Segment Data (Segment Reporting Information Disclosure) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 416,505	$ 411,319	$ 405,532	$ 399,769	$ 406,941	$ 410,735	$ 410,704	$ 410,094	$ 1,633,125	$ 1,638,474	$ 1,526,996
Cost of revenues									420,897	444,399	428,485
Operating profit									1,212,228	1,194,075	1,098,511
Selling, general, and administrative									143,349	114,951	103,317
Acquisition related adjustments and expenses									13,140	11,864	7,798
Asset impairment and decommission costs									30,242	94,783	23,801
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	158,554	160,111	159,723	159,801	161,461	164,330	162,377	171,853	638,189	660,021	627,072
Operating income	107,430	$ 108,210	$ 74,066	$ 97,602	82,129	$ 43,083	$ 98,163	$ 89,081	387,308	312,456	336,523
Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense)									(300,005)	(479,051)	(352,183)
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes									87,303	(166,595)	(15,660)
Cash capital expenditures									418,203	820,864	1,797,763
Assets	7,360,945				7,312,980				7,360,945	7,312,980
Provision for doubtful accounts									22,516	896	365
Domestic Site Leasing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									1,273,866	1,236,758	1,157,293
Cost of revenues									260,941	252,493	247,237
Operating profit									1,012,925	984,265	910,056
Selling, general, and administrative									72,701	67,413	67,611
Acquisition related adjustments and expenses									6,233	9,975	3,351
Asset impairment and decommission costs									26,073	93,977	21,538
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									509,108	534,436	515,150
Operating income									398,810	278,464	302,406
Cash capital expenditures									310,256	709,337	547,774
Assets	5,396,394				5,587,476				5,396,394	5,587,476
International Site Leasing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									264,204	243,876	202,909
Cost of revenues									81,274	72,162	54,076
Operating profit									182,930	171,714	148,833
Selling, general, and administrative									35,897	16,196	16,762
Acquisition related adjustments and expenses									6,907	1,889	4,447
Asset impairment and decommission costs									1,824	806	2,263
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									119,466	118,886	104,447
Operating income									18,836	33,937	20,914
Cash capital expenditures									102,282	94,693	1,221,786
Assets	1,839,703				1,564,496				1,839,703	1,564,496
Site Development [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									95,055	157,840	166,794
Cost of revenues									78,682	119,744	127,172
Operating profit									16,373	38,096	39,622
Selling, general, and administrative									13,039	12,247	9,074
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									3,402	3,662	2,453
Operating income									(68)	22,187	28,095
Cash capital expenditures									1,955	3,495	3,851
Assets	43,769				56,631				43,769	56,631
Not Identified by Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Selling, general, and administrative									21,712	19,095	9,870
Asset impairment and decommission costs									2,345
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									6,213	3,037	5,022
Operating income									(30,270)	(22,132)	(14,892)
Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense)									(300,005)	(479,051)	(352,183)
Cash capital expenditures									3,710	13,339	$ 24,352
Assets	$ 81,079				$ 104,377				81,079	$ 104,377
Oi S.A. [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Provision for doubtful accounts									$ 16,500