Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates

(a)   Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates:

Frontier Communications Corporation and its subsidiaries are referred to as "we," "us," "our," "Frontier," or the "Company" in this report. Our interim unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.  All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These interim unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary, in the opinion of Frontier's management, to present fairly the results for the interim periods shown.  Revenues, net income and cash flows for any interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the full year. For our interim financial statements as of and for the period ended March 31, 2013, we evaluated subsequent events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date that we filed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Frontier has a 33⅓% controlling general partner interest in a partnership entity, the Mohave Cellular Limited Partnership (Mohave).  Mohave's results of operations and balance sheet are included in our consolidated financial statements.  The minority interest of the limited partners is reflected in the consolidated balance sheet as "Noncontrolling interest in a partnership" and in the consolidated statements of operations as "Income attributable to the noncontrolling interest in a partnership."  See Note 18 – Subsequent Events for additional discussion regarding sale of Mohave.

The preparation of our interim financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, (ii) the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and (iii) the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results may differ from those estimates.  Estimates and judgments are used when accounting for revenue recognition (allowance for doubtful accounts), impairment of long-lived assets, intangible assets, depreciation and amortization, income taxes, purchase price allocations, contingencies, and pension and other postretirement benefits, among others. Certain information and footnote disclosures have been excluded and/or condensed pursuant to SEC rules and regulations.

Revenue Recognition

(b)   Revenue Recognition:

Revenue is recognized when services are provided or when products are delivered to customers.  Revenue that is billed in advance includes: monthly recurring network access services, special access services and monthly recurring local voice, features, long distance and inside wire charges.  The unearned portion of these fees is initially deferred as a component of other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet and recognized as revenue over the period that the services are provided.  Revenue that is billed in arrears includes: non-recurring network access services, switched access services, non-recurring local services and long-distance services.  The earned but unbilled portion of these fees is recognized as revenue in our consolidated statements of operations and accrued in accounts receivable in the period that the services are provided.  Excise taxes are recognized as a liability when billed.  Installation fees and their related direct and incremental costs are initially deferred and recognized as revenue and expense over the average term of a customer relationship.  We recognize as current period expense the portion of installation costs that exceeds installation fee revenue.

As required by law, the Company collects various taxes from its customers and subsequently remits these taxes to governmental authorities. Substantially all of these taxes are recorded through the consolidated balance sheet and presented on a net basis in our consolidated statements of operations.  We also collect Universal Service Fund (USF) surcharges from customers (primarily federal USF) that we have recorded on a gross basis in our consolidated statements of operations and included within "Revenue" and "Other operating expenses" of $29.8 million and $29.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Goodwill and Other Intangibles

(c)   Goodwill and Other Intangibles:

Intangibles represent the excess of purchase price over the fair value of identifiable tangible net assets acquired. We undertake studies to determine the fair values of assets and liabilities acquired and allocate purchase prices to assets and liabilities, including property, plant and equipment, goodwill and other identifiable intangibles.  We annually (during the fourth quarter) or more frequently, if appropriate, examine the carrying value of our goodwill and trade name to determine whether there are any impairment losses.  We test for goodwill impairment at the "operating segment" level, as that term is defined in U.S. GAAP.   During the first quarter of 2013, the Company reorganized into four regional operating segments. Our operating segments consist of the following regions: Central, East, National and West.  Our regional operating segments are aggregated into one reportable segment.  In conjunction with the reorganization of our operating segments effective with the first quarter of 2013, we reassigned goodwill to our reporting units using a relative fair value allocation approach.

The Company amortizes finite lived intangible assets over their estimated useful lives and reviews such intangible assets at least annually to assess whether any potential impairment exists and whether factors exist that would necessitate a change in useful life and a different amortization period.