Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance	$ 8,326,915,000
Payments	(78,990,000)
Borrowings	0
Long-term debt, ending balance	8,247,925,000
Interest Rate (in hundredths)	8.00%	[1]
Less: Debt Discount	(53,081,000)		(63,299,000)
Less: Current Portion	(43,763,000)		(280,002,000)
Long-term debt, net	8,151,081,000		7,983,614,000
Principal Outstanding	8,247,925,000
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Principal Payments 2011 (remaining three months)	253,000
Principal Payments 2012	94,016,000
Principal Payments 2013	638,767,000
Principal Payments 2014	658,017,000
Principal Payments 2015	858,049,000
Principal Payments 2016	345,466,000
Date that the Bank exercised its option to extend the commitments	Sep. 20, 2012
Rural Utilities Service [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance	11,214,000
Payments	(763,000)
Borrowings	0
Long-term debt, ending balance	10,451,000
Interest Rate (in hundredths)	6.15%	[1]
Principal Outstanding	10,451,000
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance	8,302,151,000
Payments	(78,227,000)
Borrowings	0
Long-term debt, ending balance	8,223,924,000
Interest Rate (in hundredths)	8.00%	[1]
Principal Outstanding	8,223,924,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	8.00%		8.04%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			7,807,284,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	7,729,057,000		7,807,284,000
Principal Outstanding	7,729,057,000		7,807,284,000
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 5/15/2011 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			76,089,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	0		76,089,000
Principal Outstanding	0		76,089,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	0.00%		9.25%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 10/24/2011 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			200,000,000	[2]
Long-term debt, ending balance	200,000,000	[2]	200,000,000	[2]
Principal Outstanding	200,000,000	[2]	200,000,000	[2]
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	6.27%	[2]	6.27%	[2]
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 12/31/2012 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			144,000,000	[2]
Long-term debt, ending balance	142,875,000	[2],[3]	144,000,000	[2]
Principal Outstanding	142,875,000	[2],[3]	144,000,000	[2]
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	1.625%	[2],[3]	1.688%	[2],[3]
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 1/15/2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			580,724,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	580,724,000		580,724,000
Principal Outstanding	580,724,000		580,724,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	6.25%		6.25%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 12/31/2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			131,288,000	[2]
Long-term debt, ending balance	130,275,000	[2],[3]	131,288,000	[2]
Principal Outstanding	130,275,000	[2],[3]	131,288,000	[2]
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	2.00%	[2],[3]	2.063%	[2],[3]
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 5/1/2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			600,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	600,000,000		600,000,000
Principal Outstanding	600,000,000		600,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	8.25%		8.25%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 3/15/2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			300,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	300,000,000		300,000,000
Principal Outstanding	300,000,000		300,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	6.625%		6.625%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 4/15/2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			500,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	500,000,000		500,000,000
Principal Outstanding	500,000,000		500,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	7.875%		7.875%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 4/15/2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			1,100,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	1,100,000,000		1,100,000,000
Principal Outstanding	1,100,000,000		1,100,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	8.25%		8.25%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 10/1/2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			600,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	600,000,000		600,000,000
Principal Outstanding	600,000,000		600,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	8.125%		8.125%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 3/15/2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			434,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	434,000,000		434,000,000
Principal Outstanding	434,000,000		434,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	7.125%		7.125%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 4/15/2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			1,100,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	1,100,000,000		1,100,000,000
Principal Outstanding	1,100,000,000		1,100,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	8.50%		8.50%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 4/15/2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			500,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	500,000,000		500,000,000
Principal Outstanding	500,000,000		500,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	8.75%		8.75%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 1/15/2027 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			345,858,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	345,858,000		345,858,000
Principal Outstanding	345,858,000		345,858,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	7.875%		7.875%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 2/15/2028 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			200,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	200,000,000		200,000,000
Principal Outstanding	200,000,000		200,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	6.73%		6.73%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 10/15/2029 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			50,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	50,000,000		50,000,000
Principal Outstanding	50,000,000		50,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	8.40%		8.40%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Note [Member] | Senior Note Due 8/15/2031 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			945,325,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	945,325,000		945,325,000
Principal Outstanding	945,325,000		945,325,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	9.00%		9.00%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Debentures [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			458,867,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	458,867,000		458,867,000
Principal Outstanding	458,867,000		458,867,000
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Debentures [Member] | Debenture Due 11/1/2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			138,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	138,000,000		138,000,000
Principal Outstanding	138,000,000		138,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	7.00%		7.00%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Debentures [Member] | Debenture Due 8/15/2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			1,739,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	1,739,000		1,739,000
Principal Outstanding	1,739,000		1,739,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	6.80%		6.80%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Debentures [Member] | Debenture Due 10/1/2034 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			628,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	628,000		628,000
Principal Outstanding	628,000		628,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	7.68%		7.68%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Debentures [Member] | Debenture Due 7/1/2035 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			125,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	125,000,000		125,000,000
Principal Outstanding	125,000,000		125,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	7.45%		7.45%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Debentures [Member] | Debenture Due 10/1/2046 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			193,500,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	193,500,000		193,500,000
Principal Outstanding	193,500,000		193,500,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	7.05%		7.05%
Senior Unsecured Debt [Member] | Subsidiary Senior Notes Due 12/1/2012 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance			36,000,000
Long-term debt, ending balance	36,000,000		36,000,000
Principal Outstanding	36,000,000		36,000,000
Interest Rate, Stated Percentage (in hundredths)	8.05%		8.05%
Industrial Development Revenue Bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, beginning balance	13,550,000
Payments	0
Borrowings	0
Long-term debt, ending balance	13,550,000
Interest Rate (in hundredths)	6.33%	[1]
Principal Outstanding	13,550,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Amount of credit facility outstanding	750,000,000
Line of credit initiation date	2010-03-23
Interest rate per annum	0.625%
Line of credit facility expiration date	2014-01-01
Unsecured Letter of Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Amount of credit facility outstanding	100,000,000
Line of credit initiation date	2010-09-08
Line of credit facility expiration date	2011-09-20
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity	190,000,000
Exercised extension of commitment	100,000,000
Line of Credit with CoBank [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Amount of credit facility outstanding	575,000,000
Line of credit initiation date	2011-10-14
Line of credit facility expiration date	2016-10-14
Amount of quarterly repayment of the outstanding principal balance	14,375,000
First payment date of the quarterly repayment of the outstanding principal balance	2012-03-31
Number of debt facilities repaid	3
Interest rate descripton	(Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest based on the margins over the Base Rate as defined in the Credit Agreement or LIBOR, at the election of the Company. Interest rate margins under the facility ranging from 0.875 to 2.875 for Base Rate borrowings and 1.875 to 3.875 for LIBOR borrowings are subject to adjustments based on the Total Leverage Ratio of the Company, as such term is defined in the Credit Agreement. The initial pricing on this facility is LIBOR plus 2.875, which will vary depending on the leverage ratio, as described above. The maximum permitted leverage ratio is 4.5 times.)
Repayment of CoBank term loan maturing December 31, 2013	130,000,000
Line of Credit with CoBank [Member] | CoBank [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Amount of proceeds were used to repay in full the remaining outstanding principal of Rural Telephone Financing Cooperative and the CoBank term loan maturing October 24, 2011 and December 31, 2012, respectively	200,000,000
Line of Credit with CoBank [Member] | Rural Telephone Financinig Cooperative [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Amount of proceeds were used to repay in full the remaining outstanding principal of Rural Telephone Financing Cooperative and the CoBank term loan maturing October 24, 2011 and December 31, 2012, respectively	$ 143,000,000

[1] Interest rate includes amortization of debt issuance costs, debt premiums or discounts, and deferred gain on interest rate swap terminations. The interest rates at September 30, 2011 represent a weighted average of multiple issuances.

[2] These debt facilities were repaid in October 2011 as part of a fourth quarter debt refinancing, as discussed below.

[3] (Variable)