Segment Data (Schedule of Segment Reporting Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 493,293	$ 458,302
Cost of revenues		123,815	115,337
Operating profit		369,478	342,965
Selling, general, and administrative	[1],[2]	50,959	36,049
Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses		2,437	3,044
Asset impairment and decommission costs		5,771	8,506
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		171,038	165,398
Operating income		139,273	129,968
Other expense (principally interest expense and other income (expense))		(103,077)	(89,841)
Income before income taxes		36,196	40,127
Cash capital expenditures		92,526	148,978
Assets		9,312,759		$ 7,213,707
Domestic Site Leasing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		362,838	341,707
Cost of revenues		65,114	65,015
Operating profit		297,724	276,692
Selling, general, and administrative		28,893	19,339
Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses		708	1,786
Asset impairment and decommission costs		3,634	6,726
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		130,244	123,458
Operating income		134,245	125,383
Cash capital expenditures		61,509	71,019
Assets		6,507,029		5,035,826
International Site Leasing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		89,345	88,835
Cost of revenues		27,600	27,802
Operating profit		61,745	61,033
Selling, general, and administrative		5,688	6,614
Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses		1,729	1,258
Asset impairment and decommission costs		2,137	1,502
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		38,795	39,680
Operating income		13,396	11,979
Cash capital expenditures		29,517	77,056
Assets		2,653,344		2,042,800
Site Development [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		41,110	27,760
Cost of revenues		31,101	22,520
Operating profit		10,009	5,240
Selling, general, and administrative		5,706	4,077
Asset impairment and decommission costs			278
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		562	642
Operating income		3,741	243
Cash capital expenditures		925	267
Assets		67,784		60,775
Not Identified by Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Selling, general, and administrative		10,672	6,019
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		1,437	1,618
Operating income		(12,109)	(7,637)
Other expense (principally interest expense and other income (expense))		(103,077)	(89,841)
Cash capital expenditures		575	$ 636
Assets		$ 84,602		$ 74,306

[1] Includes non-cash compensation of $22,605 and $9,893 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

[2] Includes the impact of a partial recovery of $2.3 million of Oi prepetition obligations received during the three months ended March 31, 2019.