Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Liabilities, Recurring (Details) - Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Total Carrying Value in Consolidated Balance Sheet
Long-term Debt, including the current portion:
Term Loans	$ 4,567	$ 4,566
Senior Notes	6,138	6,135
Capital Leases and Other	183	183
Total Long-term Debt, including the current portion:	10,888	10,884
Unadjusted Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets or Liabilities (Level 1)
Long-term Debt, including the current portion:
Term Loans	4,616	4,671
Senior Notes	6,367	6,283
Capital Leases and Other	0	0
Total Long-term Debt, including the current portion:	10,983	10,954
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Long-term Debt, including the current portion:
Term Loans	0	0
Senior Notes	0	0
Capital Leases and Other	183	183
Total Long-term Debt, including the current portion:	$ 183	$ 183

Represents the portion of the balance sheet assertion valued at fair value by the entity whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. Fair value of sum total of minimum lease payments, during the lease term net of payments or other amounts applied to the principal and aggregate of other miscellaneous borrowings owed by the reporting entity at the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	lvlt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant