Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges, exchanges (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Exchanges
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	$ (122,873,000)	$ (91,446,000)
Carrying value	1,837,238,000		1,453,574,000	1,837,238,000
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges	274,131,000	103,042,000
Other current liabilities	145,871,000		181,803,000	145,871,000
Assets held for sale	29,771,000		103,343,000	29,771,000
U.S. Cellular
Exchanges
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	(122,873,000)	(91,446,000)
U.S. Cellular | PCS and AWS license exchange
Exchanges
Asset exchange description	In September 2014, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement with a third party to exchange certain PCS and AWS licenses for certain other PCS and AWS licenses and $28.0 million of cash. This license exchange will be accomplished in two closings. The first closing occurred in December 2014 at which time U.S. Cellular received licenses with an estimated fair value, per a market approach, of $51.5 million, recorded a $21.7 million gain and recorded an $18.3 million deferred credit in Other current liabilities. The second closing is expected to occur in the second half of 2015. A license with a $22.2 million book value will be transferred and has been classified as “Assets held for sale” in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2015. At the time of the second closing, TDS will recognize the deferred credit from the first closing and expects to record a gain on this part of the license exchange.
Assets held for sale	22,200,000			22,200,000
U.S. Cellular | PCS and AWS license exchange - first closing
Exchanges
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net			(21,700,000)
Fair value			51,500,000
Other current liabilities			18,300,000
U.S. Cellular | PCS license exchange
Exchanges
Asset exchange description	In March 2015, U.S. Cellular exchanged certain of its unbuilt PCS licenses for certain other PCS licenses located in U.S. Cellular’s existing operating markets and $117.0 million of cash. The licenses received in the transaction have an estimated fair value, per a market approach, of $43.5 million. A gain of $125.2 million was recorded in (Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net in the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the first quarter of 2015.
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net				(125,200,000)
Fair value	43,500,000			43,500,000
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges				117,000,000
U.S. Cellular | Expected event | PCS and AWS license exchange
Exchanges
Cash received from divestitures and exchanges					$ 28,000,000