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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Nature Of Operations

Nature of Operations

Warwick Valley Telephone Company, which is currently doing business as Alteva, ("Alteva," or the "Company") is a cloud-based communications company that provides Unified Communications ("UC") solutions and enterprise hosted Voice over Internet Protocol ("VoIP") and operates as a regional Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier ("ILEC") in southern Orange County, New York and northern New Jersey. Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires, all references to the Company means the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company delivers cloud-based UC solutions including VoIP hosted Microsoft Communication Services, fixed mobile convergence and advanced voice applications for a broad customer base including, medium and large-sized businesses and enterprise business customers. The Company's ILEC operations consist of providing local and toll telephone service to residential and business customers, Internet high-speed broadband service, and satellite television services provided by DIRECTV.

Basis Of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements

The Company's interest in the Orange County-Poughkeepsie Limited Partnership ("O-P") is accounted for under the equity method of accounting (Note 12).

Use Of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Significant estimates include, but are not limited to, depreciation expense, allowance for doubtful accounts, long-lived assets, derivative liabilities, pension and postretirement expenses and income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company derives its revenue from the sale of UC services as well as traditional telephone service.

The Company recognizes revenue when (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement between the Company and the customer exists, (ii) the delivery of the product to the customer has occurred or service has been provided to the customer, (iii) the price to the customer is fixed or determinable, and (iv) collectability of the sales or service price is reasonably assured.

UC Services

The Company's UC services and solutions consist primarily of its hosted VoIP Unified Communications system, certain UC applications, training and other professional services. Additionally, the Company offers customers the ability to purchases phone systems from the Company directly. Customers are not required to purchase phones from the Company directly as they can independently purchase such equipment.

Monthly recurring hosted services are recognized on a straight line basis in the period when the service is delivered.

The Company bills most of the monthly recurring hosted service revenue a month in advance. Any amounts billed and collected, but for which the service is not yet delivered, are included in deferred revenue. These amounts are recognized as revenues only when the service is delivered.

Equipment sales associated with the sale of phones is recognized when the products are delivered to and accept by the customer, as it is considered a separate earnings process. Implementation charges related to equipment are recognized when service is rendered and activation charges, along with associated costs, up to but not exceeding these fees, are deferred and recognized over estimated life of the customer.

Telephone

Telephone and network access revenues are primarily derived from usage of the network and facilities. Telephone and network access revenues are recognized as the corresponding services are rendered to customers. Long distance revenue is recognized monthly as services are provided. Directory advertising revenue is recorded ratably over the life of the directory. Other service and sales revenue is recognized when services are provided or the sales transactions are completed.

It is the Company's policy to classify sales taxes collected from its customers and remitted to the government as netted through revenue.

Other service and sales revenue is recognized when services are provided or the sales transactions are completed. The Company recognizes federal Universal Service Fund ("USF") revenue monthly when the payment is received from the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. ("NECA").

Accounting For Asset Retirement And Environmental Obligations

Accounting for Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations

Accounting for Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations ("ASC Topic 410") addresses financial accounting and reporting for obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets and the associated asset retirement costs. This standard applies to legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets that results from the acquisition, construction, development, or normal use for the assets. ASC Topic 410 requires that a liability for an asset retirement obligation be recognized when incurred and reasonably estimable, recorded at fair value, and classified as a liability in the balance sheet. When the liability is initially recorded, the entity capitalizes the cost and increases the carrying value of the related long-lived asset. The liability is then accreted to its present value each period and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the estimated useful life of the related asset. At the settlement date, the Company will settle the obligation for its recorded amount and recognize a gain or loss upon settlement. The Company has concluded that it does not have an asset retirement and environmental obligation as defined by ASC Topic 410 at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

Allowance For Uncollectible Accounts

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts

The Company maintains an allowance for uncollectible accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of customers to make payments. Such an allowance is based upon historical trends of accounts receivable write offs, net of subsequent cash recoveries of previously written-off balances. Uncollectible accounts are charged against the allowance for doubtful accounts and subsequent cash recoveries of previously written-off bad debts are credited to the account.

Advertising And Promotional Costs

Advertising and Promotional Costs

Advertising and promotional costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising and promotional expenses were $1.0 million, $1.1 million and $0.5 million for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Income Taxes
Income Taxes

The Company records deferred taxes that arise from temporary differences between the financial statement and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. Deferred taxes are classified as current or non-current, depending on the classification of the assets and liabilities to which they relate. Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are adjusted for the effect of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment. The Company's deferred taxes result principally from differences in the timing of depreciation and in the accounting for pensions and other postretirement benefits. A valuation allowance is recorded against the deferred tax assets which are not expected to be realized.

Property, Plant And Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment

The Company records property, plant and equipment at cost or fair market value for its acquired properties resulting from a business acquisition. Construction costs, labor and applicable overhead costs related to installations, and interest during construction are capitalized. Costs of maintenance and repairs of property, plant and equipment are charged to operating expense. The estimated useful life of support equipment (vehicles, computers, etc.) ranges from 3 to 19 years. The estimated useful lives of communication and network equipment range from 10 to 15 years. The estimated useful lives of Internet equipment range from 3 to 5 years. The estimated useful lives of buildings and other support equipment range from 14 to 50 years. Depreciation expense is computed using the straight-line method.

Cash And Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments with an initial maturity from the date of purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist primarily of money market mutual funds. The Company places its cash in a limited number of financial institutions. The balances are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation up to $0.25 million. At times, the deposits in banks may exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits. The Company monitors the financial health of those banking institutions. Historically, the Company has not experienced any losses on deposits.

Fair Value Of Financial Instruments

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company's financial instruments consisted of cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, short-term debt and derivative liability. The Company believes that the carrying values of cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable and accounts payable at December 31, 2012 and 2011 approximated fair value due to their short-term maturity. Based on the borrowing rates currently available to the Company for loans of similar terms, the Company has determined that the carrying value of its short-term debt approximates fair value. The Company has determined that the fair value of the derivative liabilities based on binomial models.

Derivatives Instrument

Derivative Instrument

The Company entered into in a derivative transaction in connection with the Company's acquisition of substantially all of the assets and assumption of certain liabilities of Alteva, LLC. The members of Alteva, LLC were granted shares of the Company's common stock as partial consideration in the acquisition (the "Alteva Shares") and entered into a Lock-Up and Put Agreement with the Company. The Lockup and Put Agreement included a purchase price protection, which is considered to be a derivative instrument. It is valued and recognized at the instrument's current fair market value as of the date of issuance and adjusted each period the financial statements are presented. The Company employed a binomial pricing model to calculate the fair value of the price protection and recorded the fair value as a current liability on its consolidated balance sheet. Inputs are adjusted each period to reflect changes in the Company's estimate of value of the underlying common stock.

Goodwill And Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Intangible assets that have finite useful lives are amortized by the straight-line method over their useful lives ranging from 3 to 15 years. Intangible assets are considered impaired if the fair value of the intangible asset is less than its net book value.

Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually and as triggering events occur. ASU 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment provides companies with the option to assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If, after assessing the qualitative factors, a company determines that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. However, if a company concludes otherwise, then it is required to perform the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test.

For the first step the Company compares the fair value of each reporting unit with the carrying amount of the reporting unit. The Company estimates the fair value of the reporting unit based on discounted future cash flows. If the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carry amount of the reporting unit, the Company completes a second step to determine the amount of the goodwill impairment that should be recorded. In the second step, the Company determines an implied fair value of the reporting unit's goodwill by allocating the reporting unit's fair value to all of its assets and liabilities other than goodwill (including any unrecognized intangible assets). The Company compares the resulting implied fair value of the goodwill to the carrying amount and record an impairment charge for the difference.

For its 2012 goodwill impairment testing the Company elected to not perform the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to performing the quantitative evaluation of the fair value of the reporting unit, to compare against the carrying value of the reporting unit.

Impairment Of Long-Lived Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews business conditions to determine the recoverability of the carrying value of its long-lived assets, goodwill related to equity investments and other intangibles on a periodic basis in order to identify business conditions that may indicate a possible impairment. The assessment for potential impairment is based primarily on the Company's ability to recover the carrying value of its long-lived assets from expected future undiscounted cash flows. If total expected future undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value of the assets, a loss is recognized for the difference between the fair value (computed based upon the expected market value or future discounted cash flows) and the carrying value of the assets. The Company periodically performs evaluations of the recoverability of the carrying value of its long-lived assets using gross undiscounted cash flow projections. The cash flow projections include long-term forecasts of revenue growth, gross margins and capital expenditures. All of these items require significant judgment and assumptions. The Company believes its estimates are reasonable, based on information available at the time they were made (see Note 11). However, if the estimates of future cash flows are different, the Company may conclude that some of its long-lived assets were not recoverable, which would likely cause the Company to record a material impairment charge. Also, if future cash flows are significantly lower than projections, the Company may determine at some future date that all or a portion of its long-lived assets are not recoverable.

Pension And Postretirement Obligations

Pension and Postretirement Obligations

The Company follows ASC Topic 715, Employers' Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans. This guidance requires the recognition of the funded status of a benefit plan, measured as the difference between plan assets at fair value and the benefit obligation, in its balance sheet. For a pension plan, the benefit obligation is the projected benefit obligation; for any other postretirement benefit plan, such as a retiree health care plan, the benefit obligation is the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation. The Company is also required to recognize as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss changes to the balances of the unrecognized prior service cost and the unrecognized actuarial loss, net of income taxes that arise during the period. The Company is also required to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations as of the date of the Company's year-end. ASC Topic 715 requires additional disclosures about investment policies and strategies, categories of plan assets, fair value measurements of plan assets and significant concentrations of risk.

Stock-Based Cmpensation

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company has adopted the fair value recognition provisions of ASC Topic 718 Stock Compensation Share Based Payments, which requires that companies measure and recognize compensation expense at an amount equal to the fair value of share-based payments granted under compensation arrangements. The Company provides compensation benefits by issuing restricted stock and stock options. The Company recorded $0.9 million, $1.0 million and $0.3 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, as stock based compensation.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications

Certain items in the 2011 and 2010 segment footnote (see Note 9) have been reclassified in order to conform with the 2012 presentation.