SEGMENT REPORTING (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Item	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
SEGMENT REPORTING
Number of reportable segments									4
Revenue
Revenue	$ 184,385,000	$ 188,798,000	$ 185,293,000	$ 182,890,000	$ 182,943,000	$ 194,346,000	$ 193,753,000	$ 188,154,000	$ 741,366,000	$ 759,196,000	$ 619,145,000
Depreciation and amortization									105,487,000	104,159,000	76,736,000
Non-cash stock-based compensation									3,543,000	3,249,000	2,043,000
Operating income (loss)	28,598,000	29,630,000	23,074,000	18,159,000	10,939,000	27,646,000	6,277,000	10,389,000	99,461,000	55,251,000	38,284,000
Segment Assets
Net fixed assets	450,547,000				483,203,000				450,547,000	483,203,000
Goodwill	45,077,000				45,077,000				45,077,000	45,077,000	44,397,000
Total assets	910,875,000				873,731,000				910,875,000	873,731,000
Capital Expenditures
Capital expenditures									77,421,000	101,401,000	135,688,000
U.S. Wireless, Retail
Revenue
Revenue									337,784,000	370,218,000	293,126,000
U.S. Wireless, Wholesale
Revenue
Revenue									201,938,000	201,993,000	159,807,000
International wireless
Revenue
Revenue									81,619,000	72,230,000	50,615,000
Wireline
Revenue
Revenue									84,828,000	84,957,000	84,488,000
Equipment and Other
Revenue
Revenue									35,197,000	29,798,000	31,109,000
U.S. Wireless
Revenue
Revenue									568,150,000	595,650,000	481,091,000
Depreciation and amortization									72,338,000	72,106,000	50,662,000
Non-cash stock-based compensation									220,000	512,000
Operating income (loss)									101,677,000	56,664,000	48,226,000
Segment Assets
Net fixed assets	262,372,000				296,279,000				262,372,000	296,279,000
Goodwill	32,148,000				32,148,000				32,148,000	32,148,000	32,148,000
Total assets	539,008,000				544,388,000				539,008,000	544,388,000
Capital Expenditures
Capital expenditures									45,058,000	67,843,000	88,522,000
U.S. Wireless | U.S. Wireless, Retail
Revenue
Revenue									337,784,000	370,218,000	293,126,000
U.S. Wireless | U.S. Wireless, Wholesale
Revenue
Revenue									201,938,000	201,993,000	159,807,000
U.S. Wireless | Wireline
Revenue
Revenue									602,000	556,000	359,000
U.S. Wireless | Equipment and Other
Revenue
Revenue									27,826,000	22,883,000	27,799,000
International Integrated Telephony
Revenue
Revenue									93,250,000	92,441,000	89,448,000
Depreciation and amortization									17,963,000	18,058,000	17,480,000
Operating income (loss)									23,203,000	26,734,000	27,371,000
Segment Assets
Net fixed assets	126,532,000				129,069,000				126,532,000	129,069,000
Total assets	191,314,000				171,676,000				191,314,000	171,676,000
Capital Expenditures
Capital expenditures									14,369,000	19,317,000	26,019,000
International Integrated Telephony | International wireless
Revenue
Revenue									27,084,000	27,138,000	24,689,000
International Integrated Telephony | Wireline
Revenue
Revenue									64,428,000	64,471,000	64,196,000
International Integrated Telephony | Equipment and Other
Revenue
Revenue									1,738,000	832,000	563,000
Island Wireless
Revenue
Revenue									60,169,000	51,175,000	28,673,000
Depreciation and amortization									11,067,000	9,914,000	5,271,000
Operating income (loss)									(3,263,000)	(10,153,000)	(6,410,000)
Segment Assets
Net fixed assets	33,745,000				40,446,000				33,745,000	40,446,000
Goodwill	5,438,000				5,438,000				5,438,000	5,438,000	4,758,000
Total assets	77,120,000				84,057,000				77,120,000	84,057,000
Capital Expenditures
Capital expenditures									4,529,000	7,485,000	13,896,000
Island Wireless | International wireless
Revenue
Revenue									54,535,000	45,092,000	25,926,000
Island Wireless | Equipment and Other
Revenue
Revenue									5,634,000	6,083,000	2,747,000
U.S. Wireline
Revenue
Revenue									21,331,000	19,930,000	19,933,000
Depreciation and amortization									2,860,000	3,182,000	2,936,000
Non-cash stock-based compensation											10,000
Operating income (loss)									(2,481,000)	255,000	(288,000)
Segment Assets
Net fixed assets	17,489,000				9,126,000				17,489,000	9,126,000
Goodwill	7,491,000				7,491,000				7,491,000	7,491,000	7,491,000
Total assets	30,888,000				22,790,000				30,888,000	22,790,000
Capital Expenditures
Capital expenditures									10,508,000	3,336,000	2,050,000
U.S. Wireline | Wireline
Revenue
Revenue									21,331,000	19,930,000	19,933,000
Reconciling Items
Revenue
Revenue									(1,534,000)
Depreciation and amortization									1,259,000	899,000	387,000
Non-cash stock-based compensation									3,324,000	2,766,000	2,034,000
Operating income (loss)									(19,675,000)	(18,249,000)	(30,615,000)
Segment Assets
Net fixed assets	10,409,000				8,283,000				10,409,000	8,283,000
Total assets	72,545,000				50,820,000				72,545,000	50,820,000
Capital Expenditures
Capital expenditures									2,956,000	3,420,000	5,201,000
Reconciling Items | Wireline
Revenue
Revenue									$ (1,534,000)