revenue from contracts with customers - Accounts receivable (Details) - CAD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Accounts receivable
Customer accounts receivable	$ 2,569	$ 2,636
Accrued receivables - customer	506	468
Allowance for doubtful accounts	(93)	(94)
Total	2,982	3,010
Accrued receivables - other	256	306
Accounts receivable - current	$ 3,238	$ 3,316

The amount of current accrued income other than current contract assets. [Refer: Accrued income other than contract assets]

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name IAS
-Number 1
-IssueDate 2022-03-24
-Paragraph 78
-URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2022-en-r&anchor=para_78&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2022-03-24

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name IAS
-Number 1
-IssueDate 2022-03-24
-Paragraph 55
-URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2022-en-r&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2022-03-24

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_CurrentAccruedIncomeOtherThanCurrentContractAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of current receivables from contracts with customers. [Refer: Receivables from contracts with customers]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 15
-IssueDate 2022-03-24
-Paragraph 105
-URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=15&code=ifrs-tx-2022-en-r&anchor=para_105&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2022-03-24

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_CurrentReceivablesFromContractsWithCustomers
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of current other receivables. [Refer: Other receivables]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Name IAS
-Number 1
-IssueDate 2022-03-24
-Paragraph 78
-Subparagraph b
-URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2022-en-r&anchor=para_78_b&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2022-03-24

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_OtherCurrentReceivables
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of current trade receivables and current other receivables. [Refer: Current trade receivables; Other current receivables]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 1
-IssueDate 2022-03-24
-Paragraph 54
-Subparagraph h
-URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2022-en-r&anchor=para_54_h&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2022-03-24

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 1
-IssueDate 2022-03-24
-Paragraph 78
-Subparagraph b
-URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2022-en-r&anchor=para_78_b&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2022-03-24

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_TradeAndOtherCurrentReceivables
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount due from contracts with customers for goods or services that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business, reduced to their estimated net realizable fair value by an allowance established by the entity of the amount it deems uncertain of collection.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	tu_CurrentReceivablesFromContractsWithCustomersNet
Namespace Prefix:	tu_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	tu_DisclosureOfReceivablesFromContractsWithCustomersLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	tu_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For an unclassified balance sheet, a valuation allowance for receivables due a company that are expected to be uncollectible.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	tu_IfrsAllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable
Namespace Prefix:	tu_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant