FierceWireless has reported on comments from a U.S. Cellular CEO Mary Dillon, whom claims that the phone carrier has rejected Apple’s proposal for a deal to offer the iPhone because they considered Apple’s own terms “unacceptable”. This decision is not final though, and U.S. Cellular could offer the iPhone at some point in time in the future if a deal can be made eventually.

U.S. Cellular turned down Apple’s iPhone because it did not make sense for the company economically, CEO Mary Dillon said on the company’s third-quarter earnings conference call.

Dillon said that the carrier had the opportunity to sell the iPhone but that Apple’s “terms were unacceptable from a risk and profitability standpoint.” Dillon added that the potential strain on the company’s network was not a factor in the decision, and that U.S. Cellular remains open to carrying the iPhone in the future.

Headquartered in Chicago, U.S. Cellular is the sixth-largest mobile phone carrier in the United States with a whopping 6 million subscribers. Behind the top tier is Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile USA all lie in a group of the so-called “super-regional” carriers that are led by MetroPC’s, and U.S. Cellular, and Cricket. Interestingly enough, the possibility of these super-regional carriers being able to offer their iPhone was sparked by last month’s announcement from C Spire Wireless with news that they apparently landed a deal for the iPhone. C Spire is ranked at the lower end of the super-regional group of mobile phone carrriers, with under a million subscribers in their network.

It was earlier this week that Czech arm of Telefonica/O2 revealed that it would be dropping the iPhone entirely after they were unable to come to an agreement with Apple with the iPhone 4S. The company had said that Apple’s “business terms” are the reason for the discontinuation, and U.S. Cellular’s disclosure adds even more evidence that some carriers don’t see the economic super-advantage of having or offering the iPhone in their networks, while other carriers are working extremely hard to get the device in their networks, with it being the most highly demanded smart phone out there. Down with Blackberry’s!.

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