v3.19.2

financial instruments - Contract assets (Details) - CAD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Credit risk
Contract assets	$ 1,441	$ 0	$ 1,475	$ 1,272	$ 1,279	$ 0
Cost/Gross amount
Credit risk
Contract assets	1,519		1,549
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Credit risk
Contract assets	(78)		(74)
The twelve month period ending one year hence
Credit risk
Contract assets	1,019		1,017	907
The twelve month period ending one year hence | Cost/Gross amount
Credit risk
Contract assets	1,073		1,068
The twelve month period ending one year hence | Allowance for doubtful accounts
Credit risk
Contract assets	(54)		(51)
The twelve month period ending two years hence
Credit risk
Contract assets	407		444	354
The twelve month period ending two years hence | Cost/Gross amount
Credit risk
Contract assets	430		466
The twelve month period ending two years hence | Allowance for doubtful accounts
Credit risk
Contract assets	(23)		(22)
Thereafter
Credit risk
Contract assets	15		14	$ 11
Thereafter | Cost/Gross amount
Credit risk
Contract assets	16		15
Thereafter | Allowance for doubtful accounts
Credit risk
Contract assets	$ (1)		$ (1)

X

- Definition

The amount of an entity’s right to consideration in exchange for goods or services that the entity has transferred to a customer, when that right is conditioned on something other than the passage of time (for example, the entity’s future performance).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 15
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph 105
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=15&date=2018-03-01&anchor=para_105&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2018-03-16

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 15
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph 116
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=15&date=2018-03-01&anchor=para_116_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2018-03-16

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ContractAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

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

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DisclosureOfFinancialAssetsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_CarryingAmountAccumulatedDepreciationAmortisationAndImpairmentAndGrossCarryingAmountAxis=ifrs-full_GrossCarryingAmountMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_CarryingAmountAccumulatedDepreciationAmortisationAndImpairmentAndGrossCarryingAmountAxis=ifrs-full_AccumulatedImpairmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_MaturityAxis=tu_TwelveMonthPeriodEndingOneYearHenceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_MaturityAxis=tu_TwelveMonthPeriodEndingTwoYearsHenceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_MaturityAxis=tu_LaterThanTwelveMonthPeriodEndingTwoYearsHenceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: