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Debt
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Debt
Note 13 Debt
Revolving Credit Agreements
At December 31, 2024, TDS and UScellular had unsecured revolving credit agreements available for general corporate purposes. Amounts under the agreements may be borrowed, repaid and reborrowed from time to time until maturity in July 2026. 
The following table summarizes the unsecured revolving credit agreements as of December 31, 2024:
 TDSUScellular
(Dollars in millions)  
Maximum borrowing capacity$400 $300 
Letters of credit outstanding$1 $— 
Amount borrowed and outstanding$— $— 
Amount available for use$399 $300 
During 2024, TDS borrowed $100 million and repaid $200 million under its revolving credit agreement.
Borrowings under the TDS and UScellular revolving credit agreements bear interest at a rate of Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus 1.60%. TDS and UScellular 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 UScellular and approved by the lenders). TDS’ and UScellular’s credit spread and commitment fees on their revolving credit agreements may be subject to increase if their current credit ratings from nationally recognized credit rating agencies are lowered, and may be subject to decrease if the ratings are raised. 
Unsecured Term Loan Agreements
The following tables summarizes the unsecured term loan credit agreements as of December 31, 2024:
TDSTerm Loan 1Term Loan 2
Term Loan 31
Total
(Dollars in millions)
Maximum borrowing capacity$200 $300 $375 $875 
Amount borrowed and outstanding$194 $293 $298 $785 
Amount borrowed and repaid$6 $7 $2 $15 
Amount available for use$— $— $75 $75 
Interest rate
SOFR plus 2.10%
SOFR plus 2.60%
SOFR plus 7.00%
Maturity dateJuly 2028July 2031May 2029
Quarterly installments
$0.5 million from December 2021 to maturity date
$0.75 million from December 2022 to September 2026; $2 million from December 2026 to maturity date
Outstanding borrowings multiplied by 0.25% from September 2024 to maturity date
1TDS entered into an unsecured term loan credit agreement in May 2024. The agreement requires TDS to make prepayments of the outstanding borrowings to the extent TDS receives cash proceeds in excess of prescribed thresholds from certain transactions as more fully described in the agreement.
UScellular
Term Loan 11
Term Loan 2Term Loan 3Total
(Dollars in millions)
Maximum borrowing capacity$300 $300 $200 $800 
Amount borrowed and outstanding$237 $290 $196 $723 
Amount borrowed and repaid$63 $10 $4 $77 
Amount available for use$— $— $— $— 
Interest rate
SOFR plus 1.60%
SOFR plus 2.10%
SOFR plus 2.60%
Maturity dateJuly 2026July 2028July 2031
Quarterly installments
$4 million from March 2024 to December 2025; $8 million from March 2026 to maturity date
$0.75 million from December 2021 to maturity date
$0.5 million from December 2022 to September 2026; $1 million from December 2026 to maturity date
1During 2024, UScellular repaid $40 million, in addition to required quarterly installments, under its term loan agreement due July 2026.
Secured Term Loan Agreement
At December 31, 2024, TDS had a $300 million senior secured term loan credit agreement. In February 2025, TDS amended the agreement to extend the maturity date to the earlier of (i) September 2026 and (ii) the scheduled maturity date of TDS' existing revolving credit agreement (which maturity date is currently July 2026). The agreement requires TDS to make prepayments of the outstanding borrowings to the extent TDS receives cash proceeds in excess of prescribed thresholds from certain transactions as more fully described in the agreement. Borrowings under the agreement bear interest at a rate of SOFR plus 2.00%, which increases at certain dates throughout the term of the agreement. As of December 31, 2024, TDS has borrowed the full amount available under the agreement.
This term loan is secured by a perfected security interest in certain assets of TDS, including 26 million common shares in UScellular, TDS' equity interest in certain wholly-owned subsidiaries, and all or substantially all of TDS' personal property that does not constitute equity interests. This term loan is also secured by a perfected security interest in certain assets of certain wholly-owned subsidiaries of TDS that are also guarantors, including without limitation and subject to customary exceptions, equity interests in certain wholly-owned subsidiaries of such subsidiaries and all or substantially all of the personal property of such guarantor subsidiaries that does not consist of equity interests. This agreement includes representations and warranties, covenants, events of default and other terms and conditions that are substantially similar to TDS' existing term loan and revolving credit agreements or otherwise customary for similar secured credit facilities.
Export Credit Financing Agreements
At December 31, 2024, TDS and UScellular had $150 million term loan credit facilities with Export Development Canada to finance (or refinance) imported equipment, including equipment purchased prior to entering the term loan credit facility agreement. Borrowings for the agreements bear interest at a rate of SOFR plus 1.60% and are due and payable on the five-year anniversary of the first borrowing, which is in December 2027 for TDS and January 2027 for UScellular. As of December 31, 2024, TDS and UScellular have both borrowed the full amount available under the agreement.
Receivables Securitization Agreement
At December 31, 2024, UScellular, through its subsidiaries, had a $450 million receivables securitization agreement that permits securitized borrowings using its equipment installment plan receivables. Amounts under the agreement may be borrowed, repaid and reborrowed from time to time until September 2025. Unless the agreement is amended to extend the maturity date, repayments based on receivable collections commence in October 2025. The outstanding borrowings bear interest at a rate of the lender's cost of funds (which has historically tracked closely to SOFR) plus 1.15%. During 2024, UScellular borrowed $40 million and repaid $188 million under the agreement. As of December 31, 2024, the outstanding borrowings under the agreement were $2 million and classified as Current portion of long-term debt in the Consolidated Balance Sheet, and the unused borrowing capacity was $448 million, subject to sufficient collateral to satisfy the asset borrowing base provisions of the agreement. As of December 31, 2024, the USCC Master Note Trust held $94 million of assets available to be pledged as collateral for the receivables securitization agreement.
In connection with entering into the receivables securitization agreement in 2017, UScellular formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, USCC Master Note Trust (Trust), which qualifies as a bankruptcy remote entity. Under the terms of the agreement, UScellular, through its subsidiaries, transfers eligible equipment installment receivables to the Trust. The Trust then utilizes the transferred assets as collateral for notes payables issued to third-party financial institutions. Since UScellular retains effective control of the transferred assets in the Trust, any activity associated with this receivables securitization agreement will be treated as a secured borrowing. Therefore, TDS will continue to report equipment installment receivables and any related balances on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Cash received from borrowings under the receivables securitization agreement will be reported as Debt. Refer to Note 16 — Variable Interest Entities for additional information.
Debt Covenants and Other
The TDS and UScellular revolving credit agreements, term loan agreements including the secured term loan, export credit financing agreements and the UScellular receivables securitization agreement require TDS or UScellular, as applicable, to comply with certain affirmative and negative covenants, which include certain financial covenants that may restrict the borrowing capacity available. TDS and UScellular are required to maintain the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of the end of any fiscal quarter at a level not to exceed the following: 4.25 to 1.00 from January 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024; 4.00 to 1.00 from April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025; 3.75 to 1.00 from April 1, 2025 and thereafter. TDS and UScellular are also required to maintain the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio at a level not lower than 3.00 to 1.00 as of the end of any fiscal quarter. TDS and UScellular believe they were in compliance as of December 31, 2024 with all such financial covenants.
The TDS term loan agreement with maturity date May 2029 requires TDS to comply with certain affirmative and negative covenants, which includes a financial covenant that may restrict the borrowing capacity available. TDS is required to maintain the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of the end of any fiscal quarter at a level not to exceed the following: 4.50 to 1.00 from April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025; 4.25 to 1.00 from April 1, 2025 and thereafter. TDS believes that it was in compliance as of December 31, 2024 with such financial covenant.
In connection with UScellular’s revolving credit agreements, UScellular term loan agreements and the UScellular export credit financing agreement, TDS and UScellular entered into subordination agreements together with the administrative agents for the lenders under each agreement. Pursuant to these subordination agreements, (a) any consolidated funded indebtedness from UScellular to TDS will be unsecured and (b) any (i) consolidated funded indebtedness from UScellular to TDS (other than “refinancing indebtedness” as defined in the subordination agreements) in excess of $105 million and (ii) refinancing indebtedness in excess of $250 million will be subordinated and made junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full of obligations to the lenders under each agreement. As of December 31, 2024, UScellular had no outstanding consolidated funded indebtedness or refinancing indebtedness that was subordinated to each agreement pursuant to the subordination agreements.
Certain TDS and UScellular wholly-owned subsidiaries have jointly and severally unconditionally guaranteed the payment and performance of the obligations of TDS and UScellular under the revolving credit agreements, term loan agreements and export credit agreements. Other subsidiaries that meet certain criteria will be required to provide a similar guaranty in the future. UScellular entered into a performance guaranty whereby UScellular guarantees the performance of certain wholly-owned subsidiaries under the receivables securitization agreement and repurchase agreement.
Other Long-Term Debt
Long-term debt as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, was as follows:
    December 31, 2024December 31, 2023
 
Issuance
date
Maturity
date
Call
date (any
time on
or after)
Principal
Amount
Less
Unamortized
discount
and debt
issuance
costs		Total
Principal
Amount
Less
Unamortized
discount
and debt
issuance
costs
Total
(Dollars in millions)        
UScellular Unsecured Senior Notes
6.70%Dec 2003
and
June 2004		Dec 2033Dec 2003
and
June 2004		$544 $10 $534 $544 $11 $533 
6.25%Aug 2020Sep 2069Sep 2025500 17 483 500 17 483 
5.50%Dec 2020Mar 2070Mar 2026500 17 483 500 17 483 
5.50%May 2021Jun 2070Jun 2026500 16 484 500 16 484 
UScellular Unsecured Term Loans723 4 719 783 4 779 
TDS Unsecured Term Loans785 16 769 492 4 488 
TDS Secured Term Loan300 2 298 300 3 297 
UScellular EIP Securitization2 — 2 150 — 150 
TDS Export Credit Financing150 — 150 150 — 150 
UScellular Export Credit Financing150 — 150 150 1 149 
TDS Revolving Credit— — — 100 — 100 
Finance lease obligations7 — 7 6 — 6 
Other long-term notes 3 — 3 4 — 4 
Total long-term debt $4,164 $82 $4,082 $4,179 $73 $4,106 
Long-term debt, current $31 $26 
Long-term debt, noncurrent $4,051 $4,080 
UScellular may redeem its 6.25% Senior Notes, 5.5% March 2070 Senior Notes and 5.5% June 2070 Senior Notes, in whole or in part at any time after the respective call date, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest. UScellular may redeem the 6.7% Senior Notes, in whole or in part, at any time prior to maturity at a redemption price equal to the greater of (a) 100% of the principal amount of such notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, or (b) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis at the Treasury Rate plus 30 basis points.
Interest on the Senior Notes outstanding at December 31, 2024, is payable quarterly, with the exception of UScellular's 6.7% Senior Notes for which interest is payable semi-annually. 
The annual requirements for principal payments on long-term debt are approximately $31 million, $539 million, $322 million, $485 million and $299 million for the years 2025 through 2029, respectively. The 2025 amount includes repayment of $2 million of outstanding borrowings under the receivables securitization agreement. If the maturity date of the facility is not extended, principal repayments begin in October 2025. If the T-Mobile transaction is consummated, TDS expects to repay outstanding borrowings under certain long-term debt obligations.
The covenants associated with TDS and its subsidiaries’ long-term debt obligations, among other things, restrict TDS’ ability, subject to certain exclusions, to incur additional liens and enter into certain transactions.
UScellular’s long-term debt notes do not contain any provisions resulting in acceleration of the maturities of outstanding debt in the event of a change in UScellular’s credit rating.