Acquisitions (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Tower Count	40,000
FiberNet Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets	$ 56,456
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Revenue of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual	31,900
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets	325,238
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets	72
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment	450,382
Business Acquisition, Goodwill	$ 766,739	[1]
Fiber Miles Acquired	11,500
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Liabilities	$ (34,097)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities	(42,901)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net	$ 1,521,889	[2]
Top Metro Markets [Domain] | FiberNet Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fiber Miles Acquired	6,000
FiberNet Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred	$ 1,500,000
Business Acquisition, Date of Acquisition Agreement	Jan. 17, 2017

[1] (a)The preliminary purchase price allocation for the FiberNet Acquisition resulted in the recognition of goodwill based on:•the Company's expectation to leverage the FiberNet fiber footprint to support new small cell networks,•the complementary nature of the FiberNet fiber to the Company's existing fiber assets and its location in top metro markets where the Company expects to see wireless carrier network investments,•the Company's belief that the acquired fiber assets are well positioned to benefit from the continued growth trends in the wireless industry, and•other intangibles not qualified for separate recognition, including the assembled workforce.

[2] (b)The vast majority of assets acquired in the FiberNet Acquisition are expected to be included in the Company's REIT and as such, no deferred taxes were recorded in connection with the FiberNet Acquisition.