Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 5,314,529	$ 5,305,002
Accumulated depreciation	(2,671,058)	(2,551,904)
Property and equipment, net	2,643,471	2,753,098
Land
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	13,365	13,475
Buildings and improvements
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 127,958	128,292
Buildings and improvements \| Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	1 year
Buildings and improvements \| Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	40 years
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 686,448	650,385
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other \| Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	1 year
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other \| Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	12 years
Customer rental equipment
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 1,103,408	929,775
Customer rental equipment \| Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	2 years
Customer rental equipment \| Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	4 years
Satellites - owned
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 2,268,862	2,516,685
Satellites - owned \| Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	2 years
Satellites - owned \| Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	15 years
Satellites - acquired under capital leases
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 1,045,242	916,820
Satellites - acquired under capital leases \| Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	10 years
Satellites - acquired under capital leases \| Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	15 years
Construction in progress
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 69,246	$ 149,570

Amount of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization for physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services.

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