XML 110 R81.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.10.0.1

Variable Interest Entities - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Assets | [1] | $ 7,274,000,000 | $ 6,841,000,000 |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |
Investments in unconsolidated entities |  | 441,000,000 | 415,000,000 |
Capital contributions, loans or advances |  | 152,000,000 | 821,000,000 | $ 98,000,000
Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders | King Street Wireless out of period adjustment |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |
Out-of-period adjustment |  | (8,000,000) |  |
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, net tax | King Street Wireless out of period adjustment |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |
Out-of-period adjustment |  | 8,000,000 |  |
Aquinas Wireless |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Assets |  | 0 |  |
Unconsolidated Variable Interest Entities |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |
Investments in unconsolidated entities |  | 4,000,000 | 4,000,000 |
USCC EIP LLC |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |  |
Capital contributions, loans or advances |  | $ 116,000,000 | $ 790,000,000 |
[1] | The consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, include assets held by consolidated variable interest entities (VIEs) of $868 million and $785 million, respectively, which are not available to be used to settle the obligations of U.S. Cellular. The consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, include certain liabilities of consolidated VIEs of $23 million and $24 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of U.S. Cellular. See Note 13 — Variable Interest Entities for additional information.

X
- Definition Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(11)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 22 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8736-108599 Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(12)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_Assets
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of investment in equity method investee and investment in and advance to affiliate. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of each individual error being corrected in the correcting adjustment. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 1.N) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=112272810&loc=d3e30840-122693 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_QuantifyingMisstatementInCurrentYearFinancialStatementsAmount
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of financial or other support the reporting entity has provided (explicitly or implicitly) to the Variable Interest Entity (VIE) that it was not previously contractually required to provide or that the reporting entity intends to provide, including, for example, situations in which the reporting entity assisted the VIE in obtaining another type of support. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5A -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108788376&loc=SL6759159-111685 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityFinancialOrOtherSupportAmount
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityMeasureOfActivityAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=usm_NetincomeattributabletoU.S.CellularshareholdersMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_QuantifyingMisstatementInCurrentYearFinancialStatementsByNatureOfErrorAxis=usm_KingStreetWirelessOutOfPeriodAdjustmentMemberMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=usm_NetIncomeAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestsNetTaxMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=usm_AquinasWirelessLPMemberMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiaryAggregatedDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=usm_VariableInterestEntityUsccEipLlcMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |