Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum	Jun. 30, 2013 Common equity securities of Sprint Corporation	Mar. 31, 2013 Common equity securities of Sprint Corporation
Marketable Investment Securities
Length of time an investment has been in a continuous loss position in which the decline in value is considered as temporary					6 months
Length of time an investment has been in a continuous loss position in which the decline in value would be evaluated on a case by case basis to determine if the decline in value is other-than-temporary				6 months	9 months
Length of time an investment has been in a continuous loss position in which the decline in value is considered other-than-temporary				9 months
Property and Equipment
Useful life of property and equipment				1 year	40 years
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Pre-tax impairment charges	$ 437,575,000
Business Combinations
Acquired intangible assets, average finite useful life				1 year	10 years
Long-Term Deferred Revenue, Distribution and Carriage Payments
Deferred upfront payment, amortization period					10 years
Revenue Recognition
Period of deferral for the portion of subscriber fees that are deferred				18 months	5 years
Derivative Financial Instruments
Aggregate notional amount						592,000,000	592,000,000
Derivative financial instruments	292,507,000
Advertising Costs
Advertising costs	$ 474,000,000	$ 443,000,000	$ 331,000,000
Deferred Cost of Sales
Customer contract commitment period associated with deferred cost of sales promotional items	2 years