Commitments And Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]
Commitments And Contingencies	(14) Commitments and Contingencies: Although from time to time we make short-term purchasing commitments to vendors with respect to capital expenditures, we generally do not enter into firm, written contracts for such activities. In June 2015, Frontier accepted the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) offer of support to price cap carriers under the Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II program, which is intended to provide long-term support for broadband in high cost unserved or underserved areas. This provides $332 million in annual support, including $49 million in annual support related to the properties acquired in the Verizon Transaction, from 2015 through 2020 to make available 10 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream broadband service to approximately 774,000 households across the 29 states where we operate after closing the Verizon Transaction. To the extent we do not enable the required number of households with 10 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream broadband service by the end of the CAF Phase II term, we will be required to return a portion of the funds previously received. On April 28, 2016, the FCC completed its inquiry into whether certain terms and conditions contained in specifically identified special access tariff pricing plans offered by four carriers, including Frontier, are just and reasonable. The FCC held that certain of the tariff terms for business data TDM services, specifically DS1s and DS3s, were unreasonable. Specifically, the FCC struck down “excessive” early termination fees and “all-or-nothing” provisions. The FCC’s decision has no retroactive effect. The tariffs under review must be revised prospectively; however, the FCC did not address how its ruling will affect customers currently purchasing services from these tariffs. The FCC deferred this issue to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and in that Notice sought comment on proposed changes to the way the FCC regulates traditional special access services and on a proposal to adopt pricing rules for Ethernet services in markets that are found to be “noncompetitive.” During the first quarter of 2016, we increased our outstanding performance letters of credit from $50 million at December 31, 2015 to $125 million as of March 31, 2016. We are party to various legal proceedings (including individual, class and putative class actions) arising in the normal course of our business covering a wide range of matters and types of claims including, but not limited to, general contracts, billing disputes, rights of access, taxes and surcharges, consumer protection, trademark and patent infringement, employment, regulatory, tort, claims of competitors and disputes with other carriers. We accrue an expense for pending litigation when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Legal defense costs are expensed as incurred. None of our existing accruals for pending matters, after considering insurance coverage, is material. We monitor our pending litigation for the purpose of adjusting our accruals and revising our disclosures accordingly, when required. Litigation is, however, subject to uncertainty, and the outcome of any particular matter is not predictable. We will vigorously defend our interests in pending litigation, and as of this date, we believe that the ultimate resolution of all such matters, after considering insurance coverage or other indemnities to which we are entitled, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or our cash flows.

(14) Commitments and Contingencies:

Although from time to time we make short-term purchasing commitments to vendors with respect to capital expenditures, we generally do not enter into firm, written contracts for such activities.

In June 2015, Frontier accepted the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) offer of support to price cap carriers under the Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II program, which is intended to provide long-term support for broadband in high cost unserved or underserved areas. This provides $332 million in annual support, including $49 million in annual support related to the properties acquired in the Verizon Transaction, from 2015 through 2020 to make available 10 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream broadband service to approximately 774,000 households across the 29 states where we operate after closing the Verizon Transaction. To the extent we do not enable the required number of households with 10 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream broadband service by the end of the CAF Phase II term, we will be required to return a portion of the funds previously received.

On April 28, 2016, the FCC completed its inquiry into whether certain terms and conditions contained in specifically identified special access tariff pricing plans offered by four carriers, including Frontier, are just and reasonable. The FCC held that certain of the tariff terms for business data TDM services, specifically DS1s and DS3s, were unreasonable. Specifically, the FCC struck down “excessive” early termination fees and “all-or-nothing” provisions. The FCC’s decision has no retroactive effect. The tariffs under review must be revised prospectively; however, the FCC did not address how its ruling will affect customers currently purchasing services from these tariffs. The FCC deferred this issue to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and in that Notice sought comment on proposed changes to the way the FCC regulates traditional special access services and on a proposal to adopt pricing rules for Ethernet services in markets that are found to be “noncompetitive.”

During the first quarter of 2016, we increased our outstanding performance letters of credit from $50 million at December 31, 2015 to $125 million as of March 31, 2016.

We are party to various legal proceedings (including individual, class and putative class actions) arising in the normal course of our business covering a wide range of matters and types of claims including, but not limited to, general contracts, billing disputes, rights of access, taxes and surcharges, consumer protection, trademark and patent infringement, employment, regulatory, tort, claims of competitors and disputes with other carriers.

We accrue an expense for pending litigation when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Legal defense costs are expensed as incurred. None of our existing accruals for pending matters, after considering insurance coverage, is material. We monitor our pending litigation for the purpose of adjusting our accruals and revising our disclosures accordingly, when required. Litigation is, however, subject to uncertainty, and the outcome of any particular matter is not predictable. We will vigorously defend our interests in pending litigation, and as of this date, we believe that the ultimate resolution of all such matters, after considering insurance coverage or other indemnities to which we are entitled, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or our cash flows.