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Variable Interest Entities - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2019 | Mar. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2018
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items] |  |  |
Investment in unconsolidated entities, maximum exposure | $ 4 |  | $ 4
Capital contributions, loans or advances | 183 | $ 19 |
USCC EIP LLC |  |  |
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items] |  |  |
Capital contributions, loans or advances | $ 168 | 10 |
King Street Wireless Out Of Period Adjustment |  |  |
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items] |  |  |
Immaterial error correction | During the first quarter of 2018, TDS recorded an out-of-period adjustment attributable to 2016 and 2017 due to errors in the application of accounting guidance applicable to the calculation of Noncontrolling interests with redemption features related to King Street Wireless, Inc. This out-of-period adjustment had the impact of increasing Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax, by $6 million and decreasing Net income attributable to TDS shareholders by $6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018. TDS determined that this adjustment was not material to any of the periods impacted. |  |
King Street Wireless Out Of Period Adjustment | Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax |  |  |
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items] |  |  |
Out-of-period adjustment |  | 6 |
King Street Wireless Out Of Period Adjustment | Net income attributable to TDS shareholders |  |  |
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items] |  |  |
Out-of-period adjustment |  | $ (6) |

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- Definition Describes nature and related effect on financial statements related to corrections of prior year errors in the current year financial statements when the effect of the prior year error was immaterial to the prior year financial statements and the current year correction is immaterial to the current year financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 1.M.1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=112272810&loc=d3e30365-122693 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109234566&loc=d3e22644-107794 Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 1.N.Q2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=112272810&loc=d3e30840-122693 + Details
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- 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=108788376&loc=SL6759159-111685 + Details
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