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Basis of Presentation (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
Principles of Consolidation | The accounting policies of U.S. Cellular conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) as set forth in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). Unless otherwise specified, references to accounting provisions and GAAP in these notes refer to the requirements of the FASB ASC. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of U.S. Cellular, subsidiaries in which it has a controlling financial interest, general partnerships in which U.S. Cellular has a majority partnership interest and certain entities in which U.S. Cellular has a variable interest that requires consolidation under GAAP. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Basis of Accounting | The unaudited consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by U.S. Cellular pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, U.S. Cellular believes that the disclosures included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. Certain numbers included herein are rounded to millions for ease of presentation; however, certain calculated amounts and percentages are determined using the unrounded numbers. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in U.S. Cellular’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2019. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items, unless otherwise disclosed) necessary for the fair statement of U.S. Cellular’s financial position as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 and its results of operations, cash flows and changes in equity for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. The Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income was not included because comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, equaled net income. These results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. U.S. Cellular has not changed its significant accounting and reporting policies from those disclosed in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 except as noted below for the estimation of credit losses.
Accounts Receivable | U.S. Cellular’s accounts receivable consist primarily of amounts owed by customers for wireless services and equipment sales, including sales of certain devices and accessories under installment plans, by agents and third-party distributors for sales of equipment to them, by third party vendors and by other wireless carriers whose customers have used U.S. Cellular’s wireless systems.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts | U.S. Cellular estimates expected credit losses related to accounts receivable balances based on a review of available and relevant information including current economic conditions, projected economic conditions, historical loss experience, account aging, and other factors that could affect collectability. Expected credit losses are determined individually or collectively depending on whether the accounts receivable balances share similar risk characteristics. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the best estimate of the amount of expected credit losses related to existing accounts receivable. U.S. Cellular does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its customers.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements | In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments and subsequently amended the standard with additional Accounting Standards Updates, collectively referred to as ASC 326. This standard requires entities to use a new forward-looking, expected loss model to estimate credit losses and requires additional disclosures relating to the credit quality of trade and other receivables. U.S. Cellular adopted the provisions of ASC 326 on January 1, 2020, using a modified retrospective method. Under this method, U.S. Cellular applied the new accounting standard only to the most recent period presented, recognizing the cumulative effect of the accounting change, if any, as an adjustment to the beginning balance of retained earnings. Accordingly, prior periods have not been recast to reflect the new accounting standard. The cumulative effect of applying the provisions of ASC 326 had no impact on retained earnings. In August 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software: Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (ASU 2018-15). ASU 2018-15 aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the existing guidance for capitalizing implementation costs for an arrangement that has a software license. The service element of a hosting arrangement will continue to be expensed as incurred. Any capitalized implementation costs will be amortized over the period of the service contract. U.S. Cellular's hosting arrangements that are service contracts consist primarily of software used to perform administrative functions. U.S. Cellular adopted ASU 2018-15 on January 1, 2020, using the prospective method. The adoption of ASU 2018-15 did no t have a significant impact on U.S. Cellular's financial position or results of operations.
Revenue From Contract With Customer | As practical expedients, revenue related to contracts of less than one year, generally month-to-month contracts, and contracts with a fixed per-unit price and variable quantity, are excluded from these estimates. Deferred commission fees are amortized based on the timing of transfer of the goods or services to which the assets relate, typically the contract term.U.S. Cellular expects that commission fees paid as a result of obtaining contracts are recoverable and, therefore, U.S. Cellular defers and amortizes these costs. As a practical expedient, costs with an amortization period of one year or less are expensed as incurred.
Variable Interest Entities | U.S. Cellular consolidates VIEs in which it has a controlling financial interest as defined by GAAP and is therefore deemed the primary beneficiary. A controlling financial interest will have both of the following characteristics: (a) the power to direct the VIE activities that most significantly impact economic performance; and (b) the obligation to absorb the VIE losses and the right to receive benefits that are significant to the VIE. U.S. Cellular reviews these criteria initially at the time it enters into agreements and subsequently when events warranting reconsideration occur. These VIEs have risks similar to those described in the “Risk Factors” in U.S. Cellular’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

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