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Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges, exchanges (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Feb. 28, 2014
Exchanges |  |  |  |  |  |
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges | $ (112,993,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges | $ (255,479,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges |  |  |  |
Carrying value | 1,443,438,000 us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedLicenseAgreements | 1,401,126,000 us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedLicenseAgreements |  | 1,443,438,000 us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedLicenseAgreements |  |
Cash received from divestitures | 179,842,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses | 811,120,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses | 49,932,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses |  |  |
Other current liabilities | 149,853,000 us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent | 192,055,000 us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent |  | 149,853,000 us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent |  |
PCS and AWS license exchange |  |  |  |  |  |
Exchanges |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset exchange description | In September 2014, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to exchange certain PCS and AWS licenses for certain other PCS and AWS licenses and $28.0 million of cash. This license exchange will be accomplished in two closing transactions. The first closing occurred in December 2014 at which time U.S. Cellular received licenses with an estimated fair value, per a market approach, of $51.5 million, recorded a $21.7 million gain in (Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and recorded an $18.3 million deferred credit in Other current liabilities. The second closing is expected to occur in 2015. The license that will be transferred has been classified as “Assets held for sale” in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2014. At the time of the second closing, U.S. Cellular will recognize the deferred credit from the first closing and expects to record a gain on the license exchange. |  |  |  |  |
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges |  |  |  | (21,700,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges / usm_ExchangeEventAxis = usm_LicenseExchange1Member |  |
Fair value | 51,500,000 us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwillFairValueDisclosure / usm_ExchangeEventAxis = usm_LicenseExchange1Member |  |  | 51,500,000 us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwillFairValueDisclosure / usm_ExchangeEventAxis = usm_LicenseExchange1Member |  |
Asset exchange, valuation method | market approach valuation method |  |  |  |  |
Other current liabilities | 18,300,000 us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent / usm_ExchangeEventAxis = usm_LicenseExchange1Member |  |  | 18,300,000 us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent / usm_ExchangeEventAxis = usm_LicenseExchange1Member |  |
PCS license exchange |  |  |  |  |  |
Exchanges |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset exchange description | In September 2014, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to exchange certain of its PCS unbuilt licenses for PCS licenses located in U.S. Cellular’s operating markets plus $117.0 million of cash. This transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in 2015. The book value of the licenses to be exchanged have been classified as “Assets held for sale” in the Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2014. U.S. Cellular expects to record a gain when this transaction closes. |  |  |  |  |
Expected event | PCS and AWS license exchange |  |  |  |  |  |
Exchanges |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures |  |  |  |  | 28,000,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_ExchangeEventAxis = usm_LicenseExchange1Member / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember |
Expected event | PCS license exchange |  |  |  |  |  |
Exchanges |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures |  |  |  |  | 117,000,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_ExchangeEventAxis = usm_LicenseExchange2Member / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember |
Spectrum exchange |  |  |  |  |  |
Exchanges |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset exchange description | In February 2014, U.S. Cellular completed an exchange whereby U.S. Cellular received one E block PCS spectrum license covering Milwaukee, WI in exchange for one D block PCS spectrum license covering Milwaukee, WI. The exchange of licenses provided U.S. Cellular with spectrum to meet anticipated future capacity and coverage requirements. No cash, customers, network assets, other assets or liabilities were included in the exchange. As a result of this transaction, U.S. Cellular recognized a gain of $15.7 million, representing the difference between the $15.9 million fair value of the license surrendered, calculated using a market approach valuation method, and the $0.2 million carrying value of the license surrendered. This gain was recorded in (Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges in the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the first quarter of 2014. |  |  |  |  |
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges |  |  |  |  |  | (15,700,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges / us-gaap_NonmonetaryTransactionTypeAxis = us-gaap_ExchangeOfProductiveAssetsMember
Fair value |  |  |  |  |  | 15,900,000 us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwillFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_NonmonetaryTransactionTypeAxis = us-gaap_ExchangeOfProductiveAssetsMember
Carrying value |  |  |  |  |  | $ 200,000 us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedLicenseAgreements / us-gaap_NonmonetaryTransactionTypeAxis = us-gaap_ExchangeOfProductiveAssetsMember
Asset exchange, valuation method | market approach valuation method |  |  |  |  |

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