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Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	Dec. 31, 2011	Feb. 06, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2011
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2011
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Entity Registrant Name	AMERICAN TOWER CORP /MA/
Entity Central Index Key	0001053507
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		393,715,176
Entity Public Float			$ 20.7
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2010

CURRENT ASSETS:

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 330,191

$ 883,963

Restricted cash

42,775

75,972

Short-term investments and available-for-sale securities

22,270

46,428

Accounts receivable, net

100,971

81,479

Prepaid and other current assets

316,968

145,599

Deferred income taxes

29,596

174,788

Total current assets

842,771

1,408,229

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net

4,883,473

3,683,474

GOODWILL

2,805,267

2,511,907

^[1],[2]

OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net

2,351,955

1,885,866

^[3]

DEFERRED INCOME TAXES

245,607

92,162

DEFERRED RENT ASSET

609,529

470,637

NOTES RECEIVABLE AND OTHER LONG-TERM ASSETS

493,828

317,809

^[3]

TOTAL

12,232,430

10,370,084

^[2]

CURRENT LIABILITIES:

Accounts payable

214,739

67,124

Accrued expenses

304,208

222,685

Accrued interest

65,729

40,621

Current portion of long-term obligations

101,816

74,896

Unearned revenue

93,099

134,135

Total current liabilities

779,591

539,461

LONG-TERM OBLIGATIONS

7,134,492

5,512,492

ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATION

346,059

341,838

OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES

562,146

471,735

Total liabilities

8,822,288

6,865,526

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:

Preferred stock: $.01 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding

Common stock: $.01 par value, 1,000,000,000 shares authorized, 393,642,079 and 486,056,952 shares issued, and 393,642,079 and 398,677,234 shares outstanding, respectively

3,936

4,860

Additional paid-in capital

4,903,800

8,577,093

Accumulated deficit

(1,477,899)

(1,736,596)

Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income

(142,617)

38,053

Treasury stock (0 and 87,379,718 shares at cost, respectively)

3,381,966

Total American Tower Corporation stockholders' equity

3,287,220

3,501,444

Noncontrolling interest

122,922

3,114

Total stockholders' equity

3,410,142

3,504,558

TOTAL

$ 12,232,430

$ 10,370,084

[1]	Balances have been revised to reflect purchase accounting measurement period adjustments.
[2]	Balances have been revised to reflect purchase accounting measurement period adjustments.
[3]	December 31, 2010 balances have been revised to reflect purchase accounting measurement period adjustments.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	20,000,000	20,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Class A common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Class A common stock, shares authorized	1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	393,642,079	486,056,952
Class A common stock, shares outstanding	393,642,079	398,677,234
Treasury stock, shares	0	87,379,718

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
REVENUES:
Rental and management	$ 2,386,185	$ 1,936,373	$ 1,668,420
Network development services	57,347	48,962	55,694
Total operating revenues	2,443,532	1,985,335	1,724,114
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Rental and management (including stock-based compensation expense of $1,105, $0, and $0, respectively)	590,272	447,629	383,990
Network development services (including stock-based compensation expense of $1,224, $0, and $0, respectively)	30,684	26,957	32,385
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	555,517	460,726	414,619
Selling, general, administrative and development expense (including stock-based compensation expense of $45,108, $52,555, and $60,670, respectively)	288,824	229,769	201,694
Other operating expenses	58,103	35,876	19,168
Total operating expenses	1,523,400	1,200,957	1,051,856
OPERATING INCOME	920,132	784,378	672,258
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense of $1,474, $1,487, and $1,488, restpectively	14,214	14,212	14,210
Interest income	7,378	5,024	1,722
Interest expense	311,854	246,018	249,803
Loss on retirement of long-term obligations	0	(1,886)	(18,194)
Other income	(122,975)	315	1,294
Total other expense	(413,237)	(228,353)	(250,771)
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND INCOME ON EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS	506,895	556,025	421,487
Income tax provision	(125,080)	(182,489)	(182,565)
Income on equity method investments	25	40	26
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS	381,840	373,576	238,948
INCOME FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS, NET OF INCOME TAX PROVISION OF $0, $19, AND $3,140, RESPECTIVELY	0	30	8,179
NET INCOME	381,840	373,606	247,127
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	14,622	(670)	(532)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO AMERICAN TOWER CORPORATION	$ 396,462	$ 372,936	$ 246,595
BASIC:
Income from continuing operations attributable to American Tower Corporation	$ 1.00	$ 0.93	$ 0.60
Income from discontinued operations attributable to American Tower Corporation	0	0	0.02
Net income attributable to American Tower Corporation	1.00	0.93	0.62
DILUTED:
Income from continuing operations attributable to American Tower Corporation	0.99	0.92	0.59
Income from discontinued operations attributable to American Tower Corporation	0	0	0.02
Net income attributable to American Tower Corporation	$ 0.99	$ 0.92	$ 0.61
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING:
BASIC	395,711	401,152	398,375
DILUTED	400,195	404,072	406,948

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Parenthetical) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 47,437,000	$ 52,555,000	$ 60,670,000
Interest expense, TV Azteca	1,474,000	1,487,000	1,488,000
Discontinued operations, income tax provision	0	19,000	3,140,000
Unrealized foreign currency (losses) gains	(131,053,000)	4,792,000	(464,000)
Rental And Management [Member]
Stock-based compensation expense	1,105,000	0	0
Network Development Services [Member]
Stock-based compensation expense	1,224,000	$ 0	$ 0
Selling General Administrative And Development Expense [Member]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 45,108,000

- Definition

Tax effect allocated to a disposal group that is classified as a component of the entity reported as a separate component of income before extraordinary items. Includes the tax effects of the following: income (loss) from operations during the phase-out period, gain (loss) on disposal, provision (or any reversals of earlier provisions) for loss on disposal, and adjustments of a prior period gain (loss) on disposal.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 144
-Paragraph 43
-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 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 144
-Paragraph 47
-Subparagraph c
-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 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 46
-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 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6892542&loc=d3e957-107759

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32672-109319

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b),(c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6360339&loc=d3e1361-107760

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6909487&loc=d3e38679-109324

+ Details

- Definition

The aggregate unrealized foreign currency transaction gain (loss) (pretax) included in determining net income for the reporting period. Represents the aggregate of gains (losses) on transactions that are unsettled as of the balance sheet date, which is therefore an adjustment to reconcile income (loss) from continuing operations to net cash provided by or used in continuing operations. Excludes foreign currency transactions designated as hedges of net investment in a foreign entity and intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term nature, when the entities to the transaction are consolidated, combined, or accounted for by the equity method in the reporting entity's financial statements. For certain entities, primarily banks, that are dealers in foreign exchange, foreign currency transaction gains (losses) may be disclosed as dealer gains (losses).

+ References + Details

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Statement of Income and Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 381,840	$ 373,606	$ 247,127
Net change in fair value of cash flow hedges, net of tax	1,977	9,496	4,770
Net realized gain on cash flow hedges, net of tax	225	118	119
Net unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax	(104)	7	63
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(187,466)	41,081	2,430
Reclassifications due to REIT Conversion	(1,752)	0	0
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(187,120)	50,702	7,382
Comprehensive income	194,720	424,308	254,509
Comprehensive loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interest	21,072	(670)	(532)
Comprehensive income attributable to American Tower Corporation	$ 215,792	$ 423,638	$ 253,977

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Treasury Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income	Accumulated Deficit	Noncontrolling Interest	Total Comprehensive Income
BALANCE (shares) at Dec. 31, 2008		468,513,843	(71,536,947)
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2008	$ 2,994,479	$ 4,685	$ (2,746,429)	$ 8,109,224	$ (20,031)	$ (2,356,127)	$ 3,157
Stock based compensation related activity (shares)		3,130,516
Stock based compensation related activity	122,027	$ 31		121,996
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants (shares)		72,032
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants	320	$ 1		319
Issuance of common stock-Stock Purchase Plan (shares)		77,509
Issuance of common stock-Stock Purchase Plan	1,853	$ 1		1,852
Treasury stock activity (shares)			(6,569,702)
Treasury stock activity	(214,748)		$ (214,748)
Convertible notes exchanged for common stock (shares)		7,909,733
Convertible notes exchanged for common stock	160,331	$ 79		160,252
Other comprehensive (loss) income	7,382							$ 7,382
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(646)						(646)
Net income	247,127					246,595	532
BALANCE (shares) at Dec. 31, 2009		479,703,633	(78,106,649)
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2009	3,318,125	$ 4,797	$ (2,961,177)	8,393,643	(12,649)	(2,109,532)	3,043
Stock based compensation related activity (shares)		4,646,904
Stock based compensation related activity	174,077	$ 46		174,031
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants (shares)		1,631,061
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants	6,859	$ 16		6,843
Issuance of common stock-Stock Purchase Plan (shares)		75,354
Issuance of common stock-Stock Purchase Plan	2,577	$ 1		2,576
Treasury stock activity (shares)			(9,273,069)
Treasury stock activity	(420,789)		$ (420,789)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	50,702							50,702
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(599)						(599)
Net income	373,606					372,936	670
BALANCE (shares) at Dec. 31, 2010		486,056,952	(87,379,718)
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2010	3,504,558	$ 4,860	$ (3,381,966)	8,577,093	38,053	(1,736,596)	3,114
Stock based compensation related activity (shares)		3,033,698
Stock based compensation related activity	128,158	$ 30		128,128
Issuance of common stock-Stock Purchase Plan (shares)		79,049
Issuance of common stock-Stock Purchase Plan	3,523	$ 1		3,522
Treasury stock activity (shares)			(8,147,902)
Treasury stock activity	(423,932)		$ (423,932)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(187,120)						(6,450)	$ (180,670)
Retirement of treasury stock (shares)		(95,527,620)	95,527,620
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	141,387						141,387
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(507)						(507)
Dividends	(137,765)					(137,765)
Net income	381,840					396,462	(14,622)
BALANCE (shares) at Dec. 31, 2011		393,642,079	0
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2011	3,410,142	$ 3,936	$ 0	4,903,800	$ (142,617)	$ (1,477,899)	$ 122,922
Retirement of treasury stock	$ 0	$ (955)	$ 3,805,898	$ (3,804,943)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
CASH FLOWS PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 381,840	$ 373,606	$ 247,127
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	555,517	460,726	414,619
Stock-based compensation expense	47,437	52,555	60,670
Income taxes related to discontinued operations	0	(19)	(3,140)
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash	11,867	(4,941)	7,612
Loss (gain) on investments, unrealized foreign currency (gain) loss and other non-cash (income) expense	149,191	5,085	(5,665)
Impairments, net loss on sale of long-lived assets, non-cash restructuring and merger related expenses	17,412	16,652	12,582
Loss on retirement of long-term obligations	0	0	(4,261)
Amortization of deferred financing costs, debt discounts and other non-cash interest	13,092	9,408	9,838
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	7,101	4,188	8,449
Deferred income taxes	56,852	188,327	156,780
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Accounts receivable	(28,857)	(18,974)	(17,844)
Prepaid and other assets	(43,659)	(48,834)	(24,553)
Deferred rent asset	(143,994)	(105,226)	(36,306)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	84,699	1,603	(9,609)
Accrued interest	23,360	16,633	(5,927)
Unearned revenue	(6,351)	44,382	(9,166)
Deferred rent liability	30,952	22,269	26,590
Other long-term liabilities	9,483	3,537	5,808
Cash provided by operating activities	1,165,942	1,020,977	842,126
CASH FLOWS USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Payments for purchase of property and equipment and construction activities	(523,015)	(346,664)	(250,262)
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(2,320,673)	(899,606)	(295,603)
Proceeds from sales of short-term investments, available-for-sale securities and other long-term assets	69,971	21,722	47,424
Payments for short-term investments	(42,590)	(52,197)	(45,965)
Deposits, restricted cash and other	25,495	(24,157)	1,340
Cash used for investing activities	(2,790,812)	(1,300,902)	(543,066)
CASH FLOWS PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	128,121	0	0
Borrowings under credit facilities	1,005,014	500,562	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes	499,290	1,698,370	900,000
Proceeds from other long-term borrowings	212,783	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, credit facilities and capital leases	(395,384)	(983,737)	(931,199)
Distribution to stockholders	137,765	0	0
Contribution from (distribution to) noncontrolling interest holders, net	140,880	(599)	(646)
Purchases of common stock	(437,402)	(430,618)	(213,288)
Proceeds from stock options, warrants and Stock Purchase Plan	85,642	138,508	65,973
Deferred financing costs and other financing activities	(15,084)	(12,156)	(15,782)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities	1,086,095	910,330	(194,942)
Net effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(14,997)	6,265	98
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(553,772)	636,670	104,216
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR	883,963	247,293	143,077
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF YEAR	$ 330,191	$ 883,963	$ 247,293

Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Description Of Business And Basis Of Presentation Disclosure [Abstract]

Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1. BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Business—American Tower Corporation is, through its various subsidiaries (collectively, “ATC” or the “Company”), an independent owner, operator and developer of wireless and broadcast communications sites in the United States, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Mexico, Peru and South Africa. The Company's primary business is the leasing of antenna space on multi-tenant communications sites to wireless service providers, radio and television broadcast companies, wireless data providers, government agencies and municipalities and tenants in a number of other industries. The Company also manages rooftop and tower sites for property owners, operates in-building and outdoor distributed antenna system (“DAS”) networks, holds property interests under communications sites and provides network development services that primarily support its rental and management operations and the addition of new tenants and equipment on its sites. The Company began operating as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for federal income tax purposes effective January 1, 2012.

ATC is a holding company that conducts its operations through its directly and indirectly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. ATC's principal domestic operating subsidiaries are American Towers LLC (“ATI”) and SpectraSite Communications, LLC (“SpectraSite”). ATC conducts its international operations through its subsidiary, American Tower International, Inc., which in turn conducts operations through its various international operating subsidiaries and joint ventures.

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation—The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and those entities in which it has a controlling interest, with the exception of Verestar, Inc. (“Verestar”), as discussed below. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

REIT Conversion—In May 2011, the Company announced its intention to reorganize to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes (the “REIT Conversion”). As part of the REIT Conversion, effective December 31, 2011, the Company completed the merger with its predecessor that was approved by the Company's stockholders in November 2011. At the time of the merger all outstanding shares of Class A common stock of American Tower were converted into a right to receive an equal number of shares of common stock of the surviving corporation. In addition, each share of Class A common stock of American Tower held in treasury at December 31, 2011 ceased to be outstanding, and a corresponding adjustment was recorded to additional paid-in capital and common stock.

The Company intends to elect REIT status for its taxable year commencing January 1, 2012. The Company believes that as of that date it has been organized and operates in a manner that enables it to qualify, and intends to operate in a manner that will allow it to continue to qualify, as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.

The Company holds and operates certain of its assets through one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRSs”). A TRS is a subsidiary of a REIT that is subject to applicable corporate income tax. The Company's use of TRSs enables it to continue to engage in certain businesses while complying with REIT qualification requirements and also allows the Company to retain income generated by these businesses for reinvestment without the requirement of distributing those earnings. The non-REIT qualified businesses that the Company holds through TRSs include its network development services segment. In addition, the Company has included its international operations and DAS networks business within its TRSs. In the future, the Company may elect to reorganize and transfer certain assets or operations, such as its international operations, from its TRSs to other subsidiaries, including qualified REIT subsidiaries.

As a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to federal income taxes on its income and gains that the Company distributes to its stockholders, including the income derived from leasing towers. However, even as a REIT, the Company will remain obligated to pay income taxes on earnings from all or a portion of its TRS assets. In addition, the Company's international assets and operations continue to be subject to taxation in the foreign jurisdictions where those assets are held or those operations are conducted.

Significant Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates—The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from those estimates, and such differences could be material to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The significant estimates in the accompanying consolidated financial statements include impairment of long-lived assets (including goodwill), asset retirement obligations, revenue recognition, rent expense, stock-based compensation, income taxes and accounting for business combinations. The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued as additional evidence for certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosure. Subsequent events have been evaluated up to the date of issuance of these financial statements.

Changes in Presentation—Changes have been made to the presentation of the Company's acquired customer base and acquired customer relationship intangibles in note 4 for the year ended December 31, 2010. The acquired customer base and acquired customer relationship intangibles typically represent the value to the Company of customer contracts and relationships in place at the time of an acquisition, including assumptions regarding estimated renewals. The Company has historically differentiated these intangible assets based upon whether or not they result from an acquisition which meets the criteria of a business combination (acquired customer relationship) or does not meet the criteria of a business combination (acquired customer base). As the value of both of these intangibles is driven by the customer contracts in place at the time of acquisition and the Company's current acquisitions, in general, all meet the criteria of a business combination, the Company has combined these two intangible assets for disclosure purposes.

Concentrations of Credit Risk—The Company is subject to concentrations of credit risk related to its cash and cash equivalents, notes receivable, accounts receivable, deferred rent asset and derivative financial instruments. The Company mitigates its risk with respect to cash and cash equivalents and derivative financial instruments by maintaining its deposits and contracts at high quality financial institutions and monitoring the credit ratings of those institutions.

The Company derives the largest portion of its revenues, corresponding accounts receivable and the related deferred rent asset from a relatively small number of tenants in the telecommunications industry, and approximately 53% of its revenues are derived from four customers. In addition, the Company has concentrations of credit risk in certain geographic areas.

The Company mitigates its concentrations of credit risk with respect to notes and trade receivables and the related deferred rent assets by actively monitoring the credit worthiness of its borrowers and tenants. In recognizing customer revenue, the Company must assess the collectability of both the amounts billed and the portion recognized on a straight-line basis. This assessment takes tenant credit risk and business and industry conditions into consideration to ultimately determine the collectability of the amounts billed. To the extent the amounts, based on management's estimates, may not be collectible, recognition is deferred until such point as the uncertainty is resolved. Any amounts which were previously recognized as revenue and subsequently determined to be uncollectible are charged to bad debt expense included in selling, general, administrative and development expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations.

Accounts receivable are reported net of allowances for doubtful accounts related to estimated losses resulting from a tenant's inability to make required payments and reserves for amounts invoiced whose collectability is not reasonably assured. These allowances are generally estimated based on payment patterns, days past due and collection history, and incorporate changes in economic conditions that may not be reflected in historical trends, such as tenants in bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization. Receivables are written-off against the allowances when they are determined uncollectible. Such determination includes analysis and consideration of the particular conditions of the account. Changes in the allowances were as follows for the years ended December 31, (in thousands):


	2011		2010		2009

Balance as of January 1	$	22,505	$	28,520	$	11,482
Current year increases		17,008		16,219		26,771
Write-offs, net of recoveries and other		(15,101)		(22,234)		(9,733)

Balance as of December 31	$	24,412	$	22,505	$	28,520

As of December 31, 2011, the Company's largest international tenant is Iusacell, which is the brand name under which a group of companies controlled by Grupo Iusacell, S.A. de C.V. (“Grupo Iusacell”) operates. Iusacell represented approximately 4% of the Company's total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2011. Grupo Iusacell was engaged in a refinancing of a majority of its U.S. Dollar denominated debt, and in connection with this, two of the legal entities of the group, including Grupo Iusacell, voluntarily filed for a pre-packaged Concurso Mercantil (a process substantially equivalent to Chapter 11 of U.S. Bankruptcy Law) with the backing of a majority of their financial creditors in December 2010. The process was concluded in April 2011 after a Mexican court ruled in favor of the refinancing plan. As of December 31, 2011, Iusacell notes receivable, net, and related assets (which include financing lease commitments and a deferred rent asset that are primarily long-term in nature) were $15.0 million and $56.4 million, respectively.

Functional Currency — As a result of changes to the organizational structure of the Company's subsidiaries in Latin America in 2010, the Company determined that effective January 1, 2010, the functional currency of its foreign subsidiary in Brazil is the Brazilian Real. From that point forward, all assets and liabilities held by the subsidiary in Brazil are translated into U.S. Dollars at the exchange rate in effect at the end of the applicable reporting period. Revenues and expenses are translated at the average monthly exchange rates and the cumulative translation effect is included in stockholders' equity. The change in functional currency from U.S. Dollars to Brazilian Real gave rise to an increase in the net value of certain non-monetary assets and liabilities. The aggregate impact on such assets and liabilities was $39.8 million with an offsetting increase in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) during the year ended December 31, 2010.

As a result of the renegotiation of the Company's agreements with Iusacell, which included, among other changes, converting all of Iusacell's contractual obligations to the Company from U.S. Dollars to Mexican Pesos, the Company has determined that effective April 1, 2010, the functional currency of certain of its foreign subsidiaries in Mexico is the Mexican Peso. From that point forward, all assets and liabilities held by those subsidiaries in Mexico are translated into U.S. Dollars at the exchange rate in effect at the end of the applicable reporting period. Revenues and expenses are translated at the average monthly exchange rates and the cumulative translation effect is included in stockholders' equity. The change in functional currency from U.S. Dollars to Mexican Pesos gave rise to a decrease in the net value of certain non-monetary assets and liabilities. The aggregate impact on such assets and liabilities was $33.6 million with an offsetting decrease in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

The functional currency of the Company's foreign operating subsidiaries in Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Peru and South Africa is the respective local currency. All assets and liabilities held by the subsidiaries are translated into U.S. Dollars at the exchange rate in effect at the end of the applicable fiscal reporting period. Revenues and expenses are translated at the average monthly exchange rates. The cumulative translation effect is included in stockholders' equity and as a component of other comprehensive income. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations and are the result of transactions of a subsidiary being denominated in a currency other than its functional currency.

Cash and Cash Equivalents—Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, demand deposits and short-term investments, including money market funds, with remaining maturities of three months or less when acquired, whose cost approximates fair value.

Restricted Cash—The Company classifies as restricted cash all cash pledged as collateral to secure obligations and all cash whose use is otherwise limited by contractual provisions, including cash on deposit in reserve accounts relating to the Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-1 issued in the Company's securitization transaction and the Secured Cellular Site Revenue Notes, Series 2010-1 Class C, Series 2010-2 Class C and Series 2010-2 Class F, assumed by the Company as a result of the acquisition of certain legal entities from Unison Holdings, LLC and Unison Site Management II, L.L.C.

Short-Term Investments and Available-for-Sale Securities—As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, short-term investments and available-for-sale securities include highly-liquid investments of approximately $22.3 million and $46.2 million, respectively, with original maturities in excess of three months. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company's only short-term available-for-sale security was 39,871 shares of common stock of FiberTower Corporation, which had a fair value of less than $0.1 million and approximately $0.2 million, respectively (at a price of $0.21 per share and $4.46 per share, respectively). All investments classified as available-for-sale are carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheet. The net unrealized gains or losses on the available-for-sale securities, are reported as accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, unless such changes are deemed other than temporary. The Company periodically reviews the value of available-for-sale securities and records any impairment charges in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive (loss) income for any decline in value that is determined to be other-than-temporary. The Company does not have any investments classified as trading. During the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company recorded unrealized (losses) gains on available-for-sale securities of $(0.1) million, $0.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively (net of tax benefits (provisions) of less than $0.1 million, less than $(0.1) million and less than $(0.1) million, respectively).

As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the unrealized losses included in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income totaled $0.4 million and $0.3 million, respectively.

Property and Equipment—Property and equipment are recorded at cost or, in the case of acquired properties, at estimated fair value on the date acquired. Cost for self-constructed towers includes direct materials and labor, indirect costs associated with construction and capitalized interest. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Augmentation and improvements that extend an asset's useful life or enhance capacity are capitalized.

Depreciation is recorded using the straight-line method over the assets' estimated useful lives. Towers and related assets on leased land are depreciated over the shorter of the term of the ground lease (including renewal options) or the estimated useful life of the tower.

Towers or assets acquired through capital leases are reflected in property and equipment at the present value of future minimum lease payments or the fair market value of the leased asset at the inception of the lease. Property and equipment, network location intangibles and assets held under capital leases are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful lives of the assets for periods up to twenty years.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets— The Company reviews goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment at least annually (as of December 31) or whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable.

The Company's goodwill is recorded in its domestic and international rental and management segments and network development services segment. The Company utilizes the two step impairment test when testing goodwill for impairment. When conducting this test, the Company employs a discounted cash flow analysis, corroborated by a peer group and market valuation analysis. The key assumptions utilized in the discounted cash flow analysis include current operating performance, terminal sales growth rate, management's expectations of future operating results, the current weighted average cost of capital, and an expected tax rate. Under the first step of this test, the Company compares the fair value of the reporting unit, as calculated under an income approach using future discounted cash flows, to the carrying value of the applicable reporting unit. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value, the Company conducts the second step of this test, in which the implied fair value of the applicable reporting unit's goodwill is compared to the carrying amount of that goodwill. If the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment loss would be recognized.

During the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, no potential impairment was determined under the first step of the test, as the fair values of each of the respective reporting units were in excess of its carrying value.

Intangible assets that are separable from goodwill and are deemed to have a definite life are amortized over their useful lives, generally ranging from three to twenty years and are evaluated separately for impairment at least annually or whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable.

Deferred Rent Asset—The Company's deferred rent asset is associated with non-cancellable tenant leases that contain fixed escalation clauses over the terms of the applicable leases.

Notes Receivable and Other Long-Term Assets—Notes receivable and other long-term assets primarily represent the Company's notes receivable from TV Azteca, investments accounted for under the equity method, prepaid ground lease assets, long-term deposits, favorable leasehold interests and other long-term assets.

Derivative Financial Instruments—All derivatives are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet at fair value. Derivatives in an asset position are reflected in notes receivable and other long-term assets and derivatives in a liability position are reflected in other long-term liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. If a derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, the effective portions of changes in the fair value of the derivative are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income and are recognized in the results of operations when the hedged item affects earnings. Ineffective portions of changes in the fair value of cash flow hedges are recognized in the results of operations. For derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, changes in fair value are recognized in the results of operations in the period that the change occurs.

The Company is exposed to certain risks related to its ongoing business operations. The primary risk managed through the use of derivative instruments is interest rate risk. From time to time, the Company enters into interest rate swap agreements to manage exposure on the variable rate debt under its credit facilities and to manage variability in cash flows relating to forecasted interest payments. Under these agreements, the Company is exposed to credit risk to the extent that a counterparty fails to meet the terms of a contract. The Company's credit risk exposure is limited to the current value of the contract at the time the counterparty fails to perform. The Company may also enter into forward starting interest rate swap agreements and treasury lock agreements, which the Company designates as cash flow hedges, to manage exposure to variability in cash flows relating to forecasted interest payments in connection with the likely issuance of new fixed rate debt. Settlement gains and losses on terminations of these forward starting interest rate swap agreements are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes, and amortized to interest expense over the term of the newly issued debt.

The Company assesses, both at the inception of the hedge and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of hedged items. The Company does not hold derivatives for trading purposes.

The Company may also enter into foreign currency financial instruments in anticipation of future transactions in order to minimize the risk of currency fluctuations. These transactions do not typically qualify for hedge accounting, and as a result, the associated gains and losses are recognized in other income (expense) in the consolidated statement of operations.

Fair Value Measurements— The Company determines the fair market values of its financial instruments based on the fair value hierarchy, which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The following are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1 Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.

Level 2 Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Discount and Premium on Notes—The Company amortizes the discounts and premiums on its senior notes using the effective interest method over the term of the obligation. Such amortization is reflected in interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Asset Retirement Obligations—The fair value of asset retirement obligations associated with an entity's legal obligation to retire tangible long-lived assets and the related asset retirement costs is recognized in the period in which it is incurred and can be reasonably estimated. Such asset retirement costs are capitalized as part of the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset and depreciated over the asset's estimated useful life. Fair value estimates of asset retirement obligations generally involve discounting of estimated future cash flows. Periodic accretion of such liabilities due to the passage of time is recorded as an operating expense. Adjustments are also made to the asset retirement obligation liability to reflect changes in the estimates of timing and expected cash flows, with an offsetting adjustment made to the related tangible long-lived asset.

The Company has certain legal obligations related to tower assets, which are principally obligations to remediate leased land on which certain of the Company's tower assets are located which require the recognition of an asset retirement obligation. The significant assumptions used in estimating the Company's aggregate asset retirement obligation are: timing of tower removals; cost of tower removals; timing and number of land lease renewals; expected inflation rates; and credit-adjusted risk-free interest rates that approximate the Company's incremental borrowing rate. The Company's asset retirement obligation is included in other long-term liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses—Accounts payable and accrued expenses primarily include amounts payable to vendors in the ordinary course of business, amounts payable to sellers in conjunction with acquisitions which were executed during the year and accrued property and real estate taxes of $46.9 million and $30.3 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Income Taxes—The consolidated financial statements reflect provisions for federal, state, local and foreign income taxes. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis, as well as operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The Company measures deferred tax assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences and carryforwards are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities as a result of a change in tax rates is recognized as income in the period that includes the enactment date. At December 31, 2011, the Company has reversed deferred tax assets and liabilities related to its REIT activities. As a REIT, the Company will not pay federal income tax at the REIT level (including its qualified REIT subsidiaries), but instead a dividends paid deduction will generally offset its taxable income. As a result, while the Company will still be permitted to use NOLs and tax credit carryforwards to offset its REIT taxable income, the Company does not expect to pay taxes on its REIT taxable income, and therefore does not expect to be able to realize such deferred tax assets and liabilities.

The Company provides valuation allowances if, based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company also periodically reviews its valuation allowances on its deferred tax assets to reduce these amounts to the amount that management believes is more likely than not to be realized.

The Company classifies uncertain tax positions as non-current income tax liabilities unless expected to be paid within one year. The Company reports penalties and tax-related interest expense as a component of the provision for income taxes and interest income from tax refunds as a component of other income in the consolidated statement of operations..

Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income—Other comprehensive (loss) income refers to revenues, expenses, gains and losses that are excluded from net income, as these amounts are recorded directly as an adjustment to stockholders' equity, net of tax. The Company's other comprehensive (loss) income is comprised of realized and unrealized gains/losses on derivative cash flow hedges, short-term available-for-sale securities and foreign currency translation as summarized in the accompanying consolidated statement of stockholders' equity.

Treasury Stock—The Company records treasury stock purchases using the cost method, whereby the purchase price, including legal costs and commissions, is recorded in a contra equity account (treasury stock). The equity accounts from which the shares were originally issued are not adjusted for any treasury stock purchases unless and until such time as the shares are formally retired. As part of the REIT Conversion all treasury stock was retired.

Dividends—A REIT is not permitted to retain earnings and profits accumulated during the years it was taxed as a C corporation or accumulated by its TRSs that have been converted to qualified REIT subsidiaries, and must make one or more distributions to stockholders that equal or exceed these accumulated amounts. In December 2011, the Company paid a one-time special cash distribution (“Pre-REIT Distribution”) to its stockholders of approximately $137.8 million, or $0.35 per share of common stock. Earnings and profits, which determine the taxability of distributions to stockholders, will differ from income reported for financial reporting purposes due to the differences in the treatment of gains on the sale of real property, revenue and expense recognition, compensation expense and in the estimated useful lives and basis used to compute depreciation for federal income tax purposes.

The Pre-REIT Distribution was an ordinary dividend.

Acquisitions—For those acquisitions that meet the criteria of a business combination, the Company allocates the purchase price, including any contingent consideration, to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed at their estimated fair values as of the date of the acquisition with any excess of the purchase price paid over the estimated fair value of net assets acquired recorded as goodwill. For those acquisitions that do not meet the criteria of a business combination, the Company first allocates the purchase price to property and equipment for the fair value of the towers and to identifiable intangible assets (primarily acquired customer-related and network location intangibles). The fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is typically determined by using either estimates of replacement costs or discounted cash flow valuation methods. When determining the fair value of tangible assets acquired, the Company must estimate the cost to replace the asset with a new asset, adjusted for an estimated reduction in fair value due to depreciation, and the economic useful life. When determining the fair value of intangible assets acquired, the Company must estimate the applicable discount rate and the timing and amount of future customer cash flows. The determination of the final purchase price and allocation may extend over more than one period and result in adjustments to the preliminary estimate recognized.

Revenue Recognition—Rental and management revenues are recognized on a monthly basis under lease or management agreements when earned and when collectability is reasonably assured. Fixed escalation clauses present in non-cancellable lease agreements, excluding those tied to the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) or other inflation-based indices, and other incentives present in lease agreements with the Company's tenants are recognized on a straight-line basis over the fixed, non-cancellable terms of the applicable leases and included in the deferred rent asset on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Total rental and management straight-line revenues for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 approximated $144.0 million, $105.2 million and $36.3 million, respectively. Amounts billed up-front for certain services provided in connection with the execution of lease agreements are initially deferred and recognized as revenue over the initial terms of the applicable leases. Amounts billed or received prior to being earned are deferred and reflected in unearned revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets until the earnings process is complete.

Network development services revenues are derived under contracts or arrangements with tenants that provide for billings on a fixed price basis. Revenues are recognized as services are performed, excluding certain fees for services provided in connection with the execution of lease agreements which are initially deferred and recognized as revenue over the initial terms of the applicable leases.

Rent Expense—Many of the leases underlying the Company's tower sites have fixed rent escalations, which provide for periodic increases in the amount of ground rent payable by the Company over time. The Company calculates straight-line ground rent expense for these leases based on the fixed non-cancellable term of the underlying ground lease plus all periods, if any, for which failure to renew the lease imposes an economic penalty to the Company such that renewal appears, at the inception of the lease, to be reasonably assured. Certain of the Company's tenant leases require the Company to exercise available renewal options pursuant to the underlying ground lease, if the tenant exercises its renewal option. For towers with these types of tenant leases at the inception of the ground lease, the Company calculates its straight-line ground rent over the term of the ground lease, including all renewal options required to fulfill the tenant lease obligation.

Total rental and management straight-line ground rent expense approximated $31.0 million, $22.3 million and $26.6 million, for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. In addition to the straight-line ground rent expense recorded by the Company, the Company also records its straight-line rent liability in other long-term liabilities and records prepaid ground rent in prepaid and other current assets and notes receivable and other long-term assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Selling, General, Administrative and Development Expense—Selling, general and administrative expense consists of overhead expenses related to the Company's rental and management and services operations and corporate overhead costs not specifically allocable to any of the Company's individual business operations. Development expense consists of costs related to the Company's acquisition efforts, costs associated with new business initiatives and abandoned site and acquisition costs.

Stock-Based Compensation— Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the accounting measurement date based on the fair value of the award and this fair value is then recognized as an expense over the service period, which generally represents the vesting period. The expense recognized over the service period is required to include an estimate of awards that will not fully vest and be forfeited. The Company calculates the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and the fair value of restricted stock units based on the fair value of the units at the grant date. The Company's stock-based compensation expense is recognized in either selling, general, administrative and development expense, costs of operations or capitalized as part of the Company's cost to construct tower assets.

Litigation Costs—The Company periodically becomes involved in various claims and lawsuits that are incidental to its business. The Company regularly monitors the status of pending legal actions to evaluate both the magnitude and likelihood of any potential loss. The Company accrues for these potential losses when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss, or possible range of loss, can be reasonably estimated. Should the ultimate losses on contingencies or litigation vary from estimates, adjustments to those reserves may be required. The Company also incurs legal costs in connection with these matters and records estimates of these expenses, which are reflected in selling, general, administrative and development expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations. Legal costs incurred in connection with the Company's involvement in the Verestar bankruptcy proceedings are reflected within discontinued operations in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations.

Other Operating Expenses—Other operating expenses includes the costs incurred by the Company in conjunction with acquisitions and mergers (including contingent consideration), impairments on long-lived assets and gains and losses recognized upon the disposal of long-lived assets and other discrete items of a non-recurring nature. During the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company recognized acquisition and merger related expenses of $28.1 million, $17.0 million and $6.3 million, respectively.

The Company expenses acquisition and merger related costs in the period in which they are incurred and services are received. Acquisition and merger related costs may include finder's fees, advisory, legal, accounting, valuation and other professional or consulting fees and general administrative costs.

The Company reviews long-lived assets, including intangibles with definite lives, for impairment whenever events, changes in circumstances or other evidence indicate that the carrying amount of the Company's assets may not be recoverable.

The Company reviews its tower portfolio and network location intangible assets for indications of impairment on an individual tower basis. Impairments primarily result from a tower not having current tenant leases or from having expenses in excess of revenues. The Company monitors its customer related intangible assets on a customer by customer basis for indications of impairment, such as high levels of turnover or attrition, non-renewal of a significant number of contracts, or the cancellation or termination of a relationship. The Company assesses recoverability by determining whether the net book value of the related assets will be recovered, either through projected undiscounted future cash flows or anticipated proceeds from sales of the assets.

If the Company determines that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable, the Company will measure any impairment based on the projected future discounted cash flows to be provided from the asset or available market information relative to the asset's fair market value, as compared to the asset's carrying value. The Company records any related impairment charge in the period in which the Company identifies such impairment.

Discontinued Operations—Legal reorganization or bankruptcy are conditions which can preclude consolidation in instances where control rests with the bankruptcy court, rather than the majority owner. In December 2003, Verestar filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy laws. Accordingly, the Company ceased to consolidate Verestar's financial results beginning on December 22, 2003. The Company has incurred costs and related tax effects in connection with its involvement in the Verestar bankruptcy proceedings and related litigation. During 2007, the Company settled litigation related to the Verestar bankruptcy. In April 2008, the bankruptcy court approved Verestar's plan of liquidation and in December 2008, Verestar was liquidated. As a result, in 2008, the Company recorded an income tax benefit of $110.1 million related to losses associated with its investment in Verestar as income from discontinued operations during the year ended December 31, 2008. The Company recorded net income from discontinued operations in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009 of $0.03 million and $8.2 million, respectively.

Loss on Retirement of Long-Term Obligations—Loss on retirement of long-term obligations primarily includes cash paid to retire debt in excess of its carrying value, cash paid to holders of convertible notes in connection with note conversions and non-cash charges related to the write-off of deferred financing fees. Loss on retirement of long-term obligations also includes gains from repurchasing or refinancing certain of the Company's debt obligations.

Earnings Per Common Share—Basic and Diluted—Basic income from continuing operations per common share for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 represents income from continuing operations attributable to American Tower Corporation divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted income from continuing operations per common share for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 represents income from continuing operations attributable to American Tower Corporation divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period and any dilutive common share equivalents, including unvested restricted stock, shares issuable upon exercise of stock options and warrants as determined under the treasury stock method and upon conversion of the Company's convertible notes, as determined under the if-converted method.

Retirement Plan—The Company has a 401(k) plan covering substantially all employees who meet certain age and employment requirements. The Company's matching contribution is 50% up to a maximum 6% of a participant's contributions. For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company contributed approximately $2.9 million, $1.9 million and $1.9 million to the plan, respectively.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards—In October 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new guidance which establishes accounting and reporting guidance for arrangements including multiple revenue-generating activities. This guidance requires companies to allocate the overall consideration to each deliverable under the arrangement using the estimated selling prices in the absence of vendor specific objective evidence or third-party evidence of selling price for deliverables. This guidance was effective for any contracts entered into, or materially modified by the Company on or after January 1, 2011 and did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position.

In June 2011, the FASB issued amendments to the requirements for presentation of comprehensive income. This guidance, effective retrospectively for the interim and annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2011 (early adoption is permitted), requires presentation of total comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In December 2011, the FASB issued an amendment to this guidance which indefinitely defers the requirement to present reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component in both the statement in which net income is presented and the statement in which other comprehensive income is presented. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company early adopted the amended guidance requiring presentation of comprehensive income in two consecutive financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011. The implementation of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position.

Accounting Standards Updates—In May 2011, the FASB amended its guidance related to fair value measurement and disclosure. This guidance clarifies existing measurement and disclosure requirements and results in greater consistency between GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. This guidance will be effective prospectively for interim and annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2011. The implementation of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position.

In September 2011, the FASB issued guidance on testing goodwill for impairment that will become effective for the interim and annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2011 (with early adoption permitted). Under the new guidance, an entity has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If the entity determines that it is more likely than not that the carrying value of a reporting unit is less than its fair value, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. The implementation of this guidance will have no impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements.

+ References + Details

Prepaid and Other Current Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Prepaid Expense and Other Assets, Current [Abstract]

Prepaid and Other Current Assets

2. PREPAID AND OTHER CURRENT ASSETS

Prepaid and other current assets consist of the following as of December 31, (in thousands):


		2011		2010 (1)

Prepaid assets		$	113,010	$	72,974
Value added tax and other consumption tax receivables			144,552		18,960
Other miscellaneous current assets			59,406		53,665

Balance as of December 31,		$	316,968	$	145,599


(1)	December 31, 2010 balance has been revised to reflect purchase accounting measurement period adjustments.

Property and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

3. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

Property and equipment (including assets held under capital leases) consist of the following:


		Estimated		As of December 31,
		Useful Lives (1)		2011		2010

		(years)		(in thousands)
Towers (2)		Up to 20	$	5,995,173	$	5,237,009
Equipment		3 - 15		459,070		368,860
Buildings and improvements		3 - 31		216,593		210,082
Land and improvements (3)		3 - 20		963,925		473,477
Construction-in-progress				156,354		86,358

	Total			7,791,115		6,375,786
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization				(2,907,642)		(2,692,312)

Property and equipment, net			$	4,883,473	$	3,683,474


(1)	Assets on leased land are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated useful life of the asset or the term of the corresponding ground lease.
(2)	December 31, 2010 balances have been revised to reflect purchase accounting measurement period adjustments.
(3)	Estimated useful lives apply to land improvements only.

Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $353.4 million, $286.0 million and $258.9 million, respectively. Property and equipment, net includes approximately $790.5 million and $313.8 million of capital leases, which are classified as either towers or land and improvements as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

- 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 + Details

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

4. GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

The changes in the carrying value of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows (in thousands):


		2011		2010 (1)

Balance as of January 1, as revised for purchase accounting measurement period adjustments		$	2,511,907	$	2,250,538
Additions			356,247		251,781
Effect of foreign currency translation			(62,887)		9,588
Balance as of December 31,		$	2,805,267	$	2,511,907


(1)	Balances have been revised to reflect purchase accounting measurement period adjustments.


	The Company's other intangible assets subject to amortization consist of the following:

				As of December 31, 2011						As of December 31, 2010 (3)
		Estimated Useful Lives		Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization		Net Book Value		Gross Carrying Value		Accumulated Amortization		Net Book Value

		(years)		(in thousands)

Acquired network location (1)		Up to 20	$	1,496,440	$	(654,137)	$	842,303	$	1,263,636	$	(603,578)	$	660,058
Acquired customer-related intangibles		15-20		2,286,399		(843,432)		1,442,967		1,897,482		(736,851)		1,160,631
Acquired licenses and other intangibles		3-15		24,939		(20,045)		4,894		21,601		(19,984)		1,617
Economic Rights, TV Azteca		70		26,902		(12,643)		14,259		30,292		(13,646)		16,646

Total				3,834,680		(1,530,257)		2,304,423		3,213,011		(1,374,059)		1,838,952
Deferred financing costs, net (2)		N/A						47,532						46,914
Other intangible assets, net							$	2,351,955					$	1,885,866


(1)	Acquired network location intangibles are amortized over the shorter of the term of the corresponding ground lease or up to 20 years, as the Company considers these intangibles to be directly related to the tower assets.
(2)	Deferred financing costs are amortized over the term of the respective debt instruments to which they relate. This amortization is included in interest expense, rather than in amortization expense.
(3)	December 31, 2010 balances have been revised to reflect purchase accounting measurement period adjustments.

The acquired network location intangible represents the value to the Company of the incremental revenue growth which could potentially be obtained from leasing the excess capacity on acquired communications sites. The acquired customer-related intangibles typically represent the value to the Company of customer contracts and relationships in place at the time of an acquisition, including assumptions regarding estimated renewals. The acquired licenses and other intangibles consist primarily of non-competition agreements acquired from SpectraSite, Inc., and in other tower acquisitions.

The Company amortizes these intangibles on a straight-line basis. As of December 31, 2011, the weighted average amortization period of the Company's intangible assets, excluding the TV Azteca Economic Rights, is approximately 13 years. Amortization of intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 aggregated approximately $176.4 million, $156.1 million and $140.2 million, respectively (excluding amortization of deferred financing costs, which is included in interest expense). Based on the current estimated useful lives, the Company expects to record amortization expense (excluding amortization of deferred financing costs) as follows over the next five years (in thousands):


Year Ending December 31,
2012	$	188,100
2013		179,896
2014		171,638
2015		158,047
2016		150,634

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

+ References + Details

Note Receivable And Other Long Term Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Notes Receivable And Other Long Term Assets [Abstract]

Notes Receivable and Other Long-Term Assets

5. NOTES RECEIVABLE AND OTHER LONG-TERM ASSETS

Notes receivable and other long-term assets consist of the following as of December 31, (in thousands):


		2011		2010 (1)

Notes receivable		$	118,892	$	129,157
Long-term prepaid assets			229,605		69,140
Other miscellaneous assets			145,331		119,512

Balance as of December 31,		$	493,828	$	317,809


(1)	December 31, 2010 balance has been revised to reflect purchase accounting measurement period adjustments.

TV Azteca Note Receivable—In 2000, the Company loaned TV Azteca, S.A. de C.V. (“TV Azteca”), the owner of a major national television network in Mexico, $119.8 million. The loan has an interest rate of 13.11%, payable quarterly which at the time of issuance was determined to be below market and therefore a corresponding discount was recorded. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, approximately $119.8 million undiscounted (approximately $108.2 million discounted) under the loan was outstanding and included in notes receivable and other long-term assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The term of the loan is seventy years; however, the loan may be prepaid by TV Azteca without penalty during the last fifty years of the agreement. The discount on the loan is being amortized to interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense, using the effective interest method over the seventy-year term of the loan.

Simultaneous with the signing of the loan agreement, the Company also entered into a seventy year Economic Rights Agreement with TV Azteca regarding space not used by TV Azteca on approximately 190 of its broadcast towers. In exchange for the issuance of the below market interest rate loan and the annual payment of $1.5 million to TV Azteca (under the Economic Rights Agreement), the Company has the right to market and lease the unused tower space on the broadcast towers (the “Economic Rights”). TV Azteca retains title to these towers and is responsible for their operation and maintenance. The Company is entitled to 100% of the revenues generated from leases with tenants on the unused space and is responsible for any incremental operating expenses associated with those tenants.

The term of the Economic Rights Agreement is seventy years; however, TV Azteca has the right to purchase, at fair market value, the Economic Rights from the Company at any time during the last fifty years of the agreement. Should TV Azteca elect to purchase the Economic Rights (in whole or in part), it would also be obligated to repay a proportional amount of the loan discussed above at the time of such election. The Company's obligation to pay TV Azteca $1.5 million annually would also be reduced proportionally.

The Company has accounted for the annual payment of $1.5 million as a capital lease (initially recording an asset and a corresponding liability of approximately $18.6 million). The capital lease asset and the discount on the note, which aggregate approximately $30.2 million, represent the cost to acquire the Economic Rights, which is recorded as an intangible asset and is being amortized over the seventy-year life of the Economic Rights agreement.

Iusacell Note Receivable—Effective April 1, 2010, the Company renegotiated its agreement with Iusacell to include, among other changes, the conversion of its accounts receivable, net, outstanding at that time, to a long-term note receivable to be repaid over five years. In December 2011, the Company and Iusacell agreed to amend the repayment terms such that all amounts outstanding will be repaid by April 2014. The loan has an interest rate of 12.0%, but may be reduced, subject to certain capitalization and repayment conditions. As of December 31, 2011, approximately $8.4 million, net, under the loan was outstanding and included in notes receivable and other long-term assets and $6.7 million was outstanding and included in prepaid and other current assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Long-Term Prepaid Assets—Long-term prepaid assets consist primarily of long-term prepaid ground rent.

Acquisitions and Other Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Acquisitions and Other Transactions

Acquisitions and Other Transactions

6. ACQUISITIONS AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS

Acquisitions

Impact of current year acquisitions—The Company typically acquires communications sites from wireless carriers or other tower operators and subsequently integrates those sites into its existing portfolio of communications sites. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company also acquired property interests under communications sites that are leased to communications service providers and third-party tower operators. The financial results of these acquisitions have been included in the Company's consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2011 from the date of acquisition. The date of acquisition, and by extension the point at which the Company begins to recognize the results of an acquisition may be dependent upon, among other things, the receipt of contractual consents, the commencement and extent of leasing arrangements and the timing of the transfer of title or rights to the assets, which may be accomplished in phases. For sites acquired from service providers, these sites may never have been operated as a business and were utilized solely by the seller as a component of their network infrastructure. An acquisition, depending on its size and nature, may or may not involve the transfer of business operations or employees.

The Company reviewed the acquisitions completed during the year ended December 31, 2011 and determined that no single acquisition was material in nature. The Company estimates that the impact of the acquisitions in the aggregate on the revenues of the Company's domestic and international rental and management segments for the year ended December 31, 2011 was approximately $11.5 million and $140.7 million, respectively. Additionally, the Company estimates that the impact of the acquisitions in the aggregate on the gross margin of the Company's domestic and international rental and management segments for the year ended December 31, 2011 was approximately $8.9 million and $80.3 million, respectively. The estimated revenue and gross margin amounts also reflect incremental revenues from the addition of new tenants to the acquired sites subsequent to the date of acquisition. Incremental amounts of segment selling, general, administrative and development expense have not been reflected as the amounts attributable to acquisitions are not comparable for the reasons noted above.

ETIPL Acquisition— On August 6, 2010, the Company's indirectly held, wholly owned Indian subsidiary, Transcend Infrastructure Limited, acquired substantially all the issued and outstanding shares of Essar Telecom Infrastructure Private Limited (“ETIPL”), for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $420.7 million. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

The acquisition has been accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based on the estimated fair value of the acquired assets at the date of acquisition. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company made certain purchase accounting measurement period adjustments and retrospectively adjusted the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2010. The allocation of the purchase price was finalized during the year ended December 31, 2011.

The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase consideration paid and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date (in thousands):

		Final Purchase Price Allocation (1)		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation (2)
Current assets (3)		$	151,576	$	147,996
Other non-current assets		2,762		2,762
Property and equipment		189,750		189,750
Intangible assets (4)		154,160		151,371
Current liabilities		(196,235)		(198,286)
Other long-term liabilities		(69,246)		(66,247)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	232,767	$	227,346
Goodwill (5)		187,932		193,353


(1)	Reflected in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 herein.
(2)	Reflected in the consolidated balance sheet in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.
(3)	Includes approximately $14.1 million of accounts receivable which approximates the value due to the Company under certain contractual arrangements.
(4)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $100.9 million and network location intangibles of approximately $53.3 million as of December 31, 2011. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(5)	The Company expects that the goodwill recorded will not be deductible for tax purposes. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s international rental and management segment.

Peru Acquisition – On August 9, 2010, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to purchase towers from Telefónica del Peru S.A.A. The Company acquired 475 communications sites in various tranches during 2010 for an initial purchase price of $88.0 million, which was subsequently reduced to $87.8 million, after certain post-closing adjustments. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

The acquisition has been accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based on the estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company made certain purchase accounting measurement period adjustments and retrospectively adjusted the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2010. The allocation of the purchase price was finalized during the year ended December 31, 2011.

The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase consideration paid and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date (in thousands):

		Final Purchase Price Allocation (1)		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation (2)
Non-current assets		$	25,741	$	13,850
Property and equipment		17,182		4,966
Intangible assets (3)		30,000		56,876
Other long-term liabilities		(7,313)		(6,433)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	65,610	$	69,259
Goodwill (4)		22,151		18,785


(1)	Reflected in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 herein.
(2)	Reflected in the consolidated balance sheet in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.
(3)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $13.0 million and network location intangibles of approximately $17.0 million as of December 31, 2011. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(4)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company's international rental and management segment

Colombia – Telefónica Moviles Acquisition—During October 2010, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to purchase towers from Telefónica Moviles Colombia S.A. (“Telefónica Colombia”). Pursuant to this agreement, the Company completed the purchase of 500 communications sites during the year ended December 31, 2010 for an aggregate purchase price of $72.7 million, which was subsequently reduced to $72.0 million, after certain post-closing adjustments. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company made certain purchase accounting measurement period adjustments and retrospectively adjusted the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2010. The allocation of the purchase price was finalized during the year ended December 31, 2011.

The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase consideration paid and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date (in thousands):

		Final Purchase Price Allocation (1)		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation (2)
Non-current assets		$	4,163	$	-
Property and equipment		50,890		22,378
Intangible assets (3)		19,100		60,723
Other long-term liabilities		(10,376)		(10,376)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	63,777	$	72,725
Goodwill (4)		8,265		-


(1)	Reflected in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 herein.
(2)	Reflected in the consolidated balance sheet in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.
(3)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $5.1 million and network location intangibles of approximately $14.0 million as of December 31, 2011. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(4)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company's international rental and management segment

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired an additional 125 communications sites from Telefónica Colombia for an aggregate purchase price of $17.5 million, of which $16.7 million was paid during 2011 and the remaining $0.8 million is reflected in accounts payable or accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheet for the year ended December 31, 2011.

The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was preliminarily allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon the completion of an analysis of the fair value of the assets acquired.

The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase consideration paid and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date (in thousands):

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Non-current assets		$	217
Property and equipment		12,456
Intangible assets (1)		4,675
Other long-term liabilities		(341)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	17,007
Goodwill (2)		523


(1)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $1.2 million and network location intangibles of approximately $3.4 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(2)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s international rental and management segment.

Colombia – Colombia Movil Acquisition—On July 17, 2011, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with Colombia Movil S.A. E.S.P. (“Colombia Movil”), a subsidiary of Millicom International Cellular S.A (“Millicom”), whereby ATC Sitios Infraco, S.A.S. a Colombian subsidiary of the Company (“ATC Infraco”) would purchase up to 2,126 communications sites from Colombia Movil for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $182.0 million. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

On December 21, 2011, ATC Infraco completed the purchase of 1,346 existing communications sites for an aggregate purchase price of $104.0 million and contingent consideration of $15.3 million, subject to post-closing adjustments, of which $43.7 million was paid in 2011 and the remaining $75.6 million, including amounts for contingent consideration, is reflected in accounts payable or accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheet for the year ended December 31, 2011. Through a Millicom subsidiary, Millicom exercised its option to acquire an indirect, substantial minority equity interest in ATC Infraco. As the Company has maintained a controlling financial interest in the Colombian subsidiary, the financial results have been consolidated in the Company's financial statements.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Company is required to make additional payments upon the conversion of certain barter agreements with other wireless carriers to cash paying lease agreements. Based on current estimates, the Company estimates the future value of contingent consideration payments required to be made under the amended agreement to be between zero and $26.7 million. The fair value of the contingent consideration, is estimated to be $15.3 million using a probability weighted average of the expected outcomes at December 31, 2011.

The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was preliminarily allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon the final settlement of the purchase price with the sellers and the subsequent completion of analyses of the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired.

The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase consideration paid and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date (in thousands):

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Non-current assets		$	1,126
Property and equipment		95,052
Intangible assets (1)		26,132
Current liabilities		(639)
Other long-term liabilities		(3,416)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	118,255
Goodwill (2)		1,067


(1)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $8.6 million and network location intangibles of approximately $17.5 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(2)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s international rental and management segment.

Chile – VTR Acquisition – On February 1, 2011, the Company acquired 140 communications sites from VTR Banda Ancha (Chile) S.A. and its affiliates, and subsequently purchased 40 communications sites under construction in March 2011 for an aggregate purchase price of $19.9 million. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was preliminarily allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon the final settlement of the purchase price with the sellers and the subsequent completion of analyses of the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired.

The following table summarizes the allocation of the aggregate purchase consideration paid and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition (in thousands):

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Current assets		$	2,888
Non-current assets		231
Property and equipment		11,358
Intangible assets (1)		5,513
Other long-term liabilities		(1,228)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	18,762
Goodwill (2)		1,127


(1)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $2.0 million and network location intangibles of approximately $3.5 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(2)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s international rental and management segment.

Chile – Telefónica Acquisition—On June 29, 2010, the Company entered into definitive agreements to purchase towers from Telefónica Chile S.A. and its affiliates. During 2011, the Company acquired an additional 165 communications sites for an aggregate purchase price of $17.7 million. After certain post-closing adjustments, the purchase price was increased to $19.4 million. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase consideration paid and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition for those communications sites acquired in 2011 (in thousands):

		Final Purchase Price Allocation
Property and equipment		$	7,478
Intangible assets (1)		13,454
Other long-term liabilities		(1,548)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	19,384


(1)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $5.6 million and network location intangibles of approximately $7.9 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.

Chile – Telefónica Moviles Acquisition—On December 30, 2011, the Company purchased 100% of the outstanding shares of a subsidiary of Telefónica Moviles Chile S.A. that owned 558 communications sites, for an aggregate purchase price of $94.9 million, which is reflected in accounts payable or accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheet for the year ended December 31, 2011. The purchase price is subject to additional post-closing adjustments, following completion of the Company's post-closing due diligence of the communications sites acquired. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was preliminarily allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon the final settlement of the purchase price with the sellers and the subsequent completion of analyses of the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired.

The following table summarizes the allocation of the aggregate purchase price consideration paid and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition (in thousands):

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Non-current assets		$	2,772
Property and equipment		43,140
Intangible assets (1)		39,916
Other long-term liabilities		(4,505)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	81,323
Goodwill (2)		13,537


(1)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $15.7 million and network location intangibles of approximately $24.2 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(2)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s international rental and management segment.

South Africa Acquisition—On November 4, 2010, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with Cell C (Pty) Limited (“Cell C”) to purchase up to approximately 1,400 existing communications sites, and up to 1,800 additional communications sites that either are under construction or will be constructed, for an aggregate purchase price of up to approximately $430.0 million. On March 8, 2011, the Company completed the purchase of 959 existing communications sites through its local South African subsidiary for an aggregate purchase price of $149.1 million, including value added tax, using cash on hand, local financing and funds contributed by South African investors who currently hold an approximate 25% noncontrolling interest in the Company's South African subsidiary. On July 25, 2011, the Company completed the purchase of an additional 329 existing communications sites from Cell C for approximately $51.5 million, including value added tax, and contingent consideration of $2.1 million.

On December 14, 2011, the Company acquired control of an additional 76 existing communications sites from Cell C for approximately $11.2 million, including value added tax, and contingent consideration of $0.5 million. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, legal title to certain of these communications sites will be transferred upon fulfillment of certain conditions by Cell C. Prior to the fulfillment of these conditions, the Company will operate these communications sites and reflect all associated revenues and expenses in its consolidated results of operations.

The agreement with Cell C requires the Company to make a one-time payment based on the annualized rent for each collocation installed for a specific wireless carrier on the acquired communications sites occurring within a four year period after the initial closing date. Based on current estimates, the Company estimates the future value of contingent consideration payments required to be made under the agreement to be between zero and $9.2 million. The fair value of the contingent consideration, which had preliminarily been estimated at zero, is estimated to be $7.0 million using a probability-weighted average of the expected outcomes at December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company recorded $4.7 million of the $7.0 million as other operating expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was preliminarily allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon the final settlement of the purchase price with the sellers and the subsequent completion of analyses of the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired.

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Current assets		$	12,262
Property and equipment		82,225
Intangible assets (1)		118,781
Current liabilities		(74)
Other long-term liabilities		(32,908)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	180,286
Goodwill (2)		34,197


(1)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $105.0 million and network location intangibles of approximately $13.8 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of up to 20 years.
(2)	The Company expects that the goodwill recorded will not be deductible for tax purposes. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s international rental and management segment.

Brazil Acquisition—On March 1, 2011, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of a company that owned 627 communications sites in Brazil for $553.2 million, which was subsequently increased to $585.4 million as a result of acquiring 39 additional communications sites and certain post-closing adjustments. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon the settlement of the purchase price with the sellers and the subsequent completion of analyses of the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired.

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Current assets (1)		$	9,922
Non-current assets		98,047
Property and equipment		86,062
Intangible assets (2)		288,000
Current liabilities		(5,536)
Other long-term liabilities (3)		(38,519)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	437,976
Goodwill (4)		147,459


(1)	Includes approximately $7.7 million of accounts receivable, which approximates the value due to the Company under certain contractual arrangements.
(2)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $195.0 million and network location intangibles of approximately $93.0 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(3)	Other long-term liabilities includes contingent amounts of approximately $30.0 million primarily related to uncertain tax positions related to the acquisition and non-current assets includes $24.0 million of the related indemnification asset.
(4)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s international rental and management segment.

Ghana Acquisition—On December 6, 2010, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with MTN Group Limited (“MTN Group”) to establish a joint venture in Ghana. The joint venture is managed by the Company and owns a tower operations company in Ghana. As the Company has a controlling financial interest in the joint venture, the financial results have been consolidated in the Company's financial statements.

Pursuant to the agreement, the joint venture agreed to purchase a total of up to 1,876 existing communications sites from MTN's operating subsidiary in Ghana (“MTN Ghana”) in various tranches throughout 2011 and 2012, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company signed the necessary agreements to establish the joint venture on May 3, 2011. On May 6, 2011, the joint venture acquired 400 communications sites for an aggregate purchase price of $110.5 million, including value added tax, which was subsequently increased to $114.8 million after certain post closing adjustments. On August 11, 2011, the joint venture acquired 770 communications sites for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $204.2 million, including value added tax, which was subsequently increased to $205.7 million after certain post-closing purchase price adjustments.

On December 23, 2011, the joint venture acquired control of an additional 686 communications sites for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $192.9 million, including value added tax, and contingent consideration of $2.3 million, subject to a post-closing adjustment, of which $184.3 million was paid during 2011 and the remaining $10.9 million is reflected in accounts payable or accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheet for the year ended December 31, 2011. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, legal title to certain of these communications sites will be transferred upon fulfillment of certain conditions by MTN. Prior to the fulfillment of these conditions, the Company will operate these communications sites and reflect all associated revenues and expenses in its consolidated results of operations.

In December 2011, the Company signed an amendment to its agreement with MTN, which requires the Company to make additional payments upon the conversion of certain barter agreements with other wireless carriers to cash paying master lease agreements. Based on current estimates, the Company estimates the future value of contingent consideration payments required to be made under the amended agreement to be between zero and $7.2 million. The fair value of the contingent consideration is estimated to be $6.3 million using a probability weighted average of the expected outcomes at December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company recorded $4.0 million of the $6.3 million as other operating expenses in the consolidated statement of operations.

MTN Ghana will be the anchor tenant on each of the communications sites purchased. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets. The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was preliminarily allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon the final settlement of the purchase price with the sellers and the subsequent completion of analyses of the fair value of the asset and liabilities acquired.

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Current assets		$	69,147
Non-current assets		5,405
Property and equipment		304,478
Intangible assets (1)		82,217
Other long-term liabilities		(13,356)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	447,891
Goodwill (2)		67,755


(1)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $34.0 million and network location intangibles of approximately $48.2 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of up to 20 years.
(2)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s international rental and management segment.

Mexico Acquisition—On November 3, 2011, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to purchase up to approximately 730 communications sites from Telefónica's Mexican subsidiary, Pegaso PCS, S.A. de C.V. (“Telefónica Mexico”). On December 15, 2011, the Company completed the purchase of 584 communications sites, for an aggregate purchase price of $121.9 million. On December 7, 2011, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to purchase up to approximately 1,778 additional communications sites from Telefónica Mexico. On December 28, 2011, the Company completed the purchase of 1,422 communications sites, for an aggregate purchase price of $294.4 million. The acquisition is subject to a post-closing purchase price adjustment, following completion of the Company's post-closing due diligence of the acquired company's financial results. The acquisition is consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected international markets.

The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was preliminarily allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon the settlement of the purchase price with the sellers and the subsequent completion of analyses of the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired.

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Current assets		$	57,414
Non-current assets		26,845
Property and equipment		174,767
Intangible assets (1)		97,182
Current liabilities		(148)
Other long-term liabilities		(8,836)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	347,224
Goodwill (2)		69,030


(1)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $47.5 million and network location intangibles of approximately $49.7 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(2)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s international rental and management segment.

U.S. Acquisitions—During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired a total of 179 communications sites and equipment in the United States for $82.7 million and contingent consideration of $0.1 million. The terms of the contingent consideration require the Company to make a one-time payment based on the annualized rent for the installation of a wireless provider on one of the communications sites acquired. Based on current estimates, the Company expects the future value of contingent consideration payments required to be made under the agreement to be zero.

These acquisitions are consistent with the Company's strategy to expand in selected geographic areas and have been accounted for as business combinations.

The following table summarizes the preliminary allocation of the aggregate purchase consideration paid for acquisitions that closed during the year ended December 31, 2011 and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the estimated fair value of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities at the date of acquisition (in thousands):

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Property and equipment		$	23,270
Intangible assets (1)		61,626
Other long-term liabilities		(4,118)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	80,778
Goodwill (2)		2,022


(1)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $45.0 million and network location intangibles of approximately $16.6 million. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 20 years.
(2)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company’s domestic rental and management segment.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company made certain purchase accounting measurement period adjustments to several U.S. acquisitions and retrospectively adjusted the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the consolidated balance sheet for the year ended December 31, 2010. The allocations of purchase price for the towers acquired during the year ended December 31, 2010 were finalized during the year ended December 31, 2011.

The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase consideration paid and the amounts of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date for acquisitions which closed during the year ended December 31, 2010 (in thousands):

		Final Purchase Price Allocation (1)		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation (2)
Other non-current assets		$	637	$	442
Property and equipment		83,192		64,564
Intangible assets (3)		227,122		260,898
Current liabilities		(360)		(360)
Other long-term liabilities		(8,727)		(7,802)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	301,864	$	317,742
Goodwill (4)		31,534		16,131


(1)	Reflected in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 herein
(2)	Reflected in the consolidated balance sheet in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.
(3)	Consists of customer-related intangibles of approximately $161.9 million and network location intangibles of approximately $65.2 million as of December 31, 2011. The customer-related intangibles and network location intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of up to 20 years.
(4)	The Company will receive a deduction for income tax purposes for an amount equal to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill was allocated to the Company's domestic rental and management segment

The allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon completion of analyses of the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

U.S. Property Interests – Unison Acquisition—On September 3, 2011, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire from Unison Holdings, LLC and Unison Site Management II, L.L.C. (collectively, “Unison”) various limited liability companies holding a portfolio of approximately 1,910 property interests, including property interests that the Company leases to communications service providers and other third-party tower operators under 1,810 communications sites. The Company also acquired 12 communications sites in the United States. The acquisition includes property interests under the Company's existing communications sites, as well as property interests under carrier tenant and other third-party communications sites providing recurring cash flow and complementary leasing arrangements. The acquisition closed on October 14, 2011 for an aggregate purchase price of $312.0 million. As part of the acquisition, the Company assumed $196.0 million of existing indebtedness, the fair value of which was $209.3 million at the date of acquisition.

The deferred rent liability associated with the underlying ground leases for existing communications sites of the Company was approximately $2.6 million on the date of acquisition. As a result of the Company's acquisition of these property interests from Unison, the preexisting land leases were considered to be effectively settled. The terms of these land leases were determined to represent fair value at the acquisition date. As such, the Company did not record any gain or loss separately from the acquisition and the $2.6 million unamortized deferred rent liability was included as part of the acquisition-date fair value of consideration transferred.

The fair value of the consideration transferred consists of the following (in thousands):

Cash consideration	$	312,002
Settlement of preexisting arrangement		(2,584)
Total consideration	$	309,418

The property interests acquired included perpetual easements, prepaid operating ground leases, term easements and managed sites for property located under the Company's communication sites and sites owned by communications service providers and third-party tower operators.

The acquisition is being accounted for as a business combination. The purchase price was preliminarily allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based upon their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price will be finalized upon the final settlement of the purchase price with the sellers and the subsequent completion of analyses of the fair value of the asset and liabilities acquired.

		Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation
Current assets (1) (2)		$	16,203
Non-current assets (2)		154,817
Property and equipment (3)		340,602
Intangible assets		3,297
Current liabilities		(7,703)
Long-term obligations		(209,321)
Other long-term liabilities		(1,508)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$	296,387
Goodwill (4)		13,031


(1)	Includes approximately $0.4 million of accounts receivable which approximates the value due to the Company under certain contractual arrangeme