Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges, acquisitions (Details) (TDS Telecom Cable, Business Acquisitions, BendBroadband, USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
TDS Telecom Cable | Business Acquisitions | BendBroadband
Acquisitions, divestitures and exchanges
Date of acquisition agreement	May 01, 2014
Acquisition agreement description	On May 1, 2014, TDS entered into an agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of a group of companies operating as BendBroadband, headquartered in Bend, Oregon for $261 million in cash, subject to working capital and other adjustments. BendBroadband is a full-service communications company, offering an extensive range of broadband, fiber connectivity, cable television and telephone services for commercial and residential customers in Central Oregon. The agreement also includes a Tier III data center providing colocation and managed services and a cable advertising and broadcast business. The transaction is subject to governmental regulatory approvals, compliance with the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and other conditions. Subject to approvals, the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014.
Acquisition agreement amount	$ 261.0