Business Segment (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	$ 1,305,791		$ 1,258,681
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	509,211		486,746
Selling, general and administrative	507,599		491,106
Adjusted OIBDA	288,981	[1]	280,829	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	197,434		190,813
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	(2,095)		1,143
Operating income (loss)	93,642		88,873
Total assets	8,172,668		8,045,209	[2]	8,201,005
Capital expenditures	228,464		127,463
U.S. Cellular
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	1,092,121		1,057,092
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	420,200		411,963
Selling, general and administrative	442,244		442,004
Adjusted OIBDA	229,677	[1]	203,125	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	146,685		143,340
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	(2,210)		1,037
Operating income (loss)	85,202		58,748
Total assets	6,341,435		5,934,782	[2]
Capital expenditures	201,337		95,933
TDS Telecom ILEC
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	145,065		149,574
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	49,168		45,402
Selling, general and administrative	41,514		35,482
Adjusted OIBDA	54,383	[1]	68,690	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	37,778		37,200
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	66		41
Operating income (loss)	16,539		31,449
Total assets	1,387,900		1,355,869	[2]
Capital expenditures	27,526		20,517
TDS Telecom CLEC
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	44,044		45,328
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	22,564		22,472
Selling, general and administrative	16,260		15,648
Adjusted OIBDA	5,220	[1]	7,208	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	5,489		5,490
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	53		31
Operating income (loss)	(322)		1,687
Total assets	113,520		118,674	[2]
Capital expenditures	5,058		4,234
TDS Telecom HMS
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	17,558		6,242
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	9,774		2,282
Selling, general and administrative	6,732		2,711
Adjusted OIBDA	1,052	[1]	1,249	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	4,176		2,147
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	1		32
Operating income (loss)	(3,125)		(930)
Total assets	208,785		85,130	[2]
Capital expenditures	3,091		1,537
TDS Telecom Eliminations
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	(2,592)		(2,228)
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	(2,161)		(1,791)
Selling, general and administrative	(431)		(437)
TDS Telecom
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	204,075		198,916
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	79,345		68,365
Selling, general and administrative	64,075		53,404
Adjusted OIBDA	60,655	[1]	77,147	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	47,443		44,837
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	120		104
Operating income (loss)	13,092		32,206
Total assets	1,710,205		1,559,673	[2]
Capital expenditures	35,675		26,288
Non-Reportable Segment
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	14,769	[3]	8,615	[3]
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	10,205	[3]	6,821	[3]
Selling, general and administrative	4,186	[3]	1,632	[3]
Adjusted OIBDA	378	[1],[3]	162	[1],[3]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	1,530	[3]	474	[3]
Operating income (loss)	(1,152)	[3]	(312)	[3]
Total assets	67,950	[3]	23,279	[2],[3]
Capital expenditures	216	[3]	1,890	[3]
Other Reconciling Items
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	(5,174)	[4]	(5,942)	[4]
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	(539)	[4]	(403)	[4]
Selling, general and administrative	(2,906)	[4]	(5,934)	[4]
Adjusted OIBDA	(1,729)	[1],[4]	395	[1],[4]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	1,776	[4]	2,162	[4]
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	(5)	[4]	2	[4]
Operating income (loss)	(3,500)	[4]	(1,769)	[4]
Total assets	53,078	[4]	527,475	[2],[4]
Capital expenditures	$ (8,764)	[4]	$ 3,352	[4]

[1] Adjusted OIBDA is defined as operating income excluding the effects of: depreciation, amortization and accretion (OIBDA); the net gain or loss on asset disposals and exchanges (if any); and the loss on impairment of assets (if any). Adjusted OIBDA is a segment measure reported to the chief operating decision maker for purposes of making decisions about allocating resources to the segments and assessing their performance. This amount may also be commonly referred to by management as operating cash flow. This amount should not be confused with Cash flows from operating activities, which is a component of the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Adjusted OIBDA excludes the net gain or loss on asset disposals and exchanges and loss on impairment of assets (if any), in order to show operating results on a more comparable basis from period to period. TDS does not intend to imply that any of such amounts that are excluded are non-recurring, infrequent or unusual. Accordingly you should be aware that TDS may incur such amounts in the future.

[2] In preparing its financial statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, TDS discovered certain errors related to accounting for asset retirement obligations and asset retirement costs. These errors resulted in the overstatement of Total operating expenses, Property, plant and equipment, net and Other deferred liabilities and credits in the first quarter 2011 interim financial statements. The amounts herein have been revised to reflect the proper amounts. See Note 2 ― Revision of Prior Period Amounts for additional information.

[3] Represents Suttle-Straus and, as of September 23, 2011, Airadigm.

[4] Consists of corporate operations, intercompany eliminations between U.S. Cellular, TDS Telecom and corporate operations.