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Operating Segments | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract] |
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block] | Operating Segments During the first quarter of 2016, the Company changed its operating segments to consist of (1) towers and (2) small cells. This change was as a result of growth in small cells from a combination of organic growth, capital expenditures, and acquisitions, as well as the continued progression of the integration of Quanta Fiber Networks, Inc. ("Sunesys"), which led to changes in how the Company's chief operating decision maker ("CODM") reviews financial information. The Company's operating segment change aligns with how the CODM views and evaluates the Company's operations, including how the CODM allocates capital and assesses segment performance. The Company has recast its prior period presentation to conform to its current reporting presentation. The towers segment provides access, including space or capacity, to the Company's approximately 40,000 towers geographically dispersed throughout the United States. The tower segment also reflects certain network services relating to the Company's towers, consisting of site development services and installation services. The small cells segment provides access, including space or capacity, to the Company's small cell networks designed to facilitate wireless connectivity and supported by 17,000 miles of fiber. To a lesser extent, the small cells segment offers other fiber based solutions, including dark fiber (dedicated fiber strands lit by the customer) and lit fiber (bandwidth provided to the customer using the Company's own optronics). The measurement of profit or loss used by the CODM to evaluate the results of operations of its operating segments are (1) segment site rental gross margin, (2) segment network services and other gross margin, and (3) segment operating profit. The Company defines segment site rental gross margin as segment site rental revenues less segment site rental cost of operations, which excludes stock-based compensation expense and prepaid lease purchase price adjustments recorded in consolidated cost of operations. The Company defines segment network services and other gross margin as segment network services and other revenues less segment network services and other cost of operations, which excludes stock-based compensation expense recorded in consolidated cost of operations. The Company defines segment operating profit as segment site rental gross margin plus segment network services and other gross margin, less general and administrative expenses attributable to the respective segment. Costs that are directly attributable to towers and small cells are assigned to those respective segments. The "Other" column (1) represents amounts excluded from specific segments, such as restructuring charges (credits), asset write-down charges, acquisition and integration costs, depreciation, amortization and accretion, amortization of prepaid lease purchase price adjustments, interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs, gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations, net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps, gains (losses) on foreign currency swaps, impairment of available-for-sale securities, interest income, other income (expense), cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle, income (loss) from discontinued operations, and stock-based compensation expense, and (2) reconciles segment operating profit to income (loss) before income taxes, as the amounts are not utilized in assessing each segment’s performance. The "Other" total assets balance includes corporate assets such as cash and cash equivalents which have not been allocated to specific segments. There are no significant revenues resulting from transactions between the Company's operating segments.
| Three Months Ended September 30, 2016 |  | Three Months Ended September 30, 2015
| Towers |  | Small Cells |  | Other |  | Consolidated Total |  | Towers |  | Small Cells |  | Other |  | Consolidated Total
Segment site rental revenues | $ | 709,603 |  |  | $ | 102,429 |  |  |  |  | $ | 812,032 |  |  | $ | 686,934 |  |  | $ | 77,672 |  |  |  |  | $ | 764,606 |
Segment network services and other revenues | 166,979 |  |  | 13,005 |  |  |  |  | 179,984 |  |  | 138,566 |  |  | 14,935 |  |  |  |  | 153,501 |
Segment revenues | 876,582 |  |  | 115,434 |  |  |  |  | 992,016 |  |  | 825,500 |  |  | 92,607 |  |  |  |  | 918,107 |
Segment site rental cost of operations | 210,322 |  |  | 37,754 |  |  |  |  | 248,076 |  |  | 209,056 |  |  | 30,449 |  |  |  |  | 239,505 |
Segment network services and other cost of operations | 97,395 |  |  | 10,194 |  |  |  |  | 107,589 |  |  | 75,302 |  |  | 10,213 |  |  |  |  | 85,515 |
Segment cost of operations (a) | 307,717 |  |  | 47,948 |  |  |  |  | 355,665 |  |  | 284,358 |  |  | 40,662 |  |  |  |  | 325,020 |
Segment site rental gross margin | 499,281 |  |  | 64,675 |  |  |  |  | 563,956 |  |  | 477,878 |  |  | 47,223 |  |  |  |  | 525,101 |
Segment network services and other gross margin | 69,584 |  |  | 2,811 |  |  |  |  | 72,395 |  |  | 63,264 |  |  | 4,722 |  |  |  |  | 67,986 |
Segment general and administrative expenses (a) | 22,225 |  |  | 14,480 |  |  | 35,526 |  |  | 72,231 |  |  | 22,994 |  |  | 10,194 |  |  | 30,741 |  |  | 63,929 |
Segment operating profit | 546,640 |  |  | 53,006 |  |  | (35,526 | ) |  | 564,120 |  |  | 518,148 |  |  | 41,751 |  |  | (30,741 | ) |  | 529,158 |
Stock-based compensation expense |  |  |  |  | 22,594 |  |  | 22,594 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16,466 |  |  | 16,466 |
Depreciation, amortization and accretion |  |  |  |  | 280,824 |  |  | 280,824 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 261,662 |  |  | 261,662 |
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs |  |  |  |  | 129,916 |  |  | 129,916 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 129,877 |  |  | 129,877 |
Other income (expenses) to reconcile to income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes |  |  |  |  | 27,379 |  |  | 27,379 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20,653 |  |  | 20,653 |
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 103,407 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 100,500 |
Capital expenditures | $ | 103,679 |  |  | $ | 111,885 |  |  | $ | 5,617 |  |  | $ | 221,181 |  |  | $ | 136,327 |  |  | $ | 95,067 |  |  | $ | 5,963 |  |  | $ | 237,357 |
Total assets (at period end) | $ | 18,466,528 |  |  | $ | 3,298,927 |  |  | $ | 406,268 |  |  | $ | 22,171,723 |  |  | $ | 17,999,121 |  |  | $ | 3,458,941 |  |  | $ | 433,406 |  |  | $ | 21,891,468 |
(a) | Segment cost of operations exclude (1) stock-based compensation expense of $4.9 million and $3.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and (2) prepaid lease purchase price adjustments of $5.4 million and $5.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Segment general and administrative expenses exclude stock-based compensation expense of $17.7 million and $12.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
| Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 |  | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015
| Towers |  | Small Cells |  | Other |  | Consolidated Total |  | Towers |  | Small Cells |  | Other |  | Consolidated Total
Segment site rental revenues | $ | 2,118,159 |  |  | $ | 297,767 |  |  |  |  | $ | 2,415,926 |  |  | $ | 2,040,147 |  |  | $ | 192,930 |  |  |  |  | $ | 2,233,077 |
Segment network services and other revenues | 434,042 |  |  | 38,841 |  |  |  |  | 472,883 |  |  | 445,683 |  |  | 39,255 |  |  |  |  | 484,938 |
Segment revenues | 2,552,201 |  |  | 336,608 |  |  |  |  | 2,888,809 |  |  | 2,485,830 |  |  | 232,185 |  |  |  |  | 2,718,015 |
Segment site rental cost of operations | 625,331 |  |  | 109,402 |  |  |  |  | 734,733 |  |  | 620,726 |  |  | 73,818 |  |  |  |  | 694,544 |
Segment network services and other cost of operations | 249,306 |  |  | 30,652 |  |  |  |  | 279,958 |  |  | 229,164 |  |  | 30,034 |  |  |  |  | 259,198 |
Segment cost of operations (a) | 874,637 |  |  | 140,054 |  |  |  |  | 1,014,691 |  |  | 849,890 |  |  | 103,852 |  |  |  |  | 953,742 |
Segment site rental gross margin | 1,492,828 |  |  | 188,365 |  |  |  |  | 1,681,193 |  |  | 1,419,421 |  |  | 119,112 |  |  |  |  | 1,538,533 |
Segment network services and other gross margin | 184,736 |  |  | 8,189 |  |  |  |  | 192,925 |  |  | 216,519 |  |  | 9,221 |  |  |  |  | 225,740 |
Segment general and administrative expenses (a) | 68,329 |  |  | 45,720 |  |  | 107,161 |  |  | 221,210 |  |  | 68,245 |  |  | 25,664 |  |  | 90,981 |  |  | 184,890 |
Segment operating profit | 1,609,235 |  |  | 150,834 |  |  | (107,161 | ) |  | 1,652,908 |  |  | 1,567,695 |  |  | 102,669 |  |  | (90,981 | ) |  | 1,579,383 |
Stock-based compensation expense |  |  |  |  | 75,297 |  |  | 75,297 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 49,282 |  |  | 49,282 |
Depreciation, amortization and accretion |  |  |  |  | 834,725 |  |  | 834,725 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 766,621 |  |  | 766,621 |
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs |  |  |  |  | 385,656 |  |  | 385,656 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 398,782 |  |  | 398,782 |
Other income (expenses) to reconcile to income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes |  |  |  |  | 112,170 |  |  | 112,170 |  |  |  |  |  |  | (8,483 | ) |  | (8,483 | )
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 245,060 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 373,181 |
Capital expenditures | $ | 318,900 |  |  | $ | 279,488 |  |  | $ | 15,790 |  |  | $ | 614,178 |  |  | $ | 427,398 |  |  | $ | 213,259 |  |  | $ | 17,583 |  |  | $ | 658,240 |
(a) | Segment cost of operations exclude (1) stock-based compensation expense of $17.6 million and $10.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and (2) prepaid lease purchase price adjustments of $16.0 million and $15.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Segment general and administrative expenses exclude stock-based compensation expense of $57.7 million and $39.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 34 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8981-108599 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 41 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e9038-108599 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8971-108599 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8595-108599 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8380-108599 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 32 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8933-108599 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 26 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8844-108599 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 35 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8984-108599 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 40 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e9031-108599 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 42 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e9054-108599 Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8538-108599 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 29 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8864-108599 Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 31 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8924-108599 Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e8906-108599 + Details
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