Earnings Per Share

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2010

Notes To The Financial Statements [Abstract]

NOTE 6 EARNINGS PER SHARE

Basic earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders is computed by dividing Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders is computed by dividing Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period adjusted to include the effects of potentially dilutive securities. Potentially dilutive securities primarily include incremental shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options and the vesting of restricted stock units.

The amounts used in computing Earnings per Common and Series A Common Share and the effects of potentially dilutive securities on the weighted average number of Common and Series A Common Shares are as follows:


Year ended December 31,		2010		2009		2008
(Dollars and shares in thousands,
	except earnings per share)
Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders		$	136,074	$	209,547	$	35,705

Weighted average number of shares used
	in basic earnings per share		86,128		86,946		87,457
Effect of dilutive securities:
	Stock options		89		21		150
	Restricted stock units		301		201		147
Weighted average number of shares used
	in diluted earnings per share		86,518		87,168		87,754

Basic earnings per share attributable to
	U.S. Cellular shareholders	$	1.58	$	2.41	$	0.41

Diluted earnings per share attributable to
	U.S. Cellular shareholders	$	1.57	$	2.40	$	0.41

Certain Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options or vesting of restricted stock units were not included in average diluted shares outstanding for the calculation of Diluted earnings per share because their effects were antidilutive. The number of such Common Shares excluded is shown in the table below.

	2010	2009	2008
(Shares in thousands)
Stock options	1,771	2,045	1,103

Restricted stock units	224	193	176