Property and Equipment and Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Details)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Property and equipment
Impairment of long-lived assets | $		$ 145,918,000	$ 125,752,000
Number of other satellites to be relocated in the event of failure or loss of any satellite | item		1
AWS-4 Satellites
Property and equipment
Number of satellites in-orbit | item		2
Number of satellites under construction | item		1
Satellites
Property and equipment
Number of satellites utilized in geostationary orbit approximately 22,300 miles above the equator | item		12
Owned Satellites | item		2
Number of satellites utilized under operating lease | item		8
Number of satellites utilized under capital lease | item		2
EchoStar XV
Property and equipment
Estimated Useful Life		15 years
EchoStar XVI
Property and equipment
Term of renewal option		5 years
EchoStar XVIII
Property and equipment
Estimated Useful Life		15 years
T1
Property and equipment
Estimated Useful Life		14 years 3 months
Net book value of long-lived assets before impairment | $		$ 246,000,000
Net book value of long-lived assets | $		100,000,000
D1
Property and equipment
Net book value of long-lived assets before impairment | $		55,000,000		$ 150,000,000
Impairment of long-lived assets | $			$ 123,000,000
D1 Ground Equipment [Member]
Property and equipment
Net book value of long-lived assets | $		$ 0		$ 28,000,000
T2 satellite | T2 Development Agreement | EchoStar
Property and equipment
Selling rights to use equipments to related party | $	$ 55,000,000