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Equipment Installment Plans (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands
 3 Months Ended 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Jun. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2015
Jun. 30, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Equipment installment plan receivables          
Equipment installment plan payment period     24 months    
Guarantee liability $ 80,200   $ 80,200   $ 57,500
Accounting Changes And Error Corrections [Abstract]          
Equipment sales 151,294 $ 114,300 288,328 $ 186,498  
Income before income taxes 32,989 $ (29,850) $ 305,480 $ 1,158  
Adjustment          
Accounting Changes And Error Corrections [Abstract]          
Immaterial Error Correction     U.S. Cellular recorded out-of-period adjustments during the six months ended June 30, 2015 due to errors related to equipment installment plan transactions that were attributable to 2014.  U.S. Cellular has determined that these adjustments were not material to the prior quarterly or annual periods, and also were not material to the current period or anticipated full year 2015 results.  These equipment installment plan adjustments had the impact of reducing Equipment sales revenues by $5.7 million and $6.2 million, and Income before income taxes by $5.3 million and $5.8 million, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, respectively.    
Equipment sales 5,700   $ 6,200    
Income before income taxes 5,300   5,800    
Short-term          
Equipment installment plan receivables          
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, gross 208,955   208,955   127,400
Unbilled deferred interest (19,488)   (19,488)   (16,365)
Unbilled allowance for credit losses (7,404)   (7,404)   (3,686)
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, net 182,063   182,063   107,349
Long-term          
Equipment installment plan receivables          
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, gross 73,548   73,548   89,435
Unbilled deferred interest (1,136)   (1,136)   (2,791)
Unbilled allowance for credit losses (5,176)   (5,176)   (6,065)
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, net $ 67,236   $ 67,236   $ 80,579