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Asset Retirement Obligation | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure Text Block |
Asset Retirement Obligation | NOTE 10 ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS U.S. Cellular is subject to asset retirement obligations associated with its leased cell sites, switching office sites, retail store sites and office locations in its operating markets. Asset retirement obligations generally include obligations to restore leased land and retail store and office premises to their pre-lease conditions. TDS Telecom owns poles, cable and wire and certain buildings and leases data center and office space and property used for housing central office switching equipment and fiber cable. These assets and leases often have removal or remediation requirements associated with them. For example, TDS Telecom's poles, cable and wire are often located on property that is not owned by TDS Telecom and are often subject to the provisions of easements, permits, or leasing arrangements. Pursuant to the terms of the permits, easements, or leasing arrangements, TDS Telecom is often required to remove these assets and return the property to its original condition at some defined date in the future. Asset retirement obligations are included in Other d eferred liabilities and credits and Other current liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. In 2014 and 2013, U.S. Cellular and TDS Telecom performed a review of the assumptions and estimated costs related to asset retirement obligations. The r esults of the reviews (identified as “Revision s in estimated cash outflows”) and other changes in asset retirement obligations during 2014 and 2013 were as follows:
|  |  |  | U.S. |  | TDS |  |  |  | TDS
(Dollars in thousands) |  | Cellular |  | Telecom |  | Other |  | Consolidated
Balance December 31, 2013 |  | $ | 195,568 |  | $ | 75,395 |  | $ | 4,275 |  | $ | 275,238
| Additional liabilities accrued |  |  | 2,507 |  |  | 2,400 |  |  | - |  |  | 4,907
| Revisions in estimated cash outflows |  |  | (2,792) |  |  | 1,777 |  |  | 23 |  |  | (992)
| Disposition of assets |  |  | (44,403) |  |  | (882) |  |  | (957) |  |  | (46,242)
| Accretion expense |  |  | 12,534 |  |  | 4,723 |  |  | 249 |  |  | 17,506
| Transferred to Liabilities held for sale |  |  | (10,902) |  |  | (177) |  |  | (306) |  |  | (11,385)
Balance December 31, 2014 (1) |  | $ | 152,512 |  | $ | 83,236 |  | $ | 3,284 |  | $ | 239,032
Balance December 31, 2012 |  | $ | 179,607 |  | $ | 69,969 |  | $ | 4,034 |  | $ | 253,610
| Additional liabilities accrued |  |  | 635 |  |  | 3,667 |  |  | - |  |  | 4,302
| Revisions in estimated cash outflows |  |  | 6,268 |  |  | (2,562) |  |  | - |  |  | 3,706
| Disposition of assets |  |  | (3,534) |  |  | (577) |  |  | - |  |  | (4,111)
| Accretion expense |  |  | 12,592 |  |  | 4,898 |  |  | 241 |  |  | 17,731
Balance December 31, 2013 (1) |  | $ | 195,568 |  | $ | 75,395 |  | $ | 4,275 |  | $ | 275,238
(1) | The total amount of asset retirement obligations related to the Divestiture Transaction and Airadigm Transaction included in Other current liabilities was $9.1 million and $37.7 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for an asset retirement obligation and the associated long-lived asset. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement from service of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7569-110849 + Details
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