Wireless Licenses, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Assets held for sale	$ 720	$ 792
Wireless Licenses
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Assets held for sale	300
Acquisitions	3
Wireless licenses under development	$ 10,400
Average remaining renewal period of wireless license portfolio (in years)	5 years 7 months 6 days
Advanced Wireless Services Spectrum Licenses
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Acquisitions	$ 400

Amount classified as assets attributable to disposal group held for sale or disposed of, expected to be disposed of within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=d3e1107-107759

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=SL51721533-107759

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51719941&loc=d3e2941-110230

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5B
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51717284&loc=SL51721673-107760

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824106&loc=d3e2473-110228

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsOfDisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of structure or a modification to a structure under construction. Includes recently completed structures or modifications to structures that have not been placed into service.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase in assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with an indefinite life, resulting from a business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IndefinitelivedIntangibleAssetsAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Average remaining renewal period of wireless license portfolio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vz_AverageRemainingRenewalPeriodOfWirelessLicensePortfolio
Namespace Prefix:	vz_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=vz_WirelessLicensesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=vz_AdvancedWirelessServicesSpectrumLicensesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: