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Variable Interest Entities (Details) $ in Millions | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  | $ 586 |  | $ 715 | $ 212 | $ 342
Accounts receivable |  |  | 658 |  | 608 |  |
Other current assets |  |  | 23 |  | 55 |  |
Assets held for sale |  |  | 8 |  |  |  |
Licenses |  |  | 1,886 |  | 1,834 |  |
Property, plant and equipment, net |  |  | 2,470 |  | 2,649 |  |
Other assets and deferred charges |  |  | 405 |  | 172 |  |
Liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current liabilities |  |  | 718 |  | 748 |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Federal Communications Commission deposit |  |  | 143 |  |  | 60 |
Capital contributions, loans or advances |  |  | 98 |  | 281 | 61 |
Investments in unconsolidated entities |  |  | 413 |  | 363 |  |
Noncontrolling interests with redemption features |  |  | $ 1 |  | 1 |  |
King Street Wireless out-of-period adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Out-of-period adjustment description |  |  | During 2015, U.S. Cellular recorded out-of-period adjustments attributable to the third quarter of 2013 through the second quarter of 2015 related to an agreement with King Street Wireless. U.S. Cellular determined that these adjustments were not material to the quarterly periods or the annual results for 2015. These out-of-period adjustments had the impact of reducing Net income by $3 million and Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders by $4 million in 2015 |  |  |  |
Net income | King Street Wireless out-of-period adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Out-of-period adjustment |  |  |  |  | (3) |  |
Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders | King Street Wireless out-of-period adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Out-of-period adjustment |  |  |  |  | (4) |  |
Consolidated Variable Interest Entities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  | $ 2 | [1] | 1 |  |
Accounts receivable | [1] |  | 44 |  |  |  |
Other current assets | [1] |  | 6 |  |  |  |
Assets held for sale | [1] |  | 2 |  |  |  |
Licenses | [2] |  | 652 | [1] | 649 |  |
Property, plant and equipment, net |  |  | 105 | [1] | 8 |  |
Other assets and deferred charges | [1] |  | 16 |  |  |  |
Total assets |  |  | 827 | [1] | 658 |  |
Liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current liabilities | [1] |  | 21 |  |  |  |
Deferred liabilities and credits |  |  | 13 | [1] | 1 |  |
Total liabilities |  |  | 34 | [1] | 1 |  |
Unconsolidated Variable Interest Entities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investments in unconsolidated entities |  |  | $ 6 |  | $ 5 |  |
Advantage Spectrum L.P. |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Federal Communications Commission deposit |  |  |  |  |  | $ 60 |
Licenses won |  | 124 |  |  |  |  |
Total winning bid |  | $ 338 |  |  |  |  |
Designated entity auction discount |  | 25.00% |  |  |  |  |
Other auction charges |  | $ 2 |  |  |  |  |
King Street Wireless L.P. |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash distributions paid |  | 60 |  |  |  |  |
King Street Wireless, L.P. distribution paid to U.S. Cellular |  | 54 |  |  |  |  |
King Street Wireless, L.P. distribution paid to King Street Wireless, Inc. |  | $ 6 |  |  |  |  |
[1] | The increase in amounts from December 31, 2015 are due primarily to the adoption of ASU 2015-02 as disclosed above. ASU 2015-02 was adopted on a modified retrospective basis and, accordingly, prior year amounts have not been revised to reflect the change in guidance.
[2] | As disclosed above, payments totaling $338 million were made by Advantage Spectrum to the FCC relating to Auction 97. These licenses were granted in July 2016. Although the licenses had not yet been granted as of December 31, 2015, the payments to the FCC were classified as Licenses at such date.

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