Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) segment	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Segment information
Total assets	$ 24,449,795		$ 24,449,795		$ 22,886,710
Total revenue	3,837,036	$ 3,832,425	7,624,271	$ 7,556,653
Operating income (loss)	613,825	533,987	$ 1,173,967	1,017,850
Number of primary operating business units \| segment			2
Eliminations
Segment information
Total assets	(15,375,177)		$ (15,375,177)		(15,806,202)
Pay TV And Broadband [Member] \| Operating segment
Segment information
Total assets	23,931,795		23,931,795		22,392,447
Total revenue	3,837,036	3,832,293	7,624,271	7,556,413
Operating income (loss)	628,962	550,912	1,206,963	1,050,222
Wireless \| Operating segment
Segment information
Total assets	15,893,177		15,893,177		$ 16,300,465
Total revenue		132		240
Operating income (loss)	$ (15,137)	$ (16,925)	$ (32,996)	$ (32,372)

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.18)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 12
-Article 7

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

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