Variable Interest Entities - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, maximum exposure	$ 4		$ 5
Capital contributions, loans or advances	69	$ 183
USCC EIP LLC
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Capital contributions, loans or advances	$ 55	$ 168

The reporting entity's maximum amount of exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the Variable Interest Entity (VIE).

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118582676&loc=d3e5747-111685

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph b
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118582676&loc=d3e5728-111685

+ Details

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

- Definition

The amount of financial or other support the reporting entity has provided (explicitly or implicitly) to the Variable Interest Entity (VIE) that it was not previously contractually required to provide or that the reporting entity intends to provide, including, for example, situations in which the reporting entity assisted the VIE in obtaining another type of support.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5A
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118582676&loc=SL6759159-111685

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityFinancialOrOtherSupportAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=tds_VariableInterestEntityUsccEipLlcMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: