The Transaction (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
The Transaction [Abstract]
Number of access lines acquired from Verizon	4,000,000		4,000,000
Acquisition and integration related costs	$ 4,458	$ 67,412	$ 68,204	$ 100,899

Acquisition-related costs and integration costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Acquisition costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees. Integration costs could include business integration costs, systems integration and conversion costs, and severance and other employee-related costs.

No definition available.

Name:	ftr_AcquisitionAndIntegrationRelatedCosts
Namespace Prefix:	ftr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration