Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges, exchanges (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Exchanges
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net				$ (23,986)	$ (146,884)	$ (91,446)
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges					324,772	151,369
Other current liabilities			$ 181,803	105,625	105,625
U.S. Cellular
Exchanges
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net				(23,986)	$ (146,884)	$ (91,446)
U.S. Cellular | PCS and AWS license exchange
Exchanges
Asset exchange description					In September 2014, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to exchange certain PCS and AWS licenses for certain other PCS and AWS licenses and $28.0 million of cash.  This license exchange was accomplished in two closings.  The first closing occurred in December 2014 at which time U.S. Cellular received licenses with an estimated fair value, per a market approach, of $51.5 million, recorded a $21.7 million gain and recorded an $18.3 million deferred credit in Other current liabilities. The license that was transferred to the counterparty in the second closing had a net book value of $22.2 million. The second closing occurred in July 2015.  At the time of the second closing, U.S. Cellular received $28.0 million in cash and recognized the deferred credit from the first closing, resulting in a total gain of $24.1 million recorded on this part of the license exchange.
U.S. Cellular | PCS and AWS license exchange - first closing
Exchanges
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net			(21,700)
Fair value			51,500
Other current liabilities			$ 18,300
U.S. Cellular | PCS and AWS license exchange - second closing
Exchanges
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	$ (24,100)
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges	$ 28,000
Licenses				$ 22,200	$ 22,200
U.S. Cellular | PCS license exchange
Exchanges
Asset exchange description					In March 2015, U.S. Cellular exchanged certain of its unbuilt PCS licenses for certain other PCS licenses located in U.S. Cellular’s existing operating markets and $117.0 million of cash.  As of the transaction date, the licenses received in the transaction had an estimated fair value, per a market approach, of $43.5 million.  A gain of $125.2 million was recorded in (Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net in the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the first quarter of 2015.
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net		$ (125,200)
Fair value		43,500
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges		$ 117,000