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Equipment Installment Plans (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Equipment installment plan receivables    
Equipment installment plan payment period 24 months  
Guarantee liability $ 57,500,000us-gaap_GuarantyLiabilities  
Short-term    
Equipment installment plan receivables    
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, gross 127,400,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableGross
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_CurrentAssetsMember
611,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableGross
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_CurrentAssetsMember
Unbilled deferred interest (16,365,000)us-gaap_DeferredDiscountsFinanceChargesAndInterestIncludedInReceivables
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_CurrentAssetsMember
 
Unbilled allowance for credit losses (3,686,000)us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_CurrentAssetsMember
(20,000)us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_CurrentAssetsMember
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, net 107,349,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_CurrentAssetsMember
591,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_CurrentAssetsMember
Long-term    
Equipment installment plan receivables    
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, gross 89,435,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableGross
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_NoncurrentAssetsMember
 
Unbilled deferred interest (2,791,000)us-gaap_DeferredDiscountsFinanceChargesAndInterestIncludedInReceivables
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_NoncurrentAssetsMember
 
Unbilled allowance for credit losses (6,065,000)us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_NoncurrentAssetsMember
 
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, net $ 80,579,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= usm_NoncurrentAssetsMember