Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Operating activities
Net income (loss)	$ 479	$ (63)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities
Depreciation and amortization	1,552	1,087
Stock-based compensation expense	52	55
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)	264	(50)
Bad debt expense	121	104
Losses from sales of receivables	52	65
Deferred rent expense	32	41
Gains on disposal of spectrum licenses	(636)	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Accounts receivable	(202)	(170)
Equipment installment plan receivables	109	(229)
Inventories	(801)	(145)
Deferred purchase price on sales of receivables	21	5
Other current and long-term assets	185	91
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(492)	(393)
Other current and long-term liabilities	288	92
Other, net	1	(1)
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,025	489
Investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment	(1,335)	(982)
Purchases of spectrum licenses and other intangible assets, including deposits	(594)	(1,696)
Sales of short-term investments	75	0
Other, net	(6)	(14)
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,860)	(2,692)
Financing activities
Repayments of capital lease obligations	(36)	(5)
Repayments of short-term debt for purchases of inventory, property and equipment, net	0	(63)
Repayments of long-term debt	(5)	0
Tax withholdings on share-based awards	(46)	(28)
Dividends on preferred stock	(14)	(14)
Other, net	1	30
Net cash used in financing activities	(100)	(80)
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(935)	(2,283)
Cash and cash equivalents
Beginning of period	4,582	5,315
End of period	3,647	3,032
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Interest payments, net of amounts capitalized	415	327
Income tax payments	2	2
Noncash investing and financing activities:
Decrease in accounts payable for purchases of property and equipment	(127)	(178)
Leased wireless devices transferred from inventory to property and equipment, net of returns	653	0
Issuance of short-term debt for financing of property and equipment purchases	150	443
Assets acquired under capital lease obligations	$ 124	$ 3