Segment Reporting (Details) item in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended			96 Months Ended	108 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment state item	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) item
Segment information
Payment to acquire certain 700 MHz wireless licenses										$ 8,970,389	$ 1,343,372	$ 5,000,000	$ 5,000,000
Total assets	$ 28,091,847				$ 22,886,710				$ 28,091,847	22,886,710		22,886,710	$ 28,091,847
Total revenue	3,724,180	$ 3,746,111	$ 3,837,036	$ 3,787,235	3,778,683	$ 3,733,565	$ 3,832,425	$ 3,724,228	15,094,562	15,068,901	14,643,387
Depreciation and amortization expense									953,146	1,000,048	1,077,936
Operating income (loss)	540,822	496,320	613,825	560,142	(127,174)	441,720	533,987	483,863	2,211,109	1,332,396	1,824,451
Interest income									31,164	19,523	61,841
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized									(52,992)	(494,010)	(611,209)
Other, net									117,182	278,043	(69,341)
Income tax (provision) benefit, net									(837,009)	(366,676)	(276,840)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	$ 343,981	$ 312,207	$ 418,306	$ 394,960	(118,912)	$ 202,610	$ 332,326	$ 353,252	$ 1,469,454	769,276	928,902
Number of primary operating business units | segment									2
Number of Pay-TV subscribers | item	13,671								13,671				13,671
Number of state region in which wireline voice and broadband services are offered | state									14
Eliminations
Segment information
Total assets	$ (16,880,366)				(15,806,202)				$ (16,880,366)	(15,806,202)		(15,806,202)	$ (16,880,366)
All Other and Eliminations
Segment information
Total revenue											(72)
Interest income									(978,820)	(849,516)	(329,965)
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized									978,820	849,516	329,965
DISH Network
Segment information
Total assets	27,157,831				22,392,447				27,157,831	22,392,447		22,392,447	27,157,831
Total revenue									15,094,562	15,068,505	14,643,049
Depreciation and amortization expense									909,286	955,749	1,006,082
Operating income (loss)									2,275,236	2,037,971	1,922,363
Interest income									1,006,239	859,605	376,422
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized									(876,226)	(844,249)	(821,766)
Other, net									30,734	82,160	(9,414)
Income tax (provision) benefit, net									(905,215)	(759,148)	(436,753)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations									1,530,768	1,376,339	1,030,852
Wireless
Segment information
Total assets	$ 17,814,382				$ 16,300,465				17,814,382	16,300,465		$ 16,300,465	$ 17,814,382
Total revenue										396	410
Depreciation and amortization expense									43,860	44,299	71,854
Operating income (loss)									(64,127)	(705,575)	(97,912)
Interest income									3,745	9,434	15,384
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized									(155,586)	(499,277)	(119,408)
Other, net									86,448	195,883	(59,927)
Income tax (provision) benefit, net									68,206	392,472	159,913
Net income (loss) from continuing operations									$ (61,314)	$ (607,063)	$ (101,950)