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Variable Interest Entities - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |
Capital contributions, loans or advances | $ 255 | $ 152 | $ 821
King Street Wireless out of period adjustment |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |
Immaterial error correction |  | During the first quarter of 2018, U.S. Cellular recorded an out-of-period adjustment attributable to 2016 and 2017 due to errors in the application of accounting guidance applicable to the calculation of Noncontrolling interests with redemption features related to King Street Wireless, Inc. This out-of-period adjustment had the impact of increasing Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax, by $8 million and decreasing Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders by $8 million in 2018. U.S. Cellular determined that this adjustment was not material to any of the periods impacted. |
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) |
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 |
Unconsolidated Variable Interest Entities |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |
Investments in unconsolidated entities, maximum exposure | 5 | 4 |
USCC EIP LLC |  |  |
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures |  |  |
Capital contributions, loans or advances | $ 214 | $ 116 | $ 790

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- Definition Describes nature and related effect on financial statements related to corrections of prior year errors in the current year financial statements when the effect of the prior year error was immaterial to the prior year financial statements and the current year correction is immaterial to the current year financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 1.M.1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=112272810&loc=d3e30365-122693 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109234566&loc=d3e22644-107794 Reference 3: 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.Q2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=112272810&loc=d3e30840-122693 + Details
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