-Network: (11- Statement - Statement Of Financial Position Classified)

-Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] {ID1}

-Statement [Table] {ID2}

-Statement [Line Items] {ID3}

-ASSETS {ID4}

-CURRENT ASSETS: {ID5}

Cash and cash equivalents {ID6}

Restricted cash {ID7}

Short-term investments and available-for-sale securities {ID8}

Accounts receivable, net of allowances {ID9}

Prepaid and other current assets {ID10}

Deferred income taxes {ID11}

Total current assets {ID12}

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net {ID13}

GOODWILL {ID14}

OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net {ID15}

DEFERRED INCOME TAXES {ID16}

NOTES RECEIVABLE AND OTHER LONG-TERM ASSETS {ID17}

TOTAL {ID18}

-LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY {ID19}

-CURRENT LIABILITIES: {ID20}

Accounts payable and accrued expenses {ID21}

Accrued interest {ID22}

Current portion of long-term obligations {ID23}

Unearned revenue {ID24}

Total current liabilities {ID25}

LONG-TERM OBLIGATIONS {ID26}

OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES {ID27}

Total liabilities {ID28}

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES {ID29}

-STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY: {ID30}

Preferred Stock: $.01 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding {ID31}

Class A Common Stock: $.01 par value; 1,000,000,000 shares authorized, 469,645,920 and 468,513,843 shares issued, and 395,810,003 and 396,976,896 shares outstanding, respectively {ID32}

Additional paid-in capital {ID33}

Accumulated deficit {ID34}

Accumulated other comprehensive loss {ID35}

Treasury stock (73,835,917 and 71,536,947 shares at cost, respectively) {ID36}

Total American Tower Corporation stockholders' equity {ID37}

Noncontrolling interest {ID38}

Total stockholders' equity {ID39}

TOTAL {ID40}

-Network: (12- Statement - Statement Of Financial Position Classified (Parenthetical))

-Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] {ID41}

-Statement [Table] {ID42}

-Statement [Line Items] {ID43}

Preferred Stock, par value {ID44}

Preferred Stock, shares authorized {ID45}

Preferred Stock, shares issued {ID46}

Preferred Stock, shares outstanding {ID47}

Class A Common Stock, par value {ID48}

Class A Common Stock, shares authorized {ID49}

Class A Common Stock, shares issued {ID50}

Class A Common Stock, shares outstanding {ID51}

Treasury stock, shares {ID52}

-Network: (13- Statement - Statement Of Income Alternative)

-Income Statement [Abstract] {ID53}

-Statement [Table] {ID54}

-Statement [Line Items] {ID55}

-REVENUES: {ID56}

Rental and management {ID57}

Network development services {ID58}

Total operating revenues {ID59}

-OPERATING EXPENSES: {ID60}

-Costs of operations (exclusive of items shown separately below) {ID61}

Rental and management {ID62}

Network development services {ID63}

Depreciation, amortization and accretion {ID64}

Selling, general, administrative and development expense (including stock-based compensation expense of $12,836, $13,597, $37,174, and $29,862, respectively) {ID65}

Other operating expenses {ID66}

Total operating expenses {ID67}

OPERATING INCOME {ID68}

-OTHER (EXPENSE) INCOME: {ID69}

Interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense of $372, $372, $744 and $745, respectively {ID70}

Interest income {ID71}

Interest expense {ID72}

Loss on retirement of long-term obligations {ID73}

Other income (expense) {ID74}

Total other expense {ID75}

INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND INCOME ON EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS {ID76}

Income tax provision {ID77}

Income on equity method investments {ID78}

INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS {ID79}

INCOME FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS, NET OF INCOME TAX BENEFIT OF $5,101, $104,926, $3,171 and $104,938, RESPECTIVELY {ID80}

NET INCOME {ID81}

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest {ID82}

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO AMERICAN TOWER CORPORATION {ID83}

-NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE AMOUNTS: {ID84}

-BASIC: {ID85}

Income from continuing operations attributable to American Tower Corporation {ID86}

Income from discontinued operations attributable to American Tower Corporation {ID87}

Net income attributable to American Tower Corporation {ID88}

-DILUTED: {ID89}

Income from continuing operations attributable to American Tower Corporation {ID90}

Income from discontinued operations attributable to American Tower Corporation {ID91}

Net income attributable to American Tower Corporation {ID92}

-WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING: {ID93}

BASIC {ID94}

DILUTED {ID95}

-Network: (14- Statement - Statement Of Income Alternative (Parenthetical))

-Income Statement [Abstract] {ID96}

-Statement [Table] {ID97}

-Statement [Line Items] {ID98}

Selling, general, administrative and development expense, stock-based compensation expense {ID99}

Interest income, TV Azteca, interest expense {ID100}

INCOME FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS, INCOME TAX BENEFIT {ID101}

-Network: (15- Statement - Statement Of Cash Flows Indirect)

-Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract] {ID102}

-Statement [Table] {ID103}

-Statement [Line Items] {ID104}

-CASH FLOWS PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES: {ID105}

Net income {ID106}

Stock-based compensation expense {ID107}

Depreciation, amortization and accretion {ID108}

Deferred income taxes related to discontinued operations {ID109}

Other non-cash items reflected in statements of operations {ID110}

Increase in net deferred rent asset {ID111}

Decrease (increase) in restricted cash {ID112}

Increase in assets {ID113}

Increase (decrease) in liabilities {ID114}

Cash provided by operating activities {ID115}

-CASH FLOWS USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES: {ID116}

Payments for purchase of property and equipment and construction activities {ID117}

Payments for acquisitions {ID118}

Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities and other long-term assets {ID119}

Deposits, restricted cash and investments {ID120}

Cash used for investing activities {ID121}

-CASH FLOWS USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES: {ID122}

Proceeds from issuance of senior debt {ID123}

Borrowings under credit facilities {ID124}

Repayments of notes payable, credit facilities and capital leases {ID125}

Purchases of Class A common stock {ID126}

Proceeds from stock options, warrants and stock purchase plan {ID127}

Deferred financing costs and other financing activities {ID128}

Cash used for financing activities {ID129}

Net effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents {ID130}

NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS {ID131}

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR {ID132}

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD {ID133}

CASH PAID FOR INCOME TAXES {ID134}

CASH PAID FOR INTEREST {ID135}

-Network: (16- Statement - Statement Of Shareholders Equity And Other Comprehensive Income)

-Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract] {ID136}

-Statement [Table] {ID137}

-Statement, Equity Components [Axis] {ID138}

-Equity Component [Domain] {ID139}

Class A Common Stock Issued Shares {ID140}

Class A Common Stock Amount {ID141}

Treasury Stock Shares {ID142}

Treasury Stock Amount {ID143}

Additional Paid-in Capital {ID144}

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) {ID145}

Accumulated Deficit {ID146}

Noncontrolling Interest {ID147}

Total Comprehensive Income(Loss) {ID148}

-Statement [Line Items] {ID149}

Accumulated Deficit {ID150}

Beginning Balance {ID151}

Beginning Balance {ID152}

Share based compensation related activity {ID153}

Share based compensation related activity {ID154}

Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants {ID155}

Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants {ID156}

Issuance of common stock - Stock Purchase Plan {ID157}

Issuance of common stock - Stock Purchase Plan {ID158}

Treasury stock activity {ID159}

Treasury stock activity {ID160}

Net change in fair value of cash flow hedges, net of tax {ID161}

Net realized gain on cash flow hedges, net of tax {ID162}

Net unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities, net of tax {ID163}

Convertible notes exchanged for common stock {ID164}

Convertible notes exchanged for common stock {ID165}

Foreign currency translation adjustment {ID166}

Distributions to noncontrolling interest {ID167}

Net income {ID168}

Ending Balance {ID169}

Total comprehensive income {ID170}

Ending Balance {ID171}

-Network: (17 - Disclosure - Notes to Financial Statements)

-Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract] {ID172}

1.Description of Business, Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies {ID173}

2.Short-Term Investments and Available-For-Sale Securities {ID174}

3.Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets {ID175}

4.Financing Transactions {ID176}

5.Derivative Financial Instruments {ID177}

6.Fair Value Measurements {ID178}

7.Income Taxes {ID179}

8.Stock-Based Compensation {ID180}

9.Earnings per Common Share {ID181}

10.Commitments and Contingencies {ID182}

11.Business Acquisition {ID183}

12.Business Segments {ID184}

13.Subsequent Events {ID185}

-Network: (18- Disclosure - Document Information)

-Document Information [Text Block] {ID186}

Document Type {ID187}

Amendment Flag {ID188}

Amendment Description {ID189}

Document Period End Date {ID190}

-Network: (19- Disclosure - Entity Information)

-Entity [Text Block] {ID191}

Trading Symbol {ID192}

Entity Registrant Name {ID193}

Entity Central Index Key {ID194}

Current Fiscal Year End Date {ID195}

Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer {ID196}

Entity Current Reporting Status {ID197}

Entity Voluntary Filers {ID198}

Entity Filer Category {ID199}

Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding {ID200}

Entity Public Float {ID201}

AMERICAN TOWER CORP /MA/ XBRL Taxonomy Presentation Networks