Acquisitions (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net impact of acquisitions on revenue			$ 17,900,000		$ 143,300,000
Net revenues			3,420,736,000	[1]	3,124,010,000	[1],[2]
Income (loss) before income taxes			242,617,000	[3],[4],[5]	15,566,000	[3],[4],[5]
Benefit (provision) for income taxes			(178,663,000)	[5],[6]	134,487,000	[5],[6]
Net income (loss)			63,954,000	[3],[4],[5]	150,053,000	[3],[4],[5]
Basic net income (loss) attributable to CCIC common stockholders, after deduction of dividends on preferred stock, per common share			$ 0.05		$ 0.28
Diluted net income (loss) attributable to CCIC common stockholders, after deduction of dividends on preferred stock, per common share			$ 0.05		$ 0.27
Net impact of acquisitions on net income			8,900,000		12,600,000
Acquisition and integration costs	35,042,000		26,005,000		18,298,000
Land Interests Acquired [Domain]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred	354,000,000
land interests acquired	1,200
Wireless Capital Partners, LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ground lease related assets					2,300
Consideration transferred					214,700,000
NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred					1,000,000,000
T-Mobile [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred					2,500,000,000
AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred			4,827,000,000
Purchase price allocation	4,826,599,000	[7],[8]
ATT, TMO, WCP, and NextG Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition and integration costs			23,700,000		15,500,000
Total T-Mobile Towers [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Tower count as a percentage of total towers					17.00%
AT&T Transaction, Leased and Operated Sites [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Tower count as a percentage of total towers	22.00%
Pro forma revenue adjustments [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, pro forma adjustment					148,900,000
Pro forma revenue adjustments [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, pro forma adjustment			211,100,000		220,600,000
Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, pro forma adjustment			218,300,000		353,200,000
WCP Securitized Notes [Member] | Wireless Capital Partners, LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price allocation					336,300,000
Deferred Lease Revenue [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price allocation	(221,045,000)	[9]
Other Assets [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price allocation	67,063,000
Other Current Liabilities [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price allocation	(10,677,000)
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price allocation	1,175,217,000
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price allocation	21,543,000
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price allocation	1,891,721,000
Goodwill [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price allocation	1,902,777,000
Restricted cash, current and non-current [Member] | Wireless Capital Partners, LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price allocation					39,200,000
Other Assets [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Adjustments to purchase price allocation	63,800,000
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Adjustments to purchase price allocation	73,700,000
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Adjustments to purchase price allocation	104,900,000
Goodwill [Member] | AT&T [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Adjustments to purchase price allocation	$ 134,200,000

[1] For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, amounts are inclusive of pro forma adjustments to increase net revenues of $211.1 million and $220.6 million, respectively, that the Company expects to recognize from AT&T under AT&T's contracted lease of space on the towers acquired in the AT&T Acquisition.

[2] For the year ended December 31, 2012, amounts are inclusive of pro forma adjustments to increase net revenues of $148.9 million that the Company expects to recognize from T-Mobile under T-Mobile's contracted lease of space on the towers acquired in the T-Mobile Acquisition.

[3] For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, amounts are inclusive of pro forma adjustments to depreciation and amortization of $218.3 million and $353.2 million, respectively, related to property and equipment and intangibles recorded as a result of the AT&T Acquisition and 2012 Acquisitions.

[4] Inclusive of $23.7 million and $15.5 million, respectively, of aggregate acquisition and integration costs for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 related to the AT&T Acquisition and 2012 Acquisitions.

[5] For the AT&T Acquisition, pro forma amounts include the impact of the interest expense associated with the related debt financings as well as the October 2013 Equity Financings. For the 2012 Acquisitions, pro forma amounts exclude any impact from debt financings that occurred through 2012 due to (1) such financings have been conducted for multiple purposes, including to lower the Company's average cost of debt, to refinance and extend certain of its debt, as well as to provide funds to finance a portion of such acquisitions and (2) such financings having not been conducted concurrently with the 2012 Acquisitions they subsequently funded in part and the fungible nature of the cash makes impracticable a determination of whether, or what portion of, the purchase prices of such acquisitions were funded with the proceeds of such financings.

[6] For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the pro forma adjustments reflects the federal statutory rate and an estimated state rate. No adjustment was made related to the Company's REIT election. See note 10.

[7] No deferred taxes were recorded as a result of the Company's REIT election. See note 10.

[8] Changes between the final purchase price allocation and the preliminary purchase price allocation as presented in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 primarily relate to (1) a $134.2 million increase to goodwill, (2) a $104.9 million decrease to other intangible assets, net (3) a $73.7 million decrease to property and equipment, and (4) a $63.8 million increase to other assets. The effect of the change in the purchase price allocation on the Company's statement of operations is immaterial for the periods presented.

[9] Inclusive of above-market leases for land interests under the Company's towers.