Business Segment (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	$ 1,370,108		$ 1,325,423		$ 3,999,068		$ 3,863,744
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	600,459		525,134		1,637,340		1,490,293
Selling, general and administrative	506,217		492,677		1,516,220		1,461,372
Adjusted OIBDA	263,432	[1]	307,612	[1]	845,508	[1]	912,079	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	196,219		190,039		592,162		573,897
Loss on impairment of assets					515
(Gain) loss on asset disposals and exchanges, net	11,707		(9,351)		12,607		(4,970)
Operating income	55,506		126,924		240,224		343,152
Total assets	8,390,816		8,143,681		8,390,816		8,143,681		8,201,005
Capital expenditures	244,588		304,685		697,037		643,396
U.S. Cellular
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	1,140,357		1,110,439		3,336,878		3,243,713
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	497,274		438,081		1,352,401		1,250,973
Selling, general and administrative	438,526		438,774		1,315,823		1,302,436
Adjusted OIBDA	204,557	[1]	233,584	[1]	668,654	[1]	690,304	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	145,151		141,664		439,391		431,581
(Gain) loss on asset disposals and exchanges, net	11,327		(9,700)		11,819		(5,741)
Operating income	48,079		101,620		217,444		264,464
Total assets	6,536,348		6,268,042		6,536,348		6,268,042
Capital expenditures	199,104		248,042		583,632		506,082
TDS Telecom ILEC
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	144,050		151,232		433,167		450,187
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	47,617		50,230		143,965		143,278
Selling, general and administrative	41,743		38,960		126,473		114,518
Adjusted OIBDA	54,690	[1]	62,042	[1]	162,729	[1]	192,391	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	37,276		35,882		112,888		109,198
(Gain) loss on asset disposals and exchanges, net	103		225		305		511
Operating income	17,311		25,935		49,536		82,682
Total assets	1,394,398		1,349,261		1,394,398		1,349,261
Capital expenditures	33,708		36,509		93,726		91,500
TDS Telecom CLEC
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	42,526		45,011		130,770		135,935
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	22,226		23,193		67,492		68,694
Selling, general and administrative	16,283		15,984		49,312		47,719
Adjusted OIBDA	4,017	[1]	5,834	[1]	13,966	[1]	19,522	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	5,524		5,597		16,479		16,526
(Gain) loss on asset disposals and exchanges, net	242		112		367		190
Operating income	(1,749)		125		(2,880)		2,806
Total assets	110,983		114,374		110,983		114,374
Capital expenditures	5,402		4,731		15,359		15,182
TDS Telecom HMS
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	36,428		17,055		76,862		29,922
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	25,332		9,298		50,196		13,773
Selling, general and administrative	10,901		4,428		24,268		9,660
Adjusted OIBDA	195	[1]	3,329	[1]	2,398	[1]	6,489	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	5,451		4,203		14,272		8,638
(Gain) loss on asset disposals and exchanges, net	6				105		57
Operating income	(5,262)		(874)		(11,979)		(2,206)
Total assets	269,550		203,211		269,550		203,211
Capital expenditures	4,358		14,974		13,000		21,108
TDS Telecom Eliminations
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	(2,587)		(2,492)		(7,788)		(7,426)
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	(2,180)		(2,081)		(6,537)		(6,151)
Selling, general and administrative	(407)		(411)		(1,251)		(1,275)
TDS Telecom
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	220,417		210,806		633,011		608,618
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	92,995		80,640		255,116		219,594
Selling, general and administrative	68,520		58,961		198,802		170,622
Adjusted OIBDA	58,902	[1]	71,205	[1]	179,093	[1]	218,402	[1]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	48,251		45,682		143,639		134,362
(Gain) loss on asset disposals and exchanges, net	351		337		777		758
Operating income	10,300		25,186		34,677		83,282
Total assets	1,774,931		1,666,846		1,774,931		1,666,846
Capital expenditures	43,468		56,214		122,085		127,790
Non-Reportable Segment
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	15,286	[2]	9,083	[2]	45,300	[2]	27,228	[2]
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	10,680	[2]	6,783	[2]	31,418	[2]	20,894	[2]
Selling, general and administrative	3,790	[2]	1,421	[2]	12,198	[2]	4,728	[2]
Adjusted OIBDA	816	[1],[2]	879	[1],[2]	1,684	[1],[2]	1,606	[1],[2]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	1,525	[2]	488	[2]	4,624	[2]	1,437	[2]
Loss on impairment of assets					515	[2]
(Gain) loss on asset disposals and exchanges, net	5	[2]			(5)	[2]	(1)	[2]
Operating income	(714)	[2]	391	[2]	(3,450)	[2]	170	[2]
Total assets	65,732	[2]	69,381	[2]	65,732	[2]	69,381	[2]
Capital expenditures	294	[2]	78	[2]	730	[2]	2,571	[2]
Other Reconciling Items
Business Segment Information
Operating revenues	(5,952)	[3]	(4,905)	[3]	(16,121)	[3]	(15,815)	[3]
Cost of services and products (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense reported below)	(490)	[3]	(370)	[3]	(1,595)	[3]	(1,168)	[3]
Selling, general and administrative	(4,619)	[3]	(6,479)	[3]	(10,603)	[3]	(16,414)	[3]
Adjusted OIBDA	(843)	[1],[3]	1,944	[1],[3]	(3,923)	[1],[3]	1,767	[1],[3]
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	1,292	[3]	2,205	[3]	4,508	[3]	6,517	[3]
(Gain) loss on asset disposals and exchanges, net	24	[3]	12	[3]	16	[3]	14	[3]
Operating income	(2,159)	[3]	(273)	[3]	(8,447)	[3]	(4,764)	[3]
Total assets	13,805	[3]	139,412	[3]	13,805	[3]	139,412	[3]
Capital expenditures	$ 1,722	[3]	$ 351	[3]	$ (9,410)	[3]	$ 6,953	[3]

[1] Adjusted OIBDA is defined as operating income excluding the effects of: depreciation, amortization and accretion (OIBDA); the loss on impairment of assets (if any); and the net gain or loss on asset disposals and exchanges (if any). Adjusted OIBDA excludes the loss on impairment of assets (if any) and the net gain or loss on asset disposals and exchanges (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; such gains or losses may occur in the future. 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. TDS believes this measure provides useful information to investors regarding TDS’ financial condition and results of operations because it highlights certain key cash and non-cash items and their impacts on cash flows from operating activities. This amount should not be confused with Cash flows from operating activities, which is a component of the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

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

[3] Consists of corporate operations and intercompany eliminations between U.S. Cellular, TDS Telecom, the Non-Reportable Segment and corporate operations.