Basis of Presentation

United States Cellular Corporation (U.S. Cellular), a Delaware corporation, is an 82%-owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS).

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). 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 require consolidation under GAAP. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

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 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, 2017.

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 September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, its results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, and its cash flows and changes in equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. The Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income was not included because comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, 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, 2017, except as described below and as disclosed in Note 2 — Revenue Recognition and Note 8 — Investments in Unconsolidated Entities.

Restricted Cash

U.S. Cellular presents restricted cash with cash and cash equivalents in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The following table provides a reconciliation of Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash reported in the Consolidated Balance Sheet to the total of the amounts in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.



	September 30, 2018		December 31, 2017
(Dollars in millions)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	730	$	352
Restricted cash included in Other current assets	2		—
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash in the statement of cash flows	$	732	$	352

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases (ASU 2016-02) and has since amended the standard with Accounting Standards Update 2018-01, Leases: Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842, Accounting Standards Update 2018-10, Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases, and Accounting Standards Update 2018-11, Leases: Targeted Improvements. ASU 2016-02, as amended, requires lessees to record a right-of-use asset and lease liability for almost all leases. This ASU does not substantially impact the lessor accounting model. However, some changes to the lessor accounting guidance were made to align with lessee accounting changes within ASC 842, Leases and certain key aspects of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Early adoption is permitted; however, U.S. Cellular plans to adopt ASU 2016-02, as amended, using a modified retrospective method when required on January 1, 2019. Under this method, a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings is recognized upon adoption and the guidance is applied prospectively. U.S. Cellular has identified that new systems, processes and controls are required to adopt ASU 2016-02, as amended, and is in the process of implementing a new lease management and accounting system to assist in the application of the new standard. The adoption of ASU 2016-02, as amended, is not expected to have a material impact on U.S. Cellular’s results of operations, but it is expected to result in a substantial increase to assets and liabilities on U.S. Cellular's balance sheet.

In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (ASU 2016-13). ASU 2016-13 requires entities to use a new forward-looking, expected loss model to estimate credit losses. It also requires additional disclosure relating to the credit quality of trade and other receivables, including information relating to management’s estimate of credit allowances. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020, using the modified retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted as of January 1, 2019; however, U.S. Cellular does not intend to adopt early. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have on its financial position, results of operations and disclosures.

In June 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation: Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting (ASU 2018-07). ASU 2018-07 expands the scope of ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, which currently only includes share-based payments issued to employees, to also include share-based payments issued to nonemployees for goods and services. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2018-07 on January 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2018-07 is not expected to have a significant impact on U.S. Cellular’s financial position or results of operations.

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 is required to adopt ASU 2018-15 on January 1, 2020, either retrospectively or prospectively to eligible costs incurred on or after the date that this guidance is first applied. Early adoption is permitted. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2018-15 will have on its financial position and results of operations.

Amounts Collected from Customers and Remitted to Governmental Authorities

U.S. Cellular records amounts collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities on a net basis within a tax liability account if the tax is assessed upon the customer and U.S. Cellular merely acts as an agent in collecting the tax on behalf of the imposing governmental authority. If the tax is assessed upon U.S. Cellular, then amounts collected from customers as recovery of the tax are recorded in Service revenues and amounts remitted to governmental authorities are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The amounts recorded gross in revenues that are billed to customers and remitted to governmental authorities totaled $16 million and $50 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively, and $14 million and $42 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively.