Business Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2022		Dec. 31, 2021		Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	$ 5,413		$ 5,329		$ 5,225
Selling, general and administrative	1,768		1,677		1,681
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	929		895		909
Loss on impairment of licenses	3		0		0
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	27		26		27
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(1)		(2)		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0		(5)
Operating income	122		261		259
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	159		182		181
Interest and dividend income	17		11		15
Gain (loss) on investments	0		0		2
Interest expense	(174)		(232)		(168)
Other, net	1		(1)		(1)
Income before income taxes	125		221		288
Income tax expense (benefit)	53		33		19
Net income	72		188		269
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	929		895		909
Loss on impairment of licenses	3		0		0
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	27		26		27
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(1)		(2)		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0		(5)
(Gain) loss on investments	0		0		(2)
Interest expense	174		232		168
Income tax expense	53		33		19
Adjusted EBITDA	1,257		1,372		1,385
Investments in unconsolidated entities	495		479		477
Total assets	14,550	[1]	13,493	[1]	12,525
Capital expenditures	1,285		1,201		1,317
UScellular
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	4,169		4,122		4,037
Selling, general and administrative	1,408		1,345		1,368
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	700		678		683
Loss on impairment of licenses	3
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	19		23		25
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(1)		(2)
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net					(5)
Operating income	69		170		173
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	158		179		179
Interest and dividend income	8		6		8
Gain (loss) on investments					2
Interest expense	(163)		(175)		(112)
Other, net	0		0		0
Income before income taxes	72		180		250
Income tax expense (benefit)	37		20		17
Net income	35		160		233
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	700		678		683
Loss on impairment of licenses	3
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	19		23		25
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(1)		(2)
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net					(5)
(Gain) loss on investments					(2)
Interest expense	163		175		112
Income tax expense	37		20		17
Adjusted EBITDA	956		1,054		1,063
Investments in unconsolidated entities	452		439		435
Total assets	11,119		10,341		9,681
Capital expenditures	717		780		940
TDS Telecom
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	1,020		1,006		976
Selling, general and administrative	313		291		270
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	215		198		203
Loss on impairment of licenses	0
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	7		2		1
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net					0
Operating income	66		110		110
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0		0
Interest and dividend income	2		1		5
Gain (loss) on investments					0
Interest expense	7		5		4
Other, net	1		(1)		(1)
Income before income taxes	76		114		117
Income tax expense (benefit)	23		24		18
Net income	53		90		100
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	215		198		203
Loss on impairment of licenses	0
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	7		2		1
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net					0
(Gain) loss on investments					0
Interest expense	(7)		(5)		(4)
Income tax expense	23		24		18
Adjusted EBITDA	291		310		317
Investments in unconsolidated entities	4		4		4
Total assets	3,056		2,645		2,359
Capital expenditures	556		411		368
Corporate, Eliminations and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	224		201		212
Selling, general and administrative	47		41		43
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	14		19		23
Loss on impairment of licenses	0
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	1		1		1
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net					0
Operating income	(13)		(19)		(24)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	1		3		2
Interest and dividend income	7		4		2
Gain (loss) on investments					0
Interest expense	(18)		(62)		(60)
Other, net	0		0		0
Income before income taxes	(23)		(73)		(79)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(7)		(11)		(16)
Net income	(16)		(62)		(64)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	14		19		23
Loss on impairment of licenses	0
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	1		1		1
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net					0
(Gain) loss on investments					0
Interest expense	18		62		60
Income tax expense	(7)		(11)		(16)
Adjusted EBITDA	10		8		5
Investments in unconsolidated entities	39		36		38
Total assets	375		507		484
Capital expenditures	12		10		9
Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	4,240		4,216		4,136
Cost of goods and services sold	1,245		1,267		1,244
Service | UScellular
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	3,125		3,115		3,067
Cost of goods and services sold	755		790		782
Service | TDS Telecom
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	1,019		1,005		975
Cost of goods and services sold	418		404		392
Service | Corporate, Eliminations and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	96		96		94
Cost of goods and services sold	72		73		70
Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	1,173		1,113		1,089
Cost of goods and services sold	1,320		1,205		1,110
Equipment and product sales | UScellular
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	1,044		1,007		970
Cost of goods and services sold	1,216		1,118		1,011
Equipment and product sales | TDS Telecom
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	1		1		1
Cost of goods and services sold	1		1		1
Equipment and product sales | Corporate, Eliminations and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	128		105		118
Cost of goods and services sold	$ 103		$ 86		$ 98

[1] The consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, include assets held by consolidated variable interest entities (VIEs) of $1,236 million and $1,456 million, respectively, which are not available to be used to settle the obligations of TDS. The consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, include certain liabilities of consolidated VIEs of $23 million and $21 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of TDS. See Note 15 — Variable Interest Entities for additional information.