Consolidated Funded Indebtedness

No definition available.

Name:	tds_ConsolidatedFundedIndebtedness
Namespace Prefix:	tds_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Refinancing Indebtedness

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	tds_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775985&loc=d3e28878-108400

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow for the extinguishment of long-term borrowing, with the highest claim on the assets of the entity in case of bankruptcy or liquidation, before its maturity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3291-108585

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=tds_SubordinatedAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=tds_TermLoanFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Debt - Term Loan Facility (Details) - USD ($)		12 Months Ended
Debt - Term Loan Facility (Details) - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jul. 31, 2015
Long-term debt
Principal amount		$ 2,398,000,000	$ 2,512,000,000
U.S. Cellular Term loan facility \| U.S. Cellular
Long-term debt
Principal amount		$ 83,000,000	$ 191,000,000	$ 225,000,000
Principal prepayment	$ 100,000,000
U.S. Cellular Term loan facility \| U.S. Cellular \| LIBOR rate
Long-term debt
Contractual spread		1.75%
Subordinated Agreement \| U.S. Cellular Term loan facility \| U.S. Cellular
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated funded indebtedness		$ 0
Refinancing indebtedness		$ 0