Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges, divestitures (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	11 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			14 Months Ended	26 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	14 Months Ended	26 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	24 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	11 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	24 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	24 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2013 Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2012 Divestiture transaction		Sep. 30, 2013 Bolingbrook customer care center	Dec. 31, 2012 Bolingbrook customer care center		Sep. 30, 2013 Wireless market		Sep. 30, 2013 Non-operating market licenses		Sep. 30, 2013 Mississippi Valley	Sep. 30, 2013 St. Louis	Dec. 31, 2013 Expected event Mississippi Valley	Dec. 31, 2013 Expected event St. Louis	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 Minimum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Maximum Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Other current liabilities Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Purchase price Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Purchase price Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 Purchase price Minimum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 Purchase price Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Sprint Cost Reimbursement Divestiture transaction Cash received from divestitures	Dec. 31, 2014 Sprint Cost Reimbursement Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Minimum Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Minimum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Maximum Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 Sprint Cost Reimbursement System operations Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Net assets transferred Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of property under construction and related assets Minimum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of property under construction and related assets Maximum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement Divestiture transaction		Sep. 30, 2013 Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement Minimum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement Maximum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Contract termination costs Minimum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Contract termination costs Maximum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Contract termination costs Other current liabilities Divestiture transaction		Sep. 30, 2013 Contract termination costs Other deferred liabilities and credits Divestiture transaction		Sep. 30, 2013 Transaction costs Minimum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Transaction costs Maximum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Incremental depreciation, amortization and accretion, net of salvage values Minimum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Incremental depreciation, amortization and accretion, net of salvage values Maximum Divestiture transaction
Divestitures
Business divestiture date										May 16, 2013				Jan. 01, 2013									Oct. 04, 2013
Business divestiture description										On November 6, 2012, U.S. Cellular entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with subsidiaries of Sprint Nextel Corporation (“Sprint”). Pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreement, on May 16, 2013, U.S. Cellular transferred customers and certain PCS license spectrum to Sprint in U.S. Cellular's Chicago, central Illinois, St. Louis and certain Indiana/Michigan/Ohio markets (“Divestiture Markets”) in consideration for $480 million in cash. The Purchase and Sale Agreement also contemplated certain other agreements, together with the Purchase and Sale Agreement collectively referred to as the “Divestiture Transaction.” U.S. Cellular has retained other assets and liabilities related to the Divestiture Markets, including network assets, retail stores and related equipment, and other buildings and facilities. The transaction does not affect spectrum licenses held by U.S. Cellular or variable interest entities (“VIEs”) that are not currently used in the operations of the Divestiture Markets. Pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreement, U.S. Cellular and Sprint also entered into certain other agreements, including customer and network transition services agreements, which require U.S. Cellular to provide customer, billing and network services to Sprint for a period of up to 24 months after the May 16, 2013 closing date. Sprint will reimburse U.S. Cellular for providing such services at an amount equal to U.S. Cellular's cost, including applicable overhead allocations. In addition, these agreements require Sprint to reimburse U.S. Cellular up to $200 million (the “Sprint Cost Reimbursement”) for certain network decommissioning costs, network site lease rent and termination costs, network access termination costs, and employee termination benefits for specified engineering employees.				Effective January 1, 2013, U.S. Cellular transferred its Bolingbrook Customer Care Center operations to an existing third party vendor.							On October 4, 2013, U.S. Cellular sold the majority of its Mississippi Valley non-operating market license (“unbuilt license”) for $308.0 million. The sale will result in a $252.2 million gain and a $96.0 million current tax expense, which will be recorded in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Business divestiture agreement description																	On May 15, 2013, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to sell the subscribers, spectrum and the network assets for a Missouri market.					In addition, on August 14, 2013 U.S. Cellular entered into a definitive agreement to sell the majority of its St. Louis area unbuilt license for $92.3 million. This transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of 2013.
Business divestiture agreement date										Nov. 06, 2012							May 15, 2013					Aug. 14, 2013
Transition services agreement duration																												24M
Gain of divestiture																							$ 252,200,000
(Increase) decrease in Operating Income	43,207,000		(48,079,000)	(177,351,000)		(217,444,000)			43,333,000	(111,250,000)	(66,715,000)																(57,407,000)				(1,407,000)
Current tax expense	(6,433,000)		22,389,000	121,618,000		82,624,000																	96,000,000
Asset retirement obligation																																34,000,000
Divestiture Financial Impacts
Expected period of recognition																																	2013									2013		2014			2013	2012	2013			2012	2014	2012	2014					2012	2013	2012	2014
Cash received from divestitures				(484,300,000)		(49,932,000)																	(308,000,000)	(92,300,000)									(480,000,000)	(480,000,000)	(480,000,000)	(480,000,000)	(1,100,000)	(200,000,000)	(4,213,000)	(4,221,000)	(4,221,000)		(120,000,000)		(160,000,000)	(40,000,000)
Net assets transferred										213,593,000	213,593,000														213,593,000				213,593,000
Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of property under construction and related assets									(27,000)	54,000	10,726,000															10,000,000				14,000,000
Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement									(641,000)	2,462,000	15,071,000																15,000,000				20,000,000
Contract termination costs									2,176,000	18,781,000	18,840,000																125,000,000				175,000,000
Transaction costs									362,000	4,081,000	5,218,000															4,000,000				6,000,000
Total (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(1,534,000)		65,000	(243,627,000)		(4,148,000)			(2,343,000)	(245,250,000)	(220,773,000)																(232,407,000)				(211,407,000)
Incremental depreciation, amortization and accretion, net of salvage values	200,985,000		145,151,000	593,410,000		439,391,000			45,676,000	134,000,000	154,058,000																175,000,000				210,000,000
Balance Sheet rollforward
Balance, beginning of period																																																		12,305,000						30,000
Costs incurred																																																		6,750,000						12,201,000		7,246,000
Cash settlements																																																		(11,460,000)	[1]					(6,561,000)	[1]	(1,488,000)	[1]
Adjustments																																																		(4,288,000)	[2]
Balance, end of period																																																		3,307,000						5,670,000		5,758,000
Assets and liabilities held for sale
Current assets	726,000			726,000													726,000	[3]
Licenses	75,446,000			75,446,000			140,599,000					140,599,000					2,909,000	[3]	72,537,000	[4]
Goodwill	669,000			669,000			72,994,000					72,994,000					669,000	[3]
Property, plant and equipment	3,179,000			3,179,000			4,275,000								4,275,000	[5]	3,179,000	[3]
Loss on assets held for sale	(1,607,000)	[6]		(1,607,000)	[6]		(1,105,000)	[6]							(1,105,000)	[5],[6]	(1,607,000)	[3],[6]
Total Assets held for sale	78,413,000			78,413,000			216,763,000					213,593,000			3,170,000	[5]	5,876,000	[3]	72,537,000	[4]
Liabilities held for sale	$ 471,000			$ 471,000			$ 19,594,000					$ 19,594,000	[7]				$ 471,000	[3],[7]

[1] Cash settlement amounts are included in either the Net income or changes in Other assets and liabilities line items as part of Cash flows from operating activities on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

[2] Adjustment to liability represents changes to previously accrued amounts.

[3] On May 15, 2013, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to sell the subscribers, spectrum and the network assets for a Missouri market.

[4] U.S. Cellular and/or its consolidated VIEs entered into agreements with third parties to sell unbuilt licenses in Mississippi Valley; St. Louis, MO; South Bend-Mishawaka, IN and Jackson, MI.

[5] Effective January 1, 2013, U.S. Cellular transferred its Bolingbrook Customer Care Center operations to an existing third party vendor.

[6] Loss on assets held for sale was recorded in (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

[7] Liabilities held for sale primarily consisted of Customer deposits and deferred revenues.