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Property and Equipment | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract] |
Property and Equipment | Property and Equipment The major classes of property and equipment are as follows:
| Estimated Useful Lives |  | December 31,
|  | 2011 |  | 2010
Land owned in fee and perpetual easements | — |  |  | $ | 960,191 |  |  | $ | 753,988 |
Buildings | 40 years |  |  | 37,454 |  |  | 37,165 |
Wireless infrastructure | 1-20 years |  |  | 7,329,889 |  |  | 7,242,887 |
Furniture, transportation, and other equipment | 2-10 years |  |  | 181,583 |  |  | 164,077 |
Construction in process | — |  |  | 176,246 |  |  | 147,009 |
Total gross property and equipment |  |  | 8,685,363 |  |  | 8,345,126 |
Less: accumulated depreciation |  |  | (3,824,136 | ) |  | (3,451,475 | )
Total property and equipment, net |  |  | $ | 4,861,227 |  |  | $ | 4,893,651 |
Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $387.8 million, $379.3 million and $379.6 million, respectively. See note 2.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and other types of furniture and equipment including, but not limited to, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment and software. This disclosure may include property plant and equipment accounting policies and methodology, a schedule of property, plant and equipment gross, additions, deletions, transfers and other changes, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, net, accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and useful lives, income statement disclosures, assets held for sale and public utility disclosures. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6360339&loc=d3e1361-107760 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.13-14) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 12 -Paragraph 5 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391110&loc=d3e2921-110230 + Details
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