Long-lived Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Long-lived Assets [Abstract]

Schedule of PP&E

The details of our property and equipment and the related accumulated depreciation are set forth below:

	Estimated useful life at December 31, 2018	December 31,
		2018			2017
		in millions
Distribution systems	3 to 30 years	$	17,845.4		$	17,465.0
Customer premises equipment	3 to 7 years	4,191.2			4,341.0
Support equipment, buildings and land	2 to 50 years	4,933.7			4,781.4
Total property and equipment, gross		26,970.3			26,587.4
Accumulated depreciation		(13,091.4		)	(12,438.4		)
Total property and equipment, net		$	13,878.9		$	14,149.0

Schedule of Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill

Changes in the carrying amount of our goodwill during 2018 are set forth below:

	January 1, 2018		Acquisitions and related adjustments			Foreign currency translation adjustments			December 31, 2018
	in millions
U.K./Ireland	$	8,134.1	$	2.0		$	(465.1	)	$	7,671.0
Belgium	2,681.7		24.9			(130.3		)	2,576.3
Switzerland	2,931.3		(0.3		)	(27.1		)	2,903.9
Central and Eastern Europe	607.0		—			(42.4		)	564.6
Total	$	14,354.1	$	26.6		$	(664.9	)	$	13,715.8

Changes in the carrying amount of our goodwill during 2017 are set forth below:

	January 1, 2017		Acquisitions and related adjustments		Foreign currency translation adjustments		December 31, 2017
			in millions
U.K./Ireland	$	7,412.3	$	2.3	$	719.5	$	8,134.1
Belgium	2,032.7		338.6		310.4		2,681.7
Switzerland	2,805.6		—		125.7		2,931.3
Central and Eastern Europe	507.9		—		99.1		607.0
Total	$	12,758.5	$	340.9	$	1,254.7	$	14,354.1

Schedule of Intangible Assets Subject to Amortization, Net

The details of our intangible assets subject to amortization are set forth below: 

	Estimated useful life at December 31, 2018	December 31, 2018							December 31, 2017
		Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization			Net carrying amount		Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization			Net carrying amount
		in millions
Customer relationships	2 to 10 years	$	3,673.1	$	(2,914.2	)	$	758.9	$	4,041.0	$	(2,745.8	)	$	1,295.2
Other	2 to 20 years	521.3		(249.0		)	272.3		531.9		(218.6		)	313.3
Total		$	4,194.4	$	(3,163.2	)	$	1,031.2	$	4,572.9	$	(2,964.4	)	$	1,608.5

Schedule Of Future Amortization Expense Finite Lived Intangible Assets Text Block

The U.S. dollar equivalents of such amortization expense amounts as of December 31, 2018 are presented below (in millions): 

2019	$	521.4
2020	167.0
2021	82.2
2022	34.0
2023	28.5
Thereafter	198.1
Total	$	1,031.2