LUMEN TECHNOLOGIES, INC., 10-Q filed on 11/5/2024
Quarterly Report
v3.24.3
Cover Page - shares
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Oct. 31, 2024
Document Information [Line Items]    
Document Type 10-Q  
Document Quarterly Report true  
Document Period End Date Sep. 30, 2024  
Document Transition Report false  
Entity File Number 001-7784  
Entity Registrant Name LUMEN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.  
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code LA  
Entity Tax Identification Number 72-0651161  
Entity Address, Address Line One 100 CenturyLink Drive,  
Entity Address, City or Town Monroe,  
Entity Address, State or Province LA  
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 71203  
City Area Code 318  
Local Phone Number 388-9000  
Entity Current Reporting Status Yes  
Entity Interactive Data Current Yes  
Entity Filer Category Large Accelerated Filer  
Entity Small Business false  
Entity Emerging Growth Company false  
Entity Shell Company false  
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding   1,014,812,246
Entity Central Index Key 0000018926  
Amendment Flag false  
Current Fiscal Year End Date --12-31  
Document Fiscal Year Focus 2024  
Document Fiscal Period Focus Q3  
Common Stock    
Document Information [Line Items]    
Title of 12(b) Security Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share  
Trading Symbol LUMN  
Security Exchange Name NYSE  
Preferred Stock    
Document Information [Line Items]    
Title of 12(b) Security Preferred Stock Purchase Rights  
Security Exchange Name NYSE  
Preferred Stock - No Trading Symbol true  
v3.24.3
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED) - USD ($)
shares in Thousands
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Income Statement [Abstract]        
OPERATING REVENUE $ 3,221,000,000 $ 3,641,000,000 $ 9,779,000,000 $ 11,040,000,000
OPERATING EXPENSES        
Cost of services and products (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) 1,692,000,000 1,850,000,000 4,997,000,000 5,407,000,000
Selling, general and administrative 696,000,000 791,000,000 2,261,000,000 2,302,000,000
Net loss on sale of business 0 22,000,000 17,000,000 112,000,000
Depreciation and amortization 707,000,000 755,000,000 2,198,000,000 2,234,000,000
Goodwill impairment 0 0 0 8,793,000,000
Total operating expenses 3,095,000,000 3,418,000,000 9,473,000,000 18,848,000,000
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) 126,000,000 223,000,000 306,000,000 (7,808,000,000)
OTHER (EXPENSE) INCOME        
Interest expense (351,000,000) (295,000,000) (1,015,000,000) (868,000,000)
Net (loss) gain on early retirement of debt (Note 5) (1,000,000) 0 277,000,000 618,000,000
Other income (expense), net 54,000,000 (13,000,000) 321,000,000 (37,000,000)
Total other expense, net (298,000,000) (308,000,000) (417,000,000) (287,000,000)
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES (172,000,000) (85,000,000) (111,000,000) (8,095,000,000)
Income tax (benefit) expense (24,000,000) (7,000,000) 29,000,000 208,000,000
NET LOSS $ (148,000,000) $ (78,000,000) $ (140,000,000) $ (8,303,000,000)
BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER COMMON SHARE        
BASIC (in dollars per share) $ (0.15) $ (0.08) $ (0.14) $ (8.45)
DILUTED (in dollars per share) $ (0.15) $ (0.08) $ (0.14) $ (8.45)
WEIGHTED-AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING        
BASIC (in shares) 988,794 983,550 986,963 982,853
DILUTED (in shares) 988,794 983,550 986,963 982,853
v3.24.3
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (UNAUDITED) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]        
NET LOSS $ (148) $ (78) $ (140) $ (8,303)
Items related to employee benefit plans:        
Change in net actuarial loss, net of $(6), $(6), $(17) and $(16) tax 18 16 52 47
Change in net prior service cost, net of $1, $1, $3 and $3 tax (3) (3) (8) (8)
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of $—, $5, $— and $(3) tax 5 (17) 0 3
Other comprehensive income (loss) 20 (4) 44 42
COMPREHENSIVE LOSS $ (128) $ (82) $ (96) $ (8,261)
v3.24.3
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (UNAUDITED) (Parenthetical) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]        
Change in net actuarial loss, tax $ (6) $ (6) $ (17) $ (16)
Change in net prior service cost, tax 1 1 3 3
Foreign currency translation adjustment and other, tax $ 0 $ 5 $ 0 $ (3)
v3.24.3
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
CURRENT ASSETS    
Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,640 $ 2,234
Accounts receivable, less allowance of $60 and $67 1,225 1,318
Other 871 1,223
Total current assets 4,736 4,775
Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $22,525 and $21,318 20,344 19,758
GOODWILL AND OTHER ASSETS    
Goodwill 1,964 1,964
Other intangible assets, net 4,967 5,470
Other, net 1,978 2,051
Total goodwill and other assets 8,909 9,485
TOTAL ASSETS 33,989 34,018
CURRENT LIABILITIES    
Current maturities of long-term debt 415 157
Accounts payable 905 1,134
Accrued expenses and other liabilities    
Salaries and benefits 700 696
Income and other taxes 434 251
Current operating lease liabilities 263 268
Interest 236 168
Other 179 213
Current portion of deferred revenue 808 647
Total current liabilities 3,940 3,534
LONG-TERM DEBT 18,142 19,831
DEFERRED CREDITS AND OTHER LIABILITIES    
Deferred income taxes, net 3,138 3,127
Benefit plan obligations, net 2,249 2,490
Deferred revenue 3,541 1,969
Other 2,637 2,650
Total deferred credits and other liabilities 11,565 10,236
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 11)
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY    
Preferred stock—non-redeemable, $25.00 par value, authorized 2,000 and 2,000 shares, issued and outstanding 7 and 7 shares 0 0
Common stock, $1.00 par value, authorized 2,200,000 and 2,200,000 shares, issued and outstanding 1,014,850 and 1,008,486 shares 1,015 1,008
Additional paid-in capital 18,140 18,126
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (766) (810)
Accumulated deficit (18,047) (17,907)
Total stockholders' equity 342 417
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 33,989 $ 34,018
v3.24.3
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) (Parenthetical) - USD ($)
shares in Thousands, $ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]    
Accounts receivable, allowance $ 60 $ 67
Accumulated depreciation $ 22,525 $ 21,318
Preferred stock-non-redeemable, par value (in dollars per share) $ 25.00 $ 25.00
Preferred stock-non-redeemable, shares authorized (in shares) 2,000 2,000
Preferred stock-non-redeemable, shares issued (in shares) 7 7
Preferred stock-non-redeemable, shares outstanding (in shares) 7 7
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) $ 1.00 $ 1.00
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares) 2,200,000 2,200,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares) 1,014,850 1,008,486
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares) 1,014,850 1,008,486
v3.24.3
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) - USD ($)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
OPERATING ACTIVITIES    
Net loss $ (140,000,000) $ (8,303,000,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:    
Depreciation and amortization 2,198,000,000 2,234,000,000
Net loss on sale of business 17,000,000 112,000,000
Goodwill impairment 0 8,793,000,000
Deferred income taxes (6,000,000) 38,000,000
Provision for uncollectible accounts 54,000,000 77,000,000
Net gain on early retirement of debt (277,000,000) (618,000,000)
Debt modification costs and related fees (80,000,000) 0
Gain on sale of investment (205,000,000) 0
Unrealized loss on investments 10,000,000 96,000,000
Stock-based compensation 21,000,000 39,000,000
Changes in current assets and liabilities:    
Accounts receivable 39,000,000 3,000,000
Accounts payable (212,000,000) (147,000,000)
Accrued income and other taxes 440,000,000 (996,000,000)
Other current assets and liabilities, net 264,000,000 (196,000,000)
Retirement benefits (185,000,000) (9,000,000)
Change in deferred revenue 1,572,000,000 161,000,000
Changes in other noncurrent assets and liabilities, net 185,000,000 33,000,000
Other, net (50,000,000) 59,000,000
Net cash provided by operating activities 3,645,000,000 1,376,000,000
INVESTING ACTIVITIES    
Capital expenditures (2,316,000,000) (2,279,000,000)
Proceeds from sale of business 15,000,000 3,000,000
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment, and other assets 283,000,000 35,000,000
Other, net 19,000,000 9,000,000
Net cash used in investing activities (1,999,000,000) (2,232,000,000)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES    
Net proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 1,325,000,000 0
Payments of long-term debt (2,069,000,000) (145,000,000)
Net (payments) proceeds on revolving line of credit (200,000,000) 75,000,000
Dividends paid (3,000,000) (10,000,000)
Debt issuance and extinguishment costs and related fees (282,000,000) (14,000,000)
Other, net (12,000,000) (7,000,000)
Net cash used in financing activities (1,241,000,000) (101,000,000)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 405,000,000 (957,000,000)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 2,248,000,000 1,307,000,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period 2,653,000,000 350,000,000
Supplemental cash flow information:    
Income taxes refunded (paid), net 425,000,000 (1,289,000,000)
Interest paid (net of capitalized interest of $130 and $75) (877,000,000) (886,000,000)
Supplemental noncash information regarding financing activities:    
Cancellation of senior unsecured notes as part of exchange offers (Note 5) 0 (1,554,000,000)
Issuance of senior secured notes as part of exchange offers (Note 5) 0 924,000,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:    
Cash and cash equivalents 2,640,000,000 311,000,000
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash included in Assets held for sale 0 28,000,000
Restricted cash included in Other current assets 2,000,000 0
Restricted cash included in Other, net noncurrent assets 11,000,000 11,000,000
Total $ 2,653,000,000 $ 350,000,000
v3.24.3
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) (Parenthetical) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]    
Capitalized interest $ 130 $ 75
v3.24.3
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (UNAUDITED) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
Total
COMMON STOCK
ADDITIONAL PAID-IN CAPITAL
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
ACCUMULATED DEFICIT
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2022   $ 1,002 $ 18,080 $ (1,099) $ (7,609)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity          
Net issuance of common stock through incentive and benefit plans   7      
Other   (1)      
Shares withheld to satisfy tax withholdings     (5)    
Stock-based compensation     39    
Other     3    
Other comprehensive income (loss) $ 42     42  
Net loss (8,303)       (8,303)
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2023 2,156 1,008 18,117 (1,057) (15,912)
Balance at beginning of period at Jun. 30, 2023   1,008 18,100 (1,053) (15,834)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity          
Net issuance of common stock through incentive and benefit plans   1      
Other   (1)      
Shares withheld to satisfy tax withholdings     (1)    
Stock-based compensation     16    
Other     2    
Other comprehensive income (loss) (4)     (4)  
Net loss (78)       (78)
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2023 2,156 1,008 18,117 (1,057) (15,912)
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2023 417 1,008 18,126 (810) (17,907)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity          
Net issuance of common stock through incentive and benefit plans   7      
Other   0      
Shares withheld to satisfy tax withholdings     (5)    
Stock-based compensation     21    
Other     (2)    
Other comprehensive income (loss) 44     44  
Net loss (140)       (140)
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2024 342 1,015 18,140 (766) (18,047)
Balance at beginning of period at Jun. 30, 2024   1,016 18,135 (786) (17,899)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity          
Net issuance of common stock through incentive and benefit plans   (1)      
Other   0      
Shares withheld to satisfy tax withholdings     (4)    
Stock-based compensation     10    
Other     (1)    
Other comprehensive income (loss) 20     20  
Net loss (148)       (148)
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2024 $ 342 $ 1,015 $ 18,140 $ (766) $ (18,047)
v3.24.3
Background
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Background
Note 1— Background

General

We are a facilities-based technology and communications company that provides a broad array of integrated products and services to our domestic and global business customers and our domestic mass markets customers. We operate one of the world’s most interconnected networks. Our platform empowers our customers to swiftly adjust digital programs to meet immediate demands, create efficiencies, accelerate market access and reduce costs, which allows our customers to rapidly evolve their IT programs to address dynamic changes. Our specific products and services are detailed in Note 3—Revenue Recognition.

During 2022 and 2023, we divested components of our business, referenced herein as (i) the Europe, Middle East and Africa ("EMEA") business, divested November 1, 2023, (ii) the incumbent local exchange ("ILEC") business conducted in 20 Midwestern and Southeastern states, divested October 3, 2022 and (iii) the Latin American business, divested August 1, 2022. Refer to Note 2—Divestitures of the Latin American, ILEC and EMEA Businesses in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 for more information on these divestitures. As we determined that none of these divestitures represented a strategic shift for Lumen, they did not meet the criteria to be treated as discontinued operations and we continued to report our operating results for all three of the divested businesses in our consolidated operating results through their respective disposal dates.

Basis of Presentation

Our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2023, which was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, and our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements provided herein have been prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") have been condensed or omitted pursuant to rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). However, in our opinion, the disclosures made therein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. We believe these consolidated financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the results for the interim periods. The consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the first nine months of the year are not necessarily indicative of the consolidated results of operations and cash flows that might be expected for the entire year. These consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our subsidiaries in which we have a controlling interest. Intercompany amounts and transactions with our consolidated subsidiaries have been eliminated.

To simplify the overall presentation of our consolidated financial statements, we report immaterial amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests in certain of our subsidiaries as follows: (i) income attributable to noncontrolling interests in other income (expense), net, (ii) equity attributable to noncontrolling interests in additional paid-in capital and (iii) cash flows attributable to noncontrolling interests in other, net financing activities.

We reclassified certain prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation, including the recategorization of our Business revenue by product category and sales channel in our segment reporting. See Note 3—Revenue Recognition and Note 10—Segment Information for additional information. These changes had no impact on total operating revenue, total operating expenses or net loss for any period.
During 2023, we identified errors in our previously reported consolidated financial statements related to accounts receivable and accounts payable which resulted in revisions to certain line items on our December 31, 2022 consolidated balance sheet. We recorded an increase to our accumulated deficit by $63 million, reflected in our January 1, 2023 and September 30, 2023 accumulated deficit in our consolidated statements of stockholders' equity in this report. Refer to Note 1— Background and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II, Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 for more information.

Operating lease assets are included in Other, net under Goodwill and Other Assets on our consolidated balance sheets. Noncurrent operating lease liabilities are included in Other under Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.

There was an immaterial amount of book overdrafts included in Accounts payable at September 30, 2024 and none at December 31, 2023.

Change in Accounting Estimates

Effective January 1, 2024, we changed our method of depreciation and amortization for ILEC and certain competitive local exchange carriers ("CLEC") fixed assets from the group method of depreciation to straight line by individual asset method. Historically, we have used the group method of depreciation for the property, plant and equipment and amortization of certain intangible capitalized software assets of our ILECs and certain CLECs. Under the group method, all like kind assets for each subsidiary were combined into common pools and depreciated under composite depreciation rates. Recent business divestitures and asset sales have significantly reduced our composite asset base. We believe the straight-line depreciation method for individual assets is preferable to the group method as it will result in a more precise estimate of depreciation expense and will result in a consistent depreciation method for all our subsidiaries. This change in the method of depreciation is considered a change in accounting estimate inseparable from a change in accounting principle and has resulted solely in prospective changes to our depreciation and amortization expense. This change in accounting estimate had an immaterial impact to our net (loss) income and diluted (loss) earnings per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.

Additionally, during the first quarter of 2024, we updated our analysis of economic lives of owned fiber network assets. As of January 1, 2024, we extended the estimated economic life and depreciation period of such assets from 25 years to 30 years to better reflect the physical life of the assets that we have experienced and absence of technological changes that would replace fiber. The change in accounting estimate decreased depreciation expense by approximately $16 million, $12 million net of tax, and $48 million, $36 million net of tax, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, and resulted in an increase of $0.01 and $0.03, respectively, per diluted share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Refer to the significant accounting policies described in Note 1— Background and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II, Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Supplier Finance Programs

On January 1, 2023, we adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2022-04, “Liabilities-Supplier Finance Program (Subtopic 405-50): Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations” (“ASU 2022-04”). These amendments require that a company that uses a supplier finance program in connection with the purchase of goods or services disclose sufficient information about the program to allow a user of financial statements to understand the program’s nature, program activity during the period, changes from period to period and the potential magnitude of program transactions. The adoption of ASU 2022-04 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Credit Losses

On January 1, 2023, we adopted ASU 2022-02, “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDR”) and Vintage Disclosures” (“ASU 2022-02”). The ASU eliminates the TDR recognition and measurement guidance, enhances existing disclosure requirements and introduces new requirements related to certain modifications of receivables made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. The adoption of ASU 2022-02 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Adoption of Other ASU With No Impact

On January 1, 2024, we adopted ASU 2023-01, “Leases (Topic 842): Common Control Arrangements”, and ASU 2022-03, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions”. The adoption of these ASUs did not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2023-09 “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-09”). This ASU requires public business entities to annually (i) disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation and (ii) provide additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold (if the effect of those reconciling items is equal to or greater than 5 percent of the amount computed by multiplying pretax income or loss by the applicable statutory income tax rate). ASU 2023-09 will become effective for us in fiscal year 2025 and early adoption is permitted. As of September 30, 2024, we have not early adopted this ASU and are currently evaluating its impact on our consolidated financial statements, including our annual disclosure within our Income Taxes note.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-07”). This ASU is intended to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. This ASU will become effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. As of September 30, 2024, we have not early adopted this ASU. We anticipate adopting this ASU for the year ended December 31, 2024 and expect the Segment Information footnote to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 will align with the standard. We do not anticipate that this standard will affect our operating results.
v3.24.3
Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]  
Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets
Note 2—Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill, customer relationships and other intangible assets consisted of the following:

September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
(Dollars in millions)
Goodwill$1,964 1,964 
Indefinite-lived intangible assets$9 9 
Other intangible assets subject to amortization: 
Customer relationships, less accumulated amortization of $4,361 and $4,248(1)
3,346 3,811 
Capitalized software, less accumulated amortization of $4,112 and $4,045(1)
1,536 1,564 
Trade names, patents and other, less accumulated amortization of $82 and $72
76 86 
Total other intangible assets, net$4,967 5,470 
______________________________________________________________________
(1)    Certain customer relationships with a gross carrying value of $352 million and capitalized software with a gross carrying value of $153 million became fully amortized during 2023 and were retired during the first quarter of 2024.

As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the gross carrying amount of goodwill, customer relationships, indefinite-lived and other intangible assets was $15.5 billion and $15.8 billion, respectively.

Our goodwill was derived from numerous acquisitions where the purchase price exceeded the fair value of the net assets acquired. We report our results within two segments: Business and Mass Markets. See Note 10—Segment Information for more information on these segments. We assigned no goodwill to our Business segment as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. We assigned approximately $2.0 billion of goodwill to our Mass Markets segment as of both September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. Total goodwill as of both September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 was net of accumulated impairment losses of $21.7 billion.

We are required to assess our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually, or, under certain circumstances, more frequently, such as when events or changes in circumstances indicate there may be impairment. We are required to write down the value of goodwill only when our assessment determines the carrying value of equity of any of our reporting units exceeds its fair value. Our annual impairment assessment date for goodwill is October 31, at which date we assess our reporting units. Our annual impairment assessment date for indefinite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill is December 31.

As of September 30, 2024, we had three reporting units, which are (i) Mass Markets, (ii) North American Business ("NA Business") and (iii) Asia Pacific region ("APAC"). Our reporting units are not discrete legal entities with discrete full financial statements. Our assets and liabilities are deployed in and relate to the operations of multiple reporting units. When we assess goodwill for impairment, we compare the estimated fair value of each reporting unit's equity to the carrying value of equity that we assign to the reporting unit. If the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is greater than the carrying value, we conclude that no impairment exists. If the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, we record a non-cash impairment charge equal to the excess amount. Depending on the facts and circumstances, we typically estimate the fair value of our reporting units by considering either or both of (i) a discounted cash flow method, which is based on the present value of projected cash flows over a discrete projection period and a terminal value, which is based on the expected normalized cash flows of the reporting units following the discrete projection period, and (ii) a market approach, which includes the use of market multiples of publicly-traded companies whose services are comparable to ours.
Second Quarter 2023 Goodwill Impairment Analysis

During the second quarter of 2023, we determined circumstances existed indicating it was more likely than not that the carrying value of our reporting units exceeded their fair value. Given the continued erosion in our market capitalization at the time, we determined our quantitative impairment analysis would accurately estimate the fair value of our reporting units using only the market approach. Applying this approach, we utilized company comparisons and analyst reports within our industry which supported a range of fair values derived from annualized revenue and Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA") multiples between 1.5x and 4.3x and 4.6x and 10.5x, respectively. In determining the fair value of each reporting unit, we used revenue and EBITDA multiples below these comparable market multiples. The estimated fair values of the reporting units determined in connection with our impairment analysis in the second quarter of 2023 resulted in no control premium, which we determined to be reasonable based on our market capitalization relative to recent transactions. For the three months ended June 30, 2023, based on our assessments performed with respect to the reporting units as described above, we concluded the estimated fair value of certain of our reporting units was less than their carrying value of equity. As a result, we recorded a non-cash, non-tax-deductible goodwill impairment charge of $8.8 billion for the three months ended June 30, 2023.

The market approach that we used in the quarter ended June 30, 2023 incorporated estimates and assumptions related to the forecasted results for the remainder of the year, including revenues, expenses, and the achievement of certain strategic initiatives. In developing the market multiples applicable for each reporting unit, we considered observed trends of our industry peers. Our assessment included many factors that required significant judgment. Alternative interpretations of these factors could have resulted in different conclusions regarding the size of our impairments.

Total amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 totaled $253 million and $271 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 totaled $802 million and $794 million, respectively.

We estimate that future total amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets will be as follows:

 (Dollars in millions)
2024 (remaining three months)$238 
2025901 
2026848 
2027760 
2028690 
2029 and thereafter1,521 
Total finite-lived intangible assets future amortization expense
$4,958 
v3.24.3
Revenue Recognition
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
Revenue Recognition
Note 3—Revenue Recognition

Product and Service Categories

We categorize our products and services revenue among the following categories for the Business segment:

•Grow, which includes existing and emerging products and services in which we are significantly investing, including our conduit, dark fiber, Edge Cloud, IP, managed security, software-defined wide area networks ("SD WAN"), Unified Communications and Collaboration ("UC&C") and wavelengths services;

•Nurture, which includes our more mature offerings, including ethernet and VPN data networks services;

•Harvest, which includes our legacy services managed for cash flow, including Time Division Multiplexing ("TDM") voice, and private line services; and

•Other, which includes equipment sales, managed and professional service solutions and other services.

We categorize our products and services revenue among the following categories for the Mass Markets segment:

•Fiber Broadband, under which we provide high speed broadband services to residential and small business customers utilizing our fiber-based network infrastructure;

•Other Broadband, under which we provide primarily lower speed broadband services to residential and small business customers utilizing our copper-based network infrastructure; and

•Voice and Other, under which we derive revenues from (i) providing local and long-distance voice services, professional services, and other ancillary services, and (ii) federal broadband and state support programs.

Reconciliation of Total Revenue to Revenue from Contracts with Customers

The following tables provide total revenue by segment, sales channel and product category. They also provide the amount of revenue that is not subject to ASC 606, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" ("ASC 606"), but is instead governed by other accounting standards. The amounts in the tables below include revenue for the EMEA business prior to its sales on November 1, 2023. See Note 2—Divestitures of the Latin American, ILEC and EMEA Businesses in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 for additional information on these divestitures.
Three Months Ended September 30, 2024Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Total Revenue
Adjustments for Non-ASC 606 revenue (1)
Total revenue from Contracts with CustomersTotal Revenue
Adjustments for Non-ASC 606 revenue (1)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers
(Dollars in millions)
Business Segment by Sales Channel and Product Category
Large Enterprise
Grow$436 (73)363 429 (48)381 
Nurture253 — 253 297 — 297 
Harvest106 — 106 131 — 131 
Other44 — 44 57 (3)54 
Total Large Enterprise Revenue839 (73)766 914 (51)863 
Mid-Market Enterprise
Grow211 (6)205 201 (6)195 
Nurture167 — 167 203 — 203 
Harvest83 (1)82 93 (1)92 
Other10 (4)6 9 (1)8 
Total Mid-Market Enterprise Revenue471 (11)460 506 (8)498 
Public Sector
Grow131 (21)110 118 (22)96 
Nurture87 — 87 98 — 98 
Harvest86 (1)85 96 — 96 
Other123 — 123 133 — 133 
Total Public Sector Revenue427 (22)405 445 (22)423 
Wholesale
Grow259 (73)186 256 (61)195 
Nurture183 (6)177 206 (5)201 
Harvest261 (35)226 312 (42)270 
Other3 — 3 2 — 2 
Total Wholesale Revenue706 (114)592 776 (108)668 
International and Other
Grow39 (1)38 127 (29)98 
Nurture39 — 39 70 — 70 
Harvest13 — 13 30 — 30 
Other2 — 2 37 — 37 
Total International and Other93 (1)92 264 (29)235 
Business Segment by Product Category
Grow1,076 (174)902 1,131 (166)965 
Nurture729 (6)723 874 (5)869 
Harvest549 (37)512 662 (43)619 
Other182 (4)178 238 (4)234 
Total Business Segment Revenue2,536 (221)2,315 2,905 (218)2,687 
Mass Markets Segment by Product Category
Fiber Broadband190 (3)187 163 (4)159 
Other Broadband282 (25)257 341 (31)310 
Voice and Other213 (5)208 232 (9)223 
Total Mass Markets Revenue685 (33)652 736 (44)692 
Total Revenue$3,221 (254)2,967 3,641 (262)3,379 
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Total Revenue
Adjustments for Non-ASC 606 revenue (1)
Total revenue from Contracts with CustomersTotal Revenue
Adjustments for Non-ASC 606 revenue (1)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers
(Dollars in millions)
Business Segment by Sales Channel and Product Category
Large Enterprise
Grow$1,287 (183)1,104 1,278 (145)1,133 
Nurture779 — 779 890 — 890 
Harvest337 — 337 403 — 403 
Other131 (1)130 153 (5)148 
Total Large Enterprise Revenue2,534 (184)2,350 2,724 (150)2,574 
Mid-Market Enterprise
Grow628 (19)609 601 (21)580 
Nurture533 — 533 632 — 632 
Harvest248 (3)245 283 (3)280 
Other26 (5)21 27 (4)23 
Total Mid-Market Enterprise Revenue1,435 (27)1,408 1,543 (28)1,515 
Public Sector
Grow383 (62)321 354 (60)294 
Nurture262 — 262 298 — 298 
Harvest272 (3)269 290 — 290 
Other378 — 378 350 — 350 
Total Public Sector Revenue1,295 (65)1,230 1,292 (60)1,232 
Wholesale
Grow783 (211)572 792 (194)598 
Nurture562 (20)542 627 (19)608 
Harvest807 (110)697 974 (129)845 
Other7 — 7 9 — 9 
Total Wholesale Revenue2,159 (341)1,818 2,402 (342)2,060 
International and Other
Grow117 (3)114 384 (89)295 
Nurture121 — 121 214 — 214 
Harvest33 — 33 109 — 109 
Other10 — 10 113 — 113 
Total International and Other281 (3)278 820 (89)731 
Business Segment by Product Category
Grow3,198 (478)2,720 3,409 (509)2,900 
Nurture2,257 (20)2,237 2,661 (19)2,642 
Harvest1,697 (116)1,581 2,059 (132)1,927 
Other552 (6)546 652 (9)643 
Total Business Segment Revenue7,704 (620)7,084 8,781 (669)8,112 
Mass Markets Segment by Product Category
Fiber Broadband541 (10)531 473 (12)461 
Other Broadband895 (80)815 1,065 (96)969 
Voice and Other639 (23)616 721 (27)694 
Total Mass Markets Revenue2,075 (113)1,962 2,259 (135)2,124 
Total Revenue$9,779 (733)9,046 11,040 (804)10,236 
_____________________________________________________________________
(1)Includes regulatory revenue and lease revenue not within the scope of ASC 606.

Operating Lease Revenue

Lumen Technologies leases various dark fiber (including conduit), office facilities, colocation facilities, switching facilities, other network sites and service equipment to third parties under operating leases. Lease and sublease revenue are included in Operating Revenue in our consolidated statements of operations.

For the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, our gross rental revenue was $250 million and $254 million, respectively, which represented approximately 8% and 7%, respectively, of our operating revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, our gross rental revenue was $711 million and $780 million, respectively, which represented approximately 7% of our operating revenue for both the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.

Customer Receivables and Contract Balances

The following table provides balances of customer receivables, contract assets and contract liabilities, net of amounts classified as held for sale, as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

September 30, 2024December 31, 2023
 (Dollars in millions)
Customer receivables, less allowance of $53 and $60
$1,193 1,256 
Contract assets
21 29 
Contract liabilities
741 698 

Contract liabilities are consideration we have received from our customers or billed in advance of providing goods or services promised in the future. We defer recognizing this consideration as revenue until we have satisfied the related performance obligation to the customer. Contract liabilities include recurring services billed one month in advance and installation and maintenance charges that are deferred and recognized over the actual or expected contract term, which typically ranges from one to five years depending on the service. Contract liabilities are included within Deferred revenue on our consolidated balance sheets. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, we recognized $47 million and $390 million, respectively, of revenue that was included in contract liabilities of $698 million as of January 1, 2024. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we recognized $44 million and $391 million, respectively, of revenue that was included in contract liabilities of $715 million as of January 1, 2023, including contract liabilities that were classified as held for sale.

Performance Obligations

As of September 30, 2024, we expect to recognize approximately $6.7 billion of revenue in the future related to performance obligations associated with existing customer contracts that are partially or wholly unsatisfied. As of September 30, 2024, the transaction price related to unsatisfied performance obligations that are expected to be recognized for the remainder of 2024, 2025 and thereafter was $934 million, $2.5 billion and $3.3 billion, respectively.

These amounts exclude (i) the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed (for example, uncommitted usage or non-recurring charges associated with professional or technical services to be completed) and (ii) contracts that are classified as leasing arrangements or government assistance that are not subject to ASC 606.
Contract Costs

The following tables provide changes in our contract acquisition costs and fulfillment costs:

Three Months Ended September 30, 2024Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Acquisition CostsFulfillment CostsAcquisition CostsFulfillment Costs
(Dollars in millions)(Dollars in millions)
Beginning of period balance(1)
$185 204 183 186 
Costs incurred36 41 31 41 
Amortization(32)(36)(37)(35)
End of period balance(3)
$189 209 177 192 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Acquisition CostsFulfillment CostsAcquisition CostsFulfillment Costs
(Dollars in millions)(Dollars in millions)
Beginning of period balance(2)
$182 184 202 192 
Costs incurred104 126 96 120 
Amortization(97)(101)(117)(106)
Change in contract costs held for sale— — (4)(14)
End of period balance(3)
$189 209 177 192 
______________________________________________________________________
(1)Beginning of period balance for the three months ended September 30, 2023 excludes $10 million of acquisition costs and $14 million fulfillment costs classified as held for sale related to the EMEA business.
(2)Beginning of period balance for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 excludes $6 million of acquisition costs and no fulfillment costs classified as held for sale related to the EMEA business.
(3)End of period balance for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 excludes $10 million of acquisition costs and $14 million of fulfillment costs classified as held for sale related to the EMEA business.

Acquisition costs include commission fees paid to employees as a result of obtaining contracts. Fulfillment costs include third party and internal costs associated with the provision, installation and activation of services to customers, including labor and materials consumed for these activities.

We amortize deferred acquisition and fulfillment costs based on the transfer of services on a straight-line basis over the average contract life of approximately 50 months for mass markets customers and 35 months for business customers. We include amortized fulfillment costs in cost of services and products and amortized acquisition costs in Selling, general and administrative in our consolidated statements of operations. We include the amount of these deferred costs that are anticipated to be amortized in the next twelve months in Other under Current Assets on our consolidated balance sheets. We include the amount of deferred costs expected to be amortized beyond the next twelve months in Other under Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets. We assess deferred acquisition and fulfillment costs for impairment on a quarterly basis.
v3.24.3
Credit Losses on Financial Instruments
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Credit Loss [Abstract]  
Credit Losses on Financial Instruments
Note 4—Credit Losses on Financial Instruments

To assess our expected credit losses on financial instruments, we aggregate financial assets with similar risk characteristics to monitor their credit quality or deterioration over the life of such assets. We periodically monitor certain risk characteristics within our aggregated financial assets and revise their composition accordingly, to the extent internal and external risk factors change. We separately evaluate financial assets that do not share risk characteristics with other financial assets. Our financial assets measured at amortized cost primarily consist of accounts receivable.

We use a loss rate method to estimate our allowance for credit losses. Our determination of the current expected credit loss rate begins with our review of historical loss experience as a percentage of accounts receivable. We measure our historical loss period based on the average days to recognize accounts receivable as credit losses. When asset specific characteristics and current conditions change from those in the historical period, due to changes in our credit and collections strategy, certain classes of aged balances, or credit loss and recovery policies, we perform a qualitative and quantitative assessment to adjust our historical loss rate. We use regression analysis to develop an expected loss rate using historical experience and economic data over a forecast period. We measure our forecast period based on the average days to collect payment on billed accounts receivable. To determine our current allowance for credit losses, we combine the historical and expected credit loss rates and apply them to our period end accounts receivable.

If there is an unexpected deterioration of a customer's financial condition or an unexpected change in economic conditions, including macroeconomic events, we assess the need to adjust the allowance for credit losses. Any such resulting adjustments would affect earnings in the period that adjustments are made.

The assessment of the correlation between historical observed default rates, current conditions and forecasted economic conditions requires judgment. Alternative interpretations of these factors could have resulted in different conclusions regarding our allowance for credit losses. The amount of credit loss is sensitive to changes in circumstances and forecasted economic conditions. Our historical credit loss experience, current conditions and forecast of economic conditions may also not be representative of the customers' actual default experience in the future, and we may use methodologies that differ from those used by other companies.

The following table presents the activity of our allowance for credit losses by accounts receivable portfolio for the nine months ended September 30, 2024:

BusinessMass MarketsTotal
(Dollars in millions)
As of December 31, 2023
$36 31 67 
Provision for expected losses19 35 54 
Write-offs charged against the allowance(26)(43)(69)
Recoveries collected5 3 8 
Ending balance at September 30, 2024
$34 26 60 
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities
Note 5—Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities

At September 30, 2024, most of our outstanding consolidated debt had been incurred by us or one of the following three subsidiaries, each of which has borrowed funds either on a standalone basis or as part of a separate restricted group with certain of its subsidiaries:

•Level 3 Financing, Inc. ("Level 3 Financing"), including its parent guarantor Level 3 Parent, LLC and certain subsidiary guarantors;

•Qwest Corporation ("Qwest"); and

•Qwest Capital Funding, Inc., including its parent guarantor, Qwest Communications International Inc.

Each of these borrowers or borrowing groups has entered into one or more credit agreements with certain financial institutions or other institutional lenders, or issued senior notes. Certain of these debt instruments are described further in (i) Note 5 below, (ii) Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 or (iii) Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 1 of Part I of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
The following tables reflect the consolidated long-term debt of Lumen Technologies and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated below, including unamortized discounts and premiums and unamortized debt issuance costs:

Interest Rates(1)
Maturities(1)
September 30, 2024December 31, 2023
   (Dollars in millions)
Secured Senior Debt: (2)
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Series A Revolving Credit Facility
SOFR + 4.00%
2028$— — 
Series B Revolving Credit Facility
SOFR + 6.00%
2028— — 
Term Loan A(3)
SOFR + 6.00%
2028362 — 
Term Loan B-1(4)
SOFR + 2.35%
20291,610 — 
Term Loan B-2(4)
SOFR + 2.35%
20301,610 — 
Term Loan B(5)
SOFR + 2.25%
202757 3,891 
Other Facilities(6)
SOFR + 2.00%
2025— 1,399 
Superpriority Notes
4.125% - 10.000%
2029 - 2032
1,247 — 
Former Parent Secured Notes4.000%2027— 1,250 
Subsidiaries
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
Term Loan B-1(7)
SOFR + 6.56%
20291,199 — 
Term Loan B-2(7)
SOFR + 6.56%
20301,199 — 
Former Level 3 Facility(8)
SOFR + 1.75%
202712 2,411 
First Lien Notes(9)
10.500% - 11.000%
2029 - 2030
3,846 925 
Second Lien Notes
3.875% - 10.000%
2029 - 2032
2,579 — 
Former Level 3 Senior Notes
3.400% - 3.875%
2027 - 2029
— 1,500 
Unsecured Senior Notes and Other Debt:
    
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Senior notes(10)
4.000% - 7.650%
2025 - 2042
1,539 2,143 
Subsidiaries:
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
Senior notes(11)
3.400% - 4.625%
2027 - 2029
1,508 3,940 
Qwest Corporation
Senior notes
6.500% - 7.750%
2025 - 2057
1,974 1,986 
Term loan(12)
SOFR + 2.50%
2027— 215 
Qwest Capital Funding, Inc.
Senior notes
6.875% - 7.750%
2028 - 2031
192 192 
Finance lease and other obligationsVariousVarious263 285 
Unamortized discounts, net  (412)(4)
Unamortized debt issuance costs(228)(145)
Total long-term debt  18,557 19,988 
Less current maturities   (415)(157)
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities  $18,142 19,831 
______________________________________________________________________ 
(1)As of September 30, 2024. All references to "SOFR" refer to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate.
(2)As discussed further below in this Note, the debt listed under the caption “Senior Secured Debt” is either secured by assets of the issuer, guaranteed on a secured or unsecured basis by certain affiliates of the issuer, or both. As discussed further in footnotes 10 and 11, we reclassified in the table above certain notes that were guaranteed, secured, or both prior to the Effective Date (as defined below) from “secured” to “unsecured” in light of amendments that released such security interests.
(3)Term Loan A had an interest rate of 11.247% as of September 30, 2024.
(4)Term Loan B-1 and B-2 each had an interest rate of 7.742% as of September 30, 2024.
(5)Term Loan B had an interest rate of 7.611% and 7.720% as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
(6)Reflects revolving credit facility and term loan A and A-1 debt issued under the Former Parent Facilities, which had interest rates of 7.464% and 7.470%, respectively, as of December 31, 2023.
(7)The Level 3 Term Loan B-1 and B-2 each had an interest rate of 11.838% as of September 30, 2024.
(8)Reflects Level 3 Tranche B 2027 Term Loan issued under the Former Level 3 Facility, which had an interest rate of 7.111% and 7.220% as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
(9)Includes Level 3's 10.500% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 issued in early 2023, the terms of which have been amended to be consistent with Level 3's first lien notes issued on March 22, 2024.
(10)The total amount of these notes at September 30, 2024 includes the remaining aggregate principal amount due under the Former Parent Secured Notes, the terms of which were amended on March 22, 2024 to release the guarantees of such debt that could be released in accordance with their indentures and the security interests relating thereto.
(11)The total amount for these notes at September 30, 2024 includes the remaining aggregate principal amount due under the Former Level 3 Secured Notes, the terms of which were amended on March 22, 2024 to release the security interests relating thereto.
(12)The Qwest Corporation Term Loan had an interest rate of 7.970% as of December 31, 2023.

Long-Term Debt Maturities

Set forth below is the aggregate principal amount of our long-term debt as of September 30, 2024 (excluding unamortized discounts, net, and unamortized debt issuance costs), maturing during the following years.

 (Dollars in millions)
2024 (remaining three months)$23 
2025448 
2026101 
2027302 
20281,080 
2029 and thereafter17,243 
Total long-term debt$19,197 

Impact of Recent Debt Transactions

Exchange Offers

Pursuant to exchange offers that commenced on September 3, 2024 (the "Exchange Offers"), on September 24, 2024:

•Lumen Technologies issued approximately $438 million aggregate principal amount of its newly-issued 10.000% Secured Notes due 2032 (the "New Lumen Notes") and paid approximately $14 million cash (excluding accrued and unpaid interest payable with respect to the exchange) in exchange for approximately $491 million aggregate principal amount of four series of its outstanding senior unsecured notes, maturing between 2026 and 2029 (which were concurrently cancelled), and
•Level 3 Financing issued approximately $350 million aggregate principal amount of its newly-issued 10.000% Second Lien Notes due 2032 in exchange for $357 million aggregate principal amount of two series of its outstanding senior unsecured notes maturing in 2027 (which were concurrently cancelled).

These transactions reduced the aggregate principal amount of Lumen's consolidated indebtedness by approximately $60 million.

Consistent with FASB ASC Topic 470 Debt, (“ASC 470”), the Company is required to analyze whether the Exchange Offers constituted (i) an extinguishment of debt which requires borrowers to record a gain or loss for the difference between the net carrying value of the old derecognized debt and the fair value of the new debt, or (ii) a debt modification, which results in no gain or loss and requires borrowers to establish a new effective interest rate based on the carrying value of the debt and revised cash flow. The Company has determined that the Exchange Offers constituted a debt modification consistent with ASC 470 and recorded no gain or loss. In conjunction with the Exchange Offers we recorded $14 million of fees to Selling, general and administrative expense in our consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.

The following table sets forth the aggregate principal amount of each series of senior unsecured notes of Lumen and Level 3 Financing exchanged and retired on September 24, 2024 in connection with the Exchange Offers:

Debt
Aggregate Principal Amount (in millions)
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
5.125% senior notes due 2026
$137 
4.000% senior secured notes due 2027 (unsecured)
188 
6.875% debentures, series G, due 2028
80 
4.500% senior notes due 2029
86 
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
3.400% senior secured notes due 2027 (unsecured)
77 
4.625% senior notes due 2027
280 
Total
$848 

TSA Transactions

On March 22, 2024 (the "Effective Date"), Lumen Technologies, Level 3 Financing, Qwest and a group of creditors holding a majority of our consolidated debt completed transactions contemplated under the amended and restated transaction support agreement ("TSA") that such parties entered into on January 22, 2024 (the "TSA Transactions"), including the termination, repayment or exchange of previous commitments and debt and the issuance of new term loan facilities, notes, and revolving credit facilities.

The following table sets forth the aggregate principal amount of each of Lumen's consolidated debt arrangements that were partially or fully paid in exchange for cash or newly-issued debt during the first quarter of 2024 in connection with the TSA Transactions:
Aggregate Principal Amount
(in millions)
Debt
Repaid
Exchanged
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Term Loan A
$933 — 
Term Loan A-1
266 — 
Term Loan B
575 3,259 
5.125% Senior Notes due 2026
116 147 
4.000% Senior Notes due 2027
153 865 
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
Term Loan B
— 2,398 
3.400% Senior Notes due 2027
— 668 
3.875% Senior Notes due 2029
— 678 
4.625% Senior Notes due 2027
— 606 
4.250% Senior Notes due 2028
— 712 
3.625% Senior Notes due 2029
— 458 
3.750% Senior Notes due 2029
— 453 
Qwest Corporation
Senior Term B Loan
215 — 
Total$2,258 10,244 

The following table sets forth the aggregate principal balance as of September 30, 2024 of the debt issued by Lumen or Level 3 Financing in connection with the TSA Transactions:

New Debt Issuances(1)
Aggregate Principal Amount as of September 30, 2024 (in millions)
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Term Loan A(2)
$362 
Term Loan B-1(2)
1,610 
Term Loan B-2(2)
1,610 
4.125% Superpriority Notes due 2029-2030
808 
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
Term Loan B-1
1,199 
Term Loan B-2
1,199 
10.500% First Lien Notes due 2029
668 
10.750% First Lien Notes due 2029
678 
11.000% First Lien Notes due 2029
1,575 
4.875% Second Lien Notes due 2029
606 
4.500% Second Lien Notes due 2030
712 
3.875% Second Lien Notes due 2030
458 
4.000% Second Lien Notes due 2031
453 
Total
$11,938 
______________________________________________________________________ 
(1)Except for Lumen's Term Loan A and $1.375 billion of Level 3 Financing's 11.000% First Lien Notes due 2029, all of the new debt listed in this table was issued in the first quarter of 2024 in exchange for previously-issued debt of Lumen or Level 3 Financing in connection with the TSA Transactions.
(2)Reflects approximately $53 million of term loan installment payments made between the Effective Date and September 30, 2024.

In evaluating the terms of the TSA Transactions, we determined that for certain of our creditors the new debt instruments were substantially different than pre-existing debt and therefore constituted a non-cash extinguishment of old debt for Lumen Technologies, Inc. and Level 3 Financing, Inc. of $744 million and $2.6 billion and establishment of new debt for which we recorded a $275 million gain on extinguishment in the first quarter of 2024. This new debt was recorded at fair value generating a reduction to debt of $492 million which was included in our aggregate Net (loss) gain on early retirement of debt of $277 million, recognized in Other income (expense), net in our consolidated statement of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. The remaining creditors’ newly-issued debt was not substantially different under the terms of the TSA Transactions and was treated under modification accounting rules. In conjunction with the TSA Transactions, we paid $209 million in lender fees and $174 million in additional third-party costs. Of these amounts, $157 million of lender fees were an offset to the gain on extinguishment and $112 million in third-party costs were recorded to Selling, general and administrative expense in our consolidated statement of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. In accordance with GAAP provisions for modification and extinguishment accounting, $52 million in lender fees and $62 million in third-party costs, respectively, were capitalized and will be amortized over the terms of the newly-issued indebtedness.

Repurchases of Outstanding Notes and Debt Instruments

During the third quarter of 2024, we repurchased a total of approximately $19 million aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes of Lumen and Qwest maturing in 2025 and $19 million of Lumen Superpriority notes and term loans maturing between 2028 and 2030, which resulted in an immaterial aggregate net loss. During the second quarter of 2024, we repurchased a total of approximately $75 million aggregate principal of Lumen's senior unsecured notes maturing in 2025. These repurchases in the second and third quarter of 2024 resulted in an aggregate net gain of $3 million, which is included in our aggregate Net (loss) gain on early retirement of debt in Other income (expense), net in our consolidated statement of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.

2023 Transactions

For information on various issuances, exchanges or payments of long-term indebtedness by Lumen or its subsidiaries during 2023, see Note 7—Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities in Item 8 of Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Lumen Credit Agreements

As further described in our prior periodic reports, Lumen may prepay amounts outstanding under its new Superpriority Term Loan A Facility and new Superpriority Term Loan B Facilities at any time without premium or penalty. If no amounts are outstanding under its Superpriority Series B Revolving Credit Facility, Lumen may prepay amounts outstanding under the Series A Revolving Credit Facility without premium or penalty. The new Superpriority Term Loan A Facility and new Superpriority Term Loan B Facilities require Lumen to make quarterly amortization payments of 1.25% and 0.25%, respectively, of the initial principal amount and certain specified mandatory prepayments upon the occurrence of certain transactions.

At September 30, 2024, no borrowings were outstanding under Lumen’s (i) Series A Revolving Credit Facility, with commitments of approximately $489 million, or (ii) Series B Revolving Credit Facility, with commitments of approximately $465 million.

Level 3 Financing Credit Agreement

As further described in our prior periodic reports, amounts outstanding under Level 3 Financing's new Credit Agreement may be prepaid at any time, subject to a premium of (i) 2.00% of the aggregate principal amount if prepaid on or prior to the 12-month anniversary of the Effective Date and (ii) 1.00% of the aggregate principal amount if prepaid after the 12-month anniversary of the Effective Date and on or prior to the 24-month anniversary of the Effective Date. The new Level 3 facilities established under the new Credit Agreement require Level 3 Financing to make certain specified mandatory prepayments upon the occurrence of certain transactions.
Senior Notes

The Company’s consolidated indebtedness at September 30, 2024 included:

•superpriority senior secured notes issued by Lumen;

•first and second lien secured notes issued by Level 3 Financing; and

•senior unsecured notes issued by Lumen, Level 3 Financing, Qwest, and Qwest Capital Funding, Inc.

All of these notes carry fixed interest rates and all principal is due on the notes’ respective maturity dates, which rates and maturity dates are summarized in the table above.

Except for a limited number of senior notes issued by Qwest Corporation, the issuer generally can redeem the notes, at its option, in whole or in part, (i) pursuant to a fixed schedule of pre-established redemption prices, (ii) pursuant to a “make whole” redemption price or (iii) under certain other specified limited conditions.

Letters of Credit

At September 30, 2024, we had $219 million undrawn letters of credit outstanding, $216 million of which were issued under Lumen's revolving credit facilities, $1 million of which were issued under our $225 million uncommitted letter of credit facility and $2 million of which were issued under a separate facility maintained by one of our subsidiaries (the full amount of which is collateralized by cash that is reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as restricted cash within Other, net under Goodwill and Other Assets).

Certain Guarantees and Security Interests

Lumen’s obligations under its Superpriority Revolving/Term Loan A Credit Agreement are unsecured, but certain of Lumen’s subsidiaries have provided or, in certain cases after receiving necessary regulatory approvals, will provide an unconditional guarantee of payment of Lumen’s obligations (such entities, the “Lumen Guarantors”) and certain of such guarantees will be secured by a lien on substantially all of the assets of the applicable Lumen Guarantors. Level 3, Level 3 Financing and certain of Level 3 Financing’s subsidiaries have provided or, in certain cases after receiving necessary regulatory approvals, will provide an unconditional guarantee of payment of Lumen’s obligations under its Series A Revolving Credit Facility of up to $150 million and under its Series B Revolving Credit Facility of up to $150 million, in each case secured by a lien on substantially all of their assets (such entities, the “Level 3 Collateral Guarantors”). The guarantee by the Level 3 Collateral Guarantors may be reduced or terminated under certain circumstances. Qwest Corporation and certain of its subsidiaries have provided an unsecured guarantee of collection of Lumen’s obligations under its revolving credit facilities and Superpriority Term Loan A Facility (the “Qwest Guarantors”).

Lumen’s obligations under the Superpriority Term Loan B Credit Agreement are unsecured. The term loans issued under this agreement are guaranteed by the Lumen Guarantors and the Qwest Guarantors on the same basis as those entities guarantee Lumen’s obligations under its Superpriority Revolving/Term Loan A Credit Agreement.

Level 3 Financing’s obligations under its new Credit Agreement are secured by a first lien on substantially all of its assets (subject, in certain cases, to receipt of necessary regulatory approvals). In addition, the other Level 3 Collateral Guarantors have provided or, in certain cases after receiving necessary regulatory approvals, will provide an unconditional guarantee of payment of Level 3 Financing’s obligations under its new Credit Agreement secured by a lien on substantially all of their assets.
Lumen’s superpriority secured senior notes are guaranteed by the Lumen Guarantors and the Qwest Guarantors on the same basis as those entities guarantee Lumen’s obligations under its Superpriority Revolving/Term Loan A Credit Agreement. Level 3 Financing’s obligations under its first lien notes are secured by a first lien on substantially all of its assets (subject, in certain cases, to receipt of necessary regulatory approvals), and are guaranteed by the other Level 3 Collateral Guarantors (or, for certain such guarantors, will be guaranteed upon the receipt of required regulatory approvals) on the same basis as the guarantees provided by such entities under its new Credit Agreement. Level 3 Financing’s obligations under its second lien notes are secured by a second lien on substantially all of its assets (subject, in certain cases, to receipt of necessary regulatory approvals), and are guaranteed by the other Level 3 Collateral Guarantors (or, for certain such guarantors, will be guaranteed upon the receipt of required regulatory approvals) on the same basis as the guarantees provided by such entities under its new Credit Agreement, except the lien securing such guarantees is a second lien.

Level 3 Financing's obligations under its unsecured notes are guaranteed on an unsecured basis by the same affiliated entities that guarantee Level 3 Financing's new Credit Agreement and secured notes. The senior unsecured notes issued by Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. are guaranteed by its parent, Qwest Communications International Inc.

Covenants

Lumen

Under its Superpriority Revolving/Term Loan A Credit Agreement, Lumen may not permit:

(i) its maximum total net leverage ratio to exceed 5.75 to 1.00 as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, stepping down to 5.50 to 1.00 with respect to each fiscal quarter ending after December 31, 2024 and further stepping down to 5.25 to 1.00 with respect to each fiscal quarter ending after December 31, 2025; or

(ii) its interest coverage ratio as of the last day of any test period to be less than 2.00 to 1.00.

Lumen’s superpriority credit agreements and superpriority senior secured notes contain various representations and warranties and extensive affirmative and negative covenants. Such covenants include, among other things and subject to certain significant exceptions, restrictions on our ability to declare or pay dividends, repurchase stock, repay certain other indebtedness, create liens, incur additional indebtedness, make investments, engage in transactions with our affiliates, dispose of assets and merge or consolidate with other persons.

Lumen’s senior unsecured notes were issued under four separate indentures. These indentures restrict Lumen’s ability to (i) incur, issue or create liens upon its property and (ii) consolidate with or merge into, or transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets to, any other party.

Under certain circumstances in connection with a “change of control” of Lumen, Lumen will be required to make an offer to repurchase each series of these senior notes (other than two of its older series of notes) at a price of 101% of the principal amount redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

Level 3

Level 3 Financing's new Credit Agreement and first and second lien secured notes contain various representations and extensive affirmative and negative covenants. Such covenants include, among other things and subject to certain significant exceptions, restrictions on their ability to declare or pay dividends, repay certain other indebtedness, create liens, incur additional indebtedness, make investments, dispose of assets and merge or consolidate with other persons. Also, under certain circumstances in connection with a “change of control” of Level 3 or Level 3 Financing, Level 3 Financing will be required to make an offer to repurchase each series of its outstanding senior notes at a price of 101% of the principal amount redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
Qwest Companies

The senior notes of Qwest Corporation were issued under indentures dated April 15, 1990 and October 15, 1999. These indentures contain restrictions on the incurrence of liens and the consummation of certain transactions substantially similar to the above-described covenants in the indentures governing Lumen’s senior unsecured notes (but contain no mandatory repurchase provisions). The senior notes of Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. were issued under an indenture dated June 29, 1998 containing terms substantially similar to those set forth in Qwest Corporation's indentures.

Compliance

As of September 30, 2024, Lumen Technologies, Inc. believes it and its subsidiaries were in compliance with the provisions and financial covenants in their respective material debt agreements in all material respects.

Guarantees

Lumen does not guarantee the debt of any unaffiliated parties, but, as noted above, as of September 30, 2024, certain of its key subsidiaries guaranteed (i) its debt outstanding under its superpriority credit agreements, its superpriority senior secured notes and its $225 million letter of credit facility and (ii) the outstanding term loans or senior secured notes issued by certain other subsidiaries. As further noted above, several of the subsidiaries guaranteeing these obligations have pledged substantially all of their assets to secure certain of their respective guarantees.
v3.24.3
Severance
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]  
Severance
Note 6—Severance

Periodically, we reduce our workforce and accrue liabilities for the related severance costs. These workforce reductions result primarily from the progression or completion of our post-acquisition integration plans, increased competitive pressures, cost reduction initiatives, process improvements through automation and reduced workloads due to reduced demand for certain services.

During April 2024, we reduced our workforce by approximately 6% as a part of our efforts to change our workforce composition to reflect our ongoing transformation and cost reduction opportunities that align with our shapeshifting and focus on our strategic priorities. As a result of this plan, we incurred severance and related costs of approximately $103 million during the second quarter of 2024. We have not incurred, and do not expect to incur, material impairment or exit costs related to this workforce reduction.

Changes in our accrued liabilities for severance expenses were as follows:

Severance

(Dollars in millions)
Balance at December 31, 2023$18 
Accrued to expense119 
Payments, net(122)
Balance at September 30, 2024$15 
v3.24.3
Employee Benefits
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Employee Benefits
Note 7—Employee Benefits

For detailed descriptions of the various defined benefit pension plans (qualified and non-qualified), post-retirement benefits plans and defined contribution plan we sponsor, see Note 11—Employee Benefits to the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II, Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Net periodic benefit expense for the Lumen Combined Pension Plan (the "Combined Pension Plan" or the "Plan") includes the following components:

Combined Pension Plan
 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
202420232024
2023
 (Dollars in millions)
Service cost$6 7 18 19 
Interest cost63 67 188 202 
Expected return on plan assets(68)(72)(204)(215)
Recognition of prior service credit(3)(2)(6)(5)
Recognition of actuarial loss28 27 82 78 
Net periodic pension expense$26 27 78 79 


Net periodic benefit expense for our post-retirement benefit plans includes the following components:

 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans
 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2024202320242023
 (Dollars in millions)
Service cost$1 1 3 4 
Interest cost23 26 70 77 
Recognition of prior service credit(1)(2)(5)(6)
Recognition of actuarial gain(4)(5)(13)(15)
Special termination benefits charge— — 2 — 
Net periodic post-retirement benefit expense$19 20 57 60 

Service costs for our pension and post-retirement benefit plans are included in the Cost of services and products (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) and Selling, general and administrative line items on our consolidated statements of operations and all other costs listed above are included in Other income (expense), net on our consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023. As a result of ongoing efforts to reduce our workforce, we recognized a one-time charge of $2 million during the second quarter of 2024 for special termination benefit enhancements paid to certain eligible employees upon voluntary retirement.

Our Combined Pension Plan contains provisions that allow us, from time to time, to offer lump sum payment options to certain former employees in settlement of their future retirement benefits. We record an accounting settlement charge, consisting of the recognition of certain deferred costs of the pension plan associated with these lump sum payments, only if in the aggregate they exceed or are probable to exceed the sum of the annual service and interest costs for the plan’s net periodic pension benefit cost, which represents the settlement accounting threshold. The amount of any future non-cash settlement charges will be dependent on several factors, including the total amount of our future lump sum benefit payments.
Benefits paid by the Combined Pension Plan are paid through a trust that holds the Plan's assets. The amount of required contributions to the Combined Pension Plan in 2024 and beyond will depend on a variety of factors, most of which are beyond our control, including earnings on plan investments, prevailing interest rates, demographic experience, changes in plan benefits and changes in funding laws and regulations. Based on current laws and circumstances, we do not expect to be required to make any additional contributions in 2024. We made a voluntary contribution of $170 million to the trust for the Combined Pension Plan during the third quarter of 2024.
v3.24.3
Earnings Per Common Share
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]  
Earnings Per Common Share
Note 8—Earnings Per Common Share

Basic and diluted loss per common share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were calculated as follows:

 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2024202320242023
 (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts, shares in thousands)
Loss (numerator)
Net loss$(148)(78)(140)(8,303)
Net loss applicable to common stock for computing basic loss per common share(148)(78)(140)(8,303)
Net loss as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted loss per common share(148)(78)(140)(8,303)
Shares (denominator):
Weighted-average number of shares:
Outstanding during period1,016,211 1,008,523 1,014,473 1,006,140 
Non-vested restricted stock(27,417)(24,973)(27,510)(23,287)
Weighted average shares outstanding for computing basic loss per common share988,794 983,550 986,963 982,853 
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities:
Shares issuable under convertible securities— — — — 
Shares issuable under incentive compensation plans— — — — 
Number of shares as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted loss per common share988,794 983,550 986,963 982,853 
Basic loss per common share$(0.15)(0.08)(0.14)(8.45)
Diluted loss per common share(1)
$(0.15)(0.08)(0.14)(8.45)
______________________________________________________________________ 
(1)For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, we excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share 12 million and 5 million shares, respectively, potentially issuable under incentive compensations plans or convertible securities, as their effect, if included, would have been anti-dilutive due to our net loss position. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share less than 1 million shares, potentially issuable under incentive compensations plans or convertible securities, as their effect, if included, would have been anti-dilutive due to our net loss position.

Our calculation of diluted loss per common share excludes non-vested restricted stock awards that are anti-dilutive based upon the terms of the award and due to the lower stock price resulting in more assumed repurchases and greater antidilution. Such shares were 11.3 million and 24.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and 18.5 million and 22.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
v3.24.3
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Note 9—Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Our financial instruments consist of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, long-term debt (excluding finance lease and other obligations), interest rate swap contracts, certain equity investments and certain indemnification obligations. Due primarily to their short-term nature, the carrying amounts of our cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their fair values.

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between independent and knowledgeable parties who are willing and able to transact for an asset or liability at the measurement date. We use valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when determining fair value and then we rank the estimated values based on the reliability of the inputs using the below-described fair value hierarchy.

We determined the fair values of our long-term debt, including the current portion, based on quoted market prices where available or, if not available, based on inputs other than quoted market prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as discounted future cash flows using current market interest rates.

The three input levels in the hierarchy of fair value measurements are defined by the FASB generally as follows:

Input LevelDescription of Input
Level 1Observable inputs such as quoted market prices in active markets.
Level 2Inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable.
Level 3Unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists.

The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of our financial assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

  September 30, 2024December 31, 2023
 Input
Level		Carrying
Amount		Fair
Value		Carrying
Amount		Fair
Value
 (Dollars in millions)
Long-term debt, excluding finance lease and other obligations
2$18,294 16,766 19,703 13,304 
Indemnifications related to the sale of the Latin American business(1)
387 8486 86 
______________________________________________________________________
(1)Nonrecurring fair value is measured as of August 1, 2022.
v3.24.3
Segment Information
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Segment Reporting [Abstract]  
Segment Information
Note 10—Segment Information

We report our results within two segments: Business and Mass Markets.

Under our Business segment we provide products and services to meet the needs of our enterprise and wholesale customers under five distinct sales channels: Large Enterprise, Mid-Market Enterprise, Public Sector, Wholesale, and International and Other. For Business segment revenue, we report the following product categories: Grow, Nurture, Harvest, and Other, in each case through the sales channels outlined above. The Business segment included the results of our EMEA business prior to its sale on November 1, 2023.

Under our Mass Markets Segment, we provide products and services to residential and small business customers. We report the following product categories: Fiber Broadband, Other Broadband, and Voice and Other.

See detailed descriptions of these product and service categories in Note 3—Revenue Recognition.

As described in more detail below, our segments are managed based on the direct costs of providing services to applicable customers and directly associated selling, general and administrative costs (primarily salaries and commissions). Shared costs are managed separately and included in "other unallocated expense" in the table below under the heading "— Revenue and Expenses". As referenced above, we reclassified certain prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation. See Note 1— Background for additional detail on these changes.

The following tables summarize our segment results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, based on our segment categorization as of September 30, 2024.

Three Months Ended September 30, 2024Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
BusinessMass MarketsBusinessMass Markets
(Dollars in millions)
Segment revenue$2,536 685 7,704 2,075 
Segment expenses:
Cost of services and products766 16 2,266 53 
Selling, general and administrative453 323 1,407 937 
Total segment expense1,219 339 3,673 990 
Total segment adjusted EBITDA$1,317 346 4,031 1,085 

Three Months Ended September 30, 2023Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
BusinessMass MarketsBusinessMass Markets
(Dollars in millions)
Segment revenue$2,905 736 8,781 2,259 
Segment expenses:
Cost of services and products825 19 2,428 61 
Selling, general and administrative610 364 1,723 1,038 
Total segment expense1,435 383 4,151 1,099 
Total segment adjusted EBITDA$1,470 353 4,630 1,160 
Revenue and Expenses

Our segment revenue includes all revenue from our two segments as described in more detail above. Our segment revenue is based upon each customer's classification. We report our segment revenue based upon all services provided to that segment's customers. Our segment expenses include specific cost of service expenses incurred as a direct result of providing services and products to segment customers, along with selling, general and administrative expenses that are directly associated with specific segment customers or activities. We have not allocated assets or debt to specific segments.

The following items are excluded from our segment results, because they are centrally managed and not monitored by or reported to our chief operating decision maker by segment:

•network expenses not incurred as a direct result of providing services and products to segment customers and centrally managed expenses such as Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing, Product Management and IT, all of which are reported as "other unallocated expense" in the table below;

•depreciation and amortization expense;

•goodwill or other impairments;

•interest expense;

•stock-based compensation; and

•other income and expense items.

The following table reconciles total segment adjusted EBITDA to net loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:

 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2024202320242023
 (Dollars in millions)
Total segment adjusted EBITDA$1,663 1,823 5,116 5,790 
Depreciation and amortization(707)(755)(2,198)(2,234)
Goodwill impairment— — — (8,793)
Other unallocated expense(820)(829)(2,591)(2,532)
Stock-based compensation expense(10)(16)(21)(39)
Operating income (loss)126 223 306 (7,808)
Total other expense, net(298)(308)(417)(287)
Loss before income taxes(172)(85)(111)(8,095)
Income tax (benefit) expense(24)(7)29 208 
Net loss$(148)(78)(140)(8,303)
v3.24.3
Commitments, Contingencies and Other Items
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies and Other Items
Note 11—Commitments, Contingencies and Other Items

We are subject to various claims, legal proceedings and other contingent liabilities, including the matters described below, which individually or in the aggregate could materially affect our financial condition, future results of operations or cash flows.

We review our litigation accrual liabilities on a quarterly basis, but in accordance with applicable accounting guidelines only establish accrual liabilities when losses are deemed probable and reasonably estimable and only revise previously established accrual liabilities when warranted by changes in circumstances, in each case based on then-available information. As such, as of any given date we could have exposure to losses under proceedings as to which no liability has been accrued or as to which the accrued liability is inadequate. Subject to these limitations, at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had accrued $83 million and $84 million, respectively, in the aggregate for our litigation and non-income tax contingencies, which is included in Other under Current Liabilities or Other under Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets as of such dates. We cannot at this time estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of loss, if any, in excess of our $83 million accrual at September 30, 2024 due to the inherent uncertainties and speculative nature of contested proceedings. The establishment of an accrual does not mean that actual funds have been set aside to satisfy a given contingency. Thus, the resolution of a particular contingency for the amount accrued could have no effect on our results of operations but nonetheless could have an adverse effect on our cash flows.

In this Note, a reference to a "putative" class action means a class has been alleged, but not certified, in that matter.

Principal Proceedings

Houser Shareholder Suit

Lumen and certain of its current and former officers and directors were named as defendants in a putative shareholder class action lawsuit filed on June 12, 2018 in the Boulder County District Court of the state of Colorado, captioned Houser et al. v. CenturyLink, et al. The original complaint asserted claims on behalf of a putative class of former Level 3 shareholders who became CenturyLink, Inc. shareholders as a result of our acquisition of Level 3. It alleged that the proxy statement provided to the Level 3 shareholders failed to disclose various material information, including information about strategic revenue, customer loss rates, and customer account issues, among other items. The original complaint sought damages, costs and fees, rescission, rescissory damages, and other equitable relief. In May 2020, the court dismissed the original complaint. Plaintiffs appealed that decision, and in March 2022, the appellate court affirmed the district court's order in part and reversed it in part. It then remanded the case to the district court for further proceedings. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint asserting the same claims and prayer for relief, and we filed a motion to dismiss. The court granted our motion to dismiss in May 2023 and Plaintiffs appealed that dismissal. In August 2024, the appellate court set aside the trial court's dismissal. In October 2024, we filed a petition with the Colorado Supreme Court seeking a review of the appellate court's decision.

Quantum Fiber Disclosure Litigation

In re Lumen Technologies, Inc. Securities Litigation. On March 3, 2023, a purported shareholder of Lumen filed a putative class action complaint originally captioned Voigt et al. v. Lumen Technologies, et al. (now captioned In re Lumen Technologies, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case 3:23-cv-00286-TAD-KDM), in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The complaint alleges that Lumen and certain of its current and former officers violated the federal securities laws by omitting or misstating material information related to Lumen’s expansion of its Quantum Fiber business. The court appointed a lead plaintiff who filed an amended complaint, seeking money damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and other relief. On October 30, 2024, the court granted the motion to dismiss we filed against the amended complaint.
Associated Derivative Litigation. On August 5, 2024, a purported shareholder of Lumen filed a shareholder derivative complaint on behalf of Lumen captioned Slack v. Johnson, et al., Case 3:24-cv-01043-TAD-KMM, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The complaint alleges claims for breach of fiduciary duty, violations of the federal securities laws, and other causes of action against current and former officers and directors of Lumen allegedly responsible for omitting or misstating material information related to Lumen’s expansion of its Quantum Fiber business. The complaint seeks money damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and other relief. Substantially similar derivative cases have been filed as follows: (i) on August 20, 2024, Capistrano v. Storey, et al., Case 3:24-cv-01130-TAD-KMM, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana; and on (ii) October 11, 2024, Ostrow v. Johnson, et al., Case 2024-3706, in the 4th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Ouachita, State of Louisiana, subsequently removed on October 11, 2024, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana as Case 3:24-cv-01399-TAD-KMM.

Lead-Sheathed Cable Litigation

Disclosure Litigation. In re Lumen Technologies, Inc. Securities Litigation II. On September 15, 2023, a purported shareholder of Lumen filed a putative class action complaint originally captioned Glauber, et al. v. Lumen Technologies (now captioned In re Lumen Technologies, Inc. Securities Litigation II, Case 3:23-cv-01290), in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The complaint alleged that Lumen and certain of its current and former officers violated the federal securities laws by omitting or misstating material information related to Lumen’s responsibility for environmental degradation allegedly caused by the lead sheathing of certain telecommunications cables. The court appointed lead plaintiffs who filed an amended complaint, seeking money damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and other relief.

Derivative Litigation. On June 11, 2024, a purported shareholder of Lumen filed a shareholder derivative complaint on behalf of Lumen captioned Brown v. Johnson, et al., Case 3:24-cv-00798-TAD-KDM, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The complaint alleges claims for breach of fiduciary duty, violations of the federal securities laws, and other causes of action against current and former officers and directors of Lumen relating to placement or presence of lead-sheathed telecommunications cables. The complaint seeks damages, injunctive relief, and attorneys' fees. Substantially similar derivative cases have been filed as follows: (i) on August 9, 2024, Pourarian v. Johnson, et al., Case 3:24-cv-01071-TAD-KMM in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana; (ii) on September 9, 2024, Capistrano v. Johnson, et al., Case 3:24-cv-01234-TAD-KMM in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana; (iii) on September 16, 2024, Vogel v. Perry, et al., Case 2024-3360 in the 4th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Ouachita, State of Louisiana, subsequently removed on September 17, 2024 to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana as Case 3:24-cv-01274-TAD-KMM; and (iv) on September 25, 2024, Murray v. Allen, et al., Case 3:24-cv-01320 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Environmental Litigation

Parish of St. Mary. On July 9, 2024, a putative class action complaint was filed in the 16th Judicial District Court for the Parish of St. Mary, State of Louisiana, Case 138575, asserting claims on behalf of all parishes, municipalities, and citizens owning real properties in the State of Louisiana that have been affected by lead-sheathed telecommunications cables installed by AT&T and Lumen or their predecessors. The complaint seeks damages and injunctive relief under Louisiana state law. The case has been removed to the United States District Court Western District of Louisiana Lafayette Division, Case 6:24-CV-01001-RRS-DJA.

Blum. On November 6, 2023, a putative class action complaint was filed in the 16th Judicial District Court for the Parish of St. Mary, State of Louisiana, Case 137935, asserting claims on behalf of all citizens owning real properties in the State of Louisiana that have been affected by lead-sheathed telecommunications cables installed by AT&T, BellSouth, Verizon, and Lumen or their predecessors. The complaint seeks damages and injunctive relief under Louisiana state law. The case has been removed to Federal Court in the United States District Court Western District of Louisiana Lafayette Division, Case 6:23-CV-01748.
State Tax Suits

Since 2012, a number of Missouri municipalities have asserted claims in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri, alleging that we and several of our subsidiaries have underpaid taxes. These municipalities are seeking, among other things, declaratory relief regarding the application of business license and gross receipts taxes and back taxes from 2007 to the present, plus penalties and interest. In a February 2017 ruling in connection with one of these pending cases, the court entered an order awarding the plaintiffs $4 million and broadening the tax base on a going-forward basis. We appealed that decision to the Missouri Supreme Court. In December 2019, it affirmed the circuit court's order in some respects and reversed it in others, remanding the case to the circuit court for further proceedings. The Missouri Supreme Court's decision reduced our exposure in the case. In a June 2021 ruling in one of the pending cases, another trial court awarded the cities of Columbia and Joplin approximately $55 million, plus statutory interest. On appeal, the Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed in part and reversed in part, vacated the judgment and remanded the case to the trial court with instructions for further proceedings consistent with the Missouri Supreme Court's decision.

FCRA Litigation

In November 2014, a putative class action complaint captioned Bultemeyer v. CenturyLink, Inc. was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Case CV-14-02530-PHX-SPL, alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (the "FCRA"). In February 2017, the case was dismissed for lack of standing. Plaintiff appealed and the 9th Circuit reversed and remanded. Class certification was contested and ultimately granted in 2023. The 9th Circuit denied Lumen’s request to appeal the class certification ruling. A jury trial was conducted in September 2024. The jury found that CenturyLink willfully violated the FCRA, and awarded each class member $500 for statutory damages and $2,000 for punitive damages. If the verdict is not set aside in connection with post-trial motion practice, Lumen will appeal to the 9th Circuit. We have not accrued a contingent liability for this matter. While liability is ultimately possible, we have not determined it to be probable, and cannot estimate any final damages exposure, if any, which remains uncertain.

Billing Practices Suits

In June 2017, a former employee filed an employment lawsuit against us claiming that she was wrongfully terminated for alleging that we charged some of our retail customers for products and services they did not authorize. Thereafter, based in part on the allegations made by the former employee, several legal proceedings were filed, including consumer class actions in federal and state courts, a series of securities investor class actions in federal courts and several shareholder derivative actions in federal and Louisiana state courts. The derivative cases were brought on behalf of CenturyLink, Inc. against certain current and former officers and directors of the Company and seek damages for alleged breaches of fiduciary duties. We have settled the consumer and securities investor class actions and the derivative actions.

We have engaged in discussions regarding related claims with a number of state attorneys general, and have entered into agreements settling certain of the consumer practices claims asserted by several state attorneys general.

December 2018 Outage Proceedings

We experienced an outage on one of our transport networks that impacted voice, IP, 911, and transport services for some of our customers between the 27th and 29th of December 2018. We believe that the outage was caused by a faulty network management card from a third-party equipment vendor.

The FCC and four states initiated formal investigations. In November 2020, following the FCC's release of a public report on the outage, we negotiated a settlement which was released by the FCC in December 2020. The amount of the settlement was not material to our financial statements.

In December 2020, the Staff of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission ("WUTC") filed a complaint against us based on the December 2018 outage, seeking penalties of approximately $7 million for alleged violations of Washington regulations and laws. The Washington Attorney General's office sought penalties of $27 million. Following trial before the WUTC, it issued an order in June 2023 penalizing us for approximately $1 million. The case is pending before the Washington State Court of Appeals.
Latin American Tax Litigation and Claims

In connection with the 2022 divestiture of our Latin American business, the purchaser assumed responsibility for the Brazilian tax claims described in our prior periodic reports filed with the SEC. We agreed to indemnify the purchaser for amounts paid with respect to the Brazilian tax claims. The value of this indemnification and others associated with the Latin American business divestiture are included in the indemnification amount as disclosed in Note 9—Fair Value of Financial Instruments.

Huawei Network Deployment Investigations

Lumen has received requests from the following federal agencies for information relating to the use of equipment manufactured by Huawei Technologies Company ("Huawei") in Lumen’s networks.

•DOJ. Lumen has received a civil investigative demand from the U.S. Department of Justice in the course of a False Claims Act investigation alleging that Lumen Technologies, Inc. and Lumen Technologies Government Solutions, Inc. failed to comply with certain specified requirements in federal contracts concerning their use of Huawei equipment. 

•FCC. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a Letter of Inquiry to Lumen Technologies, Inc. regarding its written certifications to the FCC that Lumen has complied with FCC rules governing the use of resources derived from the High Cost Program, Lifeline Program, Rural Health Care Program, E-Rate Program, Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, and the Affordable Connectivity Program. Under these programs, federal funds may not be used to facilitate the deployment or maintenance of equipment or services provided by Huawei, a company that the FCC has determined poses a national security threat to the integrity of U.S. communications networks or the communications supply chain.

•Team Telecom. The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Service Sector (comprised of the U.S. Attorney General, and the Secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense), commonly referred to as Team Telecom, issued questions and requests for information relating to Lumen’s FCC licenses and its use of Huawei equipment.

Marshall Fire Litigation

On December 30, 2021, a wildfire referred to as the Marshall Fire ignited near Boulder, Colorado. The Marshall Fire killed two people, and it burned thousands of acres, including entire neighborhoods. Approximately 300 lawsuits naming various defendants and asserting various claims for relief have been filed. To date, three of those name our affiliate Qwest Corporation as being at fault: Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, et al., v. Qwest Corp., et al., Case 2023-cv-3048, and Wallace, et al. v. Qwest Corp., et al., Case 2023-cv-30488, both of which have been consolidated with Kupfner, et al., v. Public Service Company of Colorado, et al., Case 2022-cv-30195. The consolidated proceeding is pending in Colorado District Court, Boulder, Colorado. Preliminary estimates of potential damage claims exceed $2 billion.

911 Surcharge

In June 2021, the Company was served with a complaint filed in the Santa Fe County District Court by Phone Recovery Services, LLC (“PRS”), acting on behalf of the State of New Mexico. The complaint claims Qwest Corporation and CenturyTel of the Southwest have violated the New Mexico Fraud Against Taxpayers Act since 2004 by failing to bill, collect and remit certain 911 surcharges from customers. Through pre-trial proceedings, the Court narrowed the issues to be resolved by jury. On August 21, 2024, a jury decided the remaining issues, and consequently all claims asserted, in Lumen's favor. Plaintiff has filed a Notice of Appeal and Lumen submitted a cross-appeal as to the original motion to dismiss and motion for summary judgment.
Other Proceedings, Disputes and Contingencies

From time to time, we are involved in other proceedings incidental to our business, including patent infringement allegations, regulatory hearings relating primarily to our rates or services, actions relating to employee claims, tax issues, or environmental law issues, grievance hearings before labor regulatory agencies, miscellaneous third-party tort actions, or commercial disputes.

We are currently defending several patent infringement lawsuits asserted against us by non-practicing entities which are seeking substantial recoveries. These cases have progressed to various stages and one or more may go to trial within the next twelve months if they are not otherwise resolved. Where applicable, we are seeking full or partial indemnification from our vendors and suppliers.

We are subject to various foreign, federal, state and local environmental protection and health and safety laws. From time to time, we are subject to judicial and administrative proceedings brought by various governmental authorities under these laws. Several such proceedings are currently pending, but none is reasonably expected to exceed $300,000 in fines and penalties. In addition, in the past we acquired companies that had installed lead-sheathed cables several decades earlier, or had operated certain manufacturing companies in the first part of the 1900s. Under applicable environmental laws, we could be named as a potentially responsible party for a share of the remediation of environmental conditions arising from the historical operations of our predecessors.

The outcomes of these other proceedings described under this heading are not predictable. However, based on current circumstances, we do not believe that the ultimate resolution of these other proceedings, after considering available defenses and any insurance coverage or indemnification rights, will have a material adverse effect on us.

The matters listed in this Note do not reflect all our contingencies. For additional information on our contingencies, see Note 18—Commitments, Contingencies and Other Items to the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II, Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. The ultimate outcome of the above-described matters may differ materially from the outcomes anticipated, estimated, projected or implied by us in certain of our statements appearing above in this Note, and proceedings we currently consider immaterial may ultimately affect us materially.
v3.24.3
Other Financial Information
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]  
Other Financial Information
Note 12—Other Financial Information

Other Current Assets

The following table presents details of other current assets reflected on our consolidated balance sheets:

September 30, 2024December 31, 2023
(Dollars in millions)
Prepaid expenses$357 395 
Income tax receivable16 273 
Materials, supplies and inventory173 209 
Contract assets13 19 
Contract acquisition costs101 107 
Contract fulfillment costs106 102 
Assets held for sale86 104 
Other19 14 
Total other current assets
$871 1,223 
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net reflects certain items not directly related to our core operations, including gains and losses from non-operating asset dispositions. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, Other income (expense), net included a gain on sale of investment of $205 million.
v3.24.3
Repurchases of Lumen Common Stock
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Equity [Abstract]  
Repurchases of Lumen Common Stock
Note 13—Repurchases of Lumen Common Stock

During the fourth quarter of 2022, our Board of Directors authorized a two-year program to repurchase up to an aggregate of $1.5 billion of our outstanding common stock. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, we did not repurchase any shares of our outstanding common stock under this program. As of September 30, 2024, we were authorized to purchase up to an aggregate of $1.3 billion of our outstanding common stock under this program, which expired on November 2, 2024.
v3.24.3
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]  
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
Note 14—Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Information Relating to 2024

The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss recorded on our consolidated balance sheet by component for the nine months ended September 30, 2024:

Pension PlansPost-Retirement Benefit PlansForeign Currency Translation Adjustment and OtherTotal
 (Dollars in millions)
Balance at December 31, 2023$(1,045)276 (41)(810)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss57 (13)— 44 
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)57 (13)— 44 
Balance at September 30, 2024$(988)263 (41)(766)

The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024:

Three Months Ended September 30, 2024Decrease (Increase)
in Net Income		Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations
 (Dollars in millions) 
Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans(1)
  
Net actuarial loss$24 Other income (expense), net
Prior service credit(4)Other income (expense), net
Total before tax20  
Income tax benefit(5)Income tax (benefit) expense
Net of tax$15  

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024Decrease (Increase)
in Net Income		Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations
 (Dollars in millions) 
Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans(1)
  
Net actuarial loss$69 Other income (expense), net
Prior service credit(11)Other income (expense), net
Total before tax58  
Income tax benefit(14)Income tax (benefit) expense
Net of tax$44  
________________________________________________________________________
(1)See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit expense (income) related to our pension and post-retirement plans.
Information Relating to 2023

The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss recorded on our consolidated balance sheets by component for the nine months ended September 30, 2023:

Pension PlansPost-Retirement Benefit PlansForeign Currency Translation Adjustment and OtherTotal
 (Dollars in millions)
Balance at December 31, 2022$(985)308 (422)(1,099)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications
— — 3 3 
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss55 (16)— 39 
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)55 (16)3 42 
Balance at September 30, 2023$(930)292 (419)(1,057)

The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023:

Three Months Ended September 30, 2023Decrease (Increase)
in Net Income		Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations
 (Dollars in millions) 
Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans(1)
  
Net actuarial loss$22 Other income (expense), net
Prior service credit
(4)Other income (expense), net
Total before tax18  
Income tax benefit(5)Income tax (benefit) expense
Net of tax$13  

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023Decrease (Increase)
in Net Income		Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations
 (Dollars in millions) 
Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans(1)
  
Net actuarial loss$63 Other income (expense), net
Prior service credit(11)Other income (expense), net
Total before tax52  
Income tax benefit(13)Income tax (benefit) expense
Net of tax$39  
________________________________________________________________________
(1)See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit income related to our pension and post-retirement plans.
v3.24.3
Labor Union Contracts
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]  
Labor Union Contracts
Note 15—Labor Union Contracts

As of September 30, 2024, approximately 21% of our employees were represented by the Communications Workers of America ("CWA") or the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ("IBEW"). Approximately 10% of our represented employees are subject to collective bargaining agreements that are scheduled to expire over the 12 month period ending September 30, 2025.
v3.24.3
Background (Policies)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation

Our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2023, which was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, and our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements provided herein have been prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") have been condensed or omitted pursuant to rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). However, in our opinion, the disclosures made therein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. We believe these consolidated financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the results for the interim periods. The consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the first nine months of the year are not necessarily indicative of the consolidated results of operations and cash flows that might be expected for the entire year. These consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our subsidiaries in which we have a controlling interest. Intercompany amounts and transactions with our consolidated subsidiaries have been eliminated.

To simplify the overall presentation of our consolidated financial statements, we report immaterial amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests in certain of our subsidiaries as follows: (i) income attributable to noncontrolling interests in other income (expense), net, (ii) equity attributable to noncontrolling interests in additional paid-in capital and (iii) cash flows attributable to noncontrolling interests in other, net financing activities.
Reclassification We reclassified certain prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation, including the recategorization of our Business revenue by product category and sales channel in our segment reporting.
Operating Leases
Operating lease assets are included in Other, net under Goodwill and Other Assets on our consolidated balance sheets. Noncurrent operating lease liabilities are included in Other under Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Supplier Finance Programs

On January 1, 2023, we adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2022-04, “Liabilities-Supplier Finance Program (Subtopic 405-50): Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations” (“ASU 2022-04”). These amendments require that a company that uses a supplier finance program in connection with the purchase of goods or services disclose sufficient information about the program to allow a user of financial statements to understand the program’s nature, program activity during the period, changes from period to period and the potential magnitude of program transactions. The adoption of ASU 2022-04 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Credit Losses

On January 1, 2023, we adopted ASU 2022-02, “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDR”) and Vintage Disclosures” (“ASU 2022-02”). The ASU eliminates the TDR recognition and measurement guidance, enhances existing disclosure requirements and introduces new requirements related to certain modifications of receivables made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. The adoption of ASU 2022-02 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Adoption of Other ASU With No Impact

On January 1, 2024, we adopted ASU 2023-01, “Leases (Topic 842): Common Control Arrangements”, and ASU 2022-03, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions”. The adoption of these ASUs did not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2023-09 “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-09”). This ASU requires public business entities to annually (i) disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation and (ii) provide additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold (if the effect of those reconciling items is equal to or greater than 5 percent of the amount computed by multiplying pretax income or loss by the applicable statutory income tax rate). ASU 2023-09 will become effective for us in fiscal year 2025 and early adoption is permitted. As of September 30, 2024, we have not early adopted this ASU and are currently evaluating its impact on our consolidated financial statements, including our annual disclosure within our Income Taxes note.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-07”). This ASU is intended to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. This ASU will become effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. As of September 30, 2024, we have not early adopted this ASU. We anticipate adopting this ASU for the year ended December 31, 2024 and expect the Segment Information footnote to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 will align with the standard. We do not anticipate that this standard will affect our operating results.
v3.24.3
Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]  
Schedule of Intangible Assets and Goodwill
Goodwill, customer relationships and other intangible assets consisted of the following:

September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
(Dollars in millions)
Goodwill$1,964 1,964 
Indefinite-lived intangible assets$9 9 
Other intangible assets subject to amortization: 
Customer relationships, less accumulated amortization of $4,361 and $4,248(1)
3,346 3,811 
Capitalized software, less accumulated amortization of $4,112 and $4,045(1)
1,536 1,564 
Trade names, patents and other, less accumulated amortization of $82 and $72
76 86 
Total other intangible assets, net$4,967 5,470 
______________________________________________________________________
(1)    Certain customer relationships with a gross carrying value of $352 million and capitalized software with a gross carrying value of $153 million became fully amortized during 2023 and were retired during the first quarter of 2024.
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense
We estimate that future total amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets will be as follows:

 (Dollars in millions)
2024 (remaining three months)$238 
2025901 
2026848 
2027760 
2028690 
2029 and thereafter1,521 
Total finite-lived intangible assets future amortization expense
$4,958 
v3.24.3
Revenue Recognition (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
Schedule of Revenue from External Customers by Products and Services
The following tables provide total revenue by segment, sales channel and product category. They also provide the amount of revenue that is not subject to ASC 606, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" ("ASC 606"), but is instead governed by other accounting standards. The amounts in the tables below include revenue for the EMEA business prior to its sales on November 1, 2023. See Note 2—Divestitures of the Latin American, ILEC and EMEA Businesses in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 for additional information on these divestitures.
Three Months Ended September 30, 2024Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Total Revenue
Adjustments for Non-ASC 606 revenue (1)
Total revenue from Contracts with CustomersTotal Revenue
Adjustments for Non-ASC 606 revenue (1)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers
(Dollars in millions)
Business Segment by Sales Channel and Product Category
Large Enterprise
Grow$436 (73)363 429 (48)381 
Nurture253 — 253 297 — 297 
Harvest106 — 106 131 — 131 
Other44 — 44 57 (3)54 
Total Large Enterprise Revenue839 (73)766 914 (51)863 
Mid-Market Enterprise
Grow211 (6)205 201 (6)195 
Nurture167 — 167 203 — 203 
Harvest83 (1)82 93 (1)92 
Other10 (4)6 9 (1)8 
Total Mid-Market Enterprise Revenue471 (11)460 506 (8)498 
Public Sector
Grow131 (21)110 118 (22)96 
Nurture87 — 87 98 — 98 
Harvest86 (1)85 96 — 96 
Other123 — 123 133 — 133 
Total Public Sector Revenue427 (22)405 445 (22)423 
Wholesale
Grow259 (73)186 256 (61)195 
Nurture183 (6)177 206 (5)201 
Harvest261 (35)226 312 (42)270 
Other3 — 3 2 — 2 
Total Wholesale Revenue706 (114)592 776 (108)668 
International and Other
Grow39 (1)38 127 (29)98 
Nurture39 — 39 70 — 70 
Harvest13 — 13 30 — 30 
Other2 — 2 37 — 37 
Total International and Other93 (1)92 264 (29)235 
Business Segment by Product Category
Grow1,076 (174)902 1,131 (166)965 
Nurture729 (6)723 874 (5)869 
Harvest549 (37)512 662 (43)619 
Other182 (4)178 238 (4)234 
Total Business Segment Revenue2,536 (221)2,315 2,905 (218)2,687 
Mass Markets Segment by Product Category
Fiber Broadband190 (3)187 163 (4)159 
Other Broadband282 (25)257 341 (31)310 
Voice and Other213 (5)208 232 (9)223 
Total Mass Markets Revenue685 (33)652 736 (44)692 
Total Revenue$3,221 (254)2,967 3,641 (262)3,379 
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Total Revenue
Adjustments for Non-ASC 606 revenue (1)
Total revenue from Contracts with CustomersTotal Revenue
Adjustments for Non-ASC 606 revenue (1)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers
(Dollars in millions)
Business Segment by Sales Channel and Product Category
Large Enterprise
Grow$1,287 (183)1,104 1,278 (145)1,133 
Nurture779 — 779 890 — 890 
Harvest337 — 337 403 — 403 
Other131 (1)130 153 (5)148 
Total Large Enterprise Revenue2,534 (184)2,350 2,724 (150)2,574 
Mid-Market Enterprise
Grow628 (19)609 601 (21)580 
Nurture533 — 533 632 — 632 
Harvest248 (3)245 283 (3)280 
Other26 (5)21 27 (4)23 
Total Mid-Market Enterprise Revenue1,435 (27)1,408 1,543 (28)1,515 
Public Sector
Grow383 (62)321 354 (60)294 
Nurture262 — 262 298 — 298 
Harvest272 (3)269 290 — 290 
Other378 — 378 350 — 350 
Total Public Sector Revenue1,295 (65)1,230 1,292 (60)1,232 
Wholesale
Grow783 (211)572 792 (194)598 
Nurture562 (20)542 627 (19)608 
Harvest807 (110)697 974 (129)845 
Other7 — 7 9 — 9 
Total Wholesale Revenue2,159 (341)1,818 2,402 (342)2,060 
International and Other
Grow117 (3)114 384 (89)295 
Nurture121 — 121 214 — 214 
Harvest33 — 33 109 — 109 
Other10 — 10 113 — 113 
Total International and Other281 (3)278 820 (89)731 
Business Segment by Product Category
Grow3,198 (478)2,720 3,409 (509)2,900 
Nurture2,257 (20)2,237 2,661 (19)2,642 
Harvest1,697 (116)1,581 2,059 (132)1,927 
Other552 (6)546 652 (9)643 
Total Business Segment Revenue7,704 (620)7,084 8,781 (669)8,112 
Mass Markets Segment by Product Category
Fiber Broadband541 (10)531 473 (12)461 
Other Broadband895 (80)815 1,065 (96)969 
Voice and Other639 (23)616 721 (27)694 
Total Mass Markets Revenue2,075 (113)1,962 2,259 (135)2,124 
Total Revenue$9,779 (733)9,046 11,040 (804)10,236 
_____________________________________________________________________
(1)Includes regulatory revenue and lease revenue not within the scope of ASC 606.
Schedule of Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability
The following table provides balances of customer receivables, contract assets and contract liabilities, net of amounts classified as held for sale, as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

September 30, 2024December 31, 2023
 (Dollars in millions)
Customer receivables, less allowance of $53 and $60
$1,193 1,256 
Contract assets
21 29 
Contract liabilities
741 698 
Schedule of Capitalized Contract Cost
The following tables provide changes in our contract acquisition costs and fulfillment costs:

Three Months Ended September 30, 2024Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Acquisition CostsFulfillment CostsAcquisition CostsFulfillment Costs
(Dollars in millions)(Dollars in millions)
Beginning of period balance(1)
$185 204 183 186 
Costs incurred36 41 31 41 
Amortization(32)(36)(37)(35)
End of period balance(3)
$189 209 177 192 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Acquisition CostsFulfillment CostsAcquisition CostsFulfillment Costs
(Dollars in millions)(Dollars in millions)
Beginning of period balance(2)
$182 184 202 192 
Costs incurred104 126 96 120 
Amortization(97)(101)(117)(106)
Change in contract costs held for sale— — (4)(14)
End of period balance(3)
$189 209 177 192 
______________________________________________________________________
(1)Beginning of period balance for the three months ended September 30, 2023 excludes $10 million of acquisition costs and $14 million fulfillment costs classified as held for sale related to the EMEA business.
(2)Beginning of period balance for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 excludes $6 million of acquisition costs and no fulfillment costs classified as held for sale related to the EMEA business.
(3)End of period balance for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 excludes $10 million of acquisition costs and $14 million of fulfillment costs classified as held for sale related to the EMEA business.
v3.24.3
Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Credit Loss [Abstract]  
Schedule of Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss
The following table presents the activity of our allowance for credit losses by accounts receivable portfolio for the nine months ended September 30, 2024:

BusinessMass MarketsTotal
(Dollars in millions)
As of December 31, 2023
$36 31 67 
Provision for expected losses19 35 54 
Write-offs charged against the allowance(26)(43)(69)
Recoveries collected5 3 8 
Ending balance at September 30, 2024
$34 26 60 
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Schedule of Long-term Debt Including Unamortized Discounts and Premiums
The following tables reflect the consolidated long-term debt of Lumen Technologies and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated below, including unamortized discounts and premiums and unamortized debt issuance costs:

Interest Rates(1)
Maturities(1)
September 30, 2024December 31, 2023
   (Dollars in millions)
Secured Senior Debt: (2)
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Series A Revolving Credit Facility
SOFR + 4.00%
2028$— — 
Series B Revolving Credit Facility
SOFR + 6.00%
2028— — 
Term Loan A(3)
SOFR + 6.00%
2028362 — 
Term Loan B-1(4)
SOFR + 2.35%
20291,610 — 
Term Loan B-2(4)
SOFR + 2.35%
20301,610 — 
Term Loan B(5)
SOFR + 2.25%
202757 3,891 
Other Facilities(6)
SOFR + 2.00%
2025— 1,399 
Superpriority Notes
4.125% - 10.000%
2029 - 2032
1,247 — 
Former Parent Secured Notes4.000%2027— 1,250 
Subsidiaries
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
Term Loan B-1(7)
SOFR + 6.56%
20291,199 — 
Term Loan B-2(7)
SOFR + 6.56%
20301,199 — 
Former Level 3 Facility(8)
SOFR + 1.75%
202712 2,411 
First Lien Notes(9)
10.500% - 11.000%
2029 - 2030
3,846 925 
Second Lien Notes
3.875% - 10.000%
2029 - 2032
2,579 — 
Former Level 3 Senior Notes
3.400% - 3.875%
2027 - 2029
— 1,500 
Unsecured Senior Notes and Other Debt:
    
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Senior notes(10)
4.000% - 7.650%
2025 - 2042
1,539 2,143 
Subsidiaries:
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
Senior notes(11)
3.400% - 4.625%
2027 - 2029
1,508 3,940 
Qwest Corporation
Senior notes
6.500% - 7.750%
2025 - 2057
1,974 1,986 
Term loan(12)
SOFR + 2.50%
2027— 215 
Qwest Capital Funding, Inc.
Senior notes
6.875% - 7.750%
2028 - 2031
192 192 
Finance lease and other obligationsVariousVarious263 285 
Unamortized discounts, net  (412)(4)
Unamortized debt issuance costs(228)(145)
Total long-term debt  18,557 19,988 
Less current maturities   (415)(157)
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities  $18,142 19,831 
______________________________________________________________________ 
(1)As of September 30, 2024. All references to "SOFR" refer to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate.
(2)As discussed further below in this Note, the debt listed under the caption “Senior Secured Debt” is either secured by assets of the issuer, guaranteed on a secured or unsecured basis by certain affiliates of the issuer, or both. As discussed further in footnotes 10 and 11, we reclassified in the table above certain notes that were guaranteed, secured, or both prior to the Effective Date (as defined below) from “secured” to “unsecured” in light of amendments that released such security interests.
(3)Term Loan A had an interest rate of 11.247% as of September 30, 2024.
(4)Term Loan B-1 and B-2 each had an interest rate of 7.742% as of September 30, 2024.
(5)Term Loan B had an interest rate of 7.611% and 7.720% as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
(6)Reflects revolving credit facility and term loan A and A-1 debt issued under the Former Parent Facilities, which had interest rates of 7.464% and 7.470%, respectively, as of December 31, 2023.
(7)The Level 3 Term Loan B-1 and B-2 each had an interest rate of 11.838% as of September 30, 2024.
(8)Reflects Level 3 Tranche B 2027 Term Loan issued under the Former Level 3 Facility, which had an interest rate of 7.111% and 7.220% as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
(9)Includes Level 3's 10.500% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 issued in early 2023, the terms of which have been amended to be consistent with Level 3's first lien notes issued on March 22, 2024.
(10)The total amount of these notes at September 30, 2024 includes the remaining aggregate principal amount due under the Former Parent Secured Notes, the terms of which were amended on March 22, 2024 to release the guarantees of such debt that could be released in accordance with their indentures and the security interests relating thereto.
(11)The total amount for these notes at September 30, 2024 includes the remaining aggregate principal amount due under the Former Level 3 Secured Notes, the terms of which were amended on March 22, 2024 to release the security interests relating thereto.
(12)The Qwest Corporation Term Loan had an interest rate of 7.970% as of December 31, 2023.
Schedule of Maturities of Long-Term Debt
Set forth below is the aggregate principal amount of our long-term debt as of September 30, 2024 (excluding unamortized discounts, net, and unamortized debt issuance costs), maturing during the following years.

 (Dollars in millions)
2024 (remaining three months)$23 
2025448 
2026101 
2027302 
20281,080 
2029 and thereafter17,243 
Total long-term debt$19,197 
Schedule of Debt Issuances
The following table sets forth the aggregate principal amount of each series of senior unsecured notes of Lumen and Level 3 Financing exchanged and retired on September 24, 2024 in connection with the Exchange Offers:

Debt
Aggregate Principal Amount (in millions)
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
5.125% senior notes due 2026
$137 
4.000% senior secured notes due 2027 (unsecured)
188 
6.875% debentures, series G, due 2028
80 
4.500% senior notes due 2029
86 
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
3.400% senior secured notes due 2027 (unsecured)
77 
4.625% senior notes due 2027
280 
Total
$848 
The following table sets forth the aggregate principal balance as of September 30, 2024 of the debt issued by Lumen or Level 3 Financing in connection with the TSA Transactions:

New Debt Issuances(1)
Aggregate Principal Amount as of September 30, 2024 (in millions)
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Term Loan A(2)
$362 
Term Loan B-1(2)
1,610 
Term Loan B-2(2)
1,610 
4.125% Superpriority Notes due 2029-2030
808 
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
Term Loan B-1
1,199 
Term Loan B-2
1,199 
10.500% First Lien Notes due 2029
668 
10.750% First Lien Notes due 2029
678 
11.000% First Lien Notes due 2029
1,575 
4.875% Second Lien Notes due 2029
606 
4.500% Second Lien Notes due 2030
712 
3.875% Second Lien Notes due 2030
458 
4.000% Second Lien Notes due 2031
453 
Total
$11,938 
______________________________________________________________________ 
(1)Except for Lumen's Term Loan A and $1.375 billion of Level 3 Financing's 11.000% First Lien Notes due 2029, all of the new debt listed in this table was issued in the first quarter of 2024 in exchange for previously-issued debt of Lumen or Level 3 Financing in connection with the TSA Transactions.
(2)Reflects approximately $53 million of term loan installment payments made between the Effective Date and September 30, 2024.
Schedule of Debt Repayments and Exchanges
The following table sets forth the aggregate principal amount of each of Lumen's consolidated debt arrangements that were partially or fully paid in exchange for cash or newly-issued debt during the first quarter of 2024 in connection with the TSA Transactions:
Aggregate Principal Amount
(in millions)
Debt
Repaid
Exchanged
Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Term Loan A
$933 — 
Term Loan A-1
266 — 
Term Loan B
575 3,259 
5.125% Senior Notes due 2026
116 147 
4.000% Senior Notes due 2027
153 865 
Level 3 Financing, Inc.
Term Loan B
— 2,398 
3.400% Senior Notes due 2027
— 668 
3.875% Senior Notes due 2029
— 678 
4.625% Senior Notes due 2027
— 606 
4.250% Senior Notes due 2028
— 712 
3.625% Senior Notes due 2029
— 458 
3.750% Senior Notes due 2029
— 453 
Qwest Corporation
Senior Term B Loan
215 — 
Total$2,258 10,244 
v3.24.3
Severance (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]  
Schedule of Changes in Accrued Liabilities for Severance Expenses
Changes in our accrued liabilities for severance expenses were as follows:

Severance

(Dollars in millions)
Balance at December 31, 2023$18 
Accrued to expense119 
Payments, net(122)
Balance at September 30, 2024$15 
v3.24.3
Employee Benefits (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Schedule of Components of Net Periodic Pension Benefit Expense and Post-retirement Benefit Expense
Net periodic benefit expense for the Lumen Combined Pension Plan (the "Combined Pension Plan" or the "Plan") includes the following components:

Combined Pension Plan
 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
202420232024
2023
 (Dollars in millions)
Service cost$6 7 18 19 
Interest cost63 67 188 202 
Expected return on plan assets(68)(72)(204)(215)
Recognition of prior service credit(3)(2)(6)(5)
Recognition of actuarial loss28 27 82 78 
Net periodic pension expense$26 27 78 79 


Net periodic benefit expense for our post-retirement benefit plans includes the following components:

 Post-Retirement Benefit Plans
 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2024202320242023
 (Dollars in millions)
Service cost$1 1 3 4 
Interest cost23 26 70 77 
Recognition of prior service credit(1)(2)(5)(6)
Recognition of actuarial gain(4)(5)(13)(15)
Special termination benefits charge— — 2 — 
Net periodic post-retirement benefit expense$19 20 57 60 
v3.24.3
Earnings Per Common Share (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]  
Schedule of Basic and Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Common Share
Basic and diluted loss per common share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were calculated as follows:

 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2024202320242023
 (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts, shares in thousands)
Loss (numerator)
Net loss$(148)(78)(140)(8,303)
Net loss applicable to common stock for computing basic loss per common share(148)(78)(140)(8,303)
Net loss as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted loss per common share(148)(78)(140)(8,303)
Shares (denominator):
Weighted-average number of shares:
Outstanding during period1,016,211 1,008,523 1,014,473 1,006,140 
Non-vested restricted stock(27,417)(24,973)(27,510)(23,287)
Weighted average shares outstanding for computing basic loss per common share988,794 983,550 986,963 982,853 
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities:
Shares issuable under convertible securities— — — — 
Shares issuable under incentive compensation plans— — — — 
Number of shares as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted loss per common share988,794 983,550 986,963 982,853 
Basic loss per common share$(0.15)(0.08)(0.14)(8.45)
Diluted loss per common share(1)
$(0.15)(0.08)(0.14)(8.45)
______________________________________________________________________ 
(1)For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, we excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share 12 million and 5 million shares, respectively, potentially issuable under incentive compensations plans or convertible securities, as their effect, if included, would have been anti-dilutive due to our net loss position. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share less than 1 million shares, potentially issuable under incentive compensations plans or convertible securities, as their effect, if included, would have been anti-dilutive due to our net loss position.
v3.24.3
Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Schedule of Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques
The three input levels in the hierarchy of fair value measurements are defined by the FASB generally as follows:

Input LevelDescription of Input
Level 1Observable inputs such as quoted market prices in active markets.
Level 2Inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable.
Level 3Unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists.
Schedule of Carrying Amounts and Estimated Fair Values of Financial Assets and Liabilities
The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of our financial assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

  September 30, 2024December 31, 2023
 Input
Level		Carrying
Amount		Fair
Value		Carrying
Amount		Fair
Value
 (Dollars in millions)
Long-term debt, excluding finance lease and other obligations
2$18,294 16,766 19,703 13,304 
Indemnifications related to the sale of the Latin American business(1)
387 8486 86 
______________________________________________________________________
(1)Nonrecurring fair value is measured as of August 1, 2022.
v3.24.3
Segment Information (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Segment Reporting [Abstract]  
Schedule of Segment Results
The following tables summarize our segment results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, based on our segment categorization as of September 30, 2024.

Three Months Ended September 30, 2024Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
BusinessMass MarketsBusinessMass Markets
(Dollars in millions)
Segment revenue$2,536 685 7,704 2,075 
Segment expenses:
Cost of services and products766 16 2,266 53 
Selling, general and administrative453 323 1,407 937 
Total segment expense1,219 339 3,673 990 
Total segment adjusted EBITDA$1,317 346 4,031 1,085 

Three Months Ended September 30, 2023Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
BusinessMass MarketsBusinessMass Markets
(Dollars in millions)
Segment revenue$2,905 736 8,781 2,259 
Segment expenses:
Cost of services and products825 19 2,428 61 
Selling, general and administrative610 364 1,723 1,038 
Total segment expense1,435 383 4,151 1,099 
Total segment adjusted EBITDA$1,470 353 4,630 1,160 
Schedule of Reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA to Net (Loss) Income
The following table reconciles total segment adjusted EBITDA to net loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:

 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2024202320242023
 (Dollars in millions)
Total segment adjusted EBITDA$1,663 1,823 5,116 5,790 
Depreciation and amortization(707)(755)(2,198)(2,234)
Goodwill impairment— — — (8,793)
Other unallocated expense(820)(829)(2,591)(2,532)
Stock-based compensation expense(10)(16)(21)(39)
Operating income (loss)126 223 306 (7,808)
Total other expense, net(298)(308)(417)(287)
Loss before income taxes(172)(85)(111)(8,095)
Income tax (benefit) expense(24)(7)29 208 
Net loss$(148)(78)(140)(8,303)
v3.24.3
Other Financial Information (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]  
Schedule of Components of Other Current Assets
The following table presents details of other current assets reflected on our consolidated balance sheets:

September 30, 2024December 31, 2023
(Dollars in millions)
Prepaid expenses$357 395 
Income tax receivable16 273 
Materials, supplies and inventory173 209 
Contract assets13 19 
Contract acquisition costs101 107 
Contract fulfillment costs106 102 
Assets held for sale86 104 
Other19 14 
Total other current assets
$871 1,223 
v3.24.3
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]  
Schedule of the Entity's Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss by Component
The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss recorded on our consolidated balance sheet by component for the nine months ended September 30, 2024:

Pension PlansPost-Retirement Benefit PlansForeign Currency Translation Adjustment and OtherTotal
 (Dollars in millions)
Balance at December 31, 2023$(1,045)276 (41)(810)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss57 (13)— 44 
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)57 (13)— 44 
Balance at September 30, 2024$(988)263 (41)(766)
The table below summarizes changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss recorded on our consolidated balance sheets by component for the nine months ended September 30, 2023:

Pension PlansPost-Retirement Benefit PlansForeign Currency Translation Adjustment and OtherTotal
 (Dollars in millions)
Balance at December 31, 2022$(985)308 (422)(1,099)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications
— — 3 3 
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss55 (16)— 39 
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)55 (16)3 42 
Balance at September 30, 2023$(930)292 (419)(1,057)
Schedule of Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss by Component
The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024:

Three Months Ended September 30, 2024Decrease (Increase)
in Net Income		Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations
 (Dollars in millions) 
Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans(1)
  
Net actuarial loss$24 Other income (expense), net
Prior service credit(4)Other income (expense), net
Total before tax20  
Income tax benefit(5)Income tax (benefit) expense
Net of tax$15  

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024Decrease (Increase)
in Net Income		Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations
 (Dollars in millions) 
Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans(1)
  
Net actuarial loss$69 Other income (expense), net
Prior service credit(11)Other income (expense), net
Total before tax58  
Income tax benefit(14)Income tax (benefit) expense
Net of tax$44  
________________________________________________________________________
(1)See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit expense (income) related to our pension and post-retirement plans.
The tables below present further information about our reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss by component for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023:

Three Months Ended September 30, 2023Decrease (Increase)
in Net Income		Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations
 (Dollars in millions) 
Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans(1)
  
Net actuarial loss$22 Other income (expense), net
Prior service credit
(4)Other income (expense), net
Total before tax18  
Income tax benefit(5)Income tax (benefit) expense
Net of tax$13  

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023Decrease (Increase)
in Net Income		Affected Line Item in Consolidated Statement of Operations
 (Dollars in millions) 
Amortization of pension & post-retirement plans(1)
  
Net actuarial loss$63 Other income (expense), net
Prior service credit(11)Other income (expense), net
Total before tax52  
Income tax benefit(13)Income tax (benefit) expense
Net of tax$39  
________________________________________________________________________
(1)See Note 7—Employee Benefits for additional information on our net periodic benefit income related to our pension and post-retirement plans.
v3.24.3
Background (Details)
$ / shares in Units, $ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended 24 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
$ / shares
Sep. 30, 2023
USD ($)
$ / shares
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
$ / shares
Sep. 30, 2023
USD ($)
$ / shares
Dec. 31, 2023
USD ($)
divestiture
Jan. 01, 2024
Jan. 01, 2023
USD ($)
Oct. 03, 2022
state
Change in Accounting Estimate [Line Items]                
Number of business divestitures | divestiture         3      
Accumulated deficit $ 18,047   $ 18,047   $ 17,907      
Book overdraft balance $ 0   $ 0   $ 0      
Diluted loss per common share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares $ (0.15) $ (0.08) $ (0.14) $ (8.45)        
Change in Accounting Method Accounted for as Change in Estimate                
Change in Accounting Estimate [Line Items]                
Depreciation $ (16)   $ (48)          
Depreciation, net of tax $ (12)   $ (36)          
Diluted loss per common share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares $ 0.01   $ 0.03          
Fiber Network Assets                
Change in Accounting Estimate [Line Items]                
Property, plant and equipment, useful life (in years)         25 years 30 years    
Correction of Error from Understatement of Revenues and Network Expenses Prior to 2021                
Change in Accounting Estimate [Line Items]                
Accumulated deficit   $ 63   $ 63     $ 63  
Disposal Group, Held-for-Sale or Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | ILEC Business                
Change in Accounting Estimate [Line Items]                
Number of states in which the business is conducted | state               20
v3.24.3
Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets - Goodwill, Customer Relationships, and Other Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
Jun. 30, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
Goodwill [Line Items]      
Goodwill $ 1,964   $ 1,964
Indefinite-lived intangible assets 9   9
Finite-lived intangible assets, net 4,958    
Total other intangible assets, net 4,967   5,470
Customer Relationships      
Goodwill [Line Items]      
Finite-lived intangible assets, net 3,346   3,811
Accumulated amortization 4,361   4,248
Capitalized Software      
Goodwill [Line Items]      
Finite-lived intangible assets, net 1,536   1,564
Accumulated amortization 4,112   4,045
Trade Names, Patents and Other      
Goodwill [Line Items]      
Finite-lived intangible assets, net 76   86
Accumulated amortization $ 82   $ 72
Fully Amortized and Retired Customer Relationships      
Goodwill [Line Items]      
Gross carrying value   $ 352  
Fully Amortized and Retired Capitalized Software      
Goodwill [Line Items]      
Gross carrying value   $ 153  
v3.24.3
Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Details)
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2023
USD ($)
Jun. 30, 2023
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
segment
reporting_unit
Sep. 30, 2023
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2023
USD ($)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]            
Intangible assets, gross (including goodwill) $ 15,500,000,000     $ 15,500,000,000   $ 15,800,000,000
Number of reportable segments | segment       2    
Goodwill 1,964,000,000     $ 1,964,000,000   1,964,000,000
Accumulated impairment losses 21,700,000,000     $ 21,700,000,000   21,700,000,000
Number of reporting units | reporting_unit       3    
Goodwill impairment 0 $ 0 $ 8,800,000,000 $ 0 $ 8,793,000,000  
Amortization of intangible assets 253,000,000 $ 271,000,000   802,000,000 $ 794,000,000  
Minimum | Revenue Multiple            
Goodwill [Roll Forward]            
Goodwill impairment, measurement input     1.5      
Minimum | EBITDA Multiple            
Goodwill [Roll Forward]            
Goodwill impairment, measurement input     4.6      
Maximum | Revenue Multiple            
Goodwill [Roll Forward]            
Goodwill impairment, measurement input     4.3      
Maximum | EBITDA Multiple            
Goodwill [Roll Forward]            
Goodwill impairment, measurement input     10.5      
Business            
Goodwill [Roll Forward]            
Goodwill 0     0   0
Mass Markets            
Goodwill [Roll Forward]            
Goodwill $ 2,000,000,000     $ 2,000,000,000   $ 2,000,000,000
v3.24.3
Goodwill, Customer Relationships and Other Intangible Assets - Amortization Expense (Details)
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]  
2024 (remaining three months) $ 238
2025 901
2026 848
2027 760
2028 690
2029 and thereafter 1,521
Total finite-lived intangible assets future amortization expense $ 4,958
v3.24.3
Revenue Recognition - Revenue by Segment, Sales Channel and Product Category (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue $ 3,221 $ 3,641 $ 9,779 $ 11,040
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (254) (262) (733) (804)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 2,967 3,379 9,046 10,236
Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 2,536 2,905 7,704 8,781
Mass Markets        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 685 736 2,075 2,259
Operating Segments | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 2,536 2,905 7,704 8,781
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (221) (218) (620) (669)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 2,315 2,687 7,084 8,112
Operating Segments | Mass Markets        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 685 736 2,075 2,259
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (33) (44) (113) (135)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 652 692 1,962 2,124
Operating Segments | Large Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 839 914 2,534 2,724
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (73) (51) (184) (150)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 766 863 2,350 2,574
Operating Segments | Mid-Market Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 471 506 1,435 1,543
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (11) (8) (27) (28)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 460 498 1,408 1,515
Operating Segments | Public Sector | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 427 445 1,295 1,292
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (22) (22) (65) (60)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 405 423 1,230 1,232
Operating Segments | Wholesale | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 706 776 2,159 2,402
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (114) (108) (341) (342)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 592 668 1,818 2,060
Operating Segments | International and Other | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 93 264 281 820
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (1) (29) (3) (89)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 92 235 278 731
Operating Segments | Grow | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 1,076 1,131 3,198 3,409
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (174) (166) (478) (509)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 902 965 2,720 2,900
Operating Segments | Grow | Large Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 436 429 1,287 1,278
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (73) (48) (183) (145)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 363 381 1,104 1,133
Operating Segments | Grow | Mid-Market Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 211 201 628 601
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (6) (6) (19) (21)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 205 195 609 580
Operating Segments | Grow | Public Sector | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 131 118 383 354
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (21) (22) (62) (60)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 110 96 321 294
Operating Segments | Grow | Wholesale | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 259 256 783 792
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (73) (61) (211) (194)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 186 195 572 598
Operating Segments | Grow | International and Other | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 39 127 117 384
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (1) (29) (3) (89)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 38 98 114 295
Operating Segments | Nurture | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 729 874 2,257 2,661
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (6) (5) (20) (19)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 723 869 2,237 2,642
Operating Segments | Nurture | Large Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 253 297 779 890
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 0 0 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 253 297 779 890
Operating Segments | Nurture | Mid-Market Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 167 203 533 632
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 0 0 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 167 203 533 632
Operating Segments | Nurture | Public Sector | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 87 98 262 298
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 0 0 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 87 98 262 298
Operating Segments | Nurture | Wholesale | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 183 206 562 627
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (6) (5) (20) (19)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 177 201 542 608
Operating Segments | Nurture | International and Other | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 39 70 121 214
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 0 0 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 39 70 121 214
Operating Segments | Harvest | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 549 662 1,697 2,059
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (37) (43) (116) (132)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 512 619 1,581 1,927
Operating Segments | Harvest | Large Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 106 131 337 403
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 0 0 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 106 131 337 403
Operating Segments | Harvest | Mid-Market Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 83 93 248 283
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (1) (1) (3) (3)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 82 92 245 280
Operating Segments | Harvest | Public Sector | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 86 96 272 290
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (1) 0 (3) 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 85 96 269 290
Operating Segments | Harvest | Wholesale | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 261 312 807 974
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (35) (42) (110) (129)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 226 270 697 845
Operating Segments | Harvest | International and Other | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 13 30 33 109
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 0 0 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 13 30 33 109
Operating Segments | Other | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 182 238 552 652
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (4) (4) (6) (9)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 178 234 546 643
Operating Segments | Other | Large Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 44 57 131 153
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 (3) (1) (5)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 44 54 130 148
Operating Segments | Other | Mid-Market Enterprise | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 10 9 26 27
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (4) (1) (5) (4)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 6 8 21 23
Operating Segments | Other | Public Sector | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 123 133 378 350
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 0 0 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 123 133 378 350
Operating Segments | Other | Wholesale | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 3 2 7 9
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 0 0 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 3 2 7 9
Operating Segments | Other | International and Other | Business        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 2 37 10 113
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue 0 0 0 0
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 2 37 10 113
Operating Segments | Fiber Broadband | Mass Markets        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 190 163 541 473
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (3) (4) (10) (12)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 187 159 531 461
Operating Segments | Other Broadband | Mass Markets        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 282 341 895 1,065
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (25) (31) (80) (96)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers 257 310 815 969
Operating Segments | Voice and Other | Mass Markets        
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]        
Total Revenue 213 232 639 721
Adjustments for non-ASC 606 revenue (5) (9) (23) (27)
Total revenue from Contracts with Customers $ 208 $ 223 $ 616 $ 694
v3.24.3
Revenue Recognition - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Dec. 31, 2023
Dec. 31, 2022
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]            
Operating Lease, Lease Income, Statement of Income or Comprehensive Income [Extensible Enumeration] OPERATING REVENUE OPERATING REVENUE OPERATING REVENUE OPERATING REVENUE    
Lease revenue $ 250 $ 254 $ 711 $ 780    
Percent of operating revenue 8.00% 7.00% 7.00% 7.00%    
Revenue recognized $ 47 $ 44 $ 390 $ 391    
Contract liabilities         $ 698 $ 715
Minimum            
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]            
Contract term     1 year      
Maximum            
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]            
Contract term     5 years      
Weighted Average | Mass Market Customers            
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]            
Length of customer life     50 months      
Weighted Average | Business Customers            
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]            
Length of customer life     35 months      
v3.24.3
Revenue Recognition - Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]    
Customer receivables, less allowance of $53 and $60 $ 1,193 $ 1,256
Contract assets 21 29
Contract liabilities 741 698
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable $ 53 $ 60
v3.24.3
Revenue Recognition - Remaining Performance Obligation (Details)
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]  
Remaining performance obligation $ 6,700
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2024-10-01  
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]  
Remaining performance obligation $ 934
Remaining performance obligation, satisfaction period 3 months
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2025-01-01  
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]  
Remaining performance obligation $ 2,500
Remaining performance obligation, satisfaction period 1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2026-01-01  
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]  
Remaining performance obligation $ 3,300
Remaining performance obligation, satisfaction period 1 year
v3.24.3
Revenue Recognition - Capitalized Contract Costs (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 6 Months Ended 9 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Jun. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Dec. 31, 2022
Acquisition Costs            
Capitalized Contract Cost [Roll Forward]            
Beginning of period balance $ 185 $ 183 $ 202 $ 182 $ 202  
Costs incurred 36 31   104 96  
Amortization (32) (37)   (97) (117)  
Change in contract costs held for sale       0 (4)  
End of period balance 189 177 183 189 177 $ 202
Acquisition Costs | Held-for-sale | EMEA Business            
Capitalized Contract Cost [Roll Forward]            
Classified as held for sale   10 10   10 6
Fulfillment Costs            
Capitalized Contract Cost [Roll Forward]            
Beginning of period balance 204 186 192 184 192  
Costs incurred 41 41   126 120  
Amortization (36) (35)   (101) (106)  
Change in contract costs held for sale       0 (14)  
End of period balance $ 209 192 186 $ 209 192 192
Fulfillment Costs | Held-for-sale | EMEA Business            
Capitalized Contract Cost [Roll Forward]            
Classified as held for sale   $ 14 $ 14   $ 14 $ 0
v3.24.3
Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Details)
$ in Millions
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]  
Beginning balance $ 67
Provision for expected losses 54
Write-offs charged against the allowance (69)
Recoveries collected 8
Ending balance 60
Business  
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]  
Beginning balance 36
Provision for expected losses 19
Write-offs charged against the allowance (26)
Recoveries collected 5
Ending balance 34
Mass Markets  
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]  
Beginning balance 31
Provision for expected losses 35
Write-offs charged against the allowance (43)
Recoveries collected 3
Ending balance $ 26
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Long Term Debt (Details)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
subsidiary
Dec. 31, 2023
USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]    
Number of subsidiaries | subsidiary 3  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Finance lease and other obligations $ 263,000,000 $ 285,000,000
Unamortized discounts, net (412,000,000) (4,000,000)
Unamortized debt issuance costs (228,000,000) (145,000,000)
Total long-term debt 18,557,000,000 19,988,000,000
Less current maturities (415,000,000) (157,000,000)
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities $ 18,142,000,000 19,831,000,000
Tranche B 2027 Term Loan | Level 3 Financing, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 1.75%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 12,000,000 2,411,000,000
Line of Credit | Series A Revolving Credit Facility    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 4.00%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 0 0
Line of Credit | Series B Revolving Credit Facility    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 6.00%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 0 0
Term Loan | Qwest Corporation    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 2.50%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 0 $ 215,000,000
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate   7.97%
Term Loan | Term Loan A    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 6.00%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 362,000,000 $ 0
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate 11.247% 7.464%
Term Loan | Term Loan B-1    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 2.35%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 1,610,000,000 $ 0
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate 7.742%  
Term Loan | Term Loan B-1 | Level 3 Financing, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 6.56%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 1,199,000,000 0
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate 11.838%  
Term Loan | Term Loan B-2    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 2.35%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 1,610,000,000 0
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate 7.742%  
Term Loan | Term Loan B-2 | Level 3 Financing, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 6.56%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 1,199,000,000 0
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate 11.838%  
Term Loan | Term Loan B    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 2.25%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 57,000,000 $ 3,891,000,000
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate 7.611% 7.72%
Term Loan | Tranche B 2027 Term Loan | Level 3 Financing, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate 7.111% 7.22%
Term Loan | Term Loan A-1    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate   7.47%
Line of Credit and Term Loan | Other Facilities    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Basis spread (as a percent) 2.00%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 0 $ 1,399,000,000
Senior Notes | Superpriority Notes Due on Various Dates    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, gross $ 1,247,000,000 0
Senior Notes | Superpriority Notes Due on Various Dates | Minimum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 4.125%  
Senior Notes | Superpriority Notes Due on Various Dates | Maximum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 10.00%  
Senior Notes | 4.000% Senior Secured Notes Due 2027    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 4.00%  
Long-term debt, gross $ 0 1,250,000,000
Senior Notes | First Lien Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, gross $ 3,846,000,000 925,000,000
Senior Notes | First Lien Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Minimum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 10.50%  
Senior Notes | First Lien Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Maximum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 11.00%  
Senior Notes | Second Lien Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, gross $ 2,579,000,000 0
Senior Notes | Second Lien Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Minimum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 3.875%  
Senior Notes | Second Lien Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Maximum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 10.00%  
Senior Notes | Former Level 3 Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, gross $ 0 1,500,000,000
Senior Notes | Former Level 3 Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Minimum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 3.40%  
Senior Notes | Former Level 3 Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Maximum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 3.875%  
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2025-2042    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, gross $ 1,539,000,000 2,143,000,000
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2025-2042 | Minimum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 4.00%  
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2025-2042 | Maximum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 7.65%  
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2027-2029 | Level 3 Financing, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, gross $ 1,508,000,000 3,940,000,000
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2027-2029 | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Minimum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 3.40%  
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2027-2029 | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Maximum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 4.625%  
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2025-2057 | Qwest Corporation    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, gross $ 1,974,000,000 1,986,000,000
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2025-2057 | Qwest Corporation | Minimum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 6.50%  
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2025-2057 | Qwest Corporation | Maximum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 7.75%  
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2028-2031 | Qwest Capital Funding, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Long-term debt, gross $ 192,000,000 $ 192,000,000
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2028-2031 | Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. | Minimum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 6.875%  
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Maturing 2028-2031 | Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. | Maximum    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 7.75%  
Senior Notes | 10.500% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 | Level 3 Financing, Inc.    
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities    
Stated interest rate 10.50%  
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Maturities of Long Term Debt (Details)
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
2024 (remaining three months) $ 23
2025 448
2026 101
2027 302
2028 1,080
2029 and thereafter 17,243
Total long-term debt $ 19,197
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Impact of Recent Debt Transactions, Additional Information (Details)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 24, 2024
USD ($)
series
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2024
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2023
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2023
USD ($)
Jun. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Face amount   $ 11,938     $ 11,938    
Repayments of debt         2,258    
Reduction of debt $ 60            
Debt fees   14     14    
Amount of debt extinguished         744    
Net gain on early retirement of debt   (1) $ 275 $ 0 277 $ 618  
Reduction in debt from fair value adjustment         492    
Payment for lender fees         209    
Payment for third-party costs         174    
Debt instrument, capitalized lender fees   52     52    
Third party costs capitalized   62     62    
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Debt instrument, lender fees         157    
Selling, General and Administrative Expense              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Debt instrument, third-party costs         112    
Level 3 Financing, Inc.              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Amount of debt extinguished         2,600    
Senior Notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Face amount   848     848    
Net gain on early retirement of debt         3    
Senior Notes | 10.000% Secured Notes Due 2032              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Face amount $ 438            
Stated interest rate 10.00%            
Senior Notes | Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2026-2032              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Face amount $ 491            
Repayments of debt $ 14            
Number of series | series 4            
Senior Notes | 10.000% Second Lien Notes Due 2032 | Level 3 Financing, Inc.              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Face amount $ 350            
Stated interest rate 10.00%            
Senior Notes | Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2027 | Level 3 Financing, Inc.              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Face amount $ 357            
Number of series | series 2            
Senior Notes | Lumen and Qwest, Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2025              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Repurchased face amount   19     19    
Senior Notes | Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2025              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Repurchased face amount             $ 75
Superpriority Notes and Term Loans              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Repurchased face amount   $ 19     $ 19    
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Debt New Issuances (Details)
$ in Millions
 6 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Aggregate principal amount $ 11,938
Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Aggregate principal amount 848
Term Loan  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Installment payments $ 53
5.125% senior notes due 2026 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 5.125%
Aggregate principal amount $ 137
4.000% senior secured notes due 2027 (unsecured) | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.00%
Aggregate principal amount $ 188
6.875% debentures, series G, due 2028 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 6.875%
Aggregate principal amount $ 80
4.500% senior notes due 2029 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.50%
Aggregate principal amount $ 86
Term Loan A | Term Loan  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Aggregate principal amount 362
Term Loan B-1 | Term Loan  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Aggregate principal amount 1,610
Term Loan B-2 | Term Loan  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Aggregate principal amount $ 1,610
4.125% Superpriority Notes due 2029-2030 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.125%
Aggregate principal amount $ 808
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 3.400% senior secured notes due 2027 (unsecured) | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 3.40%
Aggregate principal amount $ 77
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 4.625% senior notes due 2027 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.625%
Aggregate principal amount $ 280
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Term Loan B-1 | Term Loan  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Aggregate principal amount 1,199
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Term Loan B-2 | Term Loan  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Aggregate principal amount $ 1,199
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 10.500% First Lien Notes due 2029 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 10.50%
Aggregate principal amount $ 668
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 10.750% First Lien Notes due 2029 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 10.75%
Aggregate principal amount $ 678
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 11.000% First Lien Notes due 2029 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 11.00%
Aggregate principal amount $ 1,575
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 11.000% First Lien Notes Due 2029 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 11.00%
Aggregate principal amount $ 1,375
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 4.875% Second Lien Notes due 2029 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.875%
Aggregate principal amount $ 606
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 4.500% Second Lien Notes due 2030 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.50%
Aggregate principal amount $ 712
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 3.875% Second Lien Notes due 2030 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 3.875%
Aggregate principal amount $ 458
Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 4.000% Second Lien Notes due 2031 | Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.00%
Aggregate principal amount $ 453
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Repayments and Exchanges (Details)
$ in Millions
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Repaid $ 2,258
Exchanged 10,244
Term Loan | Term Loan A  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Repaid 933
Exchanged 0
Term Loan | Term Loan A-1  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Repaid 266
Exchanged 0
Term Loan | Term Loan B  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Repaid 575
Exchanged 3,259
Term Loan | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | Term Loan B  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Repaid 0
Exchanged 2,398
Term Loan | Qwest Corporation  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Repaid 215
Exchanged $ 0
Senior Notes | 5.125% Senior Notes due 2026  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 5.125%
Repaid $ 116
Exchanged $ 147
Senior Notes | 4.000% Senior Notes due 2027  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.00%
Repaid $ 153
Exchanged $ 865
Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 3.400% Senior Notes due 2027  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 3.40%
Repaid $ 0
Exchanged $ 668
Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 3.875% Senior Notes due 2029  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 3.875%
Repaid $ 0
Exchanged $ 678
Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 4.625% Senior Notes due 2027  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.625%
Repaid $ 0
Exchanged $ 606
Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 4.250% Senior Notes due 2028  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 4.25%
Repaid $ 0
Exchanged $ 712
Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 3.625% Senior Notes due 2029  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 3.625%
Repaid $ 0
Exchanged $ 458
Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc. | 3.750% Senior Notes due 2029  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Stated interest rate 3.75%
Repaid $ 0
Exchanged $ 453
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Lumen Credit Agreements (Details) - USD ($)
Mar. 22, 2024
Sep. 30, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
Superpriority Term Loan A | Term Loan      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Debt instrument periodic payment (as a percent) 1.25%    
Superpriority Term Loan B | Term Loan      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Debt instrument periodic payment (as a percent) 0.25%    
Series A Revolving Credit Facility      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Maximum borrowing capacity   $ 489,000,000  
Series A Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Long-term debt, gross   0 $ 0
Series B Revolving Credit Facility      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Maximum borrowing capacity   465,000,000  
Series B Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Long-term debt, gross   $ 0 $ 0
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Level 3 Financing Credit Agreement (Details) - Level 3 Financing, Inc.
Mar. 22, 2024
Prepaid on or Prior to the 12-Month Anniversary of the Effective Date  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Prepayment premium, rate 2.00%
Prepaid After the 12-Month Anniversary and on or Prior to the 24-Month Anniversary of the Effective Date  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Prepayment premium, rate 1.00%
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Letters of Credit (Details)
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Letters of credit outstanding $ 219,000,000
Uncommitted Letter of Credit Facility  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Letters of credit outstanding 1,000,000
Facility Maintained By a Subsidiary  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Letters of credit outstanding 2,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Letters of credit outstanding 216,000,000
Letter of Credit | Uncommitted Letter of Credit Facility  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Maximum borrowing capacity $ 225,000,000
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Certain Guarantees and Security Interests (Details) - Financial Guarantee
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Series A Revolving Credit Facility  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Guaranteed amount $ 150
Series B Revolving Credit Facility  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Guaranteed amount $ 150
v3.24.3
Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Covenants and Guarantees (Details)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
indenture
Letter of Credit | Uncommitted Letter of Credit Facility  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Maximum borrowing capacity | $ $ 225,000,000
Line of Credit and Term Loan | Minimum  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Interest coverage ratio 2.00
Senior Notes  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Number of indentures | indenture 4
Redemption price (as a percent) 101.00%
Senior Notes | Level 3 Financing, Inc.  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Redemption price (as a percent) 101.00%
Last Day of Each Fiscal Quarter  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Maximum total net leverage ratio 5.75
Fiscal Quarter Ending After December 31, 2024 | Line of Credit and Term Loan  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Maximum total net leverage ratio 5.50
Fiscal Quarter Ending After December 31, 2025 | Line of Credit and Term Loan  
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities  
Maximum total net leverage ratio 5.25
v3.24.3
Severance - Additional Information (Details) - Severance - Workforce Reduction - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2024
Jun. 30, 2024
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]    
Percentage of workforce eliminated 6.00%  
Restructuring costs   $ 103
v3.24.3
Severance - Accrued Liabilities for Severance Expenses (Details) - Severance
$ in Millions
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
Restructuring reserve  
Balance at the beginning of the period $ 18
Accrued to expense 119
Payments, net (122)
Balance at the end of the period $ 15
v3.24.3
Employee Benefits - Net Periodic Benefit (Income) Expense (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Combined Pension Plan        
Components of net periodic (benefit) expense        
Service cost $ 6 $ 7 $ 18 $ 19
Interest cost 63 67 188 202
Expected return on plan assets (68) (72) (204) (215)
Recognition of prior service credit (3) (2) (6) (5)
Recognition of actuarial (gain) loss 28 27 82 78
Net periodic post-retirement benefit expense 26 27 78 79
Post-Retirement Benefit Plans        
Components of net periodic (benefit) expense        
Service cost 1 1 3 4
Interest cost 23 26 70 77
Recognition of prior service credit (1) (2) (5) (6)
Recognition of actuarial (gain) loss (4) (5) (13) (15)
Special termination benefits charge 0 0 2 0
Net periodic post-retirement benefit expense $ 19 $ 20 $ 57 $ 60
v3.24.3
Employee Benefits - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Jun. 30, 2024
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]    
Benefit obligation   $ 2
Contributions $ 170  
v3.24.3
Earnings Per Common Share (Details) - USD ($)
$ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Loss (numerator)        
Net loss $ (148) $ (78) $ (140) $ (8,303)
Net loss applicable to common stock for computing basic loss per common share (148) (78) (140) (8,303)
Net loss as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted loss per common share $ (148) $ (78) $ (140) $ (8,303)
Weighted-average number of shares:        
Outstanding during period (in shares) 1,016,211 1,008,523 1,014,473 1,006,140
Non-vested restricted stock (in shares) (27,417) (24,973) (27,510) (23,287)
Weighted average shares outstanding for computing basic loss per common share (in shares) 988,794 983,550 986,963 982,853
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities:        
Shares issuable under convertible securities (in shares) 0 0 0 0
Shares issuable under incentive compensation plans (in shares) 0 0 0 0
Number of shares as adjusted for purposes of computing diluted loss per common share (in shares) 988,794 983,550 986,963 982,853
Basic loss per common share (in dollars per share) $ (0.15) $ (0.08) $ (0.14) $ (8.45)
Diluted loss per common share (in dollars per share) $ (0.15) $ (0.08) $ (0.14) $ (8.45)
Stock compensation plan        
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities:        
Number of shares of common stock excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares) 12,000 1,000 5,000 1,000
Restricted Stock        
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive securities:        
Number of shares of common stock excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares) 11,300 24,500 18,500 22,200
v3.24.3
Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Carrying Amounts (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
Fair Value Inputs, Level 2 | Carrying Amount    
Fair value disclosure    
Long-term debt, excluding finance lease and other obligations $ 18,294 $ 19,703
Fair Value Inputs, Level 2 | Fair Value    
Fair value disclosure    
Long-term debt, excluding finance lease and other obligations 16,766 13,304
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Carrying Amount    
Fair value disclosure    
Indemnifications related to the sale of the Latin American business 87 86
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Fair Value    
Fair value disclosure    
Indemnifications related to the sale of the Latin American business $ 84 $ 86
v3.24.3
Segment Information - Additional Information (Details)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
segment
sales_channel
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]  
Number of operating segments 2
Number of reportable segments 2
Business  
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]  
Number of sales channels | sales_channel 5
v3.24.3
Segment Information - Segment Results and Operating Revenue (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Operating revenues by products and services        
Segment revenue $ 3,221 $ 3,641 $ 9,779 $ 11,040
Cost of services and products 1,692 1,850 4,997 5,407
Business        
Operating revenues by products and services        
Segment revenue 2,536 2,905 7,704 8,781
Cost of services and products 766 825 2,266 2,428
Selling, general and administrative 453 610 1,407 1,723
Total segment expense 1,219 1,435 3,673 4,151
Total segment adjusted EBITDA 1,317 1,470 4,031 4,630
Mass Markets        
Operating revenues by products and services        
Segment revenue 685 736 2,075 2,259
Cost of services and products 16 19 53 61
Selling, general and administrative 323 364 937 1,038
Total segment expense 339 383 990 1,099
Total segment adjusted EBITDA $ 346 $ 353 $ 1,085 $ 1,160
v3.24.3
Segment Information - Reconciliation (Details) - USD ($)
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Jun. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Depreciation and amortization $ (707,000,000) $ (755,000,000)   $ (2,198,000,000) $ (2,234,000,000)
Goodwill impairment 0 0 $ (8,800,000,000) 0 (8,793,000,000)
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) 126,000,000 223,000,000   306,000,000 (7,808,000,000)
Total other expense, net (298,000,000) (308,000,000)   (417,000,000) (287,000,000)
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES (172,000,000) (85,000,000)   (111,000,000) (8,095,000,000)
Income tax (benefit) expense (24,000,000) (7,000,000)   29,000,000 208,000,000
NET LOSS (148,000,000) (78,000,000)   (140,000,000) (8,303,000,000)
Operating Segments          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Total segment adjusted EBITDA 1,663,000,000 1,823,000,000   5,116,000,000 5,790,000,000
Segment Reconciling Items          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Depreciation and amortization (707,000,000) (755,000,000)   (2,198,000,000) (2,234,000,000)
Goodwill impairment 0 0   0 (8,793,000,000)
Other unallocated expense (820,000,000) (829,000,000)   (2,591,000,000) (2,532,000,000)
Stock-based compensation expense (10,000,000) (16,000,000)   (21,000,000) (39,000,000)
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) 126,000,000 223,000,000   306,000,000 (7,808,000,000)
Total other expense, net $ (298,000,000) $ (308,000,000)   $ (417,000,000) $ (287,000,000)
v3.24.3
Commitments, Contingencies and Other Items (Details)
 1 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Dec. 30, 2021
People
lawsuit
Jun. 30, 2023
USD ($)
Jun. 30, 2021
USD ($)
lawsuit
Dec. 31, 2020
USD ($)
Feb. 28, 2017
USD ($)
lawsuit
Sep. 30, 2024
USD ($)
patent
lawsuit
Dec. 31, 2023
USD ($)
Loss Contingencies              
Estimate of possible loss           $ 83,000,000 $ 84,000,000
Number of people killed in fire | People 2            
Number of patents allegedly infringed | patent           1  
Penalties for Violation of Washington Regulations and Laws Filed by Staff of WUTC              
Loss Contingencies              
Loss contingency, damages sought, value       $ 7,000,000      
Penalties Sought by Washington Attorneys General Office              
Loss Contingencies              
Loss contingency, damages sought, value       $ 27,000,000      
Penalties Sought for Violation of Regulations and Laws of WUTC              
Loss Contingencies              
Loss contingency, damages awarded, value   $ 1,000,000          
Unfavorable Regulatory Action              
Loss Contingencies              
Estimate of possible loss           $ 300,000  
Missouri Municipalities | Judicial Ruling              
Loss Contingencies              
Number of pending claims | lawsuit         1    
Litigation settlement amount         $ 4,000,000    
Peruvian Tax Litigation | Pending Litigation              
Loss Contingencies              
Number of pending claims | lawsuit     1        
Columbia and Joplin Municipalities | Judicial Ruling              
Loss Contingencies              
Litigation settlement amount     $ 55,000,000        
FCPA Litigation | Judicial Ruling | Statutory Damages              
Loss Contingencies              
Litigation settlement amount           500  
FCPA Litigation | Judicial Ruling | Punitive Damages              
Loss Contingencies              
Litigation settlement amount           $ 2,000  
Marshall Fire Litigation | Pending Litigation              
Loss Contingencies              
Number of pending claims | lawsuit           3  
Number of lawsuits filed | lawsuit 300            
Marshall Fire Litigation | Pending Litigation | Minimum              
Loss Contingencies              
Estimate of possible loss           $ 2,000,000,000  
v3.24.3
Other Financial Information - Other Current Assets (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
Sep. 30, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Abstract]    
Prepaid expenses $ 357 $ 395
Income tax receivable 16 273
Materials, supplies and inventory 173 209
Contract assets 13 19
Assets held for sale 86 104
Other 19 14
Total other current assets 871 1,223
Acquisition Costs    
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Abstract]    
Contract costs 101 107
Fulfillment Costs    
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Abstract]    
Contract costs $ 106 $ 102
v3.24.3
Other Financial Information - Other Income (Expense), Net (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]    
Gain on sale of investment $ 205 $ 0
v3.24.3
Repurchases of Lumen Common Stock (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Billions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Dec. 31, 2022
Sep. 30, 2024
Equity [Abstract]      
Repurchase program, period   2 years  
Repurchase program, authorized amount $ 1.3 $ 1.5 $ 1.3
Number of shares repurchased 0   0
v3.24.3
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss - AOCI Activity (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]        
Balance at beginning of period     $ 417  
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications       $ 3
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss     44 39
Other comprehensive income (loss) $ 20 $ (4) 44 42
Balance at end of period 342 2,156 342 2,156
Defined Benefit Plan | Pension Plans        
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]        
Balance at beginning of period     (1,045) (985)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications       0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss     57 55
Other comprehensive income (loss)     57 55
Balance at end of period (988) (930) (988) (930)
Defined Benefit Plan | Post-Retirement Benefit Plans        
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]        
Balance at beginning of period     276 308
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications       0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss     (13) (16)
Other comprehensive income (loss)     (13) (16)
Balance at end of period 263 292 263 292
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment and Other        
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]        
Balance at beginning of period     (41) (422)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications       3
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss     0 0
Other comprehensive income (loss)     0 3
Balance at end of period (41) (419) (41) (419)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss        
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]        
Balance at beginning of period (786) (1,053) (810) (1,099)
Other comprehensive income (loss) 20 (4) 44 42
Balance at end of period $ (766) $ (1,057) $ (766) $ (1,057)
v3.24.3
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss - Reclassifications (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Sep. 30, 2024
Sep. 30, 2023
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income loss by component        
Other income (expense), net $ (54) $ 13 $ (321) $ 37
Total before tax 172 85 111 8,095
Income tax (benefit) expense (24) (7) 29 208
Net income (loss) 148 78 140 8,303
Decrease (Increase) in Net Income | Net actuarial loss        
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income loss by component        
Other income (expense), net 24 22 69 63
Decrease (Increase) in Net Income | Prior service credit        
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income loss by component        
Other income (expense), net (4) (4) (11) (11)
Decrease (Increase) in Net Income | Defined Benefit Plan        
Reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income loss by component        
Total before tax 20 18 58 52
Income tax (benefit) expense (5) (5) (14) (13)
Net income (loss) $ 15 $ 13 $ 44 $ 39
v3.24.3
Labor Union Contracts (Details) - Unionized Employees Concentration Risk
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Total Number of Employees  
Concentration risk  
Concentration risk (as a percent) 21.00%
Workforce Subject to Collective Bargaining Arrangements Expiring within One Year  
Concentration risk  
Concentration risk (as a percent) 10.00%