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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 number		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Basis of Presentation
Number of wireless customers	4,800,000tds_NumberOfWirelessCustomers
Wireline and Cable connections	1,200,000tds_WirelineCustomerConnections
Amounts recorded gross in revenues that are billed to customers and remitted to governmental authorities	$ 113,500,000tds_AmountsCollectedAndRemittedToGovernmentalAuthorities		$ 131,000,000tds_AmountsCollectedAndRemittedToGovernmentalAuthorities		$ 152,400,000tds_AmountsCollectedAndRemittedToGovernmentalAuthorities
Advertising costs	228,500,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense		212,800,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense		240,900,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Accumulated amortization of deferred charges	58,100,000us-gaap_AccumulatedAmortizationDeferredFinanceCosts		41,400,000us-gaap_AccumulatedAmortizationDeferredFinanceCosts
Federal Communications Commission deposit	60,000,000tds_FccLicenseAuctionDepositPayment
Long-term
Accounts receivable
Unbilled allowance for credit losses	6,065,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = tds_NoncurrentAssetsMember
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Accounts receivable
Allowance for doubtful accounts, beginning balance	65,604,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember	[1]	33,415,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember	[1]	31,071,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember
Additions, net of recoveries	107,861,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember		105,629,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember		74,695,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember
Deductions	(124,828,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesDeductions / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember		(73,440,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesDeductions / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember		(72,351,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesDeductions / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember
Allowance for doubtful accounts, ending balance	48,637,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember	[1]	65,604,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember	[1]	33,415,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable / us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis = us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsMember	[1]
U.S. Cellular
Basis of Presentation
TDS ownership of U.S. Cellular	84.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = tds_USCellularSegmentMember
Agent liability	95,300,000tds_AccruedAgentCommissionCurrent / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = tds_USCellularSegmentMember		121,300,000tds_AccruedAgentCommissionCurrent / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = tds_USCellularSegmentMember
U.S. Cellular | Loyalty Rewards Program
Basis of Presentation
Deferred revenue	94,600,000us-gaap_DeferredRevenue / us-gaap_DeferredRevenueArrangementTypeAxis = tds_RewardProgramMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = tds_USCellularSegmentMember		116,200,000us-gaap_DeferredRevenue / us-gaap_DeferredRevenueArrangementTypeAxis = tds_RewardProgramMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = tds_USCellularSegmentMember
U.S. Cellular | Loyalty Rewards Program | Special issuance
Basis of Presentation
Deferred revenue			$ 43,500,000us-gaap_DeferredRevenue / us-gaap_DeferredRevenueArrangementTypeAxis = tds_RewardProgramMember / tds_SignificantEventAxis = tds_SpecialIssuanceMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = tds_USCellularSegmentMember
[1] In 2014, this balance includes a $6.1 million allowance related to the long-term portion of unbilled equipment installment receivables.

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Number of wireless customers.

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Wireline and Cable customer connections are the sum of Cable customer connections and ILEC and CLEC residential and commercial connections, which includes physical access lines, broadband connections, managedIP connections and IPTV customers.

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