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Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges, divestitures (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 29 Months Ended | 36 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014 | May 16, 2013 | Jan. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 number | Mar. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2015
Divestitures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(Increase) decrease in Operating Income | $ (250,313,000)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss | $ (7,825,000)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss |  |  |  |  |
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net | (122,873,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges | (91,446,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges |  |  |  |  |
Number of towers |  |  |  |  | 595 usm_NumberOfTowers |  |
Divestiture Financial Impacts |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges | 274,111,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses | 103,042,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses |  |  |  |  |
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net | (111,477,000)us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness | (6,900,000)us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness |  |  |  |  |
Divestiture transaction |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestitures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business divestiture description | On May 16, 2013, pursuant to a Purchase and Sale Agreement, U.S. Cellular sold customers and certain PCS license spectrum to subsidiaries of Sprint Corp. fka Sprint Nextel Corporation (“Sprint”) in U.S. Cellular’s Chicago, central Illinois, St. Louis and certain Indiana/Michigan/Ohio markets (“Divestiture Markets”) in consideration for $480 million in cash. The Purchase and Sale Agreement also contemplated certain other agreements, together with the Purchase and Sale Agreement collectively referred to as the “Divestiture Transaction.” These agreements require Sprint to reimburse U.S. Cellular up to $200 million (the “Sprint Cost Reimbursement”) for certain network decommissioning costs, network site lease rent and termination costs, network access termination costs, and employee termination benefits for specified engineering employees. |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestiture Financial Impacts |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges |  |  | 480,000,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_DivestitureTransactionMember |  |  |  |
Contract termination costs |  | 37,100,000 us-gaap_BusinessExitCosts1 / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_DivestitureTransactionMember |  |  |  |  |
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net | (4,400,000)us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_DivestitureTransactionMember | (7,100,000)us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_DivestitureTransactionMember |  |  |  |  |
Tower sale |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestitures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business divestiture description | In December 2014, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to sell 595 towers and certain related contracts, assets, and liabilities for $159.0 million. This transaction was accomplished in two closings. The first closing occurred in December 2014 and included the sale of 236 towers, without tenants, for $10.0 million. On this same date, U.S. Cellular received $7.5 million in earnest money. At the time of the first closing, a $3.8 million gain was recorded. The second closing for the remaining 359 towers, primarily with tenants, took place in January 2015, at which time U.S. Cellular received $141.5 million in additional cash proceeds and recorded a gain of $107.7 million in (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net. |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestiture Financial Impacts |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges |  |  |  | 159,000,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_TowerSaleMember |  |  |
Tower sale - first closing |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestitures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of towers |  |  |  |  | 236 usm_NumberOfTowers / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_TowerSaleClose1Member |  |
Divestiture Financial Impacts |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges |  |  |  |  | 10,000,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_TowerSaleClose1Member |  |
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net |  |  |  |  | (3,800,000)us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_TowerSaleClose1Member |  |
Tower sale - second closing |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestitures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of towers |  |  |  | 359 usm_NumberOfTowers / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_TowerSaleClose2Member |  |  |
Divestiture Financial Impacts |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges |  |  |  | 141,500,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_TowerSaleClose2Member |  |  |
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net |  |  |  | (107,700,000)us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_TowerSaleClose2Member |  |  |
Sprint Cost Reimbursement | Divestiture transaction |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestiture Financial Impacts |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges |  | 44,600,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_DivestitureTransactionMember / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = usm_ReimbursementOfTransitionAndExitCostsMember |  |  |  |  |
Sprint Cost Reimbursement | Divestiture transaction | Cash received from divestitures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestiture Financial Impacts |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges | 15,700,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_DivestitureTransactionMember / usm_CashFlowLocationAxis = usm_CashReceivedFromDivestituresMember / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = usm_ReimbursementOfTransitionAndExitCostsMember | 11,300,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_DivestitureTransactionMember / usm_CashFlowLocationAxis = usm_CashReceivedFromDivestituresMember / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = usm_ReimbursementOfTransitionAndExitCostsMember |  |  |  | 97,400,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_DivestitureTransactionMember / usm_CashFlowLocationAxis = usm_CashReceivedFromDivestituresMember / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = usm_ReimbursementOfTransitionAndExitCostsMember |
Sprint Cost Reimbursement | Maximum | Expected event | Divestiture transaction |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestiture Financial Impacts |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges |  |  |  |  |  |  | 200,000,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_DivestitureTransactionMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = usm_ReimbursementOfTransitionAndExitCostsMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember
Earnest money received | Tower sale - first closing |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Divestiture Financial Impacts |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges |  |  |  |  | $ 7,500,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / usm_BusinessDivestitureAxis = usm_TowerSaleClose1Member / us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis = usm_EarnestMoneyReceivedMember |  |

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- Definition Amount of expenses associated with exit or disposal activities pursuant to an authorized plan. Includes, but is not limited to, one-time termination benefits, termination of an operating lease or other contract, consolidating or closing facilities, and relocating employees, and termination benefits associated with an ongoing benefit arrangement. Excludes expenses associated with special or contractual termination benefits, a discontinued operation or an asset retirement obligation. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 420 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394359&loc=d3e17939-110869 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 420 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.P.4(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011515&loc=d3e140904-122747 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 420 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.P.3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011515&loc=d3e140864-122747 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 5 -Section P -Subsection 3, 4 + Details
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