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Business Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019		Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019		Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	$ 1,321		$ 1,297	$ 3,840		$ 3,777
Selling, general and administrative	439		421	1,260		1,232
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	237		220	697		662
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	6		0	5		3
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0		0	(1)		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	2		0	0		(18)
Operating income	29		51	171		192
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	44		42	129		121
Interest and dividend income	7		6	24		18
Interest expense	(42)		(43)	(128)		(129)
Other, net	0		2	0		1
Income before income taxes	38		58	196		203
Income tax expense (benefit)	15		5	64		48
Net income	23		53	132		155
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	237		220	697		662
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	6		0	5		3
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net	0		0	(1)		0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	2		0	0		(18)
Interest expense	42		43	128		129
Income tax expense	15		5	64		48
Adjusted EBITDA	325		321	1,025		979
Investments in unconsolidated entities	511		500	511		500	$ 480
Total assets	10,881	[1]	9,719	10,881	[1]	9,719	$ 9,783	[1]
Capital expenditures	253		177	664		430
Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	1,030		1,017	3,038		2,988
Cost of goods and services	313		314	900		902
Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	291		280	802		789
Cost of goods and services	295		291	808		804
U.S. Cellular
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	1,031		1,001	2,970		2,916
Selling, general and administrative	358		346	1,027		1,014
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	181		160	524		478
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	5		3	13		5
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net				(1)
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	2					(18)
Operating income	20		34	115		155
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	44		42	128		120
Interest and dividend income	4		4	14		10
Interest expense	(29)		(29)	(87)		(87)
Other, net			0			0
Income before income taxes	39		51	170		198
Income tax expense (benefit)	15		14	55		55
Net income	24		37	115		143
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	181		160	524		478
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	5		3	13		5
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net				(1)
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	2					(18)
Interest expense	29		29	87		87
Income tax expense	15		14	55		55
Adjusted EBITDA	256		243	793		750
Investments in unconsolidated entities	471		461	471		461
Total assets	8,291		7,228	8,291		7,228
Capital expenditures	170		118	467		274
U.S. Cellular | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	774		759	2,272		2,224
Cost of goods and services	199		200	568		566
U.S. Cellular | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	257		242	698		692
Cost of goods and services	266		258	724		716
TDS Telecom Total
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	231		234	695		695
Selling, general and administrative	67		63	193		187
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	50		53	150		160
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		(3)	(7)		(2)
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net				0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0					0
Operating income	20		28	86		71
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0	0		0
Interest and dividend income	3		2	9		5
Interest expense	1		1	2		1
Other, net			1			2
Income before income taxes	24		31	97		80
Income tax expense (benefit)	5		(5)	23		7
Net income	18		36	74		73
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	50		53	150		160
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		(3)	(7)		(2)
(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)		(1)	(2)		(1)
Income tax expense	5		(5)	23		7
Adjusted EBITDA	73		80	238		236
Investments in unconsolidated entities	4		4	4		4
Total assets	2,066		1,929	2,066		1,929
Capital expenditures	81		54	193		140
TDS Telecom Total | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	231		234	694		693
Cost of goods and services	94		94	274		277
TDS Telecom Total | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	0		0	1		1
Cost of goods and services	0		0	1		1
TDS Telecom Wireline
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	169		177	512		526
Selling, general and administrative	52		49	148		146
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	33		35	99		108
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		(4)	(8)		(3)
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net				0
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net	0					0
Operating income	16		28	78		75
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0	0		0
Interest and dividend income	3		2	8		5
Interest expense	1		1	2		1
Other, net			1			2
Income before income taxes	20		31	88		83
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	33		35	99		108
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		(4)	(8)		(3)
(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)		(1)	(2)		(1)
Adjusted EBITDA	52		61	177		186
Investments in unconsolidated entities	4		4	4		4
Total assets	1,430		1,302	1,430		1,302
Capital expenditures	61		41	145		103
TDS Telecom Wireline | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	169		176	512		524
Cost of goods and services	68		68	195		200
TDS Telecom Wireline | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	0		0	1		1
Cost of goods and services	0		0	1		1
TDS Telecom Cable
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	62		58	184		170
Selling, general and administrative	15		14	44		42
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	17		17	51		52
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		1	1		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	3		0	8		(4)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0	0		0
Interest and dividend income	0		0	1		1
Interest expense	0		0	0		0
Other, net			0			0
Income before income taxes	4		0	9		(3)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	17		17	51		52
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	0		1	1		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	0		0	0		0
Adjusted EBITDA	21		18	61		50
Investments in unconsolidated entities	0		0	0		0
Total assets	644		637	644		637
Capital expenditures	20		13	48		37
TDS Telecom Cable | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	62		58	183		170
Cost of goods and services	27		26	79		78
TDS Telecom Cable | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	0		0	0		0
Cost of goods and services	0		0	0		0
Corporate, Eliminations and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	59		62	175		166
Selling, general and administrative	14		12	40		31
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	6		7	23		24
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	1		0	(1)		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	(11)		(11)	(30)		(34)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0		0	1		1
Interest and dividend income	0		0	1		3
Interest expense	(14)		(15)	(43)		(43)
Other, net			1			(1)
Income before income taxes	(25)		(24)	(71)		(75)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(5)		(4)	(14)		(14)
Net income	(19)		(20)	(57)		(61)
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	6		7	23		24
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net	1		0	(1)		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	14		15	43		43
Income tax expense	(5)		(4)	(14)		(14)
Adjusted EBITDA	(4)		(2)	(6)		(7)
Investments in unconsolidated entities	36		35	36		35
Total assets	524		562	524		562
Capital expenditures	2		5	4		16
Corporate, Eliminations and Other | Service
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	25		24	72		71
Cost of goods and services	20		20	58		59
Corporate, Eliminations and Other | Equipment and product sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	34		38	103		96
Cost of goods and services	$ 29		$ 33	$ 83		$ 87
[1] The consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, include assets held by consolidated variable interest entities (VIEs) of $913 million and $848 million, respectively, which are not available to be used to settle the obligations of TDS. The consolidated total liabilities as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, include certain liabilities of consolidated VIEs of $18 million and $21 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of TDS. See Note 11 — Variable Interest Entities for additional information.

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