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Commitments and Contingencies, minimum lease obligations (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Jan. 31, 2015
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure    
Operating leases TDS and its subsidiaries have leases for certain plant facilities, office space, retail store sites, cell sites, data centers and data-processing equipment which are accounted for as operating leases. Certain leases have renewal options and/or fixed rental increases. Renewal options that are reasonably assured of exercise are included in determining the lease term. Any rent abatements or lease incentives, in addition to fixed rental increases, are included in the calculation of rent expense and calculated on a straight-line basis over the defined lease term.  
Operating Leases Future Minimum Payments Due    
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2015 $ 155,476us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueCurrent [1]  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2016 139,346us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears [1]  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2017 119,384us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears [1]  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2018 102,014us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears [1]  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments 2019 86,580us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears [1]  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments After 2019 798,530us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter [1]  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments Total 1,401,330us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue [1]  
Operating Leases Future Minimum Payments Receivable    
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2015 54,463us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableCurrent  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2016 43,918us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInTwoYears  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2017 34,619us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInThreeYears  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2018 24,095us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInFourYears  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts 2019 12,038us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableInFiveYears  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts After 2019 8,558us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableThereafter  
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Receipts Total 177,691us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivable  
Subsequent event | Tower sale - second closing    
Operating Leases Future Minimum Payments Due    
Operating Leases - Future Minimum Rental Payments Total   $ 88,400us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
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[1] *Includes $88.4 million of future lease payments associated with leases transferred in January 2015 per the second closing of the tower sale. See Note 6 — Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges for additional information.