Selected Consolidated Financial Statements of Parent, Guarantors and Non-Guarantors - Statements of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Continuing Operations			$ 648,145	$ 625,538
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Discontinued Operations			0	(995)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities			648,145	624,543
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	$ (166,483)	$ (112,352)	(533,614)	(329,953)
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(11,848)	(44,142)	(56,499)	(1,711,011)
Intercompany loans to subsidiaries			0	0
Acquisitions of customer relationships, customer inducements and data center lease-based intangibles	(22,947)	(26,328)	(113,509)	(63,561)
Net proceeds from Divestments			0	1,019
Investments in joint ventures (see Note 10)			(19,222)	0
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment and other, net			82,148	713
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Continuing Operations			(640,696)	(2,102,793)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Discontinued Operations			5,061	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities			(635,635)	(2,102,793)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Repayment of revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			(12,690,691)	(11,226,171)
Proceeds from revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			12,256,276	12,437,017
Net proceeds from sales of senior notes			987,500	0
Debit (payments) balances under cash pools			0	0
Debt financing from (repayment to) and equity contribution from (distribution to) noncontrolling interests, net			(1,464)	(2,035)
Intercompany loans from parent			0	0
Parent cash dividends			(528,908)	(505,403)
Net (payments) proceeds associated with employee stock-based awards			(2,059)	(2,800)
Net proceeds associated with the Over-Allotment Option			0	76,192
Net proceeds associated with the At the Market (ATM) Program			0	8,716
Payment of debt financing and stock issuance costs			(769)	(15,957)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Continuing Operations			19,885	769,559
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities			19,885	769,559
Effect of Exchange Rates on Cash and Cash Equivalents			(11,102)	(19,332)
Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			21,293	(728,023)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period			165,485	925,699
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, End of Period	186,778	197,676	186,778	197,676
Eliminations
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Continuing Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Operating Activities			0	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired			0	0
Intercompany loans to subsidiaries			288,598	(606,826)
Acquisitions of customer relationships, customer inducements and data center lease-based intangibles			0	0
Net proceeds from Divestments				0
Investments in joint ventures (see Note 10)			0
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment and other, net			0	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Continuing Operations			288,598	(606,826)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities			288,598	(606,826)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Repayment of revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			0	0
Proceeds from revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			0	0
Net proceeds from sales of senior notes			0
Debit (payments) balances under cash pools			(65,655)	1,221
Debt financing from (repayment to) and equity contribution from (distribution to) noncontrolling interests, net			0	0
Intercompany loans from parent			(288,598)	606,826
Parent cash dividends			0	0
Net (payments) proceeds associated with employee stock-based awards			0	0
Net proceeds associated with the Over-Allotment Option				0
Net proceeds associated with the At the Market (ATM) Program				0
Payment of debt financing and stock issuance costs			0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Continuing Operations			(354,253)	608,047
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities			(354,253)	608,047
Effect of Exchange Rates on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(65,655)	1,221
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period			(67,372)	(94,726)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, End of Period	(133,027)	(93,505)	(133,027)	(93,505)
Parent | Reportable legal entities
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Continuing Operations			(161,288)	(208,384)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Operating Activities			(161,288)	(208,384)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired			0	0
Intercompany loans to subsidiaries			(295,124)	629,918
Acquisitions of customer relationships, customer inducements and data center lease-based intangibles			0	0
Net proceeds from Divestments				0
Investments in joint ventures (see Note 10)			0
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment and other, net			0	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Continuing Operations			(295,124)	629,918
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities			(295,124)	629,918
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Repayment of revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			0	0
Proceeds from revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			0	0
Net proceeds from sales of senior notes			987,500
Debit (payments) balances under cash pools			0	0
Debt financing from (repayment to) and equity contribution from (distribution to) noncontrolling interests, net			0	0
Intercompany loans from parent			0	0
Parent cash dividends			(528,908)	(505,403)
Net (payments) proceeds associated with employee stock-based awards			(2,059)	(2,800)
Net proceeds associated with the Over-Allotment Option				76,192
Net proceeds associated with the At the Market (ATM) Program				8,716
Payment of debt financing and stock issuance costs			(243)	(412)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Continuing Operations			456,290	(423,707)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities			456,290	(423,707)
Effect of Exchange Rates on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(122)	(2,173)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period			132	2,433
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, End of Period	10	260	10	260
Guarantors | Reportable legal entities
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Continuing Operations			596,529	644,493
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Discontinued Operations			0	(995)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities			596,529	643,498
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures			(306,567)	(224,594)
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired			(9,508)	(1,332,235)
Intercompany loans to subsidiaries			6,526	(23,092)
Acquisitions of customer relationships, customer inducements and data center lease-based intangibles			(86,052)	(47,531)
Net proceeds from Divestments				1,019
Investments in joint ventures (see Note 10)			(19,222)
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment and other, net			33,031	283
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Continuing Operations			(381,792)	(1,626,150)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Discontinued Operations			2,564	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities			(379,228)	(1,626,150)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Repayment of revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			(9,507,136)	(5,386,024)
Proceeds from revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			9,068,245	6,456,050
Net proceeds from sales of senior notes			0
Debit (payments) balances under cash pools			(10,612)	(832)
Debt financing from (repayment to) and equity contribution from (distribution to) noncontrolling interests, net			0	0
Intercompany loans from parent			326,566	(664,591)
Parent cash dividends			0	0
Net (payments) proceeds associated with employee stock-based awards			0	0
Net proceeds associated with the Over-Allotment Option				0
Net proceeds associated with the At the Market (ATM) Program				0
Payment of debt financing and stock issuance costs			0	(12,388)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Continuing Operations			(122,937)	392,215
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities			(122,937)	392,215
Effect of Exchange Rates on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			94,364	(590,437)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period			63,407	642,408
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, End of Period	157,771	51,971	157,771	51,971
Non- Guarantors | Reportable legal entities
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Continuing Operations			212,904	189,429
Cash Flows from Operating Activities—Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Operating Activities			212,904	189,429
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures			(227,047)	(105,359)
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired			(46,991)	(378,776)
Intercompany loans to subsidiaries			0	0
Acquisitions of customer relationships, customer inducements and data center lease-based intangibles			(27,457)	(16,030)
Net proceeds from Divestments				0
Investments in joint ventures (see Note 10)			0
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment and other, net			49,117	430
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Continuing Operations			(252,378)	(499,735)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities—Discontinued Operations			2,497	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities			(249,881)	(499,735)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Repayment of revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			(3,183,555)	(5,840,147)
Proceeds from revolving credit facility, term loan facilities and other debt			3,188,031	5,980,967
Net proceeds from sales of senior notes			0
Debit (payments) balances under cash pools			76,267	(389)
Debt financing from (repayment to) and equity contribution from (distribution to) noncontrolling interests, net			(1,464)	(2,035)
Intercompany loans from parent			(37,968)	57,765
Parent cash dividends			0	0
Net (payments) proceeds associated with employee stock-based awards			0	0
Net proceeds associated with the Over-Allotment Option				0
Net proceeds associated with the At the Market (ATM) Program				0
Payment of debt financing and stock issuance costs			(526)	(3,157)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Continuing Operations			40,785	193,004
Cash Flows from Financing Activities - Discontinued Operations			0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities			40,785	193,004
Effect of Exchange Rates on Cash and Cash Equivalents			(11,102)	(19,332)
Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(7,294)	(136,634)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period			169,318	375,584
Cash and Cash Equivalents, including Restricted Cash, End of Period	$ 162,024	$ 238,950	$ 162,024	$ 238,950