Document and Entity Information - shares	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - shares	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Nov. 06, 2017
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name		CC Holdings GS V LLC
Entity Central Index Key		0001574291
Current Fiscal Year End Date		--12-31
Entity Filer Category		Non-accelerated Filer
Document Type		10-Q
Document Period End Date		Sep. 30, 2017
Document Fiscal Year Focus		2017
Document Fiscal Period Focus		Q3
Amendment Flag		false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding			0
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers		Yes
Entity Current Reporting Status		Yes

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 24,519	$ 19,550
Receivables, net	2,379	3,527
Prepaid expenses	25,913	24,051
Deferred site rental receivables and other current assets	29,174	20,313
Total current assets	81,985	67,441
Deferred site rental receivables	330,631	346,507
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $896,689 and $828,670, respectively	1,061,711	1,088,883
Goodwill	1,338,730	1,338,730
Other intangible assets, net	951,352	1,038,007
Long-term prepaid rent and other assets, net	37,906	35,490
Total assets	3,802,315	3,915,058
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accrued expenses and payables	13,372	13,243
Accrued interest	17,748	8,126
Deferred revenues	11,360	11,930
Total current liabilities	42,480	33,299
Debt	992,317	991,279
Deferred Ground Lease Payable	106,677	102,519
Above Market Leases and Other Liabilities	49,184	48,716
Total liabilities	1,190,658	1,175,813
Member's equity:
Member's equity	2,611,657	2,739,245
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	0	0
Total member's equity	2,611,657	2,739,245
Total liabilities and equity	$ 3,802,315	$ 3,915,058

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Sep. 30, 2016

Sep. 30, 2017

Sep. 30, 2016

Income Statement [Abstract]

Site rental revenues

$ 153,732

$ 152,523

$ 460,028

$ 458,781

Operating expenses:

Site rental cost of operations—third parties

^[1]

37,504

38,670

113,185

112,575

Site rental cost of operations—related parties

^[1]

9,234

8,569

27,275

25,238

Site rental cost of operations—total

^[1]

46,738

47,239

140,460

137,813

Management fee—related party

11,779

11,425

35,069

33,936

Asset write-down charges

950

3,724

Depreciation, amortization and accretion

52,714

52,624

157,886

157,098

Total operating expenses

111,231

112,238

333,415

332,571

Operating income (loss)

42,501

40,285

126,613

126,210

Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs

(9,969)

(12,934)

(29,906)

(39,546)

Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt

(10,273)

Other income (expense)

(720)

(74)

129

(85)

Income (loss) before income taxes

31,812

17,004

96,836

76,306

Benefit (provision) for income taxes

(88)

(84)

(264)

(253)

Net income (loss)

$ 31,724

$ 16,920

$ 96,572

$ 76,053

[1]	Exclusive of depreciation, amortization and accretion shown separately and certain indirect costs included in the management fee.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 96,572	$ 76,053
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	157,886	157,098
Amortization of deferred financing costs	1,038	2,081
Asset write-down charges	0	3,724
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt	0	(10,273)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Increase (decrease) in accrued interest	9,622	9,093
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable	(893)	(399)
Increase (decrease) in deferred revenues, deferred ground lease payable and other liabilities	3,788	2,515
Decrease (increase) in receivables	1,148	1,688
Decrease (increase) in other current assets, deferred site rental receivable, long-term prepaid rent, and other assets	5,969	(8,951)
Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities	275,130	253,175
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(46,001)	(39,317)
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities	(46,001)	(39,317)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of Other Long-term Debt	0	(508,472)
Equity Contribution (Distribution)	(224,160)	(194,678)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(224,160)	(194,678)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	4,969	19,180
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	19,550	20,401
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	24,519	39,581
Equity contribution related to debt repayment [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Equity Contribution (Distribution)	$ 0	$ 508,472

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Members' Equity [Member]	Accumulated Earnings (Deficit) [Member]
Balance, beginning at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 2,404,348	$ 2,327,938	$ 76,410
Equity [Roll Forward]
Equity Contribution (Distribution) \| Equity contribution related to debt repayment [Member]	508,472	508,472	0
Equity Contribution (Distribution)	(194,678)	(42,215)	(152,463)
Net income (loss)	76,053	0	76,053
Balance, ending at Sep. 30, 2016	2,794,195	2,794,195	0
Balance, beginning at Jun. 30, 2016	2,333,971	2,327,938	6,033
Equity [Roll Forward]
Equity Contribution (Distribution) \| Equity contribution related to debt repayment [Member]	508,472	508,472	0
Equity Contribution (Distribution)	(65,168)	(42,215)	(22,953)
Net income (loss)	16,920	0	16,920
Balance, ending at Sep. 30, 2016	2,794,195	2,794,195	0
Balance, beginning at Dec. 31, 2016	2,739,245	2,739,245	0
Equity [Roll Forward]
Equity Contribution (Distribution) \| Equity contribution related to debt repayment [Member]	0
Equity Contribution (Distribution)	(224,160)	(127,588)	(96,572)
Net income (loss)	96,572	0	96,572
Balance, ending at Sep. 30, 2017	2,611,657	2,611,657	0
Balance, beginning at Jun. 30, 2017	2,660,691	2,660,691	0
Equity [Roll Forward]
Equity Contribution (Distribution)	(80,758)	(49,034)	(31,724)
Net income (loss)	31,724	0	31,724
Balance, ending at Sep. 30, 2017	$ 2,611,657	$ 2,611,657	$ 0

General	9 Months Ended
General	Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
General	General The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of CC Holdings GS V LLC ("CCL") and its consolidated wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, "Company"). The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Global Signal Operating Partnership, L.P. ("GSOP"), which is an indirect subsidiary of Crown Castle International Corp., a Delaware corporation ("CCIC" or "Crown Castle"). CCL is a Delaware limited liability company that is a holding company and an issuer of the Company's debt. Intercompany accounts, transactions, and profits have been eliminated. As used herein, the term "including," and any variation thereof means "including without limitation." The use of the word "or" herein is not exclusive. The information contained in the following notes to the consolidated financial statements is condensed from that which would appear in the annual consolidated financial statements; accordingly, the consolidated financial statements included herein should be reviewed in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, and related notes thereto, included in the 2016 Form 10-K filed by the Company with the SEC. The Company is organized specifically to own, lease and manage sites that are geographically dispersed across the United States ("U.S."). The Company's core business is providing access, including space or capacity, to its sites via long-term contracts in various forms, including licenses, subleases and lease agreements. Management services related to the Company's sites are performed by Crown Castle USA Inc. ("CCUSA"), an affiliate of the Company, under the Management Agreement, as the Company has no employees. Approximately 68% of the Company's sites are leased or subleased or operated and managed for an initial period of 32 years (through May 2037) under master lease or other agreements with Sprint ("Sprint Sites"). CCIC, through its subsidiaries (including the Company) has the option to purchase in 2037 all (but not less than all) of the Sprint Sites from Sprint for approximately $2.3 billion. CCIC has no obligation to exercise the purchase option. CCIC operates as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company's assets and operations are part of the CCIC REIT. See note 5. Basis of Presentation The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited; however, they include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to fairly state the consolidated financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2017, and the consolidated results of operations and the consolidated cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. ("GAAP"). The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire year. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and use assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure for contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Sep. 30, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance on the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases. The new guidance requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments for all leases with a term greater than 12 months. The accounting for lessors remains largely unchanged from existing guidance. This guidance is effective for the Company as of January 1, 2019 and is required to be applied using a modified retrospective approach for all leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented. Early adoption is permitted, however, the Company does not expect to early adopt the new guidance. CCIC (1) has established and is progressing through the various steps of a cross functional project plan to assess the impact of the standard; (2) expects this guidance to have a material impact on its condensed consolidated balance sheet due to the addition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for all lessee arrangements with a term greater than 12 months; and (3) continues to assess additional impacts to its condensed consolidated financial statements, including the condensed consolidated statement of operations and the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows.

Debt and Other Obligations

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]

Debt and Other Obligations

Debt

The outstanding balance of the 2012 Secured Notes as of both September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was $992 million, comprised of 3.849% secured notes ("3.849% Secured Notes") due April 2023. The 2012 Secured Notes originally consisted of (1) the previously outstanding $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.381% secured notes ("2.381% Secured Notes") due December 2017 and (2) $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 3.849% Secured Notes due April 2023. In September 2016, CCIC issued $700 million aggregate principal amount of 2.25% senior secured notes ("September 2016 Senior Notes"). CCIC used a portion of the net proceeds from the September 2016 Senior Notes offering to repay in full the previously outstanding 2.381% Secured Notes. The Company recorded an equity contribution related to the repayment of the 2.381% Secured Notes for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 (see note 4).

Interest Expense and Amortization of Deferred Financing Costs

The components of interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs are as follows:



	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2017		2016		2017		2016
Interest expense on debt obligations	$	9,623	$	12,267	$	28,868	$	37,465
Amortization of deferred financing costs	346		667		1,038		2,081
Total	$	9,969	$	12,934	$	29,906	$	39,546

Related Party Transactions	9 Months Ended
Related Party Transactions	Sep. 30, 2016
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	Related Party Transactions Pursuant to the Management Agreement, CCUSA has agreed to employ, supervise, and pay at all times a sufficient number of capable employees as may be necessary to perform services in accordance with the operation standards defined in the Management Agreement. CCUSA currently acts as the Manager of the sites held by subsidiaries of CCIC. The management fee is equal to 7.5% of the Company’s Operating Revenues, as defined in the Management Agreement, which is based on the Company’s reported revenues adjusted to exclude certain items including revenues related to the accounting for leases with fixed escalators. The fee is compensation for those functions reasonably necessary to maintain, market, operate, manage and administer the sites, other than the operating expenses (which includes real estate and personal property taxes, ground lease and easement payments, and insurance premiums). Further, in connection with its role as Manager, CCUSA may make certain modifications to the Company's sites. In addition, CCUSA may perform installation services on the Company's towers, for which the Company is not a party to any agreement and for which no operating results are reflected herein. As part of the CCIC strategy to obtain long-term control of the land under its towers, affiliates of the Company have acquired rights to land interests under the Company's towers. These affiliates then lease the land to the Company. Under such circumstances, the Company's obligation typically continues with the same or similar economic terms as the lease agreement for the land that existed prior to an affiliate acquiring rights to such land. As of September 30, 2017, there was approximately 28% of the Company's sites where the land under the tower is controlled by an affiliate. Also, the Company receives rent revenue from affiliates for land controlled by the Company that affiliates have towers on. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded an equity distribution of $224.2 million reflecting distributions to its member and ultimately other subsidiaries of CCIC. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company recorded a net equity contribution of $313.8 million, which was inclusive of (1) an equity contribution from CCIC of $508.5 million related to the repayment of the previously outstanding 2.381% Secured Notes (see note 3) and (2) an equity distribution of $194.7 million, reflecting distributions to its member and ultimately other subsidiaries of CCIC. Cash on hand above the amount that is required by the Management Agreement has been, and is expected to continue to be, distributed to the Company's parent company. As of September 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company had no material related party assets or liabilities on its condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Income Taxes	Sep. 30, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes CCIC operates as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, CCIC is generally entitled to a deduction for dividends that it pays and therefore is not subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on its net taxable income that is currently distributed to its stockholders. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company's assets and operations are part of the CCIC REIT. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company's effective tax rate differed from the federal statutory rate predominately due to (1) CCIC's dividends paid deduction, and (2) state taxes.

Fair Values

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Fair Value Disclosures

Fair Value Disclosures

Fair Values

The fair value of cash and cash equivalents approximates the carrying value. The Company determines the fair value of its debt securities based on indicative quotes (that are non-binding quotes) from brokers that require judgment to interpret market information, including implied credit spreads for similar borrowings on recent trades or bid/ask prices or quotes from active markets if applicable. There were no changes since December 31, 2016 in the Company's valuation techniques used to measure fair values. The estimated fair values of the Company's financial instruments, along with the carrying amounts of the related assets and liabilities, are as follows:



	Level in Fair Value Hierarchy	September 30, 2017				December 31, 2016
	Level in Fair Value Hierarchy	Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Carrying Amount		Fair Value
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1	$	24,519	$	24,519	$	19,550	$	19,550
Liabilities:
Debt	2	992,317		1,050,230		991,279		1,013,300

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Commitments and Contingencies	Sep. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies The Company is involved in various claims, lawsuits or proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. While there are uncertainties inherent in the ultimate outcome of such matters, and it is impossible to presently determine the ultimate costs or losses that may be incurred, if any, management believes the resolution of such uncertainties and the incurrence of such costs should not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations. In addition, CCIC, through its subsidiaries (including the Company) has the option to purchase in 2037 all (but not less than all) of the Sprint Sites, which represent approximately 68% of the Company's sites. CCIC has no obligation to exercise the purchase option.

Guarantor Subsidiaries (Notes)	9 Months Ended
Guarantor Subsidiaries (Notes)	Sep. 30, 2017
Guarantees [Abstract]
Guarantor Subsidiaries	Guarantor Subsidiaries CCL has no independent assets or operations. The 2012 Secured Notes are guaranteed by all subsidiaries of CCL, each of which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCL, other than Crown Castle GS III Corp., which is a co-issuer of the 2012 Secured Notes and a wholly-owned finance subsidiary. Such guarantees are full and unconditional and joint and several. Subject to the provisions of the Indenture, a guarantor may be released and relieved of its obligations under its guarantee under certain circumstances including: (1) in the event of any sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of any guarantor, by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise to a person that is not (either before or after giving effect to such transaction) CCL or a subsidiary of CCL, (2) in the event of any sale or other disposition of all of the capital stock of any guarantor, to a person that is not (either before or after giving effect to such transaction) CCL or a subsidiary of CCL, (3) upon CCL's exercise of legal defeasance in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Indenture, or (4) upon the discharge of the Indenture in accordance with its terms.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance on the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases. The new guidance requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments for all leases with a term greater than 12 months. The accounting for lessors remains largely unchanged from existing guidance. This guidance is effective for the Company as of January 1, 2019 and is required to be applied using a modified retrospective approach for all leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented. Early adoption is permitted, however, the Company does not expect to early adopt the new guidance. CCIC (1) has established and is progressing through the various steps of a cross functional project plan to assess the impact of the standard; (2) expects this guidance to have a material impact on its condensed consolidated balance sheet due to the addition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for all lessee arrangements with a term greater than 12 months; and (3) continues to assess additional impacts to its condensed consolidated financial statements, including the condensed consolidated statement of operations and the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows.

Fair Value Disclosures (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Fair Value Disclosures

Estimated Fair Values and Carrying Amounts of Assets and Liabilities

The estimated fair values of the Company's financial instruments, along with the carrying amounts of the related assets and liabilities, are as follows:



	Level in Fair Value Hierarchy	September 30, 2017				December 31, 2016
	Level in Fair Value Hierarchy	Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Carrying Amount		Fair Value
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1	$	24,519	$	24,519	$	19,550	$	19,550
Liabilities:
Debt	2	992,317		1,050,230		991,279		1,013,300

Debt and Other Obligations (Indebtedness) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt	$ 992,317	$ 991,279
2012 secured notes tranche A [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt and other obligations	$ 500,000
Stated interest rate	2.381%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 01, 2017
2012 secured notes tranche B [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt	$ 992,317
Total debt and other obligations	$ 1,000,000
Stated interest rate	3.849%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Apr. 01, 2023
Debt issued by Parent [Member] \| September 2016 Senior Unsecured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate			2.25%
Debt Instrument, Face Amount			$ 700,000

Debt and Other Obligations (Components of Interest Expense and Amortization of Deferred Financing Costs) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Debt and Other Obligations [Abstract]
Interest expense on debt obligations	$ 9,623	$ 12,267	$ 28,868	$ 37,465
Amortization of deferred financing costs	346	667	1,038	2,081
Total	$ 9,969	$ 12,934	$ 29,906	$ 39,546

Related Party Transactions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Net Equity Distribution	$ 80,758	$ 65,168	$ 224,160	$ 194,678
2012 secured notes tranche A [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	2.381%		2.381%
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of land controlled by affiliate	28.00%		28.00%
Members' Equity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Net Equity Distribution	$ 49,034	42,215	$ 127,588	42,215
Accumulated Earnings (Deficit) [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Net Equity Distribution	$ 31,724	22,953	96,572	152,463
Net Equity contribution (distribution) from parent [Member] \| Members' Equity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Net Equity Distribution			224,160	(313,794)
Equity contribution related to debt repayment [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Net Equity Distribution		(508,472)	$ 0	(508,472)
Equity contribution related to debt repayment [Member] \| Members' Equity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Net Equity Distribution		(508,472)		(508,472)
Equity contribution related to debt repayment [Member] \| Accumulated Earnings (Deficit) [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Net Equity Distribution		$ 0		$ 0

Fair Value Disclosures (Estimated Fair Values and Carrying Amounts of Assets and Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents, carrying value	$ 24,519	$ 19,550	$ 39,581	$ 20,401
Debt	992,317	991,279
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents, fair value	24,519	19,550
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Debt and other obligations, fair value	$ 1,050,230	$ 1,013,300

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Tables) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Line Items]
Interest Paid	$ 19,246	$ 28,372

General Business (Details) - Leased or Operated Under Master Lease Agreements [Member] $ in Billions	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)
Purchase Option, Percentage of Towers	68.00%
Purchase Options, Land	$ 2.3

Commitments and Contingencies Tower count as a percentage of total towers (Details)	Sep. 30, 2017
Leased or Operated Under Master Lease Agreements [Member]
Contractual Terms [Line Items]
Purchase Option, Percentage of Towers	68.00%

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Interest Paid	$ 19,246	$ 28,372