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Commitments and Contingencies, minimum lease obligations (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2014 | Jan. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies |  |  |
Operating leases | U.S. Cellular is a party to various lease agreements, both as lessee and lessor, for office space, retail store sites, cell sites and equipment which are accounted for as operating leases. Certain leases have renewal options and/or fixed rental increases. Renewal options that are reasonably assured of exercise are included in determining the lease term. Any rent abatements or lease incentives, in addition to fixed rental increases, are included in the calculation of rent expense and calculated on a straight-line basis over the defined lease term. |  |
Operating Leases Future Minimum Payments Due Abstract |  |  |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2015 | $ 139,286 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueCurrent | [1] |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2016 | 125,458 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears | [1] |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2017 | 107,987 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears | [1] |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2018 | 90,687 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears | [1] |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2019 | 74,640 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears | [1] |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments After 2019 | 740,501 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter | [1] |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments Total | 1,278,559 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue | [1] |
Operating Leases Future Minimum Payments Receivable Abstract |  |  |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2015 | 54,715 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableCurrent |  |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2016 | 44,110 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInTwoYears |  |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2017 | 34,780 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInThreeYears |  |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2018 | 24,174 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInFourYears |  |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2019 | 12,082 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInFiveYears |  |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts After 2019 | 8,567 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableThereafter |  |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts Total | 178,428 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivable |  |
Subsequent event | Tower sale - second closing |  |  |
Operating Leases Future Minimum Payments Due Abstract |  |  |
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments Total |  |  | $ 88,400 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_TowerSaleClose2Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
[1] | *Includes $88.4 million of future lease payments associated with leases transferred in January 2015 per the second closing of the tower sale. See Note 6 — Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges for additional information.

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- Definition A general description of the nature of the existing leasing arrangements of a lessee for all operating leases including, but not limited to: (1) rental escalation clauses; (2) renewal or purchase options; (3) guarantees or indemnities, if any, (4) restrictions imposed by lease arrangements; (5) unusual provisions or conditions; (6) contingent rentals, if any; and (7) lease expiration dates. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6452660&loc=d3e36991-112694 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
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- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
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- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
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- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
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- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
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- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
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- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
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- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
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- Definition Future minimum rental payments in aggregate as of the balance sheet date under operating leases. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718 + Details
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- Definition Future rental payments receivable within one year of the balance sheet date under an operating lease. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718 + Details
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- Definition Future rental payments receivable within the fourth year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718 + Details
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- Definition Future rental payments receivable within the third year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718 + Details
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- Definition Future rental payments receivable within the second year from the balance sheet date under an operating lease. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718 + Details
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- Definition Future minimum lease payments receivable under operating leases for periods greater than five years following the balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718 + Details
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