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Basis of Presentation (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2026
Accounting Policy Disclosures [Line Items] |
Principles of Consolidation | The accounting policies of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) as set forth in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). Unless otherwise specified, references to accounting provisions and GAAP in these notes refer to the requirements of the FASB ASC. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of TDS and subsidiaries in which it has a controlling financial interest, including TDS’ wholly-owned subsidiary, TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS Telecom) and Array Digital Infrastructure, Inc. (Array), a 81.9%-owned subsidiary of TDS. In addition, the consolidated financial statements include certain entities in which TDS has a variable interest that requires consolidation into the TDS financial statements under GAAP. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are presented for continuing operations, except for Note 2 — Discontinued Operations. TDS has the following reportable segments: TDS Telecom and Array. TDS' non-reportable other business activities are presented as "All Other", which includes its wholly-owned subsidiary Suttle-Straus, Inc. (Suttle-Straus). Suttle-Straus’ financial results were not significant to TDS’ operations. All of TDS’ segments operate only in the United States. See Note 11 — Business Segment Information for summary financial information on each business segment.
Basis of Accounting | Certain numbers included herein are rounded to thousands or millions for ease of presentation; however, certain calculated amounts and percentages are determined using the unrounded numbers. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in TDS’ Annual Report on Form 10-K (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2025. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items, unless otherwise disclosed) necessary for the fair statement of TDS’ financial position as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, its results of operations, cash flows and changes in equity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025. The Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income was not included because comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, does not materially differ from net income. These results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. TDS has not changed its significant accounting and reporting policies from those disclosed in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Revenue from Contract with Customer | TDS Telecom expects that commission fees paid as a result of obtaining contracts are recoverable, and therefore TDS defers and amortizes these costs. As a practical expedient, costs with an amortization period of one year or less are expensed as incurred. TDS also incurs fulfillment costs, such as installation costs, where there is an expectation that a future benefit will be realized. Deferred commission fees and fulfillment costs are amortized based on the timing of transfer of the goods or services to which the assets relate, typically the contract term.
Variable Interest Entities | TDS consolidates VIEs in which it has a controlling financial interest as defined by GAAP and is therefore deemed the primary beneficiary. TDS reviews the criteria for a controlling financial interest at the time it enters into agreements and subsequently when events warranting reconsideration occur. These VIEs have risks similar to those described in the “Risk Factors” in TDS' Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.

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