Business Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017		Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Service		$ 997		$ 1,011
Equipment and product sales		241		243
Total operating revenues		1,238		1,254
Cost of services (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion reported below)		282		288
Cost of equipment and products		270		291
Selling, general and administrative		406		431
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		211		212
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net		4		6
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net		(17)
Operating income (loss)		82		26
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities		32		35
Interest and dividend income		4		3
Interest expense		(42)		(41)
Other, net		1
Income before income taxes		77		23
Income tax expense (benefit)		34		13
Net income		43		10
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		211		212
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net		4		6
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net		(17)
Interest expense		42		41
Income tax expense		34		13
Adjusted EBITDA	[1]	317		282
Investments in unconsolidated entities		472		423	$ 451
Total assets		9,349	[2]	9,383	$ 9,446	[2]
Capital expenditures		96		125
U.S. Cellular
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Service	[3]	746		771
Equipment and product sales		190		198
Total operating revenues	[3]	936		969
Cost of services (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion reported below)		175		184
Cost of equipment and products		228		256
Selling, general and administrative		339		361
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		153		153
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net		4		5
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net		(17)
Operating income (loss)	[3]	54		10
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities		33		35
Interest and dividend income	[3]	3		2
Interest expense		(28)		(28)
Other, net		(1)		1
Income before income taxes		61		20
Income tax expense (benefit)	[4]	33		11
Net income		28		9
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		153		153
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net		4		5
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net		(17)
Interest expense		28		28
Income tax expense	[4]	33		11
Adjusted EBITDA	[1]	229		206
Investments in unconsolidated entities		434		384
Total assets		7,024		7,057
Capital expenditures		61		79
TDS Telecom
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Service	[3]	256		246
Equipment and product sales		43		35
Total operating revenues	[3]	299		281
Cost of services (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion reported below)		107		104
Cost of equipment and products		36		30
Selling, general and administrative		71		71
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		56		58
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net		1		1
Operating income (loss)	[3]	29		17
Interest and dividend income	[3]	1		1
Interest expense		(1)
Other, net				(1)
Income before income taxes		29		17
Income tax expense (benefit)	[4]	11		7
Net income		18		10
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		56		58
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net		1		1
Interest expense		1
Income tax expense	[4]	11		7
Adjusted EBITDA	[1]	86		76
Investments in unconsolidated entities		4		4
Total assets		2,077		2,142
Capital expenditures		33		42
TDS Telecom Wireline
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Service	[3]	179		173
Total operating revenues	[3]	179		173
Cost of services (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion reported below)		63		62
Cost of equipment and products		1		1
Selling, general and administrative		48		48
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		39		42
Operating income (loss)	[3]	29		20
Interest and dividend income	[3]	1		1
Interest expense				1
Income before income taxes		30		22
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		39		42
Interest expense				(1)
Adjusted EBITDA	[1]	69		63
Investments in unconsolidated entities		4		4
Total assets		1,204		1,291
Capital expenditures		17		27
TDS Telecom Cable
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Service	[3]	49		45
Total operating revenues	[3]	49		45
Cost of services (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion reported below)		24		22
Selling, general and administrative		13		12
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		10		9
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net				1
Operating income (loss)	[3]	2		1
Other, net				(1)
Income before income taxes		2
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		10		9
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net				1
Adjusted EBITDA	[1]	13		10
Total assets		609		581
Capital expenditures		9		13
TDS Telecom HMS
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Service	[3]	29		29
Equipment and product sales		43		35
Total operating revenues	[3]	71		64
Cost of services (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion reported below)		20		21
Cost of equipment and products		36		29
Selling, general and administrative		11		11
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		7		7
Operating income (loss)	[3]	(2)		(4)
Interest expense		(1)		(1)
Income before income taxes		(3)		(5)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		7		7
Interest expense		1		1
Adjusted EBITDA	[1]	5		3
Total assets		264		270
Capital expenditures		6		2
TDS Telecom Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Service	[3]	(1)		(1)
Total operating revenues	[3]	(1)		(1)
Cost of services (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion reported below)		(1)		(1)
Corporate, Eliminations and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Service	[3]	(5)		(6)
Equipment and product sales		8		10
Total operating revenues	[3]	3		4
Cost of equipment and products		6		5
Selling, general and administrative		(4)		(1)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		2		1
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net		(1)
Operating income (loss)	[3]	(1)		(1)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities		(1)
Interest expense		(13)		(13)
Other, net		2
Income before income taxes		(13)		(14)
Income tax expense (benefit)	[4]	(10)		(5)
Net income		(3)		(9)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		2		1
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net		(1)
Interest expense		13		13
Income tax expense	[4]	(10)		(5)
Adjusted EBITDA	[1]	2
Investments in unconsolidated entities		34		35
Total assets		248		184
Capital expenditures		$ 2		$ 4

[1] Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and accretion (“Adjusted EBITDA”) 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. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income, adjusted for the items set forth in the reconciliation above. TDS believes Adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure of TDS’ operating results before significant recurring non-cash charges, gains and losses, and other items as presented above as they provide additional relevant and useful information to investors and other users of TDS' financial data in evaluating the effectiveness of its operations and underlying business trends in a manner that is consistent with management's evaluation of business performance.

[2] The consolidated total assets as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 include assets held by consolidated VIEs of $763 million and $804 million, respectively, which are not available to be used to settle the obligations of TDS. The consolidated total liabilities as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 include certain liabilities of consolidated VIEs of $15 million and $17 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of TDS. See Note 8 — Variable Interest Entities for additional information.

[3] Equipment installment plan interest income is reflected as a component of Service revenues consistent with an accounting policy change effective January 1, 2017. All prior period numbers have been recast to conform to this accounting change. See Note 1 — Basis of Presentation for additional details.

[4] Income tax expense (benefit) is not provided at the individual segment level for Wireline, Cable and HMS. TDS calculates income tax expense for "TDS Telecom Total".