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Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges, exchanges (Details) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2015
Exchanges          
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net $ (122,873,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges $ (91,446,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges      
Carrying value 1,827,102,000us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedLicenseAgreements   1,443,438,000us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedLicenseAgreements 1,827,102,000us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedLicenseAgreements  
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges 274,111,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses 103,042,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses      
Other current liabilities 130,780,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent   149,853,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent 130,780,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent  
Assets held for sale 22,203,000us-gaap_AssetsOfDisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationCurrent   107,055,000us-gaap_AssetsOfDisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationCurrent 22,203,000us-gaap_AssetsOfDisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationCurrent  
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 closings. 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 and recorded an $18.3 million deferred credit in Other current liabilities. The second closing is expected to occur in the second half of 2015. A license with a $22.2 million book value will be transferred and has been classified as “Assets held for sale” in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2015. 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 this part of the license exchange.        
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net     (21,700,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange1Member		    
Fair value     51,500,000us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwillFairValueDisclosure
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange1Member		    
Other current liabilities     18,300,000us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange1Member		    
Assets held for sale 22,200,000us-gaap_AssetsOfDisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationCurrent
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange1Member		     22,200,000us-gaap_AssetsOfDisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationCurrent
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange1Member		  
PCS license exchange          
Exchanges          
Asset exchange description In March 2015, U.S. Cellular exchanged certain of its unbuilt PCS licenses for certain other PCS licenses located in U.S. Cellular’s existing operating markets and $117.0 million of cash. The licenses received in the transaction have an estimated fair value, per a market approach, of $43.5 million. A gain of $125.2 million was recorded in (Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net in the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the first quarter of 2015.        
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net       (125,200,000)usm_GainLossOnLicenseSalesAndExchanges
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange2Member		  
Fair value 43,500,000us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwillFairValueDisclosure
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange2Member		     43,500,000us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwillFairValueDisclosure
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange2Member		  
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges       117,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange2Member		  
Expected event | PCS and AWS license exchange          
Exchanges          
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges         $ 28,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses
/ usm_ExchangeEventAxis
= usm_LicenseExchange1Member
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember