Equipment Installment Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Equipment installment plans
Guarantee liability	$ 44	$ 44		$ 93
Imputed interest rate		10.70%		9.70%
2016 Equipment installment plans out-of-period adjustment
Equipment installment plans
Out-of-period adjustment description		TDS recorded out-of-period adjustments during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 due to errors related to equipment installment plan transactions occurring in 2015 and 2016 (“2016 EIP adjustments”). For the three months ended September 30, 2016, the 2016 EIP adjustments had the impact of increasing Equipment and product sales revenues by $4 million, decreasing bad debts expense, which is a component of Selling, general and administrative expense, by $2 million and increasing Income before income taxes by $6 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, the 2016 EIP adjustments had the impact of increasing Equipment and product sales revenues by $2 million, decreasing bad debts expense by $2 million and increasing Income before income taxes by $4 million.
2015 Equipment installment plans out-of-period adjustment
Equipment installment plans
Out-of-period adjustment description		Additionally, TDS recorded out-of-period adjustments during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 due to errors related to equipment installment plan transactions (“2015 EIP adjustments”) that were attributable to 2014. The 2015 EIP adjustments had the impact of reducing Equipment and product sales revenues and Income before income taxes by $6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. The 2015 EIP adjustments were made in the first six months of 2015. TDS has determined that these adjustments were not material to any of the periods impacted.
Equipment and product sales revenues | 2016 Equipment installment plans out-of-period adjustment
Equipment installment plans
Out-of-period adjustment	4	$ 2
Equipment and product sales revenues | 2015 Equipment installment plans out-of-period adjustment
Equipment installment plans
Out-of-period adjustment			$ (6)
Selling, general and administrative expense | 2016 Equipment installment plans out-of-period adjustment
Equipment installment plans
Out-of-period adjustment	(2)	(2)
Income before income taxes | 2016 Equipment installment plans out-of-period adjustment
Equipment installment plans
Out-of-period adjustment	6	4
Income before income taxes | 2015 Equipment installment plans out-of-period adjustment
Equipment installment plans
Out-of-period adjustment			$ (6)
Short-term
Equipment installment plan receivables
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, gross	339	339		$ 279
Unbilled deferred interest	(33)	(33)		(21)
Unbilled allowance for credit losses	(22)	(22)		(14)
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, net	284	284		244
Long-term
Equipment installment plan receivables
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, gross	165	165		76
Unbilled deferred interest	(9)	(9)		(2)
Unbilled allowance for credit losses	(13)	(13)		(6)
Unbilled equipment installment plan receivables, net	$ 143	$ 143		$ 68