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Debt, revolving credit facilities (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Revolving credit      
Subordination agreement description In connection with U.S. Cellular’s revolving credit facility, TDS and U.S. Cellular entered into a subordination agreement dated December 17, 2010 together with the administrative agent for the lenders under U.S. Cellular’s revolving credit agreement. Pursuant to this subordination agreement, (a) any consolidated funded indebtedness from U.S. Cellular to TDS will be unsecured and (b) any (i) consolidated funded indebtedness from U.S. Cellular to TDS (other than “refinancing indebtedness” as defined in the subordination agreement) in excess of $105,000,000, and (ii) refinancing indebtedness in excess of $250,000,000, will be subordinated and made junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full of obligations to the lenders under U.S. Cellular’s revolving credit agreement. As of December 31, 2014, U.S. Cellular had no outstanding consolidated funded indebtedness or refinancing indebtedness that was subordinated to the revolving credit agreement pursuant to the subordination agreement.    
Revolving credit facility, terms of agreement In July 2014, TDS and U.S. Cellular entered into amendments to the revolving credit facilities agreements which increased the Consolidated Leverage Ratio (the ratio of Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to Consolidated Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) that the companies are required to maintain. Beginning July 1, 2014, TDS and U.S. Cellular are required to maintain the Consolidated Leverage Ratio at a level not to exceed 3.75 to 1.00 for the period of the four fiscal quarters most recently ended (this was 3.00 to 1.00 prior to July 1, 2014). The terms of the amendment decrease the maximum permitted Consolidated Leverage Ratio beginning January 1, 2016, with further decreases effective July 1, 2016 and January 1, 2017 (and will return to 3.00 to 1.00 at that time). For the twelve months ended December 31, 2014, the actual Consolidated Leverage Ratio was 2.50 to 1.00. Future changes in TDS’ and U.S. Cellular’s financial condition could negatively impact their ability to meet the financial covenants and requirements in their revolving credit facilities agreements. TDS also has certain other non-material credit facilities from time to time.    
TDS Revolving credit facility | TDS Parent Company      
Revolving credit      
Maximum borrowing capacity $ 400.0us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		    
Letters of credit outstanding 0.6tds_LineOfCreditFacilityLettersOfCreditOutstanding
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		    
Amount available for use 399.4us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		    
Sample LIBOR rate 0.17%tds_LiborRate
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		 [1]    
Contractual spread 1.75%tds_LineOfCreditFacilityContractualSpread
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		 [1]    
Borrowing rate: One-month London InterBank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") plus contractual spread 1.92%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateAtPeriodEnd
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		 [1]    
Fees incurred as a percent of Maximum borrowing capacity for 2013 0.42%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		    
Fees incurred, amount 1.7us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCommitmentFeeAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		 0.9us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCommitmentFeeAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		 1.3us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCommitmentFeeAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Agreement date Dec. 17, 2010    
Maturity date Dec. 17, 2017    
Debt issuance cost, net of accumulated amortization 5.4us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsNet
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		    
TDS Revolving credit facility | TDS Parent Company | Minimum      
Revolving credit      
Range of commitment fees on amount available for use 0.13%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		 [2]    
TDS Revolving credit facility | TDS Parent Company | Maximum      
Revolving credit      
Range of commitment fees on amount available for use 0.30%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityBMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember		 [2]    
U.S. Cellular Revolving credit facility | U.S. Cellular      
Revolving credit      
Maximum borrowing capacity 300.0us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		    
Letters of credit outstanding 17.5tds_LineOfCreditFacilityLettersOfCreditOutstanding
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		    
Amount available for use 282.5us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		    
Sample LIBOR rate 0.17%tds_LiborRate
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		 [1]    
Contractual spread 1.75%tds_LineOfCreditFacilityContractualSpread
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		 [1]    
Borrowing rate: One-month London InterBank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") plus contractual spread 1.92%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateAtPeriodEnd
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		 [1]    
Fees incurred as a percent of Maximum borrowing capacity for 2013 0.42%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		    
Fees incurred, amount $ 1.3us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCommitmentFeeAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		 $ 0.8us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCommitmentFeeAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		 $ 1.1us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCommitmentFeeAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember
Agreement date Dec. 17, 2010    
Maturity date Dec. 17, 2017    
U.S. Cellular Revolving credit facility | U.S. Cellular | Minimum      
Revolving credit      
Range of commitment fees on amount available for use 0.13%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		 [2]    
U.S. Cellular Revolving credit facility | U.S. Cellular | Maximum      
Revolving credit      
Range of commitment fees on amount available for use 0.30%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= tds_RevolvingCreditFacilityCMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= tds_USCellularSegmentMember		 [2]    
[1] Borrowings under the revolving credit facility bear interest at LIBOR plus a contractual spread based on TDS' or U.S. Cellular’s credit rating or, at TDS' or U.S. Cellular’s option, an alternate “Base Rate” as defined in the revolving credit agreement. TDS and U.S. Cellular may select a borrowing period of either one, two, three or six months (or other period of twelve months or less if requested by TDS or U.S. Cellular and approved by the lenders). If TDS or U.S. Cellular provides notice of intent to borrow less than three business days in advance of a borrowing, interest on borrowing is at the Base Rate plus the contractual spread.
[2] The revolving credit facility has commitment fees based on the unsecured senior debt ratings assigned to TDS and U.S. Cellular by certain ratings agencies.