Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)
Segment information
Number of primary operating business segments | segment									3
Total assets	$ 51,413,031				$ 52,606,562				$ 51,413,031	$ 52,606,562
Total revenue	3,722,013	$ 3,704,516	$ 3,911,577	$ 3,956,982	4,043,373	$ 4,095,451	$ 4,209,963	$ 4,330,620	15,295,088	16,679,407	$ 17,881,106
Depreciation and amortization									1,181,921	717,073	724,852
Operating income (loss)	(312,694)	(41,806)	206,334	323,423	375,342	427,029	692,935	550,360	175,257	2,045,666	3,203,035
Interest income									105,416	42,776	11,338
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized									(38,881)	(22,781)	(16,174)
Other, net									(1,741,876)	1,038,982	20,557
Income tax (provision) benefit, net									371,662	(731,736)	(762,810)
Net income (loss)	(1,477,245)	$ (116,839)	$ 222,424	$ 243,238	954,469	$ 429,585	$ 540,007	$ 448,846	(1,128,422)	2,372,907	2,455,946
Purchases of property and equipment (including capitalized interest related to FCC authorizations)									3,991,360	3,711,611	1,963,527
Pay-TV subscriber and related revenue
Segment information
Total revenue									11,385,961	12,360,601	12,787,485
Wireless services and related revenue
Segment information
Total revenue									3,337,240	3,653,909	4,142,883
Pay-TV
Segment information
Purchases of property and equipment (including capitalized interest related to FCC authorizations)									242,736	131,093	173,485
Pay-TV | Equipment sales and other revenue
Segment information
Total revenue									185,198	144,791	141,222
Retail Wireless | Equipment sales and other revenue
Segment information
Total revenue									355,132	481,220	754,322
5 G Network Deployment
Segment information
Purchases of property and equipment (including capitalized interest related to FCC authorizations)									3,748,624	3,580,518	1,790,042
5 G Network Deployment | Equipment sales and other revenue
Segment information
Total revenue									91,928	65,768	73,889
All Other & Eliminations
Segment information
Total revenue									(60,371)	(26,882)	(18,695)
Operating segment | Pay-TV
Segment information
Total assets	49,437,958				46,295,495				49,437,958	46,295,495
Total revenue									11,571,159	12,505,392	12,928,707
Depreciation and amortization									381,292	428,471	538,836
Operating income (loss)									2,699,810	2,933,898	3,075,579
Interest income									2,604,599	1,872,645	1,346,502
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized									(1,290,099)	(1,036,829)	(819,510)
Other, net									74,114	1,264	(2,917)
Income tax (provision) benefit, net									(578,739)	(911,955)	(853,362)
Net income (loss)									3,509,685	2,859,023	2,746,292
Operating segment | Wireless
Segment information
Total revenue									3,692,372	4,135,129	4,897,205
Depreciation and amortization									221,968	177,914	176,833
Operating income (loss)									(643,184)	(77,264)	343,785
Interest income									27	5	6
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized									(64,565)	(49,123)	(1,309)
Other, net									(1,793,387)	1,012,147	26,695
Income tax (provision) benefit, net									201,091	(219,720)	(95,982)
Net income (loss)									(2,300,018)	666,045	273,195
Operating segment | Retail Wireless
Segment information
Total assets	777,957				2,798,561				777,957	2,798,561
Operating segment | 5 G Network Deployment
Segment information
Total assets	46,793,378				43,462,443				46,793,378	43,462,443
Total revenue									91,928	65,768	73,889
Depreciation and amortization									620,685	131,566	23,005
Operating income (loss)									(1,881,369)	(810,968)	(216,329)
Interest income									3,041
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized									(1,186,468)	(766,703)	(530,525)
Other, net									(22,603)	25,571	(3,221)
Income tax (provision) benefit, net									749,310	399,939	186,534
Net income (loss)									(2,338,089)	(1,152,161)	(563,541)
Eliminations | All Other & Eliminations
Segment information
Total assets	$ (45,596,262)				$ (39,949,937)				(45,596,262)	(39,949,937)
Total revenue									(60,371)	(26,882)	(18,695)
Depreciation and amortization									(42,024)	(20,878)	(13,822)
Interest income									(2,502,251)	(1,829,874)	(1,335,170)
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized									$ 2,502,251	$ 1,829,874	$ 1,335,170