Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges, divestitures (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended					6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	8 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		14 Months Ended	26 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	14 Months Ended	26 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	8 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			24 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	8 Months Ended	24 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	14 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		26 Months Ended				6 Months Ended			14 Months Ended		26 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012		Jun. 30, 2013 Mississippi Valley	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular	Jun. 30, 2012 U.S. Cellular	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular	Jun. 30, 2012 U.S. Cellular	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2012 U.S. Cellular Divestiture Transaction		Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Bolingbrook Customer Care Center	Dec. 31, 2012 U.S. Cellular Bolingbrook Customer Care Center		Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Wireless Market		Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Non-operating Market Licenses	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Expected event Mississippi Valley	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Maximum Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Purchase price Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Purchase price Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Purchase price Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Purchase price Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Purchase price Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Purchase price Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Sprint Cost Reimbursement Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Sprint Cost Reimbursement (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Sprint Cost Reimbursement System operations Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Net assets transferred Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of property under construction and related assets Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of property under construction and related assets Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement Divestiture Transaction		Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Contract termination costs Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Contract termination costs Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Contract termination costs Other current liabilities Divestiture Transaction		Jun. 30, 2013 U.S. Cellular Contract termination costs Other deferred liabilities and credits Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Transaction costs Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Transaction costs Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Incremental depreciation, amortization and accretion, net of salvage values Minimum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2014 U.S. Cellular Incremental depreciation, amortization and accretion, net of salvage values Maximum Expected event Divestiture Transaction	Dec. 31, 2013 U.S. Cellular Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of various operating assets and liabilities Expected event Divestiture Transaction
Divestitures
Business divestiture date									Jun. 28, 2013						May 16, 2013				Jan. 01, 2013
Business divestiture description																			Effective January 1, 2013, U.S. Cellular transferred its Bolingbrook Customer Care Center operations to an existing third party vendor.
Business divestiture agreement description															On November 6, 2012, U.S. Cellular entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with subsidiaries of 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.” U.S. Cellular has retained other assets and liabilities related to the Divestiture Markets, including network assets, retail stores and related equipment, and other buildings and facilities. The transaction does not affect spectrum licenses held by U.S. Cellular or variable interest entities (“VIEs”) that are not currently used in the operations of the Divestiture Markets. 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 cost, including applicable overhead allocations. 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 May 15, 2013, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to sell the subscribers, spectrum and the network assets for a Missouri market.		On June 28, 2013, U.S. Cellular entered into a definitive agreement to sell the majority of its Mississippi Valley non-operating market license (“unbuilt license”) for $308.0 million. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of 2013. In addition, the U.S. Cellular Board of Directors approved the sale of U.S. Cellular’s St. Louis area unbuilt license. In accordance with GAAP, the book value of both licenses has been accounted for and disclosed as “held for sale” in the Consolidated Balance Sheet at June 30, 2013.
Business divestiture agreement date															Nov. 06, 2012							May 15, 2013
Transition services agreement duration																													24M
(Increase) decrease in Operating Income	$ (282,227)		$ (91,076)	$ (289,381)		$ (184,718)				$ (219,092)	$ (84,163)	$ (220,558)	$ (169,365)	$ (253,239)	$ (208,103)	$ (163,568)												$ (108,927)				$ (38,927)
Divestiture Financial Impacts
Expected period of recognition																																				2013							2013	2014		2013	2012	2013			2012	2014	2012	2014				2012	2013	2012	2014	2013
Cash received from divestitures				(480,000)		(50,036)																			(308,000)								(480,000)	(480,000)	(480,000)		(480,000)	(480,000)	(200,000)	(8)	(8)	(8)	(120,000)	(160,000)	(40,000)
Net assets transferred														160,073	160,073	160,073										160,073				160,073
Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of property under construction and related assets														(141)	81	10,753											11,000				15,000
Employee related costs including severance, retention and outplacement														53	3,103	15,712												16,000				25,000
Contract termination costs														13,705	16,605	16,664												125,000				175,000
Transaction costs														2,801	3,719	4,856											4,000				6,000
Total (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(303,034)			(296,103)		(4,174)				(249,024)		(242,093)	(4,213)	(303,517)	(296,427)	(271,950)												(283,927)				(258,927)
Incremental depreciation, amortization and accretion, net of salvage values	254,203		198,509	496,280		395,943				202,580	147,555	392,425	294,240	50,278	88,324	108,382												175,000				210,000
Non-cash charges for the write-off and write-down of various operating assets and liabilities	470,720		502,404	957,623		1,010,003				404,127	435,053	824,207	877,297																	10,000
Balance Sheet rollforward
Balance, beginning of period																																																	12,305						30
Costs incurred																																																	6,037						10,183		6,421
Cash settlements																																																	(10,282)	[1]					(3,405)	[1]
Adjustments																																																	(2,934)
Other																																																	372						942
Balance, end of period																																																	5,498						7,750		6,421
Assets and liabilities held for sale
Current assets	633			633																		633	[2]
Licenses	74,765			74,765			140,599										140,599					2,909	[2]	71,856
Goodwill	178			178			19,474										19,474					178	[2]
Property, plant and equipment	3,179			3,179			4,274													4,274	[3]	3,179	[2]
Loss on assets held for sale	(366)	[4]		(366)	[4]		(1,105)	[4]												(1,105)	[3],[4]	(366)	[2],[4]
Total Assets held for sale	78,389			78,389			163,242										160,073			3,169	[3]	6,533	[2]	71,856
Liabilities held for sale	$ 559			$ 559			$ 19,594										$ 19,594	[5]				$ 559	[2],[5]

[1] Cash settlement amounts are included in either the Net income 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] On May 15, 2013, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to sell the subscribers, spectrum and the network assets for a Missouri market.

[3] Effective January 1, 2013, U.S. Cellular transferred its Bolingbrook Customer Care Center operations to an existing third party vendor.

[4] Loss on assets held for sale was recorded in (Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

[5] Liabilities held for sale primarily consisted of Customer deposits and deferred revenues.