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Business Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019		Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	$ 1,257		$ 1,225
Selling, general and administrative	397		395
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	227		221
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	(5)		2
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(2)		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	(2)		(7)
Operating income	94		80
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	44		38
Interest and dividend income	9		5
Interest expense	(43)		(43)
Other, net	0		1
Income before income taxes	104		81
Income tax expense (benefit)	34		24
Net income	70		57
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	227		221
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	(5)		2
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(2)		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	(2)		(7)
Interest expense	43		43
Income tax expense	34		24
Adjusted EBITDA	365		340
Investments in unconsolidated entities	507		488	$ 480
Total assets	10,787	[1]	9,481	$ 9,783	[1]
Capital expenditures	147		115
Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	995		978
Cost of goods and services	284		288
Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	262		247
Cost of goods and services	264		246
U.S. Cellular
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	966		942
Selling, general and administrative	326		326
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	169		159
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	2		1
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(2)
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	(2)		(7)
Operating income	64		65
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	44		38
Interest and dividend income	6		4
Interest expense	(29)		(29)
Other, net	0		(1)
Income before income taxes	85		77
Income tax expense (benefit)	27		22
Net income	58		55
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	169		159
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	2		1
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	(2)
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	(2)		(7)
Interest expense	29		29
Income tax expense	27		22
Adjusted EBITDA	281		259
Investments in unconsolidated entities	468		450
Total assets	8,229		7,048
Capital expenditures	102		70
U.S. Cellular | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	741		724
Cost of goods and services	176		179
U.S. Cellular | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	225		218
Cost of goods and services	233		219
TDS Telecom Total
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	230		231
Selling, general and administrative	61		60
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	50		54
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	(7)		0
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0
Operating income	37		25
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0
Interest and dividend income	3		1
Interest expense	0		0
Other, net	0		1
Income before income taxes	40		27
Income tax expense (benefit)	10		6
Net income	31		21
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	50		54
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	(7)		0
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0
Interest expense	0		0
Income tax expense	10		6
Adjusted EBITDA	83		81
Investments in unconsolidated entities	4		4
Total assets	1,986		1,901
Capital expenditures	42		40
TDS Telecom Total | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	230		230
Cost of goods and services	88		90
TDS Telecom Total | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	0		0
Cost of goods and services	0		0
TDS Telecom Wireline
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	171		175
Selling, general and administrative	47		47
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	34		37
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	(7)		0
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0
Operating income	34		26
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0
Interest and dividend income	3		1
Interest expense	1		0
Other, net	0		1
Income before income taxes	38		28
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	34		37
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	(7)		0
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0
Interest expense	(1)		0
Adjusted EBITDA	63		65
Investments in unconsolidated entities	4		4
Total assets	1,353		1,264
Capital expenditures	29		29
TDS Telecom Wireline | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	170		175
Cost of goods and services	63		65
TDS Telecom Wireline | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	0		0
Cost of goods and services	0		0
TDS Telecom Cable
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	60		55
Selling, general and administrative	14		13
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	17		17
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		0
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0
Operating income	2		(1)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0
Interest and dividend income	0		0
Interest expense	0		0
Other, net	0		0
Income before income taxes	3		(1)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	17		17
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		0
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0
Interest expense	0		0
Adjusted EBITDA	20		16
Investments in unconsolidated entities	0		0
Total assets	641		644
Capital expenditures	13		11
TDS Telecom Cable | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	60		55
Cost of goods and services	26		26
TDS Telecom Cable | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	0		0
Cost of goods and services	0		0
Corporate, Eliminations and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	61		52
Selling, general and administrative	10		9
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	8		8
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		1
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0
Operating income	(7)		(10)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0
Interest and dividend income	0		0
Interest expense	(14)		(14)
Other, net	0		1
Income before income taxes	(21)		(23)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(3)		(4)
Net income	(19)		(19)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	8		8
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		1
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0		0
Interest expense	14		14
Income tax expense	(3)		(4)
Adjusted EBITDA	1		0
Investments in unconsolidated entities	35		34
Total assets	572		532
Capital expenditures	3		5
Corporate, Eliminations and Other | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	24		24
Cost of goods and services	20		19
Corporate, Eliminations and Other | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	37		29
Cost of goods and services	$ 31		$ 27
[1] The consolidated total assets as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, include assets held by consolidated variable interest entities (VIEs) of $895 million and $848 million, respectively, which are not available to be used to settle the obligations of TDS. The consolidated total liabilities as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, include certain liabilities of consolidated VIEs of $19 million and $21 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of TDS. See Note 9 — Variable Interest Entities for additional information.

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