Acquisitions - Summary of Useful Lives of Customer Relationships Based on Customer Attrition (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands						12 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2017	Jun. 09, 2017	Oct. 06, 2015	Jan. 16, 2015	Jan. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2017
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)						10 years 10 months 24 days
Customer Lists [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)						11 years 6 months
Blue Tree Systems Limited [Member] | ORBCOMM Technology Ireland Limited [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total intangible assets	$ 12,020
Blue Tree Systems Limited [Member] | Customer Lists [Member] | ORBCOMM Technology Ireland Limited [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)	10 years
Total intangible assets	$ 9,200
Blue Tree Systems Limited [Member] | Technology [Member] | ORBCOMM Technology Ireland Limited [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)	10 years
Total intangible assets	$ 2,700
Blue Tree Systems Limited [Member] | Tradename [Member] | ORBCOMM Technology Ireland Limited [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)	1 year
Total intangible assets	$ 120
Inthinc [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total intangible assets		$ 16,000
Inthinc [Member] | Customer Lists [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)		15 years
Total intangible assets		$ 12,400
Inthinc [Member] | Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)		10 years
Total intangible assets		$ 3,600
WAM Technologies, LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total intangible assets			$ 4,810
WAM Technologies, LLC [Member] | Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)			10 years
Total intangible assets			$ 450
WAM Technologies, LLC [Member] | Customer Lists - One Customer [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)			10 years
Total intangible assets			$ 3,720
WAM Technologies, LLC [Member] | Customer Lists - All Other Customers [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)			11 years
Total intangible assets			$ 600
WAM Technologies, LLC [Member] | Trademarks [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)			1 year
Total intangible assets			$ 40
InSync Software, Inc [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total intangible assets				$ 5,788
InSync Software, Inc [Member] | Customer Lists [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)				14 years
Total intangible assets				$ 5,056
InSync Software, Inc [Member] | Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)				10 years
Total intangible assets				$ 632
InSync Software, Inc [Member] | Trademarks [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)				4 years
Total intangible assets				$ 100
SkyWave Mobile Communications Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total intangible assets					$ 67,214
SkyWave Mobile Communications Inc. [Member] | Customer Lists [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)					10 years
Total intangible assets					$ 59,371
SkyWave Mobile Communications Inc. [Member] | Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)					10 years
Total intangible assets					$ 5,463
SkyWave Mobile Communications Inc. [Member] | Trademarks [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)					5 years
Total intangible assets					$ 1,062
SkyWave Mobile Communications Inc. [Member] | M2M and DGS Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Useful life (years)					5 years
Total intangible assets					$ 1,318