Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Revenue:
Revenue	$ 31,191		$ 33,726		$ 61,269	$ 62,475
Operating expenses:
Marketing, general and administrative	11,022		15,944		22,628	27,219
Revision to contract termination charge	0		(20,478)		0	(20,478)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	23,852		22,616		47,653	41,847
Total operating expenses	47,847		31,778		96,256	73,485
Operating income (loss)	(16,656)		1,948		(34,987)	(11,010)
Other income (expense):
Interest income and expense, net of amounts capitalized	(12,808)		(10,305)		(25,678)	(17,658)
Derivative gain	35,116		(2,059)		92,124	106,885
Gain on legal settlement	120		6,779		120	6,779
Equity in subsidiary earnings (loss)	0		0		0	0
Other	474		(3,351)		465	(4,013)
Total other income (expense)	22,902		(8,936)		67,031	91,993
Income (loss) before income taxes	6,246		(6,988)		32,044	80,983
Income tax expense	57		24		84	65
Net income (loss)	6,189	$ 25,771	(7,012)	$ 87,930	31,960	80,918
Comprehensive income (loss)	5,691		(4,382)		31,192	83,218
Service revenue
Revenue:
Revenue	26,700		27,995		52,819	54,005
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	9,395		9,526		19,248	18,555
Subscriber equipment sales
Revenue:
Revenue	4,491		5,731		8,450	8,470
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	3,578		4,170		6,727	6,342
Cost of subscriber equipment sales - reduction in the value of inventory					0
Reportable Legal Entities | Parent Company
Revenue:
Revenue	23,454		23,474		45,693	44,055
Operating expenses:
Marketing, general and administrative	6,651		11,382		13,775	18,467
Revision to contract termination charge			(20,478)			(20,478)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	23,155		21,349		46,350	40,393
Total operating expenses	37,075		19,163		74,632	51,590
Operating income (loss)	(13,621)		4,311		(28,939)	(7,535)
Other income (expense):
Interest income and expense, net of amounts capitalized	(12,792)		(10,335)		(25,656)	(17,721)
Derivative gain	35,116		(2,059)		92,124	106,885
Gain on legal settlement	120		6,779		120	6,779
Equity in subsidiary earnings (loss)	(2,280)		(5,800)		(5,213)	(7,120)
Other	(354)		92		(476)	(370)
Total other income (expense)	19,810		(11,323)		60,899	88,453
Income (loss) before income taxes	6,189		(7,012)		31,960	80,918
Income tax expense	0		0		0	0
Net income (loss)	6,189		(7,012)		31,960	80,918
Comprehensive income (loss)	6,189		(7,012)		31,960	80,918
Reportable Legal Entities | Parent Company | Service revenue
Revenue:
Revenue	23,055		23,270		44,992	43,804
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	7,001		6,745		14,016	13,002
Reportable Legal Entities | Parent Company | Subscriber equipment sales
Revenue:
Revenue	399		204		701	251
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	268		165		491	206
Cost of subscriber equipment sales - reduction in the value of inventory					0
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenue:
Revenue	13,064		15,640		26,132	26,763
Operating expenses:
Marketing, general and administrative	1,256		1,457		2,557	2,521
Revision to contract termination charge			0			0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	(14)		68		3	164
Total operating expenses	5,946		7,304		11,779	11,664
Operating income (loss)	7,118		8,336		14,353	15,099
Other income (expense):
Interest income and expense, net of amounts capitalized	(3)		(2)		(7)	(4)
Derivative gain	0		0		0	0
Gain on legal settlement	0		0		0	0
Equity in subsidiary earnings (loss)	(3,989)		(6,241)		(8,623)	(9,628)
Other	(60)		293		127	117
Total other income (expense)	(4,052)		(5,950)		(8,503)	(9,515)
Income (loss) before income taxes	3,066		2,386		5,850	5,584
Income tax expense	19		10		26	16
Net income (loss)	3,047		2,376		5,824	5,568
Comprehensive income (loss)	3,047		2,376		5,824	5,568
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries | Service revenue
Revenue:
Revenue	9,312		10,292		18,894	19,366
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	1,378		1,498		2,827	2,888
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries | Subscriber equipment sales
Revenue:
Revenue	3,752		5,348		7,238	7,397
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	3,326		4,281		6,392	6,091
Cost of subscriber equipment sales - reduction in the value of inventory					0
Reportable Legal Entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenue:
Revenue	17,559		17,781		34,189	34,585
Operating expenses:
Marketing, general and administrative	23,588		24,078		45,798	44,941
Revision to contract termination charge			0			0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	711		1,199		1,300	1,290
Total operating expenses	27,714		28,490		54,592	53,187
Operating income (loss)	(10,155)		(10,709)		(20,403)	(18,602)
Other income (expense):
Interest income and expense, net of amounts capitalized	(13)		3		(15)	17
Derivative gain	0		0		0	0
Gain on legal settlement	0		0		0	0
Equity in subsidiary earnings (loss)	0		0		0	0
Other	890		(3,725)		817	(3,733)
Total other income (expense)	877		(3,722)		802	(3,716)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(9,278)		(14,431)		(19,601)	(22,318)
Income tax expense	38		14		58	49
Net income (loss)	(9,316)		(14,445)		(19,659)	(22,367)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(9,812)		(11,793)		(20,419)	(20,039)
Reportable Legal Entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries | Service revenue
Revenue:
Revenue	15,984		16,406		31,113	32,014
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	2,196		2,294		5,087	5,162
Reportable Legal Entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries | Subscriber equipment sales
Revenue:
Revenue	1,575		1,375		3,076	2,571
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	1,219		919		2,407	1,794
Cost of subscriber equipment sales - reduction in the value of inventory					0
Eliminations
Revenue:
Revenue	(22,886)		(23,169)		(44,745)	(42,928)
Operating expenses:
Marketing, general and administrative	(20,473)		(20,973)		(39,502)	(38,710)
Revision to contract termination charge			0			0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	0		0		0	0
Total operating expenses	(22,888)		(23,179)		(44,747)	(42,956)
Operating income (loss)	2		10		2	28
Other income (expense):
Interest income and expense, net of amounts capitalized	0		29		0	50
Derivative gain	0		0		0	0
Gain on legal settlement	0		0		0	0
Equity in subsidiary earnings (loss)	6,269		12,041		13,836	16,748
Other	(2)		(11)		(3)	(27)
Total other income (expense)	6,267		12,059		13,833	16,771
Income (loss) before income taxes	6,269		12,069		13,835	16,799
Income tax expense	0		0		0	0
Net income (loss)	6,269		12,069		13,835	16,799
Comprehensive income (loss)	6,267		12,047		13,827	16,771
Eliminations | Service revenue
Revenue:
Revenue	(21,651)		(21,973)		(42,180)	(41,179)
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	(1,180)		(1,011)		(2,682)	(2,497)
Eliminations | Subscriber equipment sales
Revenue:
Revenue	(1,235)		(1,196)		(2,565)	(1,749)
Operating expenses:
Cost of goods and services	$ (1,235)		$ (1,195)		(2,563)	$ (1,749)
Cost of subscriber equipment sales - reduction in the value of inventory					$ 0