United States Cellular Corporat (UZD) 10-Q 4 Aug 17 2017 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document And Entity Information

Document And Entity Information	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017shares
Entity Registrant Name	United States Cellular Corporation
Entity Central Index Key	821,130
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2017
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Trading Symbol	USM
Common Shares
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	52,107,327
Series A Common Shares
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	33,005,877

Consolidated Statement Of Opera

Consolidated Statement Of Operations - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Operating revenues
Service	$ 740	$ 774	$ 1,486	$ 1,545
Equipment sales	223	218	413	417
Total operating revenues	963	992	1,899	1,962
Operating expenses
System operations (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion reported below)	189	193	364	376
Cost of equipment sold	260	262	488	518
Selling, general and administrative (including charges from affiliates of $21 million and $23 million, respectively, for the three months, and $43 million and $48 million, respectively, for the six months)	351	357	691	719
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	155	154	307	307
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	5	5	9	10
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	(2)	(9)	(19)	(9)
Total operating expenses	958	962	1,840	1,921
Operating income	5	30	59	41
Investment and other income (expense)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	33	37	66	72
Interest and dividend income	2	2	5	3
Interest expense	(28)	(28)	(56)	(56)
Other, net		(1)	(1)
Total investment and other income	7	10	14	19
Income before income taxes	12	40	73	60
Income tax expense		13	33	23
Net income	12	27	40	37
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax			2	1
Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders	$ 12	$ 27	$ 38	$ 36
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	85	85	85	85
Basic earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders	$ 0.14	$ 0.32	$ 0.45	$ 0.43
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding	86	85	86	85
Diluted earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders	$ 0.14	$ 0.32	$ 0.44	$ 0.43

Consolidated Statement Of Oper3

Consolidated Statement Of Operations Parenthetical - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative, charges from affiliates	$ 21	$ 23	$ 43	$ 48

Consolidated Statement of Cash

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	$ 40	$ 37
Add (deduct) adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows from operating activities
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	307	307
Bad debts expense	47	44
Stock-based compensation expense	14	12
Deferred income taxes, net	(27)	7
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(66)	(72)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	65	30
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	9	10
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	(19)	(9)
Noncash interest expense	1	1
Other operating activities		(2)
Changes in assets and liabilities from operations
Accounts receivable	(5)	9
Equipment installment plans receivable	(107)	(94)
Inventory	(2)	(27)
Accounts payable	(53)	35
Customer deposits and deferred revenues	(6)	(18)
Accrued taxes	45	41
Accrued interest		(1)
Other assets and liabilities	(23)	(49)
Net cash provided by operating activities	220	261
Cash flows from investing activities
Cash paid for additions to property, plant and equipment	(155)	(177)
Cash paid for licenses	(189)	(46)
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges	17	17
Federal Communications Commission deposit		(143)
Other investing activities		(1)
Net cash used in investing activities	(327)	(350)
Cash flows from financing activities
Repayment of long-term debt	(6)	(6)
Common shares reissued for benefit plans, net of tax payments		3
Common shares repurchased		(2)
Payment of debt issuance costs		(2)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(2)	(1)
Other financing activities	1	3
Net cash used in financing activities	(7)	(5)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(114)	(94)
Cash and cash equivalents
Beginning of period	586	715
End of period	$ 472	$ 621

Consolidated Balance Sheet

Consolidated Balance Sheet - USD ($) $ in Millions		Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 472	$ 586
Accounts receivable
Customers and agents, less allowances of $51 and $51, respectively		664	658
Roaming		16	16
Affiliated		1	2
Other, less allowances of $1 and $1, respectively		51	51
Inventory, net		141	138
Prepaid expenses		80	84
Other current assets		15	23
Total current assets		1,440	1,558
Assets held for sale		4	8
Licenses		2,226	1,886
Goodwill		370	370
Investments in unconsolidated entities		414	413
Property, plant and equipment
In service and under construction		7,702	7,712
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization		5,398	5,242
Property, plant and equipment, net		2,304	2,470
Other assets and deferred charges		319	405
Total assets	[1]	7,077	7,110
Current liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt		11	11
Accounts payable
Affiliated		8	12
Trade		250	309
Customer deposits and deferred revenues		183	190
Accrued taxes		79	39
Accrued compensation		46	73
Other current liabilities		74	84
Total current liabilities		651	718
Deferred liabilities and credits
Deferred income tax liability, net		799	826
Other deferred liabilities and credits		316	302
Long-term debt, net		1,613	1,618
Commitments and contingencies
Noncontrolling interests with redemption features		1	1
U.S. Cellular shareholders' equity
Series A Common and Common Shares Authorized 190 shares (50 Series A Common and 140 Common Shares) Issued 88 shares (33 Series A Common and 55 Common Shares) Outstanding 85 shares (33 Series A Common and 52 Common Shares) Par Value ($1.00 per share) ($33 Series A Common and $55 Common Shares)		88	88
Additional paid-in capital		1,536	1,522
Treasury Shares, at cost, 3 Common Shares		(121)	(136)
Retained earnings		2,183	2,160
Total U.S. Cellular shareholders' equity		3,686	3,634
Noncontrolling interests		11	11
Total equity		3,697	3,645
Total liabilities and equity	[1]	$ 7,077	$ 7,110
[1]	The consolidated total assets as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, include assets held by consolidated VIEs of $779 million and $827 million, respectively, which are not available to be used to settle the obligations of U.S. Cellular. The consolidated total liabilities as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, include certain liabilities of consolidated VIEs of $19 million for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of U.S. Cellular. See Note 8 — Variable Interest Entities for additional information.

Consolidated Balance Sheet Pare

Consolidated Balance Sheet Parenthetical - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounts receivable
Customer and agent allowances	$ 51	$ 51
Other allowances	$ 1	$ 1
U.S. Cellular shareholders' equity
Authorized shares	190	190
Issued shares	88	88
Outstanding shares	85	85
Par value	$ 88	$ 88
Variable Interest Entities VIEs
Total VIE assets that can be used to settle only the VIEs' obligations	779	827
Total VIE liabilities for which creditors have no recourse	$ 19	$ 19
Series A Common Shares
U.S. Cellular shareholders' equity
Authorized shares	50	50
Issued shares	33	33
Outstanding shares	33	33
Par value per share	$ 1	$ 1
Par value	$ 33	$ 33
Common Shares
U.S. Cellular shareholders' equity
Authorized shares	140	140
Issued shares	55	55
Outstanding shares	52	52
Par value per share	$ 1	$ 1
Par value	$ 55	$ 55
Treasury shares	3	3

Consolidated Statement of Chang

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Series A Common and Common shares	Additional paid-in capital	Treasury shares	Retained earnings	Total U.S. Cellular shareholders' equity	Noncontrolling interests
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 3,571	$ 88	$ 1,497	$ (157)	$ 2,133	$ 3,561	$ 10
Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders	36				36	36
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests classified as equity	1						1
Repurchase of Common shares	(2)			(2)		(2)
Incentive and compensation plans	3			22	(19)	3
Stock-based compensation awards	13		13			13
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(1)						(1)
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2016	3,621	88	1,510	(137)	2,150	3,611	10
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2016	3,645	88	1,522	(136)	2,160	3,634	11
Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders	38				38	38
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests classified as equity	2						2
Incentive and compensation plans				15	(15)
Stock-based compensation awards	14		14			14
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(2)						(2)
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2017	$ 3,697	$ 88	$ 1,536	$ (121)	$ 2,183	$ 3,686	$ 11

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Note 1 Basis of Presentation United States Cellular Corporation (U.S. Cellular), a Delaware corporation, is an 83% -owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS). The accounting policies of U.S. Cellular conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) as set forth in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of U.S. Cellular, subsidiaries in which it has a controlling financial interest, general partnerships in which U.S. Cellular has a majority partnership interest and certain entities in which U.S. Cellular has a variable interest that require consolidation under GAAP. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The unaudited consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by U.S. Cellular pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, U.S. Cellular believes that the disclosures included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. Certain numbers included herein are rounded to millions for ease of presentation; however, calculated amounts and percentages are determined using the unrounded numbers. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in U.S. Cellular’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2016 . The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items, unless otherwise disclosed) necessary for the fair statement of U.S. Cellular’s financial position as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , its results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and its cash flows and changes in equity for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 . The Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income was not included because comprehensive income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 , equaled net income. These results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. U.S. Cellular has not changed its significant accounting and reporting policies from those disclosed in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 , except as described below. Equipment Installment Plans U.S. Cellular equipment revenue under equipment installment plan contracts is recognized at the time the device is delivered to the end-user customer for the selling price of the device, net of any deferred imputed interest or trade-in right, if applicable. Imputed interest is reflected as a reduction to the receivable balance and recognized over the duration of the plan as Service revenues. See Note 3 — Equipment Installment Plans. Effective January 1, 2017, U.S. Cellular elected to change the classification of interest income on equipment installment plan contracts from Interest and dividend income to Service revenues in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. U.S. Cellular believes this classification is preferable because financing of devices as part of enrolling customers for service is an activity that is central to U.S. Cellular’s operations, and it is consistent with the presentation by others in the industry. Comparative financial statements of prior years have been adjusted to apply the new classification retrospectively. As a result of this change in classification, Service revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 , increased by $ 12 million and $ 24 million, respectively, from previously reported amounts, with a corresponding decrease in Interest and dividend income. In comparison, Service revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 , include $ 17 million and $ 33 million, respectively, of equipment installment plan interest income. This change did not have an impact on Income before income taxes, Net income, or Earnings per share for the three or six months ended June 30, 2016, nor did it have a cumulative impact to Retained earnings as of any date presented. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09) and has since amended the standard with Accounting Standards Update 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date , Accounting Standards Update 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net) , Accounting Standards Update 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing , Accounting Standards Update 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients , and Accounting Standards Update 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers . These standards replace existing revenue recognition rules with a single comprehensive model to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2014-09, as amended, on January 1, 2018. Early adoption as of January 1, 2017, is permitted; however, U.S. Cellular did not adopt early. ASU 2014-09, as amended, impacts U.S. Cellular’s revenue recognition related to the allocation of contract revenues between various services and equipment, and the timing of when those revenues are recognized. In addition, ASU 2014-09 requires deferral of incremental contract acquisition and fulfillment costs and subsequent expense recognition over the contract period or expected customer life. U.S. Cellular has identified that new systems, processes and controls are required to adopt ASU 2014-09, as amended. U.S. Cellular has substantially completed the design and development of new systems to perform revenue recognition accounting under the provisions of ASU 2014-09, as amended, and is currently engaged in the process of testing these new systems. U.S. Cellular expects to transition to the new standard under the modified retrospective transition method whereby a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings is recognized upon adoption and the guidance is applied prospectively. Upon adoption, the cumulative effect adjustment is expected to include the establishment of contract asset and contract liability accounts with a corresponding adjustment to retained earnings to reflect the reallocation of revenues between service and equipment performance obligations for which control is transferred to customers in different periods. Reallocation impacts generally arise when bundle discounts are provided in a contract arrangement that includes equipment and service performance obligations. In these cases, the revenue will be reallocated according to the relative stand-alone selling prices of the performance obligations included in the bundle and this may be different than how the revenue is billed to the customer and recognized under current guidance. In addition, contract cost assets will be established to reflect costs that will be deferred as incremental contract acquisition costs. Incremental contract acquisition costs generally relate to commissions paid to sales associates. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2014-09, as amended, will have on its financial position and results of operations. In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases (ASU 2016-02). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to record a right-of-use asset and lease liability for almost all leases. This ASU does not substantially impact the lessor accounting model. However, some changes to the lessor accounting guidance were made to align with lessee accounting changes within Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 842, Leases and certain key aspects of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers . U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, U.S. Cellular expects a substantial increase to assets and liabilities on its balance sheet. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on its results of operations. In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (ASU 2016-13). ASU 2016-13 requires entities to use a new forward-looking, expected loss model to estimate credit losses. It also requires additional disclosure relating to the credit quality of trade and other receivables, including information relating to management’s estimate of credit allowances. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020. Early adoption as of January 1, 2019 is permitted. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have on its financial position, results of operations and disclosures. In December 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-19 Technical Corrections and Improvements (ASU 2016-19). ASU 2016-19 includes an amendment to Accounting Standards Codification Subtopic 350-40, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Internal-Use Software, which clarifies that a software license within the scope of the Subtopic will be accounted for as the acquisition of an intangible asset and the incurrence of a liability to the extent that the license fees are not fully paid at acquisition. U.S. Cellular adopted this standard prospectively for all arrangements entered into or materially modified after January 1, 2017. In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other: Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (ASU 2017-04). ASU 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 of the current goodwill impairment test. Goodwill impairment loss will be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2017-04 on January 1, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. U.S. Cellular is assessing whether it will early adopt ASU 2017-04. In February 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-05, Other Income – Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets: Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets (ASU 2017-05). ASU 2017-05 clarifies how entities account for the derecognition of a nonfinancial asset and adds guidance for partial sales of nonfinancial assets. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2017-05 on January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2017-05 is not expected to have a significant impact on U.S. Cellular’s financial position or results of operations. In May 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (ASU 2017-09). ASU 2017-09 clarifies when changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards must be accounted for as modifications. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2017-09 on January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2017-09 is not expected to have a significant impact on U.S. Cellular’s financial position or results of operations. Amounts Collected from Customers and Remitted to Governmental Authorities U.S. Cellular records amounts collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities on a net basis within a tax liability account if the tax is assessed upon the customer and U.S. Cellular merely acts as an agent in collecting the tax on behalf of the imposing governmental authority. If the tax is assessed upon U.S. Cellular, then amounts collected from customers as recovery of the tax are recorded in Service revenues and amounts remitted to governmental authorities are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The amounts recorded gross in revenues that are billed to customers and remitted to governmental authorities totaled $ 14 million and $ 28 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 , respectively, and $ 16 million and $ 34 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 , respectively.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Note 2 Fair Value Measurements As of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , U.S. Cellular did not have any material financial or nonfinancial assets or liabilities that were required to be recorded at fair value in its Consolidated Balance Sheet in accordance with GAAP. The provisions of GAAP establish a fair value hierarchy that contains three levels for inputs used in fair value measurements. Level 1 inputs include quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Level 2 inputs include quoted market prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or quoted market prices for identical assets and liabilities in inactive markets. Level 3 inputs are unobservable. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is not representative of its expected performance or its overall risk profile and, therefore, Level 3 assets are not necessarily higher risk than Level 2 assets or Level 1 assets. U.S. Cellular has applied the provisions of fair value accounting for purposes of computing the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes as displayed below. Level within the Fair Value Hierarchy June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Book Value Fair Value Book Value Fair Value (Dollars in millions) Cash and cash equivalents 1 $ 472 $ 472 $ 586 $ 586 Long-term debt Retail 2 917 966 917 929 Institutional 2 533 552 533 532 Other 2 197 197 203 203 The fair value of Cash and cash equivalents approximates the book value due to the short-term nature of these financial instruments. Long-term debt excludes capital lease obligations and the current portion of Long-term debt. The fair value of “Retail” Long-term debt was estimated using market prices for the 6.95% Senior Notes, 7.25% 2063 Senior Notes and 7.25% 2064 Senior Notes. U.S. Cellular’s “Institutional” debt consists of the 6.7% Senior Notes which are traded over the counter. U.S. Cellular’s “Other” debt consists of a senior term loan credit facility. U.S. Cellular estimated the fair value of its Institutional and Other debt through a discounted cash flow analysis using the interest rates or estimated yield to maturity for each borrowing, which ranged from 3.88% to 6.55% and 3.78% to 6.93% at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , respectively.

Equipment Installment Plans

Equipment Installment Plans	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Receivables [Abstract]
Equipment Installment Plans	Note 3 Equipment Installment Plans U.S. Cellular sells devices to customers under equipment installment contracts over a specified time period. For certain equipment installment plans, after a specified period of time or amount of payments, the customer may have the right to upgrade to a new device and have the remaining unpaid equipment installment contract balance waived, subject to certain conditions, including trading in the original device in good working condition and signing a new equipment installment contract. U.S. Cellular values this trade-in right as a guarantee liability. The guarantee liability is initially measured at fair value and is determined based on assumptions including the probability and timing of the customer upgrading to a new device and the fair value of the device being traded-in at the time of trade-in. When a customer exercises the trade-in option, the difference between the outstanding receivable balance forgiven and the fair value of the used device is offset against the guarantee liability. If the customer does not exercise the trade-in option at the time of eligibility, U.S. Cellular begins amortizing the liability and records this amortization as additional equipment revenue. As of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , the guarantee liability related to these plans was $ 24 million and $ 33 million, respectively, and is reflected in Customer deposits and deferred revenues in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. U.S. Cellular equipment installment plans do not provide for explicit interest charges. Because equipment installment plans have a duration of greater than twelve months, U.S. Cellular imputes interest. U.S. Cellular records imputed interest as a reduction to the related accounts receivable and recognizes it over the term of the installment agreement. Equipment installment plan receivables had a weighted average effective imputed interest rate of 12.1% and 11.2% as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , respectively. The following table summarizes equipment installment plan receivables as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 . June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 (Dollars in millions) Equipment installment plan receivables, gross $ 722 $ 628 Deferred interest (63) (53) Equipment installment plan receivables, net of deferred interest 659 575 Allowance for credit losses (57) (50) Equipment installment plan receivables, net $ 602 $ 525 Net balance presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as: Accounts receivable — Customers and agents (Current portion) $ 363 $ 345 Other assets and deferred charges (Non-current portion) 239 180 Equipment installment plan receivables, net $ 602 $ 525 U.S. Cellular uses various inputs, including internal data, information from the credit bureaus and other sources, to evaluate the credit profiles of its customers. From this evaluation, a credit class is assigned to the customer that determines the number of eligible lines, the amount of credit available, and the down payment requirement, if any. Customers assigned to credit classes requiring no down payment represent a lower risk category, whereas those assigned to credit classes requiring a down payment represent a higher risk category. The balance and aging of the equipment installment plan receivables on a gross basis by credit category were as follows: June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Lower Risk Higher Risk Total Lower Risk Higher Risk Total (Dollars in millions) Unbilled $ 636 $ 48 $ 684 $ 553 $ 38 $ 591 Billed — current 25 2 27 23 2 25 Billed — past due 9 2 11 10 2 12 Equipment installment plan receivables, gross $ 670 $ 52 $ 722 $ 586 $ 42 $ 628 Activity for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, in the allowance for credit losses balance for the equipment installment plan receivables was as follows: June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 (Dollars in millions) Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 50 $ 26 Bad debts expense 31 28 Write-offs, net of recoveries (24) (17) Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ 57 $ 37

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings per Share	Note 4 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 the exercise of outstanding stock options and the vesting of performance and restricted stock units. The amounts used in computing earnings per common share and the effects of potentially dilutive securities on the weighted average number of common shares were as follows: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (Dollars and shares in millions, except per share amounts) Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders $ 12 $ 27 $ 38 $ 36 Weighted average number of shares used in basic earnings per share 85 85 85 85 Effects of dilutive securities 1 – 1 – Weighted average number of shares used in diluted earnings per share 86 85 86 85 Basic earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders $ 0.14 $ 0.32 $ 0.45 $ 0.43 Diluted earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders $ 0.14 $ 0.32 $ 0.44 $ 0.43 Certain Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options or vesting of performance and restricted stock units were not included in average diluted shares outstanding for the calculation of Diluted earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders because their effects were antidilutive. The number of such Common Shares excluded was 3 million shares for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 , and 3 million shares for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 .

Acquisitions, Divestitures and

Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges [Abstract]
Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges	Note 5 Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges In February 2016, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to exchange certain 700 MHz licenses for certain AWS and PCS licenses and $ 28 million of cash. This license exchange was accomplished in two closings. The first closing occurred in the second quarter of 2016, at which time U.S. Cellular received $ 13 million of cash and recorded a gain of $ 9 million. The second closing occurred in the first quarter of 2017, at which time U.S. Cellular received $ 15 million of cash and recorded a gain of $ 17 million. In July 2016, the FCC announced U.S. Cellular as a qualified bidder in the FCC’s forward auction of 600 MHz spectrum licenses, referred to as Auction 1002. Prior to commencement of the forward auction, U.S. Cellular made an upfront payment to the FCC of $ 143 million in June 2016 to establish its initial bidding eligibility. In April 2017, the FCC announced by way of public notice that U.S. Cellular was the winning bidder for 188 licenses for an aggregate purchase price of $ 329 million. U.S. Cellular paid the remaining $ 186 million to the FCC and was granted the licenses during the second quarter of 2017.

Intangible Assets

Intangible Assets	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Intangible Assets	Note 6 Intangible Assets Activity related to Licenses for the six months ended June 30, 2017 , is presented below. There were no changes to Goodwill during the six months ended June 30, 2017 . Licenses (Dollars in millions) Balance December 31, 2016 $ 1,886 Acquisitions 331 Transferred to Assets held for sale (4) Exchanges - Licenses received 14 Exchanges - Licenses surrendered (1) Balance June 30, 2017 $ 2,226

Investments in Unconsolidated E

Investments in Unconsolidated Entities	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Investments in Unconsolidated Entities [Abstract]
Investments in Unconsolidated Entities	Note 7 Investments in Unconsolidated Entities Investments in unconsolidated entities consist of amounts invested in wireless entities in which U.S. Cellular holds a noncontrolling interest. These investments are accounted for using either the equity or cost method. The following table, which is based in part on information provided by third parties, summarizes the combined results of operations of U.S. Cellular’s equity method investments. Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (Dollars in millions) Revenues $ 1,630 $ 1,636 $ 3,239 $ 3,318 Operating expenses 1,224 1,168 2,435 2,398 Operating income 406 468 804 920 Other expense, net (1) (3) (1) (6) Net income $ 405 $ 465 $ 803 $ 914

Variable Interest Entities

Variable Interest Entities	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Variable Interest Entities	Note 8 Variable Interest Entities Consolidated VIEs U.S. Cellular consolidates variable interest entities (VIEs) in which it has a controlling financial interest as defined by GAAP and is therefore deemed the primary beneficiary. A controlling financial interest will have both of the following characteristics: (a) the power to direct the VIE activities that most significantly impact economic performance and (b) the obligation to absorb the VIE losses and right to receive benefits that are significant to the VIE. U.S. Cellular reviews these criteria initially at the time it enters into agreements and subsequently when events warranting reconsideration occur. These VIEs have risks similar to those described in the “Risk Factors” in U.S. Cellular’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 . During the first quarter of 2017, U.S. Cellular formed USCC EIP LLC, a special purpose entity (SPE), to facilitate a potential securitized borrowing using its equipment installment plan receivables in the future. Under a Receivables Sale Agreement, U.S. Cellular wholly-owned, majority-owned and unconsolidated entities, collectively referred to as “affiliated entities”, transfer device equipment installment contracts to USCC EIP LLC. This SPE will aggregate device equipment installment plan contracts for further transfer into a separate bankruptcy remote securitization trust structure, perform servicing, collection and all other administrative activities related to accounting for equipment installment plan contracts. USCC EIP LLC’s sole business consists of the acquisition of the receivables from U.S. Cellular affiliated entities for the future transfer of receivables into a trust. Given that U.S. Cellular has the power to direct the activities of this SPE, and that this SPE lacks sufficient equity to finance its activities, U.S. Cellular is deemed to have a controlling financial interest in the SPE and, therefore, consolidates it. During the six months ended June 30, 2017 , net equipment installment plan receivables totaling $ 883 million were transferred to the newly formed SPE from affiliated entities. There were no receivables transferred as of December 31, 2016. Because U.S. Cellular fully consolidates USCC EIP LLC, the transfer of receivables into this SPE did not have a material impact to the consolidated financial statements of U.S. Cellular. As of June 30, 2017 , U.S. Cellular had not executed a securitized borrowing from a third party specific to its equipment installment plan receivables. The following VIEs were formed to participate in FCC auctions of wireless spectrum and to fund, establish, and provide wireless service with respect to any FCC licenses won in the auctions: Advantage Spectrum, L.P. (Advantage Spectrum) and Sunshine Spectrum, Inc. (Sunshine Spectrum), the general partner of Advantage Spectrum (former general partner was Frequency Advantage, L.P. (Frequency Advantage)); Aquinas Wireless, L.P. (Aquinas Wireless); and King Street Wireless, L.P. (King Street Wireless) and King Street Wireless, Inc., the general partner of King Street Wireless. These particular VIEs are collectively referred to as designated entities. The power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of these VIEs is shared. Specifically, the general partner of these VIEs has the exclusive right to manage, operate and control the limited partnerships and make all decisions to carry on the business of the partnerships. The general partner of each partnership needs the consent of the limited partner, an indirect U.S. Cellular subsidiary, to sell or lease certain licenses, to make certain large expenditures, admit other partners or liquidate the limited partnerships. Although the power to direct the activities of these VIEs is shared, U.S. Cellular has the most significant level of exposure to the variability associated with the economic performance of the VIEs, indicating that U.S. Cellular is the primary beneficiary of the VIEs. Therefore, in accordance with GAAP, these VIEs are consolidated. In January 2017, Sunshine Spectrum and the other owner of Frequency Advantage (the previous general partner of Advantage Spectrum) completed a series of transactions whereby Frequency Advantage was dissolved and Sunshine Spectrum became the new general partner of Advantage Spectrum. Consistent with its previous treatment of Frequency Advantage and in accordance with GAAP, U.S. Cellular consolidates Sunshine Spectrum in its financial statements. U.S. Cellular also consolidates other VIEs that are limited partnerships that provide wireless service. A limited partnership is a variable interest entity unless the limited partners hold substantive participating rights or kick-out rights over the general partner. For certain limited partnerships, U.S. Cellular is the general partner and manages the operations. In these partnerships, the limited partners do not have substantive kick-out or participating rights and, further, such limited partners do not have the authority to remove the general partner. Therefore, these limited partnerships are also recognized as VIEs and are consolidated under the variable interest model. The following table presents the classification and balances of the consolidated VIEs’ assets and liabilities in U.S. Cellular’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. June 30, December 31, 2017 2016 (Dollars in millions) Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 2 $ 2 Accounts receivable 404 44 Other current assets 6 6 Assets held for sale – 2 Licenses 655 652 Property, plant and equipment, net 98 105 Other assets and deferred charges 242 16 Total assets $ 1,407 $ 827 Liabilities Current liabilities $ 42 $ 21 Deferred liabilities and credits 13 13 Total liabilities $ 55 $ 34 Unconsolidated VIEs U.S. Cellular manages the operations of and holds a variable interest in certain other limited partnerships, but is not the primary beneficiary of these entities and, therefore, does not consolidate them under the variable interest model. U.S. Cellular’s total investment in these unconsolidated entities was $ 4 million and $ 6 million at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , respectively, and is included in Investments in unconsolidated entities in U.S. Cellular’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The maximum exposure from unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the investment held by U.S. Cellular in those entities. Other Related Matters U.S. Cellular made contributions, loans and/or advances to its VIEs totaling $ 676 million, of which $ 659 million is related to USCC EIP LLC as discussed above, and $ 26 million during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016 , respectively . U.S. Cellular may agree to make additional capital contributions and/or advances to these or other VIEs and/or to their general partners to provide additional funding for operations or the development of licenses granted in various auctions. U.S. Cellular may finance such amounts with a combination of cash on hand, borrowings under its revolving credit agreement and/or other long-term debt. There is no assurance that U.S. Cellular will be able to obtain additional financing on commercially reasonable terms or at all to provide such financial support.

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Significant Accounting Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation	The accounting policies of U.S. Cellular conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) as set forth in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of U.S. Cellular, subsidiaries in which it has a controlling financial interest, general partnerships in which U.S. Cellular has a majority partnership interest and certain entities in which U.S. Cellular has a variable interest that require consolidation under GAAP. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Basis of Accounting	The unaudited consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by U.S. Cellular pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, U.S. Cellular believes that the disclosures included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. Certain numbers included herein are rounded to millions for ease of presentation; however, calculated amounts and percentages are determined using the unrounded numbers. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in U.S. Cellular’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2016 . The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items, unless otherwise disclosed) necessary for the fair statement of U.S. Cellular’s financial position as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , its results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and its cash flows and changes in equity for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 . The Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income was not included because comprehensive income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 , equaled net income. These results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. U.S. Cellular has not changed its significant accounting and reporting policies from those disclosed in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 , except as described below.
Changes in Accounting Principles	U.S. Cellular equipment revenue under equipment installment plan contracts is recognized at the time the device is delivered to the end-user customer for the selling price of the device, net of any deferred imputed interest or trade-in right, if applicable. Imputed interest is reflected as a reduction to the receivable balance and recognized over the duration of the plan as Service revenues. See Note 3 — Equipment Installment Plans. Effective January 1, 2017, U.S. Cellular elected to change the classification of interest income on equipment installment plan contracts from Interest and dividend income to Service revenues in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. U.S. Cellular believes this classification is preferable because financing of devices as part of enrolling customers for service is an activity that is central to U.S. Cellular’s operations, and it is consistent with the presentation by others in the industry. Comparative financial statements of prior years have been adjusted to apply the new classification retrospectively. As a result of this change in classification, Service revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 , increased by $ 12 million and $ 24 million, respectively, from previously reported amounts, with a corresponding decrease in Interest and dividend income. In comparison, Service revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 , include $ 17 million and $ 33 million, respectively, of equipment installment plan interest income. This change did not have an impact on Income before income taxes, Net income, or Earnings per share for the three or six months ended June 30, 2016, nor did it have a cumulative impact to Retained earnings as of any date presented.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09) and has since amended the standard with Accounting Standards Update 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date , Accounting Standards Update 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net) , Accounting Standards Update 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing , Accounting Standards Update 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients , and Accounting Standards Update 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers . These standards replace existing revenue recognition rules with a single comprehensive model to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2014-09, as amended, on January 1, 2018. Early adoption as of January 1, 2017, is permitted; however, U.S. Cellular did not adopt early. ASU 2014-09, as amended, impacts U.S. Cellular’s revenue recognition related to the allocation of contract revenues between various services and equipment, and the timing of when those revenues are recognized. In addition, ASU 2014-09 requires deferral of incremental contract acquisition and fulfillment costs and subsequent expense recognition over the contract period or expected customer life. U.S. Cellular has identified that new systems, processes and controls are required to adopt ASU 2014-09, as amended. U.S. Cellular has substantially completed the design and development of new systems to perform revenue recognition accounting under the provisions of ASU 2014-09, as amended, and is currently engaged in the process of testing these new systems. U.S. Cellular expects to transition to the new standard under the modified retrospective transition method whereby a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings is recognized upon adoption and the guidance is applied prospectively. Upon adoption, the cumulative effect adjustment is expected to include the establishment of contract asset and contract liability accounts with a corresponding adjustment to retained earnings to reflect the reallocation of revenues between service and equipment performance obligations for which control is transferred to customers in different periods. Reallocation impacts generally arise when bundle discounts are provided in a contract arrangement that includes equipment and service performance obligations. In these cases, the revenue will be reallocated according to the relative stand-alone selling prices of the performance obligations included in the bundle and this may be different than how the revenue is billed to the customer and recognized under current guidance. In addition, contract cost assets will be established to reflect costs that will be deferred as incremental contract acquisition costs. Incremental contract acquisition costs generally relate to commissions paid to sales associates. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2014-09, as amended, will have on its financial position and results of operations. In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases (ASU 2016-02). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to record a right-of-use asset and lease liability for almost all leases. This ASU does not substantially impact the lessor accounting model. However, some changes to the lessor accounting guidance were made to align with lessee accounting changes within Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 842, Leases and certain key aspects of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers . U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, U.S. Cellular expects a substantial increase to assets and liabilities on its balance sheet. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on its results of operations. In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (ASU 2016-13). ASU 2016-13 requires entities to use a new forward-looking, expected loss model to estimate credit losses. It also requires additional disclosure relating to the credit quality of trade and other receivables, including information relating to management’s estimate of credit allowances. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020. Early adoption as of January 1, 2019 is permitted. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have on its financial position, results of operations and disclosures. In December 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-19 Technical Corrections and Improvements (ASU 2016-19). ASU 2016-19 includes an amendment to Accounting Standards Codification Subtopic 350-40, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Internal-Use Software, which clarifies that a software license within the scope of the Subtopic will be accounted for as the acquisition of an intangible asset and the incurrence of a liability to the extent that the license fees are not fully paid at acquisition. U.S. Cellular adopted this standard prospectively for all arrangements entered into or materially modified after January 1, 2017. In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other: Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (ASU 2017-04). ASU 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 of the current goodwill impairment test. Goodwill impairment loss will be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2017-04 on January 1, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. U.S. Cellular is assessing whether it will early adopt ASU 2017-04. In February 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-05, Other Income – Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets: Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets (ASU 2017-05). ASU 2017-05 clarifies how entities account for the derecognition of a nonfinancial asset and adds guidance for partial sales of nonfinancial assets. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2017-05 on January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2017-05 is not expected to have a significant impact on U.S. Cellular’s financial position or results of operations. In May 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (ASU 2017-09). ASU 2017-09 clarifies when changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards must be accounted for as modifications. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2017-09 on January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2017-09 is not expected to have a significant impact on U.S. Cellular’s financial position or results of operations.
Variable Interest Entities	U.S. Cellular consolidates variable interest entities (VIEs) in which it has a controlling financial interest as defined by GAAP and is therefore deemed the primary beneficiary. A controlling financial interest will have both of the following characteristics: (a) the power to direct the VIE activities that most significantly impact economic performance and (b) the obligation to absorb the VIE losses and right to receive benefits that are significant to the VIE. U.S. Cellular reviews these criteria initially at the time it enters into agreements and subsequently when events warranting reconsideration occur. These VIEs have risks similar to those described in the “Risk Factors” in U.S. Cellular’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 .

Fair Value Measurements (Table)

Fair Value Measurements (Table)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair value measurements	U.S. Cellular has applied the provisions of fair value accounting for purposes of computing the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes as displayed below. Level within the Fair Value Hierarchy June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Book Value Fair Value Book Value Fair Value (Dollars in millions) Cash and cash equivalents 1 $ 472 $ 472 $ 586 $ 586 Long-term debt Retail 2 917 966 917 929 Institutional 2 533 552 533 532 Other 2 197 197 203 203

Equipment Installment Plans (Ta

Equipment Installment Plans (Table)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Receivables [Abstract]
Equipment installment plans	The following table summarizes equipment installment plan receivables as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 . June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 (Dollars in millions) Equipment installment plan receivables, gross $ 722 $ 628 Deferred interest (63) (53) Equipment installment plan receivables, net of deferred interest 659 575 Allowance for credit losses (57) (50) Equipment installment plan receivables, net $ 602 $ 525 Net balance presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as: Accounts receivable — Customers and agents (Current portion) $ 363 $ 345 Other assets and deferred charges (Non-current portion) 239 180 Equipment installment plan receivables, net $ 602 $ 525
Equipment installment plan receivables credit categories	The balance and aging of the equipment installment plan receivables on a gross basis by credit category were as follows: June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Lower Risk Higher Risk Total Lower Risk Higher Risk Total (Dollars in millions) Unbilled $ 636 $ 48 $ 684 $ 553 $ 38 $ 591 Billed — current 25 2 27 23 2 25 Billed — past due 9 2 11 10 2 12 Equipment installment plan receivables, gross $ 670 $ 52 $ 722 $ 586 $ 42 $ 628
Equipment installment plans allowance for credit losses	Activity for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, in the allowance for credit losses balance for the equipment installment plan receivables was as follows: June 30, 2017 June 30, 2016 (Dollars in millions) Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period $ 50 $ 26 Bad debts expense 31 28 Write-offs, net of recoveries (24) (17) Allowance for credit losses, end of period $ 57 $ 37

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings per share	The amounts used in computing earnings per common share and the effects of potentially dilutive securities on the weighted average number of common shares were as follows: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (Dollars and shares in millions, except per share amounts) Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders $ 12 $ 27 $ 38 $ 36 Weighted average number of shares used in basic earnings per share 85 85 85 85 Effects of dilutive securities 1 – 1 – Weighted average number of shares used in diluted earnings per share 86 85 86 85 Basic earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders $ 0.14 $ 0.32 $ 0.45 $ 0.43 Diluted earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders $ 0.14 $ 0.32 $ 0.44 $ 0.43

Intangible Assets (Tables)

Intangible Assets (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Licenses
Licenses	Activity related to Licenses for the six months ended June 30, 2017 , is presented below. There were no changes to Goodwill during the six months ended June 30, 2017 . Licenses (Dollars in millions) Balance December 31, 2016 $ 1,886 Acquisitions 331 Transferred to Assets held for sale (4) Exchanges - Licenses received 14 Exchanges - Licenses surrendered (1) Balance June 30, 2017 $ 2,226

Investment in Unconsolidated En

Investment in Unconsolidated Entities (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Investments in Unconsolidated Entities [Abstract]
Equity method investments, summarized results of operations	The following table, which is based in part on information provided by third parties, summarizes the combined results of operations of U.S. Cellular’s equity method investments. Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (Dollars in millions) Revenues $ 1,630 $ 1,636 $ 3,239 $ 3,318 Operating expenses 1,224 1,168 2,435 2,398 Operating income 406 468 804 920 Other expense, net (1) (3) (1) (6) Net income $ 405 $ 465 $ 803 $ 914

Variable Interest Entities (Tab

Variable Interest Entities (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
Consolidated VIE assets and liabilities	The following table presents the classification and balances of the consolidated VIEs’ assets and liabilities in U.S. Cellular’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. June 30, December 31, 2017 2016 (Dollars in millions) Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 2 $ 2 Accounts receivable 404 44 Other current assets 6 6 Assets held for sale – 2 Licenses 655 652 Property, plant and equipment, net 98 105 Other assets and deferred charges 242 16 Total assets $ 1,407 $ 827 Liabilities Current liabilities $ 42 $ 21 Deferred liabilities and credits 13 13 Total liabilities $ 55 $ 34

Basis of Presentation (Details)

Basis of Presentation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Amounts recorded gross in revenues that are billed to customers and remitted to governmental authorities	$ 14	$ 16	$ 28	$ 34
Equipment Installment Plans Accounting Change
Service revenue	740	774	1,486	1,545
Interest and dividend income	2	2	5	3
Adjustment
Equipment Installment Plans Accounting Change
Service revenue	$ 17	12	$ 33	24
Interest and dividend income		$ (12)		$ (24)
TDS
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
TDS ownership of U.S. Cellular	83.00%		83.00%

Fair Value Measurements (Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Financial Instruments
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 472	$ 586	$ 621	$ 715
Institutional and Other | Minimum
Financial Instruments
Fair value assumption, interest rate	3.88%	3.78%
Institutional and Other | Maximum
Financial Instruments
Fair value assumption, interest rate	6.55%	6.93%
Fair Value | Level 1
Financial Instruments
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 472	$ 586
Fair Value | Level 2 | Retail
Financial Instruments
Long-term debt	966	929
Fair Value | Level 2 | Institutional
Financial Instruments
Long-term debt	552	532
Fair Value | Level 2 | Other
Financial Instruments
Long-term debt	197	203
Book Value
Financial Instruments
Cash and cash equivalents	472	586
Book Value | Retail
Financial Instruments
Long-term debt	917	917
Book Value | Institutional
Financial Instruments
Long-term debt	533	533
Book Value | Other
Financial Instruments
Long-term debt	$ 197	$ 203

Equipment Installment Plan Rece

Equipment Installment Plan Receivables, EIP Receivables (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Equipment installment plans [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables, gross	$ 722	$ 628
Deferred interest	(63)	(53)
Equipment installment plan receivables, net of deferred interest	659	575
Allowance for credit losses	(57)	(50)
Equipment installment plan receivables, net	602	525
Accounts receivable - Customers and agents
Equipment installment plans [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables, net	363	345
Other assets and deferred charges
Equipment installment plans [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables, net	$ 239	$ 180

Equipment Installment Plan Re26

Equipment Installment Plan Receivables, Gross Receivables by Credit Category (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables, gross	$ 722	$ 628
Unbilled
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables	684	591
Billed
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables	27	25
Equipment installment plan receivables, past due	11	12
Lower Risk
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables, gross	670	586
Lower Risk | Unbilled
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables	636	553
Lower Risk | Billed
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables	25	23
Equipment installment plan receivables, past due	9	10
Higher Risk
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables, gross	52	42
Higher Risk | Unbilled
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables	48	38
Higher Risk | Billed
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Equipment installment plan receivables	2	2
Equipment installment plan receivables, past due	$ 2	$ 2

Equipment Installment Plan Re27

Equipment Installment Plan Receivables, Allowance for Credit Losses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Roll Forward]
Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period	$ 50
Allowance for credit losses, end of period	57
Equipment Installment Plan Receivable
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Roll Forward]
Allowance for credit losses, beginning of period	50	$ 26
Bad debts expense	31	28
Write-offs, net of recoveries	(24)	(17)
Allowance for credit losses, end of period	$ 57	$ 37

Equipment Installment Plan Re28

Equipment Installment Plan Receivables, Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Equipment installment plans [Line Items]
Guarantee liability	$ 24	$ 33
Imputed interest rate	12.10%	11.20%

Earnings Per Share (Details)

Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Earnings per share
Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders	$ 12	$ 27	$ 38	$ 36
Weighted average number of shares used in basic earnings per share	85	85	85	85
Effects of dilutive securities	1		1
Weighted average number of shares used in diluted earnings per share	86	85	86	85
Basic earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders	$ 0.14	$ 0.32	$ 0.45	$ 0.43
Diluted earnings per share attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders	$ 0.14	$ 0.32	$ 0.44	$ 0.43
Earnings per share, Other disclosures
Antidilutive securities	3	3	3	3

Acquisitions, Divestitures an30

Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2017USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016USD ($)	Feb. 29, 2016USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016USD ($)
Acquisitions
Cash paid for licenses							$ 189	$ 46
Federal Communications Commission deposit								143
Exchanges
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges							17	17
Gain on license sales and exchanges				$ 2		$ 9	$ 19	$ 9
License exchange 1
Exchanges
Net cash to be received			$ 28
License exchange 1, first closing
Exchanges
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges						13
Gain on license sales and exchanges						$ 9
License exchange 1, second closing
Exchanges
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges					$ 15
Gain on license sales and exchanges					$ 17
Auction 1,002
Acquisitions
Cash paid for licenses				$ 186
Federal Communications Commission deposit		$ 143
Fcc License Auction Total Licenses Won	188
Fcc License Auction Total Winning Bid	$ 329

Intangible Assets (Details)

Intangible Assets (Details) - Licenses $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017USD ($)
Licenses
Balance, beginning of period	$ 1,886
Acquisitions	331
Transferred to Assets held for sale	(4)
Exchanges - Licenses received	14
Exchanges - Licenses surrendered	(1)
Balance, end of period	$ 2,226

Investments in Unconsolidated32

Investments in Unconsolidated Entities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Equity method investments, combined income statements
Revenues	$ 1,630	$ 1,636	$ 3,239	$ 3,318
Operating expenses	1,224	1,168	2,435	2,398
Operating income	406	468	804	920
Other expense, net	(1)	(3)	(1)	(6)
Net income	$ 405	$ 465	$ 803	$ 914

Variable Interest Entities, Con

Variable Interest Entities, Consolidated Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 472	$ 586	$ 621	$ 715
Accounts receivable	664	658
Other current assets	15	23
Assets held for sale	4	8
Licenses	2,226	1,886
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,304	2,470
Other assets and deferred charges	319	405
Liabilities
Current liabilities	651	718
Consolidated Variable Interest Entities
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	2	2
Accounts receivable	404	44
Other current assets	6	6
Assets held for sale		2
Licenses	655	652
Property, plant and equipment, net	98	105
Other assets and deferred charges	242	16
Total assets	1,407	827
Liabilities
Current liabilities	42	21
Deferred liabilities and credits	13	13
Total liabilities	$ 55	$ 34

Variable Interest Entities, Nar

Variable Interest Entities, Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures
Capital contributions, loans or advances	$ 676	$ 26
Investments in unconsolidated entities, maximum exposure	4		$ 6
Transfer of net equipment installment plan receivables	883
USCC EIP LLC
Variable Interest Entities, Other Disclosures
Capital contributions, loans or advances	$ 659