XML 74 R45.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.10.0.1

Revenue Recognition - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 01, 2018
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Change in accounting policy		$ 176,000,000
Amounts recorded gross in revenues that are billed to customers and remitted to governmental authorities	$ 67,000,000	58,000,000	$ 64,000,000
Bad debts expense	95,000,000	89,000,000	$ 96,000,000
Capitalized contract cost
Capitalized contract cost related to commission fees	139,000,000
Amortization of contract cost assets	108,000,000
Impairment of capitalized contract cost	$ 0
Minimum
Capitalized contract cost
Capitalized contract cost, amortization period	14 months
Maximum
Capitalized contract cost
Capitalized contract cost, amortization period	30 months
Revenue from contract with customer
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Bad debts expense	$ 94,000,000
Retained earnings
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Change in accounting policy		$ 175,000,000
ASU 2014-09 | Retained earnings
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Change in accounting policy				$ 175,000,000

X

- Definition

Amount of amortization expense for asset recognized from cost incurred to obtain or fulfill contract with customer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68051541&loc=SL49131252-203054

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amortization period of cost capitalized in obtaining or fulfilling contract with customer, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68051541&loc=SL49131251-203054

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostAmortizationPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Amount of impairment loss for asset recognized from cost incurred to obtain or fulfill contract with customer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68051541&loc=SL49131252-203054

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostImpairmentLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount, after accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment loss, of asset recognized from cost incurred to obtain or fulfill contract with customer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68051541&loc=SL49131252-203054

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostNetAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount after tax of increase (decrease) to equity or (increase) decrease to net assets, resulting from the cumulative effect adjustment of a new accounting principle applied in the period of adoption.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Amount of expense related to write-down of receivables to the amount expected to be collected. Includes, but is not limited to, accounts receivable and notes receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.5)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115205541&loc=SL114868664-224227

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130534-203044

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts
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_RevenueInitialApplicationPeriodCumulativeEffectTransitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The total Universal Service Funds and other surcharges recorded gross in revenues that are billed to customers and remitted to governmental authorities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	usm_AmountsCollectedAndRemittedToGovernmentalAuthorities
Namespace Prefix:	usm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	usm_RevenueFromContractWithCustomerAxis=us-gaap_RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_RetainedEarningsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_AccountingStandardsUpdate201409Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: