Segment Data (Segment Reporting Information Disclosure) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 443,073	$ 433,945	$ 427,294	$ 423,362	$ 416,505	$ 411,319	$ 405,532	$ 399,769	$ 1,727,674	$ 1,633,125	$ 1,638,474
Cost of revenues									446,312	420,897	444,399
Operating profit									1,281,362	1,212,228	1,194,075
Selling, general, and administrative									130,697	143,349	114,951
Acquisition related adjustments and expenses									12,367	13,140	11,864
Asset impairment and decommission costs									36,697	30,242	94,783
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	162,643	161,907	159,520	159,030	158,554	160,111	159,723	159,801	643,100	638,189	660,021
Operating income	119,081	$ 117,011	$ 114,590	$ 107,819	107,430	$ 108,210	$ 74,066	$ 97,602	458,501	387,308	312,456
Other expense (principally interest expense and other income (expense))									(341,610)	(300,005)	(479,051)
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes									116,891	87,303	(166,595)
Cash capital expenditures									588,845	418,203	820,864
Assets	7,320,205				7,360,945				7,320,205	7,360,945
Provision for doubtful accounts									2,909	22,516	896
Domestic Site Leasing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									1,308,389	1,273,866	1,236,758
Cost of revenues									260,826	260,941	252,493
Operating profit									1,047,563	1,012,925	984,265
Selling, general, and administrative									67,263	72,701	67,413
Acquisition related adjustments and expenses									8,171	6,233	9,975
Asset impairment and decommission costs									29,523	26,073	93,977
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									498,842	509,108	534,436
Operating income									443,764	398,810	278,464
Cash capital expenditures									225,074	310,256	709,337
Assets	5,171,190				5,396,394				5,171,190	5,396,394
International Site Leasing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									314,784	264,204	243,876
Cost of revenues									98,701	81,274	72,162
Operating profit									216,083	182,930	171,714
Selling, general, and administrative									24,320	35,897	16,196
Acquisition related adjustments and expenses									4,196	6,907	1,889
Asset impairment and decommission costs									6,994	1,824	806
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									135,155	119,466	118,886
Operating income									45,418	18,836	33,937
Cash capital expenditures									358,691	102,282	94,693
Assets	2,028,479				1,839,703				2,028,479	1,839,703
Site Development [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									104,501	95,055	157,840
Cost of revenues									86,785	78,682	119,744
Operating profit									17,716	16,373	38,096
Selling, general, and administrative									15,433	13,039	12,247
Asset impairment and decommission costs									180
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									2,580	3,402	3,662
Operating income									(477)	(68)	22,187
Cash capital expenditures									1,221	1,955	3,495
Assets	49,487				43,769				49,487	43,769
Not Identified by Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Selling, general, and administrative									23,681	21,712	19,095
Asset impairment and decommission costs										2,345
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									6,523	6,213	3,037
Operating income									(30,204)	(30,270)	(22,132)
Other expense (principally interest expense and other income (expense))									(341,610)	(300,005)	(479,051)
Cash capital expenditures									3,859	3,710	$ 13,339
Assets	$ 71,049				$ 81,079				$ 71,049	81,079
Oi S.A. [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Provision for doubtful accounts										$ 16,498