Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Prior year reclassification of construction in process to towers and small cells			$ 137,000
Gross property and equipment		$ 16,418,534	15,378,932	[1]
Less: accumulated depreciation		(6,613,219)	(5,798,875)	[1]
Total property and equipment, net		9,805,315	9,580,057	[1]
Depreciation expense		832,700	774,900		$ 733,600
Capital Leased Assets, Gross		4,400,000
Accumulated Depreciation on Capital Lease Assets		1,400,000
Land owned in fee and perpetual easements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Gross property and equipment	[2]	1,747,335	1,617,919	[1]
Buildings [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Gross property and equipment		$ 110,641	86,760	[1]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life		40 years
Wireless Infrastructure [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Gross property and equipment		$ 13,825,394	12,993,115	[1]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life		20 years
Information technology assets and other [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Gross property and equipment		$ 278,489	239,332	[1]
Construction in Process [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Gross property and equipment		$ 456,675	$ 441,806	[1]
Minimum [Member] | Wireless Infrastructure [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life		1 year
Minimum [Member] | Information technology assets and other [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life		2 years
Maximum [Member] | Wireless Infrastructure [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life		20 years
Maximum [Member] | Information technology assets and other [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life		7 years

[1] The above table reflects a revision from the Company’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K relating to the classification of certain construction in process projects. In connection with this revision, the Company reclassified $137.0 million from construction in process to towers and small cells.

[2] Includes land owned in fee and perpetual easements.