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Earnings Per Share | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2010
Notes To The Financial Statements [Abstract] |
Earnings per Share | NOTE 6 EARNINGS PER SHARE Basic earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders is computed by dividing N et income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders is computed by dividing N et income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period adjusted to include the effect s of potentially dilutive securities. Potentially dilutive securities primarily include incremental shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options and the vesting of restricted stock units. The amounts used in computing Earnings per Common and Series A Common Share and the effect s of potentially dilutive securities on the weighted average number of Common and Series A Common Shares are as follows:
| Year ended December 31, |  | 2010 |  | 2009 |  | 2008
| (Dollars and shares in thousands, |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | except earnings per share) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders |  | $ | 136,074 |  | $ | 209,547 |  | $ | 35,705
| Weighted average number of shares used |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | in basic earnings per share |  |  | 86,128 |  |  | 86,946 |  | 87,457
| Effect of dilutive securities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Stock options |  |  | 89 |  |  | 21 |  |  | 150
|  | Restricted stock units |  |  | 301 |  |  | 201 |  |  | 147
| Weighted average number of shares used |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | in diluted earnings per share |  |  | 86,518 |  |  | 87,168 |  |  | 87,754
| Basic earnings per share attributable to |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | U.S. Cellular shareholders |  | $ | 1.58 |  | $ | 2.41 |  | $ | 0.41
| Diluted earnings per share attributable to |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | U.S. Cellular shareholders |  | $ | 1.57 |  | $ | 2.40 |  | $ | 0.41
Certain Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of s tock options or vesting of r estricted stock units were not included in average diluted shares outstanding for the calculation of Diluted earnings per share because their effects were antidilutive. The number of such Common Shares excluded is shown in the table below.
|  |  |  | 2010 |  | 2009 |  | 2008
| (Shares in thousands) |  |  |  |  |
| Stock options |  | 1,771 |  | 2,045 |  | 1,103
| Restricted stock units |  | 224 |  | 193 |  | 176

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