the IXCs are pursuing an appeal. Separately, some of the defendants, including CenturyLink's LECs, have petitioned the FCC to address these issues on an industry-wide basis. Our subsidiaries include both IXCs and LECs which respectively pay and assess significant amounts of the charges in question. The outcome of these disputes and lawsuits, as well as any related regulatory proceedings that could ensue, are currently not predictable. State Tax Suits Since 2012, a number of Missouri municipalities have asserted claims in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri, alleging that we and several of our subsidiaries have underpaid taxes. These municipalities are seeking, among other things, declaratory relief regarding the application of business license and gross receipts taxes and back taxes from 2007 to the present, plus penalties and interest. In a February 2017 ruling in connection with one of these pending cases, the court entered an order awarding plaintiffs $4 million and broadening the tax base on a going-forward basis. We appealed that decision to the Missouri Supreme Court. In December 2019, it affirmed the circuit court's order in some respects and reversed it in others, remanding the case to the circuit court for further proceedings. The Missouri Supreme Court's decision will reduce our exposure in the case. In a June 2017 ruling in connection with another one of these pending cases, the circuit court made findings in a non-final ruling which, if not overturned or modified in light of the Missouri Supreme Court's decision, will result in a tax liability to us well in excess of the contingent liability we have established. We plan to appeal any circuit court final ruling that substantially incorporates the June 2017 findings. We continue to vigorously defend against these claims. Billing Practices Suits In June 2017, a former employee filed an employment lawsuit against us claiming that she was wrongfully terminated for alleging that we charged some of our retail customers for products and services they did not authorize. Starting shortly thereafter and continuing since then and based in part on the allegations made by the former employee, several legal proceedings have been filed. In June 2017, McLeod v. CenturyLink, a putative consumer class action, was filed against us in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleging that we charged some of our retail customers for products and services they did not authorize. Other complaints asserting similar claims were filed in other federal and state courts. The lawsuits assert claims including fraud, unfair competition, and unjust enrichment. Also in June 2017, Craig. v. CenturyLink, Inc., et al., a putative securities investor class action, was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that we failed to disclose material information regarding improper sales practices, and asserting federal securities law claims. A number of other cases asserting similar claims have also been filed. Beginning June 2017, we also received several shareholder derivative demands addressing related topics. In August 2017, the Board of Directors formed a special litigation committee of outside directors to address the allegations of impropriety contained in the shareholder derivative demands. In April 2018, the special litigation committee concluded its review of the derivative demands and declined to take further action. Since then, derivative cases were filed in Louisiana state court in the Fourth Judicial District Court for the Parish of Ouachita and in federal court in Louisiana and Minnesota. These cases have been brought on behalf of CenturyLink against certain current and former officers and directors of the Company and seek damages for alleged breaches of fiduciary duties. The consumer putative class actions, the securities investor putative class actions, and the federal derivative actions have been transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota for coordinated and consolidated pretrial proceedings as In Re: CenturyLink Sales Practices and Securities Litigation. Subject to confirmatory discovery and court approval, we have agreed to settle the consumer putative class actions for payments of $15.5 million to compensate class members and of up to $3.5 million for administrative costs. In the second quarter of 2019, we accrued for these obligations, and a portion of the administrative costs has been expended in 2020. Certain class members may elect to opt out of the class settlement and pursue the resolution of their individual claims against us on these issues through various dispute resolution processes, including individual arbitration. One law firm claims to represent more than 22,000 potential class members. To the extent that a substantial number of class members, including many of the law firm’s alleged clients, meet the contractual requirements to arbitrate, elect to opt out of the settlement (or otherwise successfully exclude their individual claims), and actually pursue arbitrations, the Company could incur a material amount of filing and other arbitrations fees in relation to the administration of those claims. In July 2017, the Minnesota state attorney general filed State of Minnesota v. CenturyTel Broadband Services LLC, et al. in the Anoka County Minnesota District Court, alleging claims of fraud and deceptive trade practices relating to improper consumer sales practices. We have engaged in discussions regarding potential resolutions of these claims with a number of state attorneys general, and have entered into agreements settling the Minnesota suit and certain of the consumer practices claims asserted by state attorneys general. While we do not agree with allegations raised in these matters, we have been willing to consider reasonable settlements where appropriate. In the fourth quarter of 2019, we recorded an accrual with respect to the above-described settlements and other consumer litigation related matters. Peruvian Tax Litigation In 2005, the Peruvian tax authorities ("SUNAT") issued tax assessments against one of our Peruvian subsidiaries asserting $26 million , of additional income tax withholding and value-added taxes ("VAT"), penalties and interest for calendar years 2001 and 2002 on the basis that the Peruvian subsidiary incorrectly documented its importations. After taking into account the developments described below, as well as the accrued interest and foreign exchange effects, we believe the total amount of our exposure was $6 million at March 31, 2020 . We challenged the assessments via administrative and then judicial review processes. In October 2011, the highest administrative review tribunal (the Tribunal) decided the central issue underlying the 2002 assessments in SUNAT's favor. We appealed the Tribunal's decision to the first judicial level, which decided the central issue in favor of Level 3. SUNAT and we filed cross-appeals with the court of appeal. In May 2017, the court of appeal issued a decision reversing the first judicial level. In June 2017, we filed an appeal of the decision to the Supreme Court of Justice, the final judicial level. Oral argument was held before the Supreme Court of Justice in October 2018. A decision on this case is pending. In October 2013, the Tribunal decided the central issue underlying the 2001 assessments in SUNAT’s favor. We appealed that decision to the first judicial level in Peru, which decided the central issue in favor of SUNAT. In June 2017, we filed an appeal with the court of appeal. In November 2017, the court of appeals issued a decision affirming the first judicial level and we filed an appeal of the decision to the Supreme Court of Justice. Oral argument was held before the Supreme Court of Justice in June 2019. A decision on this case is pending. Brazilian Tax Claims In December 2004, March 2009, April 2009 and July 2014, the São Paulo state tax authorities issued tax assessments against one of our Brazilian subsidiaries for the Tax on Distribution of Goods and Services (“ICMS”) with respect to revenue from leasing certain assets (in the case of the December 2004, March 2009 and July 2014 assessments) and revenue from the provision of Internet access services (in the case of the April 2009 and July 2014 assessments), by treating such activities as the provision of communications services, to which the ICMS tax applies. In September 2002, July 2009 and May 2012, the Rio de Janeiro state tax authorities issued tax assessments to the same Brazilian subsidiary on similar issues. We have filed objections to these assessments, arguing that the lease of assets and the provision of Internet access are not communication services subject to ICMS. The objections to the September 2002, December 2004 and March 2009 assessments were rejected by the respective state administrative courts, and we have appealed those decisions to the judicial courts. In October 2012 and June 2014, we received favorable rulings from the lower court on the December 2004 and March 2009 assessments regarding equipment leasing, but those rulings are subject to appeal by the state. No ruling has been obtained with respect to the September 2002 assessment. The objections to the April and July 2009 and May 2012 assessments are still pending final administrative decisions. The July 2014 assessment was confirmed during the fourth quarter of 2014 at the first administrative level, and we appealed this decision to the second administrative level. We are vigorously contesting all such assessments in both states and, in particular, view the assessment of ICMS on revenue from equipment leasing to be without merit. These assessments, if upheld, could result in a loss of $37 million up to $42 million at March 31, 2020 in excess of the accruals established for these matters. Qui Tam Action Level 3 was notified in late 2017 of a qui tam action pending against Level 3 Communications, Inc. and others in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, captioned United States of America ex rel., Stephen Bishop v. Level 3 Communications, Inc. et al. The original qui tam complaint and an amended complaint were filed under seal on November 26, 2013 and June 16, 2014, respectively. The court unsealed the complaints on October 26, 2017. The amended complaint alleges that Level 3, principally through two former employees, submitted false claims and made false statements to the government in connection with two government contracts. The relator seeks damages in this lawsuit of approximately $50 million , subject to trebling, plus statutory penalties, pre-and-post judgment interest, and attorney’s fees. The case is currently stayed. Level 3 is evaluating its defenses to the claims. At this time, Level 3 does not believe it is probable Level 3 will incur a material loss. If, contrary to its expectations, the plaintiff prevails in this matter and proves damages at or near $50 million , and is successful in having those damages trebled, the outcome could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which a liability is recognized and on our cash flows for the period in which any damages are paid. Several people, including two former Level 3 employees, were indicted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on October 3, 2017, and charged with, among other things, accepting kickbacks from a subcontractor, who was also indicted, for work to be performed under a prime government contract. Of the two former employees, one entered into a plea agreement, and the other is deceased. Level 3 is fully cooperating in the government’s investigations in this matter. Other Proceedings, Disputes and Contingencies From time to time, we are involved in other proceedings incidental to our business, including patent infringement allegations, administrative hearings of state public utility commissions relating primarily to our rates or services, actions relating to employee claims, various tax issues, environmental law issues, grievance hearings before labor regulatory agencies and miscellaneous third party tort actions. We are currently defending several patent infringement lawsuits asserted against us by non-practicing entities, many of which are seeking substantial recoveries. These cases have progressed to various stages and one or more may go to trial during 2020 if they are not otherwise resolved. Where applicable, we are seeking full or partial indemnification from our vendors and suppliers. As with all litigation, we are vigorously defending these actions and, as a matter of course, are prepared to litigate these matters to judgment, as well as to evaluate and consider all reasonable settlement opportunities. We are subject to various foreign, federal, state and local environmental protection and health and safety laws. From time to time, we are subject to judicial and administrative proceedings brought by various governmental authorities under these laws. Several such proceedings are currently pending, but none is reasonably expected to exceed $100,000 in fines and penalties. The outcome of these other proceedings described under this heading is not predictable. However, based on current circumstances, we do not believe that the ultimate resolution of these other proceedings, after considering available defenses and any insurance coverage or indemnification rights, will have a material adverse effect on us. The matters listed above in this Note do not reflect all of our contingencies. For additional information on our contingencies, see Note 19 - Commitments, Contingencies and Other Items - to the financial statements included in Item 8 of part II of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 . The ultimate outcome of the above-described matters may differ materially from the outcomes anticipated, estimated, projected or implied by us in certain of our statements appearing above in this Note, and proceedings currently viewed as immaterial by us may ultimately materially impact us. Environmental Contingencies In connection with our largely historical operations, we have responded to or been notified of potential environmental liability at approximately 200 properties. We are engaged in addressing or have liquidated environmental liabilities at many of those properties. We could potentially be held liable, jointly, or severally, and without regard to fault, for the costs of investigation and remediation of these sites. The discovery of additional environmental liabilities or changes in existing environmental requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Other Financial Information

Other Financial Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Financial Information	Other Financial Information Other Current Assets The following table presents details of other current assets reflected in our consolidated balance sheets: March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Dollars in millions) Prepaid expenses $ 333 274 Income tax receivable 73 35 Materials, supplies and inventory 119 105 Contract assets 33 42 Contract acquisition costs 180 178 Contract fulfillment costs 118 115 Other 85 59 Total other current assets $ 941 808

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Information Relating to 2020 The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss recorded on our consolidated balance sheet by component for the three months ended March 31, 2020 : Pension Plans Post-Retirement Foreign Currency Interest Rate Swap Total (Dollars in millions) Balance at December 31, 2019 $ (2,229 ) (184 ) (228 ) (39 ) (2,680 ) Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications — — (239 ) (80 ) (319 ) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss 36 3 — 5 44 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 36 3 (239 ) (75 ) (275 ) Balance at March 31, 2020 $ (2,193 ) (181 ) (467 ) (114 ) (2,955 ) The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three months ended March 31, 2020 : Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Decrease (Increase) Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations (Dollars in millions) Interest rate swap $ 5 Interest Expense Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans (1) Net actuarial loss 50 Other income, net Prior service cost 1 Other income, net Total before tax 56 Income tax expense (12 ) Income tax expense Net of tax $ 44 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit expense (income) related to our pension and post-retirement plans. Information Relating to 2019 The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss recorded on our consolidated balance sheets by component for the three months ended March 31, 2019 : Pension Plans Post-Retirement Foreign Currency Interest Rate Swap Total (Dollars in millions) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ (2,173 ) (58 ) (230 ) — (2,461 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications — — 5 (17 ) (12 ) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss 41 3 — — 44 Net current-period other comprehensive income 41 3 5 (17 ) 32 Balance at March 31, 2019 $ (2,132 ) (55 ) (225 ) (17 ) (2,429 ) The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three months ended March 31, 2019 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Decrease (Increase) Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations (Dollars in millions) Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans (1) Net actuarial loss $ 57 Other income, net Prior service cost 2 Other income, net Total before tax 59 Income tax benefit (15 ) Income tax expense Net of tax $ 44 ________________________________________________________________________ (1) See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit expense (income) related to our pension and post-retirement plans.

Labor Union Contracts

Labor Union Contracts	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Labor Union Contracts	Labor Union Contracts As of March 31, 2020 , approximately, 24% of our employees are represented by the Communication Workers of America ("CWA") or the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ("IBEW"). Approximately 4% of our union-represented employees were subject to collective bargaining agreements that expired as of March 31, 2020 and are currently being renegotiated. Approximately 9%

Background (Policies)

Background (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
General	General We are an international facilities-based communications company engaged primarily in providing a broad array of integrated services to our residential and business customers. Our specific products and services are detailed in Note 11—Segment Information
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation Our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019 , which was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, and our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements provided herein have been prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q. 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 condensed or omitted pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). However, in our opinion, the disclosures made therein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. We believe that these consolidated financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the results for the interim periods. The consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the first three months of the year are not necessarily indicative of the consolidated results of operations and cash flows that might be expected for the entire year. These consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 . The accompanying consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our subsidiaries in which we have a controlling interest. Intercompany amounts and transactions with our consolidated subsidiaries have been eliminated. To simplify the overall presentation of our consolidated financial statements, we report immaterial amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests in certain of our subsidiaries as follows: (i) income attributable to noncontrolling interests in other loss, net, (ii) equity attributable to noncontrolling interests in additional paid-in capital and (iii) cash flows attributable to noncontrolling interests in other, net, financing activities.
Reclassification	We reclassified certain prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation, including the categorization of our revenue and expenses in our segment reporting. See Note 11—Segment Information for additional information. These changes had no impact on total operating revenue, total operating expenses or net income (loss) for any period.
Operating Lease Income	Operating Lease Income CenturyLink leases various IRUs, office facilities, switching facilities and other network sites to third parties under operating leases. Lease and sublease income are included in operating revenue in the consolidated statements of operations.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements Financial Instruments In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, " Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ". The primary impact of ASU 2016-13 for us is a change in the model for the recognition of credit losses related to our financial instruments from an incurred loss model, which recognized credit losses only if it was probable that a loss had been incurred, to an expected loss model, which requires our management team to estimate the total credit losses expected on the portfolio of financial instruments. We adopted ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020 and recognized a cumulative adjustment to our accumulated deficit as of the date of adoption of $9 million net of tax effect. Please refer to Note 4—Credit Losses on Financial Instruments for more information. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (Topic 740). ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions for investments, intra-period allocations and interim calculations, and adds guidance to reduce complexity in accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 will become effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and early adoption is permitted. We are evaluating the impact the adoption will have on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. The ASU is intended to help stakeholders during the global market-wide reference rate transition period. Therefore, it will be in effect for a limited time through December 31, 2022. We are evaluating the optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contract modifications and hedging relationships, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued and the related impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill, Customer Relationsh_2

Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Intangible Assets and Goodwill	Goodwill, customer relationships and other intangible assets consisted of the following: March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Dollars in millions) Goodwill $ 21,473 21,534 Customer relationships, less accumulated amortization of $10,114 and $9,809 $ 7,245 7,596 Indefinite-life intangible assets $ 269 269 Other intangible assets subject to amortization: Capitalized software, less accumulated amortization of $3,031 and $2,957 $ 1,617 1,599 Trade names and patents, less accumulated amortization of $98 and $91 95 103 Total other intangible assets, net $ 1,981 1,971
Schedule of Goodwill	The following table shows the rollforward of goodwill assigned to our reportable segments from December 31, 2019 through March 31, 2020 : International and Global Accounts Enterprise Small and Medium Business Wholesale Consumer Total (Dollars in millions) As of December 31, 2019 $ 2,670 4,738 3,259 3,813 7,054 21,534 Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change and other (61 ) — — — — (61 ) As of March 31, 2020 $ 2,609 4,738 3,259 3,813 7,054 21,473
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense	We estimate that total amortization expense for intangible assets for the years ending December 31, 2020 through 2024 will be as follows: (Dollars in millions) 2020 (remaining nine months) $ 1,269 2021 1,226 2022 999 2023 916 2024 851

Revenue Recognition (Tables)

Revenue Recognition (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Schedule of Revenue	The following table provides the amount of revenue that is not subject to ASC 606, but is instead governed by other accounting standards: Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions) Total revenue (1) $ 5,228 5,427 Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (2) (481 ) (358 ) Total revenue from contracts with customers $ 4,747 5,069 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) Reclassifications were made within certain 2019 comparative figures due to the retrospective application of an accounting policy election during the first quarter of 2020. Refer to Note 1 - Background and our Form 8-K filing dated April 30, 2020 for further information. (2) Includes regulatory revenue, lease revenue, sublease rental income and revenue from fiber capacity lease arrangements, none of which are within the scope of ASC 606.
Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability	The following table provides balances of customer receivables, contract assets and contract liabilities as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 : March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Dollars in millions) Customer receivables (1) $ 2,110 2,194 Contract assets 125 130 Contract liabilities 943 1,028 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) Gross customer receivables of $2.2 billion and $2.3 billion , net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $85 million and $94 million , at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019
Capitalized Contract Cost	The following table provides changes in our contract acquisition costs and fulfillment costs: Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Acquisition Costs Fulfillment Costs Acquisition Costs Fulfillment Costs (Dollars in millions) Beginning of period balance $ 326 221 322 187 Costs incurred 49 36 57 34 Amortization (55 ) (37 ) (50 ) (23 ) End of period balance $ 320 220 329 198

Credit Losses on Financial In_2

Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Credit Loss [Abstract]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	The following table presents the activity of our allowance for credit losses by accounts receivable portfolio: (Dollars in millions) Business Consumer Total Beginning balance at January 1, 2020 (1) $ 58 37 95 Current Period provision for expected losses 18 17 35 Write-offs charged against the allowance (19 ) (24 ) (43 ) Recoveries collected 6 7 13 Foreign currency exchange rate change adjustment (1 ) — (1 ) Ending Balance at March 31, 2020 $ 62 37 99 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) The beginning balance includes the cumulative effect of the adoption of new credit loss standard

Long-Term Debt and Credit Fac_2

Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Long-term Debt Including Unamortized Discounts and Premiums	The following chart reflects the consolidated long-term debt of CenturyLink, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including unamortized discounts and premiums and unamortized debt issuance costs, but excluding intercompany debt: Interest Rates (1) Maturities March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Dollars in millions) Senior Secured Debt: (2) CenturyLink, Inc. 2017 Revolving Credit Facility (3) 2.889% 2025 $ 1,375 250 Term Loan A (3)(4) LIBOR + 2.00% 2025 1,152 1,536 Term Loan A-1 (3)(4) LIBOR + 2.00% 2025 329 333 Term Loan B (3)(5) LIBOR + 2.25% 2027 4,987 5,880 Senior note 4.000% 2027 1,250 — Subsidiaries: Level 3 Financing, Inc. Tranche B 2027 Term Loan (6) LIBOR + 1.75% 2027 3,111 3,111 Senior notes 3.400% - 3.875% 2027 - 2029 1,500 1,500 Embarq Corporation subsidiaries First mortgage bonds 7.125% - 8.375% 2023 - 2025 138 138 Senior Notes and Other Debt: CenturyLink, Inc. Senior notes 5.125% - 7.650% 2020 - 2042 8,618 8,696 Subsidiaries: Level 3 Financing, Inc. Senior notes 4.625% - 5.625% 2022 - 2027 5,515 5,515 Qwest Corporation Senior notes 6.125% - 7.750% 2021 - 2057 4,856 5,956 Term Loan (7) LIBOR + 2.00% 2025 100 100 Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. Senior notes 6.875% - 7.750% 2021 - 2031 352 352 Embarq Corporation and subsidiary Senior note 7.995% 2036 1,437 1,450 Finance lease and other obligations Various Various 205 222 Unamortized discounts, net (45 ) (52 ) Unamortized debt issuance costs (270 ) (293 ) Total long-term debt 34,610 34,694 Less current maturities (8) (1,129 ) (2,300 ) Long-term debt, excluding current maturities $ 33,481 32,394 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) As of March 31, 2020 . (2) See Note 7—Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 for a description of certain parent or subsidiary guarantees and liens securing this debt. (3) CenturyLink's credit agreement was amended as noted below, extending the maturity date of its (a) Term Loan A, Term Loan A-1 and Revolving Credit Facilities from 2022 to 2025 and (b) Term Loan B from 2025 to 2027. (4) Term Loans A and A-1 had interest rates of 2.989% and 4.549% as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 , respectively. (5) Term Loan B had interest rates of 3.239% and 4.549% as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. (6) The Tranche B 2027 Term Loan had an interest rate of 2.739% as of March 31, 2020 and 3.549% as of December 31, 2019 , respectively. (7) Qwest Corporation Term Loan had an interest rate of 2.990% as of March 31, 2020 and 3.800% as of December 31, 2019, respectively. (8) See "Subsequent Event" for further details on the April 1, 2020 redemption of $973 million of senior unsecured notes.
Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt	Set forth below is the aggregate principal amount of our long-term debt (excluding unamortized discounts, net and unamortized debt issuance costs) maturing during the following years as of March 31, 2020 : (Dollars in millions) 2020 (remaining nine months) (1) $ 1,094 2021 2,419 2022 2,377 2023 2,160 2024 2,037 2024 and thereafter 24,838 Total long-term debt $ 34,925

Severance (Tables)

Severance (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Schedule of Changes in Accrued Liabilities for Severance Expenses	Changes in our accrued liabilities for severance expenses were as follows: Severance (Dollars in millions) Balance at December 31, 2019 $ 89 Accrued to expense — Payments, net (34 ) Balance at March 31, 2020 $ 55

Employee Benefits (Tables)

Employee Benefits (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Schedule of Components of Net Periodic Pension Benefit (Income) Expense and Post-retirement Benefit Expense	Net periodic benefit expense (income) for our combined pension plan includes the following components: Combined Pension Plan Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions) Service cost $ 16 14 Interest cost 82 110 Expected return on plan assets (149 ) (156 ) Recognition of prior service credit (3 ) (2 ) Recognition of actuarial loss 50 57 Net periodic pension benefit (income) expense $ (4 ) 23 Net periodic benefit expense for our post-retirement benefit plans includes the following components: Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions) Service cost $ 4 4 Interest cost 20 27 Recognition of prior service cost 4 4 Net periodic post-retirement benefit expense $ 28 35

Earnings (Loss) Per Common Sh_2

Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Common Share	Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share were calculated as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts, shares in thousands) Income (Loss) (Numerator): Net income (loss) $ 314 (6,165 ) Net income (loss) applicable to common stock for computing basic earnings per common share 314 (6,165 ) Net income (loss) as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted earnings per common share $ 314 (6,165 ) Shares (Denominator): Weighted-average number of shares: Outstanding during period 1,092,970 1,083,588 Non-vested restricted stock (17,511 ) (14,710 ) Weighted-average shares outstanding for computing basic earnings per common share 1,075,459 1,068,878 Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities: Shares issuable under convertible securities 10 — Shares issuable under incentive compensation plans 6,285 — Number of shares as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted earnings (loss) per common share 1,081,754 1,068,878 Basic earnings (loss) per common share $ 0.29 (5.77 ) Diluted earnings (loss) per common share (1) $ 0.29 (5.77 ) ______________________________________________________________________ (1) For the three months ended March 31, 2019 , we excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share 3.3 million shares, potentially issuable under incentive compensation plans or convertible securities, as their effect, if included, would have been anti-dilutive.

Fair Value of Financial Instr_2

Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Schedule of Carrying Amounts and Estimated Fair Values of Long-term Debt, Excluding Capital Lease Obligations, and Input Level to Determine Fair Values	The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of our financial liabilities as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 : March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Input Level Carrying Amount Fair Value Carrying Amount Fair Value (Dollars in millions) Long-term debt, excluding finance lease and other obligations 2 $ 34,405 33,117 34,472 35,737 Interest rate swap contracts (see Note 10) 2 152 152 51 51

Derivative Financial Instrume_2

Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value	The table below presents the fair value of our derivative financial instruments as well as their classification on the consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 as follows (in millions): March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Derivatives designated as Balance Sheet Location Fair Value Cash flow hedging contracts Other current and noncurrent liabilities $ 152 51
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss)	The amount of unrealized losses recognized in AOCI consists of the following (in millions): Derivatives designated as hedging instruments 2020 2019 Cash flow hedging contracts Three Months Ended March 31, $ 106 23
Schedule of Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component	The amount of realized losses reclassified from AOCI to the statement of operations consists of the following (in millions): Derivatives designated as hedging instruments 2020 2019 Cash flow hedging contracts Three Months Ended March 31, $ 5 — The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three months ended March 31, 2019 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Decrease (Increase) Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations (Dollars in millions) Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans (1) Net actuarial loss $ 57 Other income, net Prior service cost 2 Other income, net Total before tax 59 Income tax benefit (15 ) Income tax expense Net of tax $ 44 ________________________________________________________________________ (1) See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit expense (income) related to our pension and post-retirement plans. The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three months ended March 31, 2020 : Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Decrease (Increase) Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations (Dollars in millions) Interest rate swap $ 5 Interest Expense Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans (1) Net actuarial loss 50 Other income, net Prior service cost 1 Other income, net Total before tax 56 Income tax expense (12 ) Income tax expense Net of tax $ 44 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit expense (income) related to our pension and post-retirement plans.

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Results	The following tables summarize our segment results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 based on the segment categorization we were operating under at March 31, 2020 . Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 International and Global Accounts Enterprise Small and Medium Business Wholesale Consumer Total Segments Operations and Other Total (Dollars in millions) Revenue: IP and Data Services $ 400 628 269 327 — 1,624 — 1,624 Transport and Infrastructure 316 380 89 447 — 1,232 — 1,232 Voice and Collaboration 91 356 290 183 — 920 — 920 IT and Managed Services 58 56 10 1 — 125 — 125 Broadband — — — — 722 722 — 722 Voice — — — — 421 421 — 421 Regulatory — — — — 156 156 — 156 Other — — — — 28 28 — 28 Total revenue 865 1,420 658 958 1,327 5,228 — 5,228 Expenses: Cost of services and products 233 447 104 131 42 957 1,278 2,235 Selling, general and administrative 65 136 110 17 115 443 410 853 Less: share-based compensation — — — — — — (69 ) (69 ) Total expense 298 583 214 148 157 1,400 1,619 3,019 Total adjusted EBITDA $ 567 837 444 810 1,170 3,828 (1,619 ) 2,209 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 International and Global Accounts Enterprise Small and Medium Business Wholesale Consumer Total Segments Operations and Other Total (Dollars in millions) Revenue (1) : IP and Data Services $ 408 638 276 338 — 1,660 — 1,660 Transport and Infrastructure 309 347 95 495 — 1,246 — 1,246 Voice and Collaboration 89 366 317 195 — 967 — 967 IT and Managed Services 57 74 12 2 — 145 — 145 Broadband — — — — 722 722 — 722 Voice — — — — 477 477 — 477 Regulatory — — — — 157 157 — 157 Other — — — — 53 53 — 53 Total revenue 863 1,425 700 1,030 1,409 5,427 — 5,427 Expenses: Cost of services and products (1) 231 428 105 134 58 956 1,344 2,300 Selling, general and administrative (1) 67 148 124 14 144 497 435 932 Less: share-based compensation — — — — — — (33 ) (33 ) Total expense (1) 298 576 229 148 202 1,453 1,746 3,199 Total adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 565 849 471 882 1,207 3,974 (1,746 ) 2,228 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) Reclassifications were made within certain 2019 comparative figures due to the retrospective application of an accounting policy election during the first quarter of 2020, in addition to customer and cost assignment reporting changes. Refer to Note 1 - Background and our Form 8-K filing dated April 30, 2020 for further information.
Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) From Segments to Consolidated Net Income	The following table reconciles total segment adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss): Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Dollars in millions) Total segment adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 3,828 3,974 Depreciation and amortization (1,160 ) (1,188 ) Impairment of goodwill — (6,506 ) Other operating expenses (1) (1,619 ) (1,746 ) Stock-based compensation (69 ) (33 ) Operating income (loss) 980 (5,499 ) Total other expense, net (547 ) (528 ) Income (loss) before income taxes 433 (6,027 ) Income tax expense 119 138 Net income (loss) $ 314 (6,165 ) ______________________________________________________________________ (1) Reclassifications were made within certain 2019 comparative figures due to the retrospective application of an accounting policy election during the first quarter of 2020, in addition to customer and cost assignment reporting changes. Refer to Note 1 - Background and our Form 8-K filing dated April 30, 2020 for further information.

Other Financial Information (Ta

Other Financial Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Components of Other Current Assets	The following table presents details of other current assets reflected in our consolidated balance sheets: March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Dollars in millions) Prepaid expenses $ 333 274 Income tax receivable 73 35 Materials, supplies and inventory 119 105 Contract assets 33 42 Contract acquisition costs 180 178 Contract fulfillment costs 118 115 Other 85 59 Total other current assets $ 941 808

Accumulated Other Comprehensi_2

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Summary of the Entity's Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component	The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss recorded on our consolidated balance sheets by component for the three months ended March 31, 2019 : Pension Plans Post-Retirement Foreign Currency Interest Rate Swap Total (Dollars in millions) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ (2,173 ) (58 ) (230 ) — (2,461 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications — — 5 (17 ) (12 ) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss 41 3 — — 44 Net current-period other comprehensive income 41 3 5 (17 ) 32 Balance at March 31, 2019 $ (2,132 ) (55 ) (225 ) (17 ) (2,429 ) The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss recorded on our consolidated balance sheet by component for the three months ended March 31, 2020 : Pension Plans Post-Retirement Foreign Currency Interest Rate Swap Total (Dollars in millions) Balance at December 31, 2019 $ (2,229 ) (184 ) (228 ) (39 ) (2,680 ) Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications — — (239 ) (80 ) (319 ) Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss 36 3 — 5 44 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 36 3 (239 ) (75 ) (275 ) Balance at March 31, 2020 $ (2,193 ) (181 ) (467 ) (114 ) (2,955 )
Schedule of Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component	The amount of realized losses reclassified from AOCI to the statement of operations consists of the following (in millions): Derivatives designated as hedging instruments 2020 2019 Cash flow hedging contracts Three Months Ended March 31, $ 5 — The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three months ended March 31, 2019 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Decrease (Increase) Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations (Dollars in millions) Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans (1) Net actuarial loss $ 57 Other income, net Prior service cost 2 Other income, net Total before tax 59 Income tax benefit (15 ) Income tax expense Net of tax $ 44 ________________________________________________________________________ (1) See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit expense (income) related to our pension and post-retirement plans. The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three months ended March 31, 2020 : Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Decrease (Increase) Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations (Dollars in millions) Interest rate swap $ 5 Interest Expense Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans (1) Net actuarial loss 50 Other income, net Prior service cost 1 Other income, net Total before tax 56 Income tax expense (12 ) Income tax expense Net of tax $ 44 ______________________________________________________________________ (1) See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit expense (income) related to our pension and post-retirement plans.

Background (Details)

Background (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Jan. 01, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Book overdraft balance		$ 0			$ 106,000,000
Revenues	[1]	(5,228,000,000)	$ (5,427,000,000)
Reduction to cost of services and products	[1]	(2,235,000,000)	(2,300,000,000)
Lease income		$ 333,000,000	$ 199,000,000
Percent of operating revenue		6.00%	4.00%
ACCUMULATED DEFICIT | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASU				$ 9,000,000
Change in Accounting Principle, Universal Service Fund
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 215,000,000	$ 220,000,000
Reduction to cost of services and products		$ 215,000,000	$ 220,000,000
[1]	Reclassifications were made within certain 2019 comparative figures due to the retrospective application of an accounting policy election during the first quarter of 2020. Refer to Note 1 - Background and our Form 8-K filing dated April 30, 2020 for further information.

Goodwill, Customer Relationsh_3

Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets - Schedule of Goodwill, Customer Relationships, and Other Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 21,473	$ 21,534
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	7,245	7,596
Indefinite-life intangible assets	269	269
Total other intangible assets, net	1,981	1,971
Customer relationships
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	7,245	7,596
Accumulated amortization	10,114	9,809
Computer Software, Intangible Asset
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	1,617	1,599
Accumulated amortization	3,031	2,957
Trade Names and Patents
Goodwill [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	95	103
Accumulated amortization	$ 98	$ 91

Goodwill, Customer Relationsh_4

Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Jan. 31, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Amortization of intangible assets	$ 431	$ 429
Intangible assets, gross (including goodwill)	43,900
Control premium, percent			4.10%	4.50%
Goodwill impairment	$ 0	$ 6,506

Goodwill, Customer Relationsh_5

Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets - Rollforward of Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
As of December 31, 2019	$ 21,534,000
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change and other	(61,000)
As of March 31, 2020	21,473,000
International and Global Accounts
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
As of December 31, 2019	2,670,000
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change and other	(61,000)
As of March 31, 2020	2,609,000
Enterprise
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
As of December 31, 2019	4,738,000
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change and other	0
As of March 31, 2020	4,738,000
Small and Medium Business
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
As of December 31, 2019	3,259,000
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change and other	0
As of March 31, 2020	3,259,000
Wholesale
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
As of December 31, 2019	3,813,000
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change and other	0
As of March 31, 2020	3,813,000
Consumer
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
As of December 31, 2019	7,054,000
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change and other	0
As of March 31, 2020	$ 7,054,000

Goodwill, Customer Relationsh_6

Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets - Schedule of Amortization Expense (Details) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2020 (remaining nine months)	$ 1,269
2021	1,226
2022	999
2023	916
2024	$ 851

Revenue Recognition - Revenue n

Revenue Recognition - Revenue not Under ASC 606 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Total revenue	[1]	$ 5,228	$ 5,427
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue		(481)	(358)
Total revenue from contracts with customers		$ 4,747	$ 5,069
[1]	Reclassifications were made within certain 2019 comparative figures due to the retrospective application of an accounting policy election during the first quarter of 2020. Refer to Note 1 - Background and our Form 8-K filing dated April 30, 2020 for further information.

Revenue Recognition - Contract

Revenue Recognition - Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Customer receivables	$ 2,110	$ 2,194
Contract assets	125	130
Contract liabilities	943	1,028
Accounts receivable, gross	2,200	2,300
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable	$ 85	$ 94

Revenue Recognition - Additiona

Revenue Recognition - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Revenue recognized	$ 495	$ 490
Minimum
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Contract term	1 year
Minimum | Business Customer
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Length of customer life	12 months
Maximum
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Contract term	5 years
Maximum | Business Customer
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Length of customer life	60 months
Weighted Average | Consumer Customers
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Length of customer life	30 months

Revenue Recognition - Remaining

Revenue Recognition - Remaining Performance Obligation (Details) $ in Billions	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Remaining performance obligation	$ 5.7
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2020-04-01
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Remaining performance obligation, percentage	90.00%
Remaining performance obligation, satisfaction period	2 years 9 months

Revenue Recognition - Capitaliz

Revenue Recognition - Capitalized Contract Costs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Acquisition Costs
Capitalized Contract Cost [Roll Forward]
Beginning of period balance	$ 326	$ 322
Costs incurred	49	57
Amortization	(55)	(50)
End of period balance	320	329
Fulfillment Costs
Capitalized Contract Cost [Roll Forward]
Beginning of period balance	221	187
Costs incurred	36	34
Amortization	(37)	(23)
End of period balance	$ 220	$ 198

Credit Losses on Financial In_3

Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance at January 1, 2020	$ 95
Current Period provision for expected losses	35
Write-offs charged against the allowance	(43)
Recoveries collected	13
Foreign currency exchange rate change adjustment	(1)
Ending Balance at March 31, 2020	99
Business
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance at January 1, 2020	58
Current Period provision for expected losses	18
Write-offs charged against the allowance	(19)
Recoveries collected	6
Foreign currency exchange rate change adjustment	(1)
Ending Balance at March 31, 2020	62
Consumer
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance at January 1, 2020	37
Current Period provision for expected losses	17
Write-offs charged against the allowance	(24)
Recoveries collected	7
Foreign currency exchange rate change adjustment	0
Ending Balance at March 31, 2020	$ 37

Long-Term Debt and Credit Fac_3

Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Schedule of Long Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Apr. 01, 2020	Jan. 24, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Finance lease and other obligations	$ 205			$ 222
Unamortized discounts, net	(45)			(52)
Unamortized debt issuance costs	(270)			(293)
Total long-term debt	34,610			34,694
Less current maturities	(1,129)			(2,300)
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	$ 33,481			32,394
CenturyLink, Inc. | Credit Facility | 2017 Revolving Credit Facility
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	2.889%
Long-term debt, gross	$ 1,375			$ 250
CenturyLink, Inc. | Medium-term notes
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate	2.989%			4.549%
CenturyLink, Inc. | Medium-term notes | Term Loan A
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 1,152			$ 1,536
CenturyLink, Inc. | Medium-term notes | Term Loan A-1
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	329			333
CenturyLink, Inc. | Medium-term notes | Term Loan B
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 4,987			$ 5,880
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate	3.239%			4.549%
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 8,618			$ 8,696
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes | Minimum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	5.125%
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes | Maximum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	7.65%
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes | 4.000% Senior Secured Notes Due 2027
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	4.00%		4.00%
Long-term debt, gross	$ 1,250
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes | 4.000% Senior Secured Notes Due 2027 | Subsequent Event
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Repurchased face amount		$ 973
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Medium-term notes | Tranche B 2027 Term Loan
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 3,111			$ 3,111
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate	2.739%			3.549%
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Senior notes
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 5,515			$ 5,515
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Senior notes | Minimum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	4.625%
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Senior notes | Maximum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	5.625%
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Senior notes | Senior Notes, Maturing 2027-2029
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 1,500			1,500
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Senior notes | Senior Notes, Maturing 2027-2029 | Minimum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	3.40%
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Senior notes | Senior Notes, Maturing 2027-2029 | Maximum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	3.875%
Embarq Corporation and subsidiary | First mortgage bonds
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 138			138
Embarq Corporation and subsidiary | First mortgage bonds | Minimum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	7.125%
Embarq Corporation and subsidiary | First mortgage bonds | Maximum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	8.375%
Embarq Corporation and subsidiary | Senior notes
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	7.995%
Long-term debt, gross	$ 1,437			1,450
Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 100			$ 100
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate	2.99%			3.80%
Qwest Corporation | Senior notes
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 4,856			$ 5,956
Qwest Corporation | Senior notes | Minimum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	6.125%
Qwest Corporation | Senior notes | Maximum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	7.75%
Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. | Senior notes
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Long-term debt, gross	$ 352			$ 352
Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. | Senior notes | Minimum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	6.875%
Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. | Senior notes | Maximum
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Stated interest rate	7.75%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | CenturyLink, Inc. | Medium-term notes | Term Loan A
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Basis spread	2.00%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | CenturyLink, Inc. | Medium-term notes | Term Loan A-1
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Basis spread	2.00%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | CenturyLink, Inc. | Medium-term notes | Term Loan B
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Basis spread	2.25%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Medium-term notes | Tranche B 2027 Term Loan
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Basis spread	1.75%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Basis spread	2.00%

Long-Term Debt and Credit Fac_4

Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Schedule of Maturities of Long Term Debt (Details) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity
2020 (remaining nine months)	$ 1,094
2021	2,419
2022	2,377
2023	2,160
2024	2,037
2024 and thereafter	24,838
Total long-term debt	$ 34,925

Long-Term Debt and Credit Fac_5

Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2020	Jan. 24, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Apr. 01, 2020
Derivative [Line Items]
Repayments of debt			$ 2,400,000,000
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt	$ (67,000,000)
Amended Credit Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Face amount	8,699,000,000
Senior notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt			79,000,000
Senior notes | Senior Notes Due 2027
Derivative [Line Items]
Face amount		$ 1,250,000,000
Stated interest rate		4.00%
Senior notes | Amended Credit Agreement, Term Loan A
Derivative [Line Items]
Face amount	1,166,000,000
Senior notes | Amended Credit Agreement, Term Loan A-1
Derivative [Line Items]
Face amount	333,000,000
Senior notes | Amended Credit Agreement, Term Loan B
Derivative [Line Items]
Face amount	5,000,000,000
Medium-term notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Repayments of debt			31,000,000
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Senior notes | Senior Notes Due 2026
Derivative [Line Items]
Repayments of debt		$ 1,250,000,000
CenturyLink, Inc.
Derivative [Line Items]
Repayments of debt			1,250,000,000
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Repayments of debt			$ 78,000,000
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes | 4.000% Senior Secured Notes Due 2027
Derivative [Line Items]
Face amount		$ 1,250,000,000
Stated interest rate		4.00%	4.00%
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes | 4.000% Senior Secured Notes Due 2027 | Subsequent Event
Derivative [Line Items]
Repurchased face amount				$ 973,000,000
Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. | Senior notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Repayments of debt			$ 1,100,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Credit Facility | Amended Credit Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 2,200,000,000
Base Rate | Senior notes | Amended Credit Agreement, Term Loan B
Derivative [Line Items]
Basis spread	1.25%
Eurodollar | Senior notes | Amended Credit Agreement, Term Loan B
Derivative [Line Items]
Basis spread	2.25%
Minimum | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Senior notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Stated interest rate			4.625%
Minimum | CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Stated interest rate			5.125%
Minimum | Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. | Senior notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Stated interest rate			6.875%
Minimum | Base Rate | Amended Credit Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Basis spread	1.50%
Minimum | Eurodollar | Amended Credit Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Basis spread	0.50%
Maximum | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Senior notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Stated interest rate			5.625%
Maximum | CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Stated interest rate			7.65%
Maximum | Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. | Senior notes
Derivative [Line Items]
Stated interest rate			7.75%
Maximum | Base Rate | Amended Credit Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Basis spread	2.25%
Maximum | Eurodollar | Amended Credit Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Basis spread	1.25%

Severance - Schedule of Severan

Severance - Schedule of Severance Expenses (Details) - Severance $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)
Restructuring reserve
Balance at the beginning of the period	$ 89
Accrued to expense	0
Payments, net	(34)
Balance at the end of the period	$ 55

Employee Benefits (Details)

Employee Benefits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Combined Pension Plan
Components of net periodic (benefit) expense
Service cost	$ 16	$ 14
Interest cost	82	110
Expected return on plan assets	(149)	(156)
Recognition of prior service credit	(3)	(2)
Recognition of actuarial loss	50	57
Net periodic pension benefit (income) expense	(4)	23
Post-Retirement Benefit Plans
Components of net periodic (benefit) expense
Service cost	4	4
Interest cost	20	27
Recognition of prior service credit	4	4
Net periodic pension benefit (income) expense	$ 28	$ 35

Earnings (Loss) Per Common Sh_3

Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
(Loss) Income (Numerator):
Net income (loss)	$ 314	$ (6,165)
Weighted-average number of shares:
Weighted average shares outstanding for computing basic earnings per common share (in shares)	1,075,459	1,068,878
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities:
Number of shares as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted (loss) earnings per common share (in shares)	1,081,754	1,068,878
Basic (loss) earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.29	$ (5.77)
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.29	$ (5.77)
Convertible Debt Securities
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities:
Number of shares of common stock excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)		3,300
Common Class A
(Loss) Income (Numerator):
Net income (loss)		$ (6,165)
Net income (loss) applicable to common stock for computing basic earnings per common share	$ 314	(6,165)
Net income (loss) as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted earnings per common share	$ 314	$ (6,165)
Weighted-average number of shares:
Outstanding during period (in shares)	1,092,970	1,083,588
Non-vested restricted stock (in shares)	(17,511)	(14,710)
Weighted average shares outstanding for computing basic earnings per common share (in shares)	1,075,459	1,068,878
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities:
Shares issuable under convertible securities (in shares)	10	0
Shares issuable under incentive compensation plans (in shares)	6,285	0
Number of shares as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted (loss) earnings per common share (in shares)	1,081,754	1,068,878
Basic (loss) earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.29	$ (5.77)
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.29	$ (5.77)
Number of shares of common stock excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)	2,700	5,400

Fair Value of Financial Instr_3

Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) - Fair Value Measurements Determined on a Nonrecurring Basis - Fair Value Inputs, Level 2 - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Carrying Amount
Fair value disclosure
Long-term debt, excluding finance lease and other obligations	$ 34,405	$ 34,472
Interest rate swap contracts (see Note 10)	152	51
Fair Value
Fair value disclosure
Long-term debt, excluding finance lease and other obligations	33,117	35,737
Interest rate swap contracts (see Note 10)	$ 152	$ 51

Derivative Financial Instrume_3

Derivative Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Details) - Interest Rate Swap $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)derivative_agreement	Feb. 28, 2019USD ($)derivative_agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
Reclassification in next twelve months	$ 73
Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Number of instruments | derivative_agreement		6	5
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount		$ 1,500	$ 2,500
Fixed interest rate		1.58%	2.48%
One Counterparty | Designated as Hedging Instrument | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount			$ 700
Three Counterparties | Designated as Hedging Instrument | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount			$ 450
Six Counterparties | Designated as Hedging Instrument | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount		$ 250

Derivative Financial Instrume_4

Derivative Financial Instruments - Fair Value of Derivatives (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair Value	$ 152	$ 51

Derivative Financial Instrume_5

Derivative Financial Instruments - Losses Recognized in OCI (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Interest Rate Swap
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Loss recognized in other comprehensive income	$ 106	$ 23

Derivative Financial Instrume_6

Derivative Financial Instruments - Reclassification from AOCI (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on Derivatives [Line Items]
Realized losses reclassified from AOCI	$ (5)	$ 0
Interest Rate Swap
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on Derivatives [Line Items]
Realized losses reclassified from AOCI	$ 5	$ 0

Segment Information - Additiona

Segment Information - Additional Information (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020categoryregional_operating_unitcustomersegment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments | segment	5
Number of global enterprise customers | customer	200
Number of operating regions | regional_operating_unit	3
International and Global Accounts
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of categories of products and services	4
Consumer
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of categories of products and services	4

Segment Information - Segment R

Segment Information - Segment Results and Operating Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues	[1]	$ 5,228	$ 5,427
Cost of services and products	[1]	2,235	2,300
Selling, general and administrative		853	932
Less: share-based compensation		(69)	(33)
Total expense		3,019	3,199
Total adjusted EBITDA		2,209	2,228
IP and Data Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		1,624	1,660
Transport and Infrastructure
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		1,232	1,246
Voice and Collaboration
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		920	967
IT and Managed Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		125	145
Broadband
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		722	722
Voice
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		421	477
Regulatory
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		156	157
Other
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		28	53
Operating segments
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		5,228	5,427
Cost of services and products		957	956
Selling, general and administrative		443	497
Less: share-based compensation		0	0
Total expense		1,400	1,453
Total adjusted EBITDA		3,828	3,974
Operating segments | IP and Data Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		1,624	1,660
Operating segments | Transport and Infrastructure
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		1,232	1,246
Operating segments | Voice and Collaboration
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		920	967
Operating segments | IT and Managed Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		125	145
Operating segments | Broadband
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		722	722
Operating segments | Voice
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		421	477
Operating segments | Regulatory
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		156	157
Operating segments | Other
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		28	53
Operating segments | International and Global Accounts
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		865	863
Cost of services and products		233	231
Selling, general and administrative		65	67
Less: share-based compensation		0	0
Total expense		298	298
Total adjusted EBITDA		567	565
Operating segments | International and Global Accounts | IP and Data Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		400	408
Operating segments | International and Global Accounts | Transport and Infrastructure
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		316	309
Operating segments | International and Global Accounts | Voice and Collaboration
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		91	89
Operating segments | International and Global Accounts | IT and Managed Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		58	57
Operating segments | International and Global Accounts | Broadband
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | International and Global Accounts | Voice
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | International and Global Accounts | Regulatory
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | International and Global Accounts | Other
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Enterprise
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		1,420	1,425
Cost of services and products		447	428
Selling, general and administrative		136	148
Less: share-based compensation		0
Total expense		583	576
Total adjusted EBITDA		837	849
Operating segments | Enterprise | IP and Data Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		628	638
Operating segments | Enterprise | Transport and Infrastructure
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		380	347
Operating segments | Enterprise | Voice and Collaboration
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		356	366
Operating segments | Enterprise | IT and Managed Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		56	74
Operating segments | Enterprise | Broadband
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Enterprise | Voice
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Enterprise | Regulatory
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Enterprise | Other
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Small and Medium Business
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		658	700
Cost of services and products		104	105
Selling, general and administrative		110	124
Less: share-based compensation		0
Total expense		214	229
Total adjusted EBITDA		444	471
Operating segments | Small and Medium Business | IP and Data Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		269	276
Operating segments | Small and Medium Business | Transport and Infrastructure
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		89	95
Operating segments | Small and Medium Business | Voice and Collaboration
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		290	317
Operating segments | Small and Medium Business | IT and Managed Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		10	12
Operating segments | Small and Medium Business | Broadband
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Small and Medium Business | Voice
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Small and Medium Business | Regulatory
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Small and Medium Business | Other
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Wholesale
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		958	1,030
Cost of services and products		131	134
Selling, general and administrative		17	14
Less: share-based compensation		0
Total expense		148	148
Total adjusted EBITDA		810	882
Operating segments | Wholesale | IP and Data Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		327	338
Operating segments | Wholesale | Transport and Infrastructure
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		447	495
Operating segments | Wholesale | Voice and Collaboration
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		183	195
Operating segments | Wholesale | IT and Managed Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		1	2
Operating segments | Wholesale | Broadband
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Wholesale | Voice
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Wholesale | Regulatory
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Wholesale | Other
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Consumer
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		1,327	1,409
Cost of services and products		42	58
Selling, general and administrative		115	144
Less: share-based compensation		0
Total expense		157	202
Total adjusted EBITDA		1,170	1,207
Operating segments | Consumer | IP and Data Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Consumer | Transport and Infrastructure
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Consumer | Voice and Collaboration
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Consumer | IT and Managed Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operating segments | Consumer | Broadband
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		722	722
Operating segments | Consumer | Voice
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		421	477
Operating segments | Consumer | Regulatory
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		156	157
Operating segments | Consumer | Other
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		28	53
Operations and Other
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Cost of services and products		1,278	1,344
Selling, general and administrative		410	435
Less: share-based compensation		(69)	(33)
Total expense		1,619	1,746
Total adjusted EBITDA		(1,619)	(1,746)
Operations and Other | IP and Data Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operations and Other | Transport and Infrastructure
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operations and Other | Voice and Collaboration
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operations and Other | IT and Managed Services
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operations and Other | Broadband
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operations and Other | Voice
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operations and Other | Regulatory
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		0	0
Operations and Other | Other
Operating revenues by products and services
Revenues		$ 0	$ 0
[1]	Reclassifications were made within certain 2019 comparative figures due to the retrospective application of an accounting policy election during the first quarter of 2020. Refer to Note 1 - Background and our Form 8-K filing dated April 30, 2020 for further information.

Segment Information - Reconcili

Segment Information - Reconciliation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total segment adjusted EBITDA	$ 2,209	$ 2,228
Depreciation and amortization	(1,160)	(1,188)
Impairment of goodwill	0	(6,506)
Stock-based compensation	(69)	(33)
Total other expense, net	(547)	(528)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	433	(6,027)
Income tax expense	(119)	(138)
NET INCOME (LOSS)	314	(6,165)
Operating segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total segment adjusted EBITDA	3,828	3,974
Operations and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total segment adjusted EBITDA	(1,619)	(1,746)
Depreciation and amortization	(1,160)	(1,188)
Impairment of goodwill	0	(6,506)
Other operating expenses	(1,619)	(1,746)
Operating income (loss)	980	(5,499)
Total other expense, net	$ (547)	$ (528)

Commitments and Contingencies_2

Commitments and Contingencies and Other Items (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2017USD ($)lawsuit	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)propertyplaintifflawsuit	Dec. 31, 2005USD ($)
Loss Contingencies
Estimate of possible loss		$ 143,000
Patents allegedly infringed | lawsuit	1
Number of properties with potential environmental liability | property		200
Unfavorable Regulatory Action
Loss Contingencies
Estimate of possible loss		$ 100,000
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
Loss Contingencies
Litigation settlement amount		15,500
Litigation settlement, expense		$ 3,500
Number of members (more than) | plaintiff		22,000
Pending litigation | Peruvian Tax Litigation
Loss Contingencies
Estimate of possible loss		$ 6,000
Loss contingency, asserted claim			$ 26,000
Pending litigation | Brazilian Tax Claims
Loss Contingencies
Loss contingency, range of possible loss, portion not accrued		37,000
Pending litigation | Brazilian Tax Claims | Maximum
Loss Contingencies
Loss contingency, range of possible loss, portion not accrued		$ 42,000
Interexchange Carriers
Loss Contingencies
Number of lawsuits | lawsuit		100
Missouri municipalities | Judicial ruling
Loss Contingencies
Litigation settlement amount	$ 4,000
Level 3 Parent, LLC
Loss Contingencies
Damages sought, value		$ 50,000

Other Financial Information (De

Other Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Abstract]
Prepaid expenses	$ 333	$ 274
Income tax receivable	73	35
Materials, supplies and inventory	119	105
Contract assets	33	42
Other	85	59
Total other current assets	941	808
Acquisition Costs
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Abstract]
Contract costs	180	178
Fulfillment Costs
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Abstract]
Contract costs	$ 118	$ 115

Accumulated Other Comprehensi_3

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss - AOCI Activity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 13,470
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications	(319)	$ (12)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	44	44
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(275)	32
Balance at end of period	13,291	13,524
Defined benefit plan | Pension Plans
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	(2,229)	(2,173)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications	0	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	36	41
Other comprehensive (loss) income	36	41
Balance at end of period	(2,193)	(2,132)
Defined benefit plan | Post-Retirement Benefit Plans
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	(184)	(58)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications	0	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	3	3
Other comprehensive (loss) income	3	3
Balance at end of period	(181)	(55)
Foreign currency translation adjustment and other
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	(228)	(230)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications	(239)	5
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(239)	5
Balance at end of period	(467)	(225)
Interest rate swap
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	(39)	0
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications	(80)	(17)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	5	0
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(75)	(17)
Balance at end of period	(114)	(17)
Accumulated other comprehensive income
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	(2,680)	(2,461)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(275)	32
Balance at end of period	$ (2,955)	$ (2,429)

Accumulated Other Comprehensi_4

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss - Reclassifications (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income loss by component
Interest Expense	$ 449	$ 523
Other income, net	(98)	(5)
Total before tax	433	(6,027)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(119)	(138)
Net income (loss)	314	(6,165)
Decrease (Increase) in Net Income | Interest rate swap
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income loss by component
Interest Expense	(5)
Decrease (Increase) in Net Income | Net actuarial loss
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income loss by component
Other income, net	50	57
Decrease (Increase) in Net Income | Prior service cost
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income loss by component
Other income, net	1	2
Decrease (Increase) in Net Income | Defined benefit plan
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income loss by component
Total before tax	56	59
Income tax expense (benefit)	(12)	15
Net income (loss)	$ 44	$ 44

Labor Union Contracts (Details)

Labor Union Contracts (Details) - Unionized employees concentration risk	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Total number of employees
Concentration risk
Concentration risk, percent	24.00%
Workforce subject to collective bargaining arrangements, expired
Concentration risk
Concentration risk, percent	4.00%
Workforce subject to collective bargaining arrangements expiring within one year
Concentration risk
Concentration risk, percent	9.00%

Uncategorized Items - ctl202003

Label	Element	Value
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member] | Retained Earnings [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 96,000,000