Qwest Corp. 6.75% NT 57 (CTDD) 10-Q 11 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	11-May-15
Document and Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	QWEST CORP
Entity Central Index Key	68622
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		1

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_OPE

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
OPERATING REVENUES
Operating revenues	$1,636	$1,690
Operating revenues - affiliates	581	521
Total operating revenues	2,217	2,211
OPERATING EXPENSES
Cost of services and products (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	692	698
Selling, general and administrative	270	285
Operating expenses - affiliates	248	188
Depreciation and amortization	462	498
Total operating expenses	1,672	1,669
OPERATING INCOME	545	542
OTHER (EXPENSE) INCOME
Interest expense	-118	-116
Interest expense - affiliates, net	-13	-13
Total other expense, net	-131	-129
Income before income tax expense	414	413
Income tax expense	167	160
NET INCOME	$247	$253

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$6	$6
Accounts receivable, less allowance of $41 and $38	709	740
Advances to affiliates	1,072	812
Deferred income taxes, net	172	163
Other	146	125
Total current assets	2,105	1,846
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
Property, plant and equipment	11,364	11,157
Accumulated depreciation	-4,183	-3,956
Net property, plant and equipment	7,181	7,201
GOODWILL AND OTHER ASSETS
Goodwill	9,354	9,354
Customer relationships, less accumulated amortization of $2,815 and $2,660	2,884	3,039
Other intangible assets, less accumulated amortization of $1,301 and $1,247	760	808
Other, net	208	209
Total goodwill and other assets	13,206	13,410
TOTAL ASSETS	22,492	22,457
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Current maturities of long-term debt	112	117
Accounts payable	482	464
Note payable - affiliate	796	796
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
Salaries and benefits	195	220
Income and other taxes	230	197
Other	204	140
Advance billings and customer deposits	329	327
Total current liabilities	2,348	2,261
LONG-TERM DEBT	7,355	7,262
DEFERRED CREDITS AND OTHER LIABILITIES
Deferred revenues	148	153
Deferred income taxes, net	2,163	2,247
Affiliate obligations, net	1,269	1,271
Other	79	80
Total deferred credits and other liabilities	3,659	3,751
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 5)
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock - one share without par value, owned by Qwest Services Corporation	10,050	10,050
Accumulated deficit	-920	-867
Total stockholder's equity	9,130	9,183
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	$22,492	$22,457

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS_Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowance (dollars)	$41	$38
Customer relationships, accumulated amortization	2,815	2,660
Other intangible assets, accumulated amortization	$1,301	$1,247
Common stock, shares, issued (in shares)	1	1
Common stock, share outstanding (in shares)	1	1

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_CAS

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income	$247	$253
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	462	498
Deferred income taxes	-93	-87
Provision for uncollectible accounts	23	11
Net long-term debt premium amortization	-6	-11
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	8	39
Accounts payable	36	64
Accrued income and other taxes	33	40
Other current assets and liabilities, net	12	8
Other current assets and liabilities - affiliate	13	13
Changes in other noncurrent assets and liabilities, net	-6	-1
Change in affiliate obligations, net	-2	-13
Other, net	0	2
Net cash provided by operating activities	727	816
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Payments for property, plant and equipment and capitalized software	-260	-226
Changes in advances to affiliates	-260	-281
Net cash used in investing activities	-520	-507
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	99	0
Payments of long-term debt	-6	-14
Dividends paid to Qwest Services Corporation	-300	-300
Net cash used in financing activities	-207	-314
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	-5
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	6	14
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	6	9
Supplemental cash flow information:
Income taxes paid, net	-261	-248
Interest paid (net of capitalized interest of $5 and $4)	($99)	($92)

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_CAS1

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Interest (paid), capitalized interest	$5	$4

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_STO

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY (USD $)	Total	COMMON STOCK	ACCUMULATED DEFICIT
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2013		$10,050	($437)
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Abstract]
Net income	253		253
Dividends declared to Qwest Services Corporation			-300
Balance at end of period at Mar. 31, 2014	9,566	10,050	-484
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2014	9,183	10,050	-867
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Abstract]
Net income	247		247
Dividends declared to Qwest Services Corporation			-300
Balance at end of period at Mar. 31, 2015	$9,130	$10,050	($920)

Basis_of_Presentation

Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation
	General
	We are an integrated communications company engaged primarily in providing an array of communications services to our residential, business, governmental and wholesale customers. Our communications services include local, broadband, private line (including special access), network access, Ethernet, information technology, wireless and video services. In certain local and regional markets, we also provide local access and fiber transport services to competitive local exchange carriers.
	We generate the majority of our revenues from services provided in the 14-state region of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. We refer to this region as our local service area.
	Our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2014, 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 have been condensed or omitted pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"); however, in our opinion, the disclosures made 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 for the first three months of the year are not necessarily indicative of the consolidated results of operations that might be expected for the entire year. These consolidated financial statements 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, 2014.
	The accompanying consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our subsidiaries. Intercompany amounts and transactions with our consolidated subsidiaries have been eliminated. Transactions with our non-consolidated affiliates (referred to herein as affiliates) have not been eliminated.
	Effective January 1, 2015, CenturyLink changed their allocation methodology with respect to their now centrally managed pension and post-retirement plans. Specifically, under this new methodology, CenturyLink will allocate current service costs to subsidiaries relative to employees which are currently earning benefits under the pension and post-retirement benefit plans. The net periodic benefit cost allocated to us is now paid on a monthly basis through CenturyLink’s intercompany cash management process. The change in methodology resulted in an increase of less than $1 million to our net periodic benefit cost for the three months ended March 31, 2015.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	Debt Issuance Costs
	On April 7, 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-03, “Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs” (“ASU 2015-03”). ASU 2015-03 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and must be adopted by retrospectively applying the new standard to all periods presented in the financial statements. ASU 2015-03 may be adopted early for any financial statements that have not been issued.
	ASU 2015-03 requires that the deferred costs associated with a debt issuance be recognized as a reduction in the carrying amount of the related debt rather than presented as a deferred charge included in other assets in our financial statements. ASU 2015-03 does not change the pattern of recognition for the deferred debt issuance costs. As of March 31, 2015, we have approximately $110 million of unamortized debt issuance costs that upon adoption of ASU 2015-03 will be reclassified out of other assets and recognized as a reduction in the carrying value of our long-term debt.
	Revenue Recognition
	On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09” or “new standard”). The new standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning January 1, 2017, and early adoption is prohibited. On April 1, 2015, the FASB proposed to defer the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year until January 1, 2018, but would allow early adoption as of the original January 1, 2017 effective date. ASU 2014-09 may be adopted by applying the provisions of the new standard on a retrospective basis to the periods included in the financial statements or on a modified retrospective basis which would result in the recognition of a cumulative effect of adopting ASU 2014-09 in the first quarter of 2017. We have not yet decided which implementation method we will adopt.
	The new standard replaces virtually all existing generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) on revenue recognition and replaces them with a principles-based approach for determining revenue recognition using a new five step model. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also includes new accounting principles related to the deferral and amortization of contract acquisition and fulfillment costs. We currently do not defer any contract acquisition costs and defer contract fulfillment costs only up to the extent of any revenue deferred.
	We are studying the new standard and are in the early stages of assessing the impact the new standard will have on us and our consolidated financial statements. We cannot, however, provide any estimate of the impact of adopting the new standard at this time.

LongTerm_Debt_and_Revolving_Pr

Long-Term Debt and Revolving Promissory Note	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt and Revolving Promissory Note	Long-Term Debt and Revolving Promissory Note
	Long-term debt, including unamortized discounts and premiums and note payable - affiliate, were as follows:
		Interest Rates	Maturities	As of March 31, 2015			As of December 31, 2014
				(Dollars in millions)
	Senior notes	6.125% - 8.375%	2015 - 2054	$	7,311		7,311
	Term loan	1.93%	2025	100			—
	Capital lease and other obligations	Various	Various	26			32
	Unamortized premiums, net			30			36
	Total long-term debt			7,467			7,379
	Less current maturities			(112		)	(117	)
	Long-term debt, excluding current maturities			$	7,355		7,262
	Note payable - affiliate	6.66%	2022	$	796		796
	Term Loan
	On February 20, 2015, we entered into a term loan in the amount of $100 million with CoBank, ACB. The outstanding unpaid principal amount of this term loan plus any accrued and unpaid interest is due on February 20, 2025, the maturity date of the loan. Interest is paid monthly based upon either the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or the base rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus an applicable margin between 1.50% to 2.50% per annum for LIBOR loans and 0.50% to 1.50% per annum for base rate loans depending on our then current senior unsecured long-term debt rating. As of March 31, 2015, the outstanding principal balance on this term loan was $100 million.
	Revolving Promissory Note
	We are currently indebted to an affiliate of our ultimate parent company, CenturyLink, Inc. ("CenturyLink"), under a revolving promissory note that provides us with a funding commitment of up to $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount through June 30, 2022, of which $796 million was outstanding as of March 31, 2015. As of March 31, 2015, the weighted average interest rate was 6.657%. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, this revolving promissory note is reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as a current liability under note payable - affiliate. As of March 31, 2015, $22 million of accrued interest is reflected in other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet. In accordance with the note agreement, all accrued interest and unpaid interest is capitalized to the unpaid principal balance on April 1 and November 1 of each year.
	Covenants
	The indentures governing our notes contain certain covenants including, but not limited to: (i) a prohibition on certain liens on our assets; and (ii) a limitation on mergers or sales of all, or substantially all, of our assets, which limitation requires that a successor assume the obligation with regard to these notes. These indentures do not contain any cross-default provisions.
	Our senior notes were issued under indentures dated April 15, 1990 and October 15, 1999. These indentures do not contain any financial covenants, but do include restrictions that limit our ability to (i) incur, issue or create liens upon our property and (ii) consolidate with or merge into, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our assets to any other party.
	As of March 31, 2015, we believe we were in compliance with the provisions and covenants of our debt agreements.

Fair_Value_Disclosure

Fair Value Disclosure	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Disclosure	Fair Value Disclosure
	Our financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, advances to affiliates, accounts payable, note payable - affiliate and long-term debt, excluding capital lease obligations. Due to their short-term nature, the carrying amounts of our cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, advances to affiliates, accounts payable, and note payable - affiliate approximate their fair values.
	Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between independent and knowledgeable parties who are willing and able to transact for an asset or liability at the measurement date. We use valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when determining fair value and then we rank the estimated values based on the reliability of the inputs used following the fair value hierarchy set forth by the FASB. We determined the fair values of our long-term debt, including the current portion, based on quoted market prices where available or, if not available, based on discounted future cash flows using current market interest rates.
	The three input levels in the hierarchy of fair value measurements are defined by the FASB 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 long-term debt, excluding capital lease and other obligations, as well as the input level used to determine the fair values indicated below:
				As of March 31, 2015			As of December 31, 2014
		Input		Carrying		Fair	Carrying	Fair
		Level		Amount		Value	Amount	Value
				(Dollars in millions)
	Liabilities-Long-term debt, excluding capital lease and other obligations	2		$	7,441	7,821	7,347	7,702

Products_and_Services_Revenues

Products and Services Revenues	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Products and Services Revenues	Products and Services Revenues
	We are an integrated communications company engaged primarily in providing an array of communications services, including local voice, broadband, private line (including special access), network access, Ethernet, information technology, video and wireless services. We strive to maintain our customer relationships by, among other things, bundling our service offerings to provide our customers with a complete offering of integrated communications services. We currently categorize our products, services and revenues among the following three categories:
	•	Strategic services, which include primarily broadband, private line (including special access), Ethernet and Verizon Wireless services;
	•	Legacy services, which include primarily local voice, Integrated Services Digital Network ("ISDN") (which uses regular telephone lines to support voice, video and data applications), switched access and traditional wide area network ("WAN") services (which allow a local communications network to link to networks in remote locations); and
	•	Affiliates and other services, which consist primarily of Universal Service Fund ("USF") support and USF surcharges and services we provide to our affiliates. We receive both federal and state USF support, which are government subsidies designed to reimburse us for the portion of the cost of providing certain telecommunications services, such as in high-cost rural areas, that we are not able to recover from our customers. USF surcharges are the amount that we collect based on specific items we list on our customers' invoices to fund the Federal Communication Commission's ("FCC") universal service programs. We provide to our affiliates, telecommunication services that we also provide to external customers. In addition, we provide to our affiliates, computer system development and support services, network support and technical services.
	Our operating revenues for our products and services consisted of the following categories:
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
		(Dollars in millions)
	Strategic services	$	857	856
	Legacy services	712		767
	Affiliates and other services	648		588
	Total operating revenues	$	2,217	2,211
	We do not have any single external customer that provides more than 10% of our total consolidated operating revenues. Substantially all of our consolidated revenues comes from customers located in the United States.
	We recognize revenues in our consolidated statements of operations for certain USF surcharges and transaction taxes that we bill to our customers. Our consolidated statements of operations also reflects the related expense for the amounts we remit to the government agencies. The total amount of such surcharges that we included in revenues, aggregated approximately $37 million and $39 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Those USF surcharges, where we record revenue, are included in the "other" operating revenues and transaction tax surcharges are included in "legacy services" revenues. We also act as a collection agent for certain other USF and transaction taxes that we are required by government agencies to include in our bills to customers, for which we do not record any revenue or expense because we only act as a pass-through agent.
	Our operations are integrated into and reported as part of the consolidated segment data of CenturyLink. CenturyLink's chief operating decision maker ("CODM") is our CODM, but reviews our financial information on an aggregate basis only in connection with our quarterly and annual reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Consequently, we do not provide our discrete financial information to the CODM on a regular basis. As such, we believe we have one reportable segment.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments 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. The outcome of these other proceedings 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 our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
	We are currently defending several patent infringement lawsuits asserted against us by non-practicing entities. These cases have progressed to various stages and one or more may go to trial in the coming 24 months 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 both to litigate the matters to judgment, as well as to evaluate and consider all reasonable settlement opportunities.
	We are among hundreds of defendants nationwide in dozens of lawsuits filed over the past year by Sprint Communications Company and affiliates of Verizon Communications Inc. The plaintiffs in these suits have challenged the right of local exchange carriers to bill interexchange carriers for switched access charges for certain calls between mobile and wireline devices that are routed through an interexchange carrier. In the lawsuits, the plaintiffs are seeking refunds of access charges previously paid and relief from future access charges. In addition, these and some other interexchange carriers have ceased paying switched access charges on these calls. Recently the lawsuits involving us and many other carriers have been consolidated for pretrial purposes in the United States District Court for the District of Northern Texas. Some of the defendants, including us, have petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to address these issues on an industry-wide basis.
	The outcome of these disputes and suits, as well as any related regulatory proceedings that could ensue, are currently not predictable. If we are required to stop assessing these charges or to pay refunds of any such charges, our financial results could be negatively affected.
	CenturyLink and its affiliates are involved in several legal proceedings to which we are not a party that, if resolved against them, could have a material adverse effect on their business and financial condition. As an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of CenturyLink, our business and financial condition could be similarly affected. You can find descriptions of these legal proceedings in CenturyLink's quarterly and annual reports filed with the SEC. Because we are not a party to any of the matters, we have not accrued any liabilities for the matters.

Dividends

Dividends	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Dividends
Dividends	Dividends
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, we declared and paid dividends of $300 million to our direct parent company, Qwest Services Corporation ("QSC"). Dividends paid are reflected on our consolidated statements of cash flows as financing activities.

Other_Financial_Information

Other Financial Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Additional Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Financial Information	Other Financial Information
	Other Current Assets
	The following table presents details of other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets:
		As of March 31, 2015		As of December 31, 2014
		(Dollars in millions)
	Prepaid expenses	$	63	45
	Other	83		80
	Total other current assets	$	146	125
	Selected Current Liabilities
	The following table presents selected current liabilities reflected in our consolidated balance sheets, which include accounts payable:
		As of March 31, 2015		As of December 31, 2014
		(Dollars in millions)
	Accounts payable	$	482	464
	Included in accounts payable at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, were $26 million and $44 million, respectively, associated with capital expenditures.

Basis_of_Presentation_Basis_of

Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	Debt Issuance Costs
	On April 7, 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-03, “Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs” (“ASU 2015-03”). ASU 2015-03 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and must be adopted by retrospectively applying the new standard to all periods presented in the financial statements. ASU 2015-03 may be adopted early for any financial statements that have not been issued.
	ASU 2015-03 requires that the deferred costs associated with a debt issuance be recognized as a reduction in the carrying amount of the related debt rather than presented as a deferred charge included in other assets in our financial statements. ASU 2015-03 does not change the pattern of recognition for the deferred debt issuance costs. As of March 31, 2015, we have approximately $110 million of unamortized debt issuance costs that upon adoption of ASU 2015-03 will be reclassified out of other assets and recognized as a reduction in the carrying value of our long-term debt.
	Revenue Recognition
	On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09” or “new standard”). The new standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning January 1, 2017, and early adoption is prohibited. On April 1, 2015, the FASB proposed to defer the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year until January 1, 2018, but would allow early adoption as of the original January 1, 2017 effective date. ASU 2014-09 may be adopted by applying the provisions of the new standard on a retrospective basis to the periods included in the financial statements or on a modified retrospective basis which would result in the recognition of a cumulative effect of adopting ASU 2014-09 in the first quarter of 2017. We have not yet decided which implementation method we will adopt.
	The new standard replaces virtually all existing generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) on revenue recognition and replaces them with a principles-based approach for determining revenue recognition using a new five step model. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also includes new accounting principles related to the deferral and amortization of contract acquisition and fulfillment costs. We currently do not defer any contract acquisition costs and defer contract fulfillment costs only up to the extent of any revenue deferred.
	We are studying the new standard and are in the early stages of assessing the impact the new standard will have on us and our consolidated financial statements. We cannot, however, provide any estimate of the impact of adopting the new standard at this time.

LongTerm_Debt_and_Revolving_Pr1

Long-Term Debt and Revolving Promissory Note (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of long-term debt, including unamortized discounts and premiums	Long-term debt, including unamortized discounts and premiums and note payable - affiliate, were as follows:
		Interest Rates	Maturities	As of March 31, 2015			As of December 31, 2014
				(Dollars in millions)
	Senior notes	6.125% - 8.375%	2015 - 2054	$	7,311		7,311
	Term loan	1.93%	2025	100			—
	Capital lease and other obligations	Various	Various	26			32
	Unamortized premiums, net			30			36
	Total long-term debt			7,467			7,379
	Less current maturities			(112		)	(117	)
	Long-term debt, excluding current maturities			$	7,355		7,262
	Note payable - affiliate	6.66%	2022	$	796		796

Fair_Value_Disclosure_Tables

Fair Value Disclosure (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Schedule of the three input levels in the hierarchy of fair value measurements	The three input levels in the hierarchy of fair value measurements are defined by the FASB 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.
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 long-term debt, excluding capital lease and other obligations, as well as the input level used to determine the fair values indicated below:
				As of March 31, 2015			As of December 31, 2014
		Input		Carrying		Fair	Carrying	Fair
		Level		Amount		Value	Amount	Value
				(Dollars in millions)
	Liabilities-Long-term debt, excluding capital lease and other obligations	2		$	7,441	7,821	7,347	7,702

Products_and_Services_Revenues1

Products and Services Revenues (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of operating revenues by products and services	Our operating revenues for our products and services consisted of the following categories:
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
		(Dollars in millions)
	Strategic services	$	857	856
	Legacy services	712		767
	Affiliates and other services	648		588
	Total operating revenues	$	2,217	2,211

Other_Financial_Information_Ta

Other Financial Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Additional Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of other current assets reflected on the entity's balance sheet	The following table presents details of other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets:
		As of March 31, 2015		As of December 31, 2014
		(Dollars in millions)
	Prepaid expenses	$	63	45
	Other	83		80
	Total other current assets	$	146	125
Schedule of accounts payable	The following table presents selected current liabilities reflected in our consolidated balance sheets, which include accounts payable:
		As of March 31, 2015		As of December 31, 2014
		(Dollars in millions)
	Accounts payable	$	482	464

Basis_of_Presentation_Details

Basis of Presentation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Unamortized debt issuance expense	$110
Geographic Areas, Revenues from External Customers [Abstract]
Number of states in which entity operates (states)	14
CenturyLink, Inc. | Maximum | Change in allocation methodology for net periodic benefit service cost
Change in allocation methodology
Pension and other postretirement benefit service costs	$1

LongTerm_Debt_and_Revolving_Pr2

Long-Term Debt and Revolving Promissory Note (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Long-term debt
Capital lease and other obligations	$26	$32
Total long-term debt	7,467	7,379
Less current maturities	-112	-117
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	7,355	7,262
Senior notes
Long-term debt
Long-term debt, gross	7,311	7,311
Unamortized premiums, net	30	36
Senior notes | Minimum
Long-term debt
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.13%
Senior notes | Maximum
Long-term debt
Interest rate (as a percent)	8.38%
Medium-term notes
Long-term debt
Long-term debt, gross	100	0
Revolving promissory note | CenturyLink, Inc. affiliate
Long-term debt
Note payable - affiliate		796
Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes
Long-term debt
Interest rate at end of period - Term loan (percent)	1.93%
Qwest Corporation | Revolving promissory note | CenturyLink, Inc. affiliate
Long-term debt
Note payable - affiliate	$796
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	6.66%

LongTerm_Debt_and_Revolving_Pr3

Long-Term Debt and Revolving Promissory Note Long-Term Debt and Revolving Promissory Note (Details 2) (USD $)	0 Months Ended
	Feb. 20, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Medium-term notes
Long-term debt
Long-term debt, gross		$100,000,000	$0
Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term loan
Long-term debt
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	100,000,000
Long-term debt, gross		100,000,000
Minimum | Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term loan | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Long-term debt
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)	1.50%
Minimum | Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term loan | Base Rate
Long-term debt
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)	0.50%
Maximum | Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term loan | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Long-term debt
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)	2.50%
Maximum | Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term loan | Base Rate
Long-term debt
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)	1.50%
CenturyLink, Inc. affiliate | Revolving promissory note
Long-term debt
Note payable - affiliate			796,000,000
CenturyLink, Inc. affiliate | Qwest Corporation | Revolving promissory note
Long-term debt
Maximum borrowing capacity		1,000,000,000
Note payable - affiliate		796,000,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)		6.66%
Accrued interest payable on related party note payable		$22,000,000

Fair_Value_Disclosure_Details

Fair Value Disclosure (Details) (Fair value measurements, recurring, Fair value inputs, Level 2, USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Carrying Amount
Liabilities
Liabilities-Long-term debt, excluding capital lease and other obligations	$7,441	$7,347
Fair Value
Liabilities
Liabilities-Long-term debt, excluding capital lease and other obligations	$7,821	$7,702

Products_and_Services_Revenues2

Products and Services Revenues (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
	segment
	category
Products and Services Revenues
Number of categories of products and services (categories)	3
Total operating revenues	$2,217	$2,211
USF surcharges and transaction taxes included in operating revenues and expenses	37	39
Number of reportable segments (segments)	1
Strategic services
Products and Services Revenues
Total operating revenues	857	856
Legacy services
Products and Services Revenues
Total operating revenues	712	767
Affiliates and other services
Products and Services Revenues
Total operating revenues	$648	$588

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (Patent infringements, Minimum)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Patent infringements | Minimum
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Patents Allegedly Infringed, Number	1

Dividends_Details

Dividends (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Dividends
Dividends paid to Qwest Services Corporation	$300	$300

Other_Financial_Information_De

Other Financial Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Current Assets
Prepaid expenses	$63	$45
Other	83	80
Total other current assets	146	125
Selected Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	482	464
Capital expenditures	$26	$44