v2.4.0.8
Acquisitions (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Net revenues $ 3,420,658,000 [1] $ 3,124,010,000 [1],[2]  
Income (loss) before income taxes 241,511,000 [3] 15,566,000 [3]  
Benefit (provision) for income taxes (178,221,000) [4],[5] 134,487,000 [4],[5]  
Net impact of acquisitions on revenue 17,900,000 143,300,000  
Acquisition and integration costs 26,005,000 18,298,000 3,310,000
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life 20 years 21 years  
Net impact of acquisitions on net income 8,900,000 12,600,000  
Net income (loss) 63,290,000 [3],[4],[6] 150,053,000 [3],[4],[6]  
Basic net income (loss) attributable to CCIC common stockholders, after deduction of dividends on preferred stock, per common share $ 0.05 [4] $ 0.28 [4]  
Diluted net income (loss) attributable to CCIC common stockholders, after deduction of dividends on preferred stock, per common share $ 0.05 [4] $ 0.27 [4]  
Wireless Capital Partners, LLC [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Ground lease related assets 2,300    
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred 214,700,000    
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 39,200,000    
NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Acquisition and integration costs 2,100,000 10,300,000  
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred 1,000,000,000    
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 997,717,000 [7]    
Severance Costs   4,300,000  
Percentage of Total Nodes 75.00%    
T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Acquisition and integration costs 9,200,000 3,600,000  
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred 2,500,000,000    
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 2,485,786,000 [8]    
AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Acquisition and integration costs 12,200,000    
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred 4.827    
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 4,826,599,000 [9]    
Combined Impact of T-Mobile, WCP, and NextG [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Acquisition and integration costs   16,200,000  
ATT, TMO, WCP, and NextG Acquisitions [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Acquisition and integration costs 23,700,000 15,500,000  
Total T-Mobile Towers [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Tower count as a percentage of total towers 17.00%    
AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Tower count as a percentage of total towers 24.00%    
Pro forma revenue adjustments [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business acquisition, pro forma adjustment   148,900,000  
Pro forma revenue adjustments [Member] | AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business acquisition, pro forma adjustment 211,100,000 220,600,000  
Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business acquisition, pro forma adjustment 218,300,000 353,200,000  
Long-term prepaid rent [Member] | Wireless Capital Partners, LLC [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 322,400,000    
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life 37 years    
Other Liabilities [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Adjustments to purchase price allocation 42,900,000    
Deferred Lease Revenue [Member] | NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation (322,175,000) [10]    
Deferred Lease Revenue [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation (74,233,000) [11]    
Deferred Lease Revenue [Member] | AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation (198,134,000) [11]    
Other Current Liabilities [Member] | NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation (104,986,000)    
Other Current Liabilities [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation (1,207,000)    
Other Current Liabilities [Member] | AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation (12,929,000)    
Other Assets [Member] | NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 4,250,000    
Other Assets [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 1,178,000    
Other Assets [Member] | AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 3,253,000    
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 408,000,000    
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 414,661,000    
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 1,280,071,000    
Goodwill [Member] | NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Adjustments to purchase price allocation 2,700,000    
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 570,874,000    
Goodwill [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 425,946,000    
Goodwill [Member] | AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 1,768,535,000    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member] | NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 515,590,000    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Adjustments to purchase price allocation 36,900,000    
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 1,496,281,000    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member] | AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 1,965,375,000    
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] | NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 70,981,000    
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 17,512,000    
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets [Member] | AT&T [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 20,428,000    
WCP Securitized Notes [Member] | Wireless Capital Partners, LLC [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation 336,300,000    
Deferred Tax Assets (Liabilities) [Member] | NextG Networks Inc. [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation (144,817,000)    
Deferred Tax Assets (Liabilities) [Member] | T-Mobile [Member]
      
Business Acquisition [Line Items]      
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation $ 205,648,000    
[1] For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, amounts are inclusive of pro forma adjustments to increase net revenues of $211.1 million and $220.6 million, respectively, that the Company expects to recognize from AT&T under AT&T's contracted lease of space on the towers acquired in the AT&T Acquisition.
[2] For the year ended December 31, 2012, amounts are inclusive of pro forma adjustments to increase net revenues of $148.9 million that the Company expects to recognize from T-Mobile under T-Mobile's contracted lease of space on the towers acquired in the T-Mobile Acquisition.
[3] Inclusive of $23.7 million and $15.5 million, respectively, of aggregate acquisition and integration costs for the years ended December 31, 2013, and 2012 related to the AT&T Acquisition and 2012 Acquisitions.
[4] For the AT&T Acquisition, pro forma amounts include the impact of the interest expense associated with the related debt financings as well as the October Equity Financings. For the 2012 Acquisitions, pro forma amounts exclude any impact from debt financings that occurred throughout 2012 due to (1) such financings having been conducted for multiple purposes, including to lower the Company's average cost of debt, to refinance and extend certain of its debt, as well as to provide funds to finance a portion of such acquisitions and (2) such financings having not been conducted concurrently with the 2012 Acquisitions they subsequently funded in part and the fungible nature of the cash makes impracticable a determination of whether, or what portion of, the purchase prices of such acquisitions were funded with the proceeds of such financings.
[5] For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the pro forma adjustments reflects the federal statutory rate and an estimated state rate. No adjustment was made related to the Company's REIT election. See notes 10 and 20.
[6] For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, amounts are inclusive of pro forma adjustments to depreciation and amortization of $218.3 million and $353.2 million, respectively, related to property and equipment and intangibles recorded as a result of the AT&T Acquisition and 2012 Acquisitions.
[7] Changes to the purchase price allocation presented in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 resulted in a decrease of $2.7 million to goodwill. The effect of the change in the purchase price allocation on the Company's statement of operations is immaterial to the periods presented.
[8] Changes to the preliminary purchase price allocation presented in the consolidated balance sheet in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 primarily include an increase of $36.9 million to property and equipment and a $42.9 million increase to deferred credits and other non-current liabilities. The effect of the change in the purchase price allocation on the Company's statement of operations is immaterial to the periods presented.
[9] No deferred taxes were recorded as a result of the Company's REIT election. See notes 10 and 20.
[10] Inclusive of below-market tenant leases.
[11] Inclusive of above-market leases for land interests under the Company's towers.