Base rate floor.

No definition available.

Name:	sbac_BaseRateFloor
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Percentage Of Par Value

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Tier one amount of the required periodic payments including both interest and principal payments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	sbac_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Tier three amount of the required periodic payments including both interest and principal payments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	sbac_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Tier two amount of the required periodic payments including both interest and principal payments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	sbac_
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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Eurodollar rate floor.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of noncash expense included in interest expense to issue debt and obtain financing associated with the related debt instruments. Alternate captions include noncash interest expense.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 28

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.8)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 8

-Article 5

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph 8

-Article 9

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt before deduction of unamortized discount or premium. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt, with initial maturities beyond one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 9

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 55

-Paragraph 8

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(2))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the required periodic payments including both interest and principal payments.

+ References

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 210.5-02.22)

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-Publisher SEC

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-Number 210

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-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 470

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479336&loc=d3e64711-112823

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For an unclassified balance sheet, the amount as of the balance sheet date of capitalized costs associated with the issuance of debt instruments (for example, legal, accounting, underwriting, printing, and registration costs) that will be charged against earnings over the life of the debt instruments to which such costs pertain. Such amount is before the consideration of accumulated amortization.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28555-108399

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash outflow attributable to repayments of borrowings not otherwise defined in the taxonomy (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 15

-Subparagraph (b)

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Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Financing Activities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Debt (Term Loans Under The Senior Credit Agreement) (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayment of term loans	$ 7,500,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfOtherLongTermDebt	$ 293,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfOtherLongTermDebt
Deferred financing fees	4,544,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCosts	4,237,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCosts
Debt instrument, principal balance	7,972,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount		7,870,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
2012-1 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	200,000,000
Debt instrument, maturity date	May 09, 2017
Coupon rate of notes	2.43%
Deferred financing fees	2,700,000
Quarterly payments, first eight quarters	2,500,000
Quarterly payments, next four quarters	3,800,000
Quarterly payments, thereafter	5,000,000
Repayment of term loans	3,800,000
Debt instrument, principal balance	168,750,000		172,500,000
2014 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	1,500,000,000
Debt instrument, maturity date	Mar. 24, 2021
Term Loan, percentage of par value	99.75%
Coupon rate of notes	3.25%	3.25%
Deferred financing fees	12,900,000
Quarterly payments	3,800,000
Repayment of term loans	3,800,000
Debt instrument, principal balance	$ 1,488,750,000		$ 1,492,500,000
Base Rate [Member] \| 2014 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate	1.50%
Base rate floor	1.75%
Eurodollar [Member] \| 2014 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate	2.50%
Eurodollar rate floor	0.75%
Minimum [Member] \| Base Rate [Member] \| 2012-1 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate	1.00%
Minimum [Member] \| Eurodollar [Member] \| 2012-1 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate	2.00%
Maximum [Member] \| Base Rate [Member] \| 2012-1 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate	1.50%
Maximum [Member] \| Eurodollar [Member] \| 2012-1 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate	2.50%