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Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Notes)
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business

Level 3 Communications, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company" or "Level 3") is an international facilities-based provider (that is, a provider that owns or leases a substantial portion of the plant, property and equipment necessary to provide its services) of a broad range of integrated communications services. The Company created its communications network by constructing its own assets and through a combination of purchasing other companies and purchasing or leasing facilities from others. The Company designed its network to provide communications services that employ and take advantage of rapidly improving underlying optical, Internet Protocol, computing and storage technologies.

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Level 3 Communications, Inc. and subsidiaries in which it has a controlling interest. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP").

As part of its consolidation policy, the Company considers its controlled subsidiaries, investments in businesses in which the Company is not the primary beneficiary or does not have effective control but has the ability to significantly influence operating and financial policies, and variable interests resulting from economic arrangements that give the Company rights to economic risks or rewards of a legal entity. The Company does not have variable interests in a variable interest entity.

The accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2013, which was derived from audited consolidated financial statements, and the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2014 and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and do not include all of the information and note disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. In the opinion of the Company’s management, these financial statements contain all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows at the dates and for the interim periods presented herein. The results of operations for an interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations expected for a full fiscal year.

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions and such differences could be material.

Property, Plant and Equipment

In connection with its periodic review of the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment, the Company determined that the period it expects to use certain assets is longer than the remaining originally estimated useful lives. The Company completed its evaluation in the first quarter 2014 and revised its estimated useful lives for: IP equipment from its historical estimate of four years to a revised estimate of seven years; racks and cabinets from its historical estimate of seven years to a revised estimate of 15 years; and facility equipment from its historical estimate of 10 years to its revised estimate of 15 years. In determining the change in estimated useful lives, the Company, with input from its engineering team, considered its historical usage patterns and retirements, estimates of technological obsolescence and expected usage and maintenance. The change in the estimated useful lives of certain of the Company’s property, plant and equipment was accounted for as a change in accounting estimate on a prospective basis effective January 1, 2014 under the accounting standard related to changes in accounting estimates. The change in estimated useful lives of certain of the Company’s property, plant and equipment resulted in less depreciation expense than would have otherwise been recorded and in the following increase in net income for the six months ended June 30, 2014 (in millions, except per share amounts):

Net Income
$
51

Basic Net Income per Share
$
0.22

Diluted Net Income per Share
$
0.21

 
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which amends the definition of a discontinued operation and requires entities to provide additional disclosures about disposal transactions that do not meet the discontinued operations criteria. Under the new guidance, a discontinued operation is defined as a component or group of components that is disposed of or is classified as held for sale and represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results. The revised guidance will affect the way entities identify and disclose information about disposal transactions and is effective prospectively for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within those years. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. This ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those years. Early application is not permitted. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU 2014-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures and has not yet selected a transition method nor has it determined the effect of the standard on its ongoing financial reporting.