Revenue Recognition - Contract Liabilities (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Contract Liabilities
Balance, beginning of period	$ 163
Contract additions	45
Terminated contracts	(2)
Revenue recognized	(37)
Balance, end of period	$ 169

Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130531-203044

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130532-203044

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized that was previously included in balance of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration from customer has been received or is due.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityRevenueRecognized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in revenue recognized from contract additions which increases (decreases) right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	usm_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityContractAdditions
Namespace Prefix:	usm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	usm_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	usm_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in revenue recognized from contract terminations which increases (decreases) right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	usm_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityTerminatedContracts
Namespace Prefix:	usm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration