Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges, divestitures (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		23 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	26 Months Ended	38 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	26 Months Ended	38 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	23 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	36 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		23 Months Ended	36 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014 Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2014 Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2014 Divestiture transaction	Mar. 05, 2014 St. Louis	Sep. 30, 2014 St. Louis	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 Minimum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2015 Minimum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2014 Maximum Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2015 Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2013 Purchase price Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2014 Purchase price Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 Purchase price Minimum Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 Purchase price Maximum Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2014 Sprint Cost Reimbursement Divestiture transaction Cash received from divestitures	Dec. 31, 2015 Sprint Cost Reimbursement Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2014 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, 2014 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, 2014 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2015 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Minimum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2015 Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Dec. 31, 2015 Sprint Cost Reimbursement System operations Maximum Expected event Divestiture transaction	Sep. 30, 2014 Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement Divestiture transaction		Sep. 30, 2014 Contract termination costs Other current liabilities Divestiture transaction		Sep. 30, 2014 Contract termination costs Other deferred liabilities and credits Divestiture transaction		Sep. 30, 2014 Contract termination costs Accounts payable - trade Divestiture transaction
Divestitures
Business divestiture date							May 16, 2013
Business divestiture description							On November 6, 2012, U.S. Cellular entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with subsidiaries of Sprint Corp., fka 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.” 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 estimated costs, including applicable overhead allocations. These services were substantially complete as of March 31, 2014. 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.				On March 5, 2014, U.S. Cellular sold the majority of its St. Louis area non-operating market spectrum license for $92.3 million. A gain of $75.8 million was recorded in (Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges in the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the first quarter of 2014.
Transition services agreement duration															24 months
(Increase) decrease in Operating Income	$ 51,354	$ 43,207	$ 93,836	$ (177,351)	$ (6,794)	$ 43,333	$ (11,403)	$ (111,250)	$ (36,794)					$ (73,407)				$ (87,407)
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges			(91,446)							(75,800)
Divestiture Financial Impacts
Cash received from divestitures			(143,801)	(484,300)						(92,300)									(480,000)	(480,000)	(480,000)	(480,000)	(52,000)	(200,000)	(1,454)	(4,213)	(50,648)	(4,221)	(98,289)	(120,000)	(175,000)	(25,000)
Net assets transferred								213,593	213,593			213,593				213,593
Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of property under construction and related assets					(48)	(27)	290	54	10,965					10,000				15,000
Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement					10	(641)	(123)	2,462	14,139				13,000				16,000
Contract termination costs					(9,040)	2,176	21,793	18,781	81,377					70,000				100,000
Transaction costs					156	362	618	4,081	6,183				5,000				7,000
Total (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(10,283)	(1,534)	(27,694)	(243,627)	(10,376)	(2,343)	(28,070)	(245,250)	(252,032)					(288,407)				(303,407)
Incremental depreciation, amortization and accretion, net of salvage values	148,952	200,985	465,042	593,410	3,582	45,676	16,667	134,000	215,238				215,000				216,000
Balance Sheet rollforward
Balance, beginning of period																																	2,053		13,992		30,849
Costs incurred																																	99		12,703		24,171		4,018
Cash settlements																																	(1,121)	[1]	(19,390)	[1]	(3,380)	[1]
Adjustments																																	(221)	[2]	1,367	[2]	(29,707)	[2]	(1,070)	[2]
Balance, end of period																																	$ 810		$ 8,672		$ 21,933		$ 2,948

[1] Cash settlement amounts are included in either the Net income, changes in Accounts payable - trade 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.