Property and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Buildings and Equipment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Buildings and Equipment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Buildings and Equipment [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Wireless Communications Systems [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Wireless Communications Systems [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Wireless Communications Systems [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Leasehold Improvements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Leasehold Improvements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Leasehold Improvements [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Capitalized Software [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Capitalized Software [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Capitalized Software [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Construction in Progress [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Construction in Progress [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 MetroPCS [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 MetroPCS [Member] Buildings and Equipment [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 MetroPCS [Member] Wireless Communications Systems [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 MetroPCS [Member] Leasehold Improvements [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 MetroPCS [Member] Capitalized Software [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 MetroPCS [Member] Construction in Progress [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment				$ 1,862,000,000	$ 1,819,000,000		$ 24,594,000,000	$ 21,030,000,000		$ 971,000,000	$ 965,000,000		$ 6,424,000,000	$ 5,078,000,000		$ 1,147,000,000	$ 1,659,000,000
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(19,649,000,000)	(17,744,000,000)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $19,649 and $17,744	15,349,000,000	12,807,000,000
Property and equipment																		1,475,000,000	49,000,000	1,200,000,000	15,000,000	162,000,000	71,000,000
Useful lives						40 years			20 years			12 years			7 years
Capital leased assets, gross	285,000,000
Capital leases assets, accumulated amortization	27,000,000
Depreciation expense	3,400,000,000	3,200,000,000	2,900,000,000
Depreciation expense on integrated assets		$ 268,000,000