Commitments and Contingencies - Narrative Part 2 (Details)					1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		24 Months Ended
	May 22, 2017 $ / item	Sep. 23, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 18, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 23, 2013 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2009 item	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) item	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 05, 2017 USD ($)	Jan. 19, 2017 item $ / item
Loss contingencies
General and administrative expenses						$ 179,812,000		$ 182,145,000	$ 310,847,000	$ 383,146,000
Litigation expense						(295,695,000)			(295,695,000)
Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Recovery amount		$ 10,000,000,000
Satellite transponder guarantees
Loss contingencies
Guarantees for payments						158,000,000			158,000,000
Litigation accrual						0			$ 0
Technology Development Licensing
Loss contingency terms
Number of reexamination petitions pending before patent and trademark office | item					2
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit									15.00%
Bidding Credit			$ 1,961,000,000
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit		25.00%							25.00%
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses [Member] | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Bidding Credit		$ 3,300,000,000
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses [Member] | Minimum | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingencies
Claim amount		5,500
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses [Member] | Maximum | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingencies
Claim amount		$ 11,000
Lightsquared Harbinger Capital Partners LLC
Loss contingency terms
Business days allowed to terminate existing agreements									3 days
LightSquared transaction shareholder derivative actions
Loss contingencies
Number of shareholders who filed lawsuits | item									5
Do Not Call Litigation
Loss contingencies
Period of injunctive relief sought from placing any outbound telemarketing calls to market or promote its goods or services									5 years
Do Not Call Litigation | OHIO
Loss contingencies
Claim amount									$ 10,000,000
Do Not Call Litigation | CALIFORNIA
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from state plaintiff									100,000,000
Do Not Call Litigation | Illinois And North Carolina [Member]
Loss contingencies
Claim Amount Minimum That Would Not Raise Constitutional Concerns									1,000,000,000
Do Not Call Litigation | DISH Network L.L.C.
Loss contingencies
Claim amount				$ 270,000,000
Damages awared to state and federal plaintiff												$ 280,000,000
Claim amount from state plaintiff									23,500,000,000
Litigation expense						255,000,000					$ 25,000,000
Do Not Call Litigation | DISH Network L.L.C. | Other Accrued Expense
Loss contingencies
Litigation accrual						280,000,000			280,000,000
Do Not Call Litigation | Maximum | DISH Network L.L.C.
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from federal plaintiff									900,000,000
Krakauer Action
Loss contingencies
Third party Number Of Calls Made In Case Trebled Damages Per Call | $ / item	1,200
Third Party Number Of Calls Made In Case | item													51,119
Third Party Number Of Calls Made In Case Damages Per Call | $ / item													400
Litigation expense						41,000,000	$ 20,000,000
Krakauer Action | Other Accrued Expense
Loss contingencies
Litigation accrual						$ 61,000,000			$ 61,000,000