Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
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 (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, 2020. 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 (loss) 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, 2021, we evaluated subsequent events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date that we filed this Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The preparation of our interim financial statements in conformity with 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 allowance for doubtful accounts, asset impairments, indefinite-lived intangibles, depreciation and amortization, income taxes, and pension and other postretirement benefits, among others. We operate in one reportable segment. Frontier provides both regulated and unregulated voice, data and video services to consumer, commercial and wholesale customers and is typically the incumbent voice services provider in its service areas. Chapter 11 Cases - On April 14, 2020 (the Petition Date), Frontier Communications Corporation (as it may be reorganized pursuant to the Plan, Reorganized Frontier) and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Company Parties or the Debtors and, as they may be reorganized pursuant to the Plan (as defined herein), the Reorganized Company Parties or the Reorganized Debtors) commenced cases under chapter 11 (the Chapter 11 Cases) of title 11 of the United States Code (the Bankruptcy Code) in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the Bankruptcy Court). On August 21, 2020, the Company Parties filed the Fifth Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Frontier Communications Corporation and Its Debtor Affiliates Pursuant to Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (the Plan) with the Bankruptcy Court. On August 27, 2020, the Bankruptcy Court entered the Order Confirming the Fifth Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Frontier Communications Corporation and its Debtor Affiliates Pursuant to Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (the Confirmation Order), which approved and confirmed the Plan. The effective date of the Plan will occur after all conditions precedent to the Plan have been satisfied (the Effective Date), which is expected to occur on April 30, 2021, at which time we expect to emerge from the Chapter 11 Cases. See Note 3 for more information.
Going Concern	b) Going Concern: The Company previously disclosed, based on its financial condition and its projected operating results, the defaults under its debt agreements, and the risks and uncertainties surrounding its Chapter 11 proceedings (see Note 3), that there was substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern as of the issuance of the Company’s 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on the current status of the Chapter 11 Cases, including that the necessary regulatory approvals have been received, the Company is emerging from the Chapter 11 Cases on or about April 30, 2021 and, in so doing, eliminating approximately $11 billion in debt through the restructuring process, improving the Company’s capital structure and stabilizing its liquidity position. As such, as of the filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern has been alleviated by the emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases. See Note 3 for more information. Our consolidated interim unaudited financial statements do not include any adjustments related to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern. The filing of the Chapter 11 Cases constituted an event of default that accelerated substantially all of our then-outstanding obligations under the Company’s amended and restated credit agreement, dated as of February 27, 2017 (as amended, the JPM Credit Agreement), the Company’s 8.000% first lien secured notes due April 1, 2027 (the Original First Lien Notes), the Company’s 8.500% second lien secured notes due April 1, 2026 (the Original Second Lien Notes), our unsecured notes and debentures and the secured and unsecured debentures of our subsidiaries. As of March 31, 2021, amounts that were outstanding under the JPM Credit Agreement, our Original First Lien Notes, and our Original Second Lien Notes have been repaid in full. We have reclassified our unsecured notes and debentures and the secured and unsecured debentures of our subsidiaries to “Long term debt due within one year” or “Liabilities Subject to Compromise”, based on the event of default or reinstatement provisions of each security in the Restructuring Support Agreement (as defined herein), on our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021. For additional discussion related to our debt obligations, and details of our refinancing of our secured debt, refer to Note 10.
Impact Of Covid-19	c) Impact of COVID-19: On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the highly contagious and lethal corona virus outbreak a global pandemic (COVID-19) and recommended containment and other mitigation measures worldwide to lessen the transmission of COVID-19. In an effort to reduce the economic impacts of COVID-19, the United States federal government has responded with multiple stimulus bills. Given the evolving nature of the pandemic and the response of multiple levels of government as well as the uncertainty of funding available for services provided, the full impact of the pandemic and response(s) to it on the Company are unknown at this time. In addition, some of the states we operate in (including California and New York) have issued executive orders as a result of COVID-19 that further impact our business, including prohibiting the disconnection of services for customers for the length of the state of emergency. State and federal governments may continue to ask companies to aid in pandemic response. While certain customers have taken advantage of our COVID-19 related relief programs, as of March 31, 2021, very few had past due balances beyond the point of normal disconnection. Frontier’s response to COVID-19 has included several operational safety precautions such as continuing to require personal protective equipment on any employees entering a customer location. The percentage of Frontier’s employees who have reported testing positive for COVID-19 is small and continues to track below the percentage of reported cases both nationally and in those states in which Frontier has a significant number of employees. Through March 31, 2021, we had not experienced any significant disruptions in our supply chain; however, some of our business partners, particularly those vendors operating outside of the United States, have been more greatly impacted which has affected our service levels and distribution of work. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, certain states are currently considering legislation or other regulations to adopt additional protections for workers impacted by COVID-19. To date, we have not experienced significant disruptions in our workforce due to COVID-19 related absences or legislative or regulatory changes. While overall the operational and financial impacts to Frontier of the COVID-19 pandemic for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were not significant, we continue to closely monitor the ongoing impact to our employees, our customers, our business and our results of operations. We have experienced a slowdown in service activations, this negative impact is offset by lower churn within our consumer and Small and Medium Business customers. We also continue to closely track our customers’ payment activity as well as external factors, including the expiration of federal wage subsidies for individuals and small businesses which could materially impact payment trends. With more people working from home, we have experienced higher demands on our network and higher sales activity for our residential broadband service offering. This sustained increase in network demand could lead to reduced network availability and potential outages, which may impair our ability to meet customer service level commitments, lead to higher costs, higher customer churn and potential increased regulatory actions. These potential changes, among others, could have a material financial impact to Frontier.
Debtor-In-Possession	d) Debtor-in-Possession: In general, as debtors-in-possession under the Bankruptcy Code, we are authorized to continue to operate as an ongoing business but may not engage in transactions outside the ordinary course of business without the prior approval of the Bankruptcy Court. Pursuant to certain motions and applications intended to limit the disruption of the bankruptcy proceedings on our operations (the First Day Motions) and other motions filed with the Bankruptcy Court, the Bankruptcy Court has authorized us to conduct our business activities in the ordinary course, including, among other things and subject to the terms and conditions of such orders, authorizing us to obtain DIP financing, pay employee wages and benefits, settle certain de minimis disputes and pay vendors and suppliers in the ordinary course for all goods and services.
Revenue Recognition	e) Revenue Recognition: Revenue for data & Internet services, voice services, video services and switched and non-switched access services is recognized as the service is provided. Services that are billed in advance include monthly recurring network access services (including data services), special access services, and monthly recurring voice, video, and related charges. The unearned portion of these fees is initially deferred as a component of “Advanced billings” on our consolidated balance sheet and recognized as revenue over the period that the services are provided. Services that are billed in arrears include non-recurring network access services (including data services), switched access services, and non-recurring voice and video services. The earned but unbilled portion of these fees is recognized as revenue in our consolidated statements of operations and accrued in “Accounts receivable” on our consolidated balance sheet in the period that services are provided. Excise taxes are recognized as a liability when billed. Satisfaction of Performance Obligations Frontier satisfies its obligations to customers by transferring goods and services in exchange for consideration received from the customer. The timing of Frontier’s satisfaction of the performance obligation often differs from the timing of the customer’s payment, which results in the recognition of a contract asset or a contract liability. Frontier recognizes a contract asset or liability when the Company transfers goods or services to a customer and bills an amount which differs from the revenue allocated to the related performance obligations. Bundled Service and Allocation of Discounts When customers purchase more than one service, the revenue allocable to each service is determined based upon the relative stand-alone selling price of each service received. We frequently offer service discounts as an incentive to customers. Service discounts reduce the total transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are satisfied over the term of the customer contract. We may also offer incentives which are considered cash equivalents (e.g. Visa gift cards) that similarly result in a reduction of the total transaction price as well as lower revenue over the term of the contract. A contract asset is often created during the beginning of the contract term when the term of the incentive is shorter than the contract term. These contract assets are realized over the term of the contract as our performance obligations are satisfied and customer consideration is received. Customer Incentives In the process of acquiring and/or retaining customers, we may issue a variety of other incentives aside from service discounts or cash equivalent incentives. Those incentives that have stand-alone value (e.g. gift cards not considered cash equivalents or free goods/services) are considered a separate performance obligation. As a result, while these incentives are free to the customer, a portion of the consideration received from the customer over the contract term is ascribed to them based upon their relative stand-alone selling price. The revenue, reflected in “Other” revenue, and costs, reflected in “Network access expenses”, for these incentives are recognized when they are delivered to the customer and the performance obligation is satisfied. Similar to discounts, these types of incentives generally result in the creation of a contract asset during the beginning of the contract term which is recorded in Other current assets and Other assets on our consolidated balance sheet. Upfront Fees All non-refundable upfront fees provide our customers with a material right to renew, and therefore, are deferred and amortized into revenue over the expected period for which related services are provided. With upfront fees assessed at the beginning of a contract, a contract liability is often created, which is reduced over the term of the contract as the performance obligations are satisfied. The contract liabilities are recorded in Other current liabilities and Other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet. Contributions in Aid of Construction (CIAC) It is customary for us to charge customers for certain construction activities. These activities are requested by the customer and construction charges are assessed at the beginning of a contract. When charges are incurred, a contract liability is often created, which is reduced over the term of the contract as performance obligations are satisfied. The contract liabilities are recorded in Other current liabilities and Other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet. Contract Acquisition Costs Certain costs to acquire customers are deferred and amortized over the expected customer life (average of 4.0 years). For Frontier, this includes certain commissions paid to acquire new customers. Commissions attributable to new customer contracts are deferred and amortized into expense. Unamortized deferred commissions are recorded in Contract acquisition costs and Other assets on our consolidated balance sheet. Taxes, Surcharges and Subsidies Frontier collects various taxes from its customers and remits the funds 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), which amounted to $55 million and $49 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and video franchise fees, which amounted to $6 million and $9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, that we have recorded on a gross basis in our consolidated statements of operations and included within “Revenue” and “Network related expenses”. In June 2015, Frontier accepted the 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. We are recognizing FCC’s CAF Phase II subsidies into revenue on a straight-line basis over the seven year funding term.
Cash Equivalents	f)Cash Equivalents: We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Restricted cash of $58 million is included in “Other assets” on our consolidated balance sheet as of both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. These amounts represent Letters of Credit Obligations and a utility adequate assurance account that is required under bankruptcy rules.
Definite And Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets	g)Definite and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets: Intangible assets arising from business combinations, such as customer lists, tradenames, and royalty agreements, are initially recorded at estimated fair value. Frontier amortizes its acquired customer lists and certain other finite-lived intangible assets over their estimated useful lives on the accelerated method of sum of the years digits and its royalty agreement over its estimated useful life on the straight-line method. We review such intangible assets at least annually as of December 31^st to assess whether any potential impairment exists and whether factors exist that would necessitate a change in useful life and a different amortization period.
Lease Accounting	h)Lease Accounting: We determine if an arrangement contains a lease at inception. Right-of-use (ROU) assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating and Finance lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The operating and finance lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Our lease terms used in accounting for leases may reflect options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. ROU assets for operating leases are recorded to “Other Assets”, and the related liabilities recorded to “Other current liabilities”, and “Other liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets. Assets subject to finance leases are included in “Property, Plant & Equipment”, with corresponding liabilities recorded to “Other current liabilities”, and “Other liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets.

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

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 (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, 2020. 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 (loss) 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, 2021, we evaluated subsequent events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date that we filed this Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The preparation of our interim financial statements in conformity with 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 allowance for doubtful accounts, asset impairments, indefinite-lived intangibles, depreciation and amortization, income taxes, and pension and other postretirement benefits, among others.

We operate in one reportable segment. Frontier provides both regulated and unregulated voice, data and video services to consumer, commercial and wholesale customers and is typically the incumbent voice services provider in its service areas.

Chapter 11 Cases - On April 14, 2020 (the Petition Date), Frontier Communications Corporation (as it may be reorganized pursuant to the Plan, Reorganized Frontier) and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Company Parties or the Debtors and, as they may be reorganized pursuant to the Plan (as defined herein), the Reorganized Company Parties or the Reorganized Debtors) commenced cases under chapter 11 (the Chapter 11 Cases) of title 11 of the United States Code (the Bankruptcy Code) in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the Bankruptcy Court). On August 21, 2020, the Company Parties filed the Fifth Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Frontier Communications Corporation and Its Debtor Affiliates Pursuant to Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (the Plan) with the Bankruptcy Court. On August 27, 2020, the Bankruptcy Court entered the Order Confirming the Fifth Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Frontier Communications Corporation and its Debtor Affiliates Pursuant to Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (the Confirmation Order), which approved and confirmed the Plan. The effective date of the Plan will occur after all conditions precedent to the Plan have been satisfied (the Effective Date), which is expected to occur on April 30, 2021, at which time we expect to emerge from the Chapter 11 Cases. See Note 3 for more information.

Going Concern

b) Going Concern:

The Company previously disclosed, based on its financial condition and its projected operating results, the defaults under its debt agreements, and the risks and uncertainties surrounding its Chapter 11 proceedings (see Note 3), that there was substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern as of the issuance of the Company’s 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Based on the current status of the Chapter 11 Cases, including that the necessary regulatory approvals have been received, the Company is emerging from the Chapter 11 Cases on or about April 30, 2021 and, in so doing, eliminating approximately $11 billion in debt through the restructuring process, improving the Company’s capital structure and stabilizing its liquidity position. As such, as of the filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern has been alleviated by the emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases. See Note 3 for more information.

Our consolidated interim unaudited financial statements do not include any adjustments related to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern.

The filing of the Chapter 11 Cases constituted an event of default that accelerated substantially all of our then-outstanding obligations under the Company’s amended and restated credit agreement, dated as of February 27, 2017 (as amended, the JPM Credit Agreement), the Company’s 8.000% first lien secured notes due April 1, 2027 (the Original First Lien Notes), the Company’s 8.500% second lien secured notes due April 1, 2026 (the Original Second Lien Notes), our unsecured notes and debentures and the secured and unsecured debentures of our subsidiaries. As of March 31, 2021, amounts that were outstanding under the JPM Credit Agreement, our Original First Lien Notes, and our Original Second Lien Notes have been repaid in full. We have reclassified our unsecured notes and debentures and the secured and unsecured debentures of our subsidiaries to “Long term debt due within one year” or “Liabilities Subject to Compromise”, based on the event of default or reinstatement provisions of each security in the Restructuring Support Agreement (as defined herein), on our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021. For additional discussion related to our debt obligations, and details of our refinancing of our secured debt, refer to Note 10.

Impact Of Covid-19

c) Impact of COVID-19:

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the highly contagious and lethal corona virus outbreak a global pandemic (COVID-19) and recommended containment and other mitigation measures worldwide to lessen the transmission of COVID-19. In an effort to reduce the economic impacts of COVID-19, the United States federal government has responded with multiple stimulus bills. Given the evolving nature of the pandemic and the response of multiple levels of government as well as the uncertainty of funding available for services provided, the full impact of the pandemic and response(s) to it on the Company are unknown at this time.

In addition, some of the states we operate in (including California and New York) have issued executive orders as a result of COVID-19 that further impact our business, including prohibiting the disconnection of services for customers for the length of the state of emergency. State and federal governments may continue to ask companies to aid in pandemic response. While certain customers have taken advantage of our COVID-19 related relief programs, as of March 31, 2021, very few had past due balances beyond the point of normal disconnection.

Frontier’s response to COVID-19 has included several operational safety precautions such as continuing to require personal protective equipment on any employees entering a customer location. The percentage of Frontier’s employees who have reported testing positive for COVID-19 is small and continues to track below the percentage of reported cases both nationally and in those states in which Frontier has a significant number of employees. Through March 31, 2021, we had not experienced any significant disruptions in our supply chain; however, some of our business partners, particularly those vendors operating outside of the United States, have been more greatly impacted which has affected our service levels and distribution of work.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, certain states are currently considering legislation or other regulations to adopt additional protections for workers impacted by COVID-19. To date, we have not experienced significant disruptions in our workforce due to COVID-19 related absences or legislative or regulatory changes.

While overall the operational and financial impacts to Frontier of the COVID-19 pandemic for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were not significant, we continue to closely monitor the ongoing impact to our employees, our customers, our business and our results of operations. We have experienced a slowdown in service activations, this negative impact is offset by lower churn within our consumer and Small and Medium Business customers. We also continue to closely track our customers’ payment activity as well as external factors, including the expiration of federal wage subsidies for individuals and small businesses which could materially impact payment trends. With more people working from home, we have experienced higher demands on our network and higher sales activity for our residential broadband service offering. This sustained increase in network demand could lead to reduced network availability and potential outages, which may impair our ability to meet customer service level commitments, lead to higher costs, higher customer churn and potential increased regulatory actions. These potential changes, among others, could have a material financial impact to Frontier.

Debtor-In-Possession

d) Debtor-in-Possession:

In general, as debtors-in-possession under the Bankruptcy Code, we are authorized to continue to operate as an ongoing business but may not engage in transactions outside the ordinary course of business without the prior approval of the Bankruptcy Court. Pursuant to certain motions and applications intended to limit the disruption of the bankruptcy proceedings on our operations (the First Day Motions) and other motions filed with the Bankruptcy Court, the Bankruptcy Court has authorized us to conduct our business activities in the ordinary course, including, among other things and subject to the terms and conditions of such orders, authorizing us to obtain DIP financing, pay employee wages and benefits, settle certain de minimis disputes and pay vendors and suppliers in the ordinary course for all goods and services.

Revenue Recognition

e) Revenue Recognition:

Revenue for data & Internet services, voice services, video services and switched and non-switched access services is recognized as the service is provided. Services that are billed in advance include monthly recurring network access services (including data services), special access services, and monthly recurring voice, video, and related charges. The unearned portion of these fees is initially deferred as a component of “Advanced billings” on our consolidated balance sheet and recognized as revenue over the period that the services are provided. Services that are billed in arrears include non-recurring network access services (including data services), switched access services, and non-recurring voice and video services. The earned but unbilled portion of these fees is recognized as revenue in our consolidated statements of operations and accrued in “Accounts receivable” on our consolidated balance sheet in the period that services are provided. Excise taxes are recognized as a liability when billed.

Satisfaction of Performance Obligations

Frontier satisfies its obligations to customers by transferring goods and services in exchange for consideration received from the customer. The timing of Frontier’s satisfaction of the performance obligation often differs from the timing of the customer’s payment, which results in the recognition of a contract asset or a contract liability. Frontier recognizes a contract asset or liability when the Company transfers goods or services to a customer and bills an amount which differs from the revenue allocated to the related performance obligations.

Bundled Service and Allocation of Discounts

When customers purchase more than one service, the revenue allocable to each service is determined based upon the relative stand-alone selling price of each service received. We frequently offer service discounts as an incentive to customers. Service discounts reduce the total transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are satisfied over the term of the customer contract. We may also offer incentives which are considered cash equivalents (e.g. Visa gift cards) that similarly result in a reduction of the total transaction price as well as lower revenue over the term of the contract. A contract asset is often created during the beginning of the contract term when the term of the incentive is shorter than the contract term. These contract assets are realized over the term of the contract as our performance obligations are satisfied and customer consideration is received.

Customer Incentives

In the process of acquiring and/or retaining customers, we may issue a variety of other incentives aside from service discounts or cash equivalent incentives. Those incentives that have stand-alone value (e.g. gift cards not considered cash equivalents or free goods/services) are considered a separate performance obligation. As a result, while these incentives are free to the customer, a portion of the consideration received from the customer over the contract term is ascribed to them based upon their relative stand-alone selling price. The revenue, reflected in “Other” revenue, and costs, reflected in “Network access expenses”, for these incentives are recognized when they are delivered to the customer and the performance obligation is satisfied. Similar to discounts, these types of incentives generally result in the creation of a contract asset during the beginning of the contract term which is recorded in Other current assets and Other assets on our consolidated balance sheet.

Upfront Fees

All non-refundable upfront fees provide our customers with a material right to renew, and therefore, are deferred and amortized into revenue over the expected period for which related services are provided. With upfront fees assessed at the beginning of a contract, a contract liability is often created, which is reduced over the term of the contract as the performance obligations are satisfied. The contract liabilities are recorded in Other current liabilities and Other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet.

Contributions in Aid of Construction (CIAC)

It is customary for us to charge customers for certain construction activities. These activities are requested by the customer and construction charges are assessed at the beginning of a contract. When charges are incurred, a contract liability is often created, which is reduced over the term of the contract as performance obligations are satisfied. The contract liabilities are recorded in Other current liabilities and Other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet.

Contract Acquisition Costs

Certain costs to acquire customers are deferred and amortized over the expected customer life (average of 4.0 years). For Frontier, this includes certain commissions paid to acquire new customers. Commissions attributable to new customer contracts are deferred and amortized into expense. Unamortized deferred commissions are recorded in Contract acquisition costs and Other assets on our consolidated balance sheet.

Taxes, Surcharges and Subsidies

Frontier collects various taxes from its customers and remits the funds 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), which amounted to $55 million and $49 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and video franchise fees, which amounted to $6 million and $9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, that we have recorded on a gross basis in our consolidated statements of operations and included within “Revenue” and “Network related expenses”.

In June 2015, Frontier accepted the 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. We are recognizing FCC’s CAF Phase II subsidies into revenue on a straight-line basis over the seven year funding term.

Cash Equivalents

f)Cash Equivalents:

We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Restricted cash of $58 million is included in “Other assets” on our consolidated balance sheet as of both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. These amounts represent Letters of Credit Obligations and a utility adequate assurance account that is required under bankruptcy rules.

Definite And Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets

g)Definite and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets:

Intangible assets arising from business combinations, such as customer lists, tradenames, and royalty agreements, are initially recorded at estimated fair value. Frontier amortizes its acquired customer lists and certain other finite-lived intangible assets over their estimated useful lives on the accelerated method of sum of the years digits and its royalty agreement over its estimated useful life on the straight-line method. We review such intangible assets at least annually as of December 31^st to assess whether any potential impairment exists and whether factors exist that would necessitate a change in useful life and a different amortization period.

Lease Accounting

h)Lease Accounting:

We determine if an arrangement contains a lease at inception. Right-of-use (ROU) assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating and Finance lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The operating and finance lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Our lease terms used in accounting for leases may reflect options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. ROU assets for operating leases are recorded to “Other Assets”, and the related liabilities recorded to “Other current liabilities”, and “Other liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets. Assets subject to finance leases are included in “Property, Plant &

Equipment”, with corresponding liabilities recorded to “Other current liabilities”, and “Other liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets.