Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,362	$ 394	$ 423	$ 390
Accounts receivable, net of allowances for uncollectible accounts	3,000	2,678
Accounts receivable from affiliates	33	682
Inventory	819	457
Current portion of deferred tax assets, net	501	655
Other current assets	598	675
Total current assets	7,313	5,541
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	15,185	12,807
Goodwill	1,683	0
Spectrum licenses	18,415	14,550
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	1,390	79
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	49	63
Investments in subsidiaries, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Long-term investments	38	31
Other assets	661	551
Total assets	44,734	33,622
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	4,305	3,475
Current payables to affiliates	226	1,619
Short-term debt	210	0
Deferred revenue	459	290
Other current liabilities	198	208
Total current liabilities	5,398	5,592
Long-term payables to affiliates	11,200	13,655
Long-term debt	6,276	0
Long-term financial obligation	2,479	2,461
Deferred tax liabilities	4,386	3,618
Deferred rents	2,000	1,884
Negative carrying value of subsidiaries, net	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	636	297
Total long-term liabilities	26,977	21,915
Total stockholders' equity	12,359	6,115
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	44,734	33,622
Parent [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1,107	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowances for uncollectible accounts	0	0
Accounts receivable from affiliates	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Current portion of deferred tax assets, net	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	1,107	0
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Goodwill	0
Spectrum licenses	0	0
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries, net	9,315	0
Intercompany receivables	1,937	0
Long-term investments	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	12,359	0
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0
Current payables to affiliates	0	0
Short-term debt	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term payables to affiliates	0	0
Long-term debt	0
Long-term financial obligation	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Deferred rents	0	0
Negative carrying value of subsidiaries, net	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total long-term liabilities	0	0
Total stockholders' equity	12,359	0
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	12,359	0
Issuer [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1,021	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowances for uncollectible accounts	0	0
Accounts receivable from affiliates	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Current portion of deferred tax assets, net	0	0
Other current assets	4	106
Total current assets	1,025	106
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Goodwill	0
Spectrum licenses	0	0
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	6	19
Investments in subsidiaries, net	25,170	24,823
Intercompany receivables	666	0
Long-term investments	0	0
Other assets	33	147
Total assets	26,900	25,095
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	131	0
Current payables to affiliates	121	1,494
Short-term debt	193
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	445	1,494
Long-term payables to affiliates	11,200	13,655
Long-term debt	5,935
Long-term financial obligation	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Deferred rents	0	0
Negative carrying value of subsidiaries, net	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	3,831
Other long-term liabilities	5	0
Total long-term liabilities	17,140	17,486
Total stockholders' equity	9,315	6,115
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	26,900	25,095
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	93	287	301	339
Accounts receivable, net of allowances for uncollectible accounts	2,914	2,607
Accounts receivable from affiliates	33	682
Inventory	819	457
Current portion of deferred tax assets, net	486	640
Other current assets	589	565
Total current assets	4,934	5,238
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	14,549	12,129
Goodwill	1,683
Spectrum licenses	18,195	14,330
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	1,390	79
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	43	44
Investments in subsidiaries, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	3,760
Long-term investments	38	31
Other assets	578	352
Total assets	41,410	35,963
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	4,060	3,382
Current payables to affiliates	105	125
Short-term debt	17
Deferred revenue	459	290
Other current liabilities	158	168
Total current liabilities	4,799	3,965
Long-term payables to affiliates	0	0
Long-term debt	341
Long-term financial obligation	363	360
Deferred tax liabilities	4,401	3,603
Deferred rents	2,000	1,884
Negative carrying value of subsidiaries, net	518	489
Intercompany payables	2,650	0
Other long-term liabilities	631	297
Total long-term liabilities	10,904	6,633
Total stockholders' equity	25,707	25,365
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	41,410	35,963
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	141	107	122	51
Accounts receivable, net of allowances for uncollectible accounts	86	71
Accounts receivable from affiliates	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Current portion of deferred tax assets, net	15	15
Other current assets	5	4
Total current assets	247	197
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	636	678
Goodwill	0
Spectrum licenses	220	220
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	47	71
Long-term investments	0	0
Other assets	65	52
Total assets	1,215	1,218
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	114	93
Current payables to affiliates	0	0
Short-term debt	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	40	40
Total current liabilities	154	133
Long-term payables to affiliates	0	0
Long-term debt	0
Long-term financial obligation	2,116	2,101
Deferred tax liabilities	0	15
Deferred rents	0	0
Negative carrying value of subsidiaries, net	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total long-term liabilities	2,116	2,116
Total stockholders' equity	(1,055)	(1,031)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,215	1,218
Consolidating and Eliminating Adjustments [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowances for uncollectible accounts	0	0
Accounts receivable from affiliates	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Current portion of deferred tax assets, net	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Goodwill	0
Spectrum licenses	0	0
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries, net	(34,485)	(24,823)
Intercompany receivables	(2,650)	(3,831)
Long-term investments	0	0
Other assets	(15)	0
Total assets	(37,150)	(28,654)
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0
Current payables to affiliates	0	0
Short-term debt	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term payables to affiliates	0	0
Long-term debt	0
Long-term financial obligation	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities	(15)	0
Deferred rents	0	0
Negative carrying value of subsidiaries, net	(518)	(489)
Intercompany payables	(2,650)	(3,831)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total long-term liabilities	(3,183)	(4,320)
Total stockholders' equity	(33,967)	(24,334)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ (37,150)	$ (28,654)