Telephone and Data Systems
- Company typePublic
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Telephone and Data Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Telephone and Data Systems
- Legal name
- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.
- Website
- https://tdsinc.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Telephone and Data Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)
Keywords
Where Telephone and Data Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Telephone and Data Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Broadband and Residential Services: TDS Telecom generates revenue from residential broadband, video, and voice services. Total service revenues were $1.037 billion in 2025. The company serves approximately 561,900 broadband connections and 107,200 video connections.
- Commercial/Business Services: TDS Telecom provides businesses with VoIP advanced communications solutions, dedicated internet service, and data networking services. Commercial revenues were $137.3 million in 2025.
- Tower Site Rental: Array Digital Infrastructure generates site rental revenues by leasing space on its cell towers to wireless carriers. Site rental revenues grew 92% year-over-year to $51 million in Q1 2026. Array has 4,452 owned towers with a tenancy rate of 0.96.
- Spectrum License Sales: TDS/Array monetizes spectrum assets through strategic sales. Completed $1.018 billion spectrum sale to AT&T (January 2026), $1.0 billion to Verizon (June 2026), and $168 million to T-Mobile (May 2026).
- Wholesale Services: TDS Telecom provides wholesale services to other carriers. Wholesale revenues were $170.5 million in 2025.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Quarterly | Common Shares Quarterly Dividend |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Series UU Preferred Shares |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Series VV Preferred Shares |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Telephone and Data Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) provides high-quality broadband services and wireless infrastructure nationwide. Through its TDS Telecom subsidiary, the company delivers high-speed fiber-optic internet (up to 8 Gigabits), IPTV television, and digital voice services to approximately 1.1 million residential and business connections across small, mid-sized, suburban, and rural U.S. communities. Through Array Digital Infrastructure, TDS owns and operates over 4,400 cell towers across 19 states, enabling 5G deployment through site rental and colocation leases to major wireless carriers.
Product overview
Telephone and Data Systems operates as a unified portfolio of telecommunications companies providing broadband services and wireless infrastructure nationwide. The core offerings consist of TDS Telecom (broadband, TV, voice, and business communications services delivered via fiber-optic networks reaching up to 8 Gigabit speeds) and Array Digital Infrastructure (a tower company operating over 4,400 cell towers enabling 5G deployment). A third subsidiary, Suttle-Straus, provides marketing solutions. TDS Telecom serves approximately 1.1 million connections across residential and commercial segments, while Array operates as a separate publicly traded entity (NYSE: AD) that generates site rental revenues from tower colocations. The company is transitioning from legacy copper and wireless services toward fiber expansion, with a long-term goal of 2.1 million marketable fiber service addresses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TDS Telecom (TDS Telecommunications LLC) TDS Telecom delivers high-speed fiber-optic internet (up to 8 Gigabits), IPTV entertainment, and digital voice/phone services to residential customers in small to mid-sized urban, suburban, and rural U.S. communities. Also offers businesses VoIP advanced communications solutions, dedicated internet service, and data networking. Serves approximately 1.058 million connections with 1.1 million marketable fiber addresses.
- Array Digital Infrastructure Array Digital Infrastructure is a leading owner and operator of shared wireless communications infrastructure in the United States. With 4,452 owned cell towers across 19 states, Array enables 5G and other wireless technology deployment through site rental and colocation leases to major wireless carriers, generating site rental revenues.
- Suttle-Straus Suttle-Straus provides comprehensive marketing solutions and printing services, helping clients grow through long-term partnerships. Originally a Madison-based printing company founded a century ago, the subsidiary has evolved to provide marketing and printing services.
Quantifiable outcome
- Fiber net additions grew 32% year-over-year with 10,900 residential fiber net adds in Q1 2026
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Telephone and Data Systems
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Telephone and Data Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Telephone and Data Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Granite State CommunicationscoreTDS Telecom entered into an agreement to acquire Granite State Communications, an independent phone company, adding approximately 11,000 fiber service addresses. The transaction combines two adjacent internet providers operating in New Hampshire where TDS has been doing business since 1970.
- Sidley Austin LLPmajorServed as legal advisor to TDS in connection with the AT&T spectrum transaction. Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP served as lead transactional and FCC regulatory counsel to both TDS and Array.
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLPmajorServed as legal advisor to the independent directors of Array in connection with the AT&T spectrum transaction.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Telephone and Data Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Frontier Communications: Fiber-to-the-home operator focused on Tier-2/3 and rural/suburban markets across 25+ states. Highly comparable to TDS Telecom given similar customer base, fiber build strategy, and competitive positioning against incumbents.
- Lumen Technologies: Large-scale wireline/fiber carrier serving enterprise and wholesale customers with significant fiber assets. Comparable to TDS as a traditional telecom pivoting toward fiber-led growth and away from legacy services.
- Consolidated Communications: Rural/suburban fiber broadband and business communications provider serving residential and SMB customers. Closely matches TDS Telecom's geographic profile, customer mix, and fiber-build thesis.
- WideOpenWest (WOW!): Cable broadband provider serving Tier-2/3 markets with residential and business internet/voice services. Directly comparable to TDS Telecom's broadband offering; notably, TDS's new CIO Bill Case was previously EVP/CIO at WOW!.
- Cable One: Cable broadband operator focused on smaller markets and rural America with residential internet, voice, and business services. Strong functional overlap with TDS Telecom's residential broadband business.
- American Tower: Largest publicly traded tower REIT with ~220,000 communications sites globally. Directly comparable to Array Digital Infrastructure's macro-tower leasing business model and 5G exposure.
- Crown Castle: Tower and fiber infrastructure REIT operating ~40,000 towers and extensive fiber assets. Comparable to Array on the tower side and increasingly aligned with TDS's fiber-to-the-tower backhaul narrative.
- SBA Communications: Public tower REIT owning and operating ~40,000 wireless communications towers. Closely comparable to Array's core business of owning macro towers and leasing vertical space to wireless carriers.
- Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel): Regional fiber and wireless operator serving the mid-Atlantic region with Glo Fiber broadband and tower infrastructure. Highly comparable as a smaller-scale, rural/suburban-focused telecom with both fiber and tower assets.
Broad incumbents
- AT&T: National incumbent telecom and fiber operator that is both a counterparty (spectrum buyer from Array) and a competitor (fiber expansion into TDS markets). Relevant as a broad-scale peer with overlapping rural/suburban fiber ambition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Telephone and Data Systems social profiles
Digital presenceTelephone and Data Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Telephone and Data Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Telephone and Data Systems subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Telephone and Data Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Telephone and Data Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Telephone and Data Systems
What does Telephone and Data Systems do?
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) provides high-quality broadband services and wireless infrastructure nationwide. Through its TDS Telecom subsidiary, the company delivers high-speed fiber-optic internet (up to 8 Gigabits), IPTV television, and digital voice services to approximately 1.1 million residential and business connections across small, mid-sized, suburban, and rural U.S. communities. Through Array Digital Infrastructure, TDS owns and operates over 4,400 cell towers across 19 states, enabling 5G deployment through site rental and colocation leases to major wireless carriers.
Is Telephone and Data Systems a public or private company?
Telephone and Data Systems is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Telephone and Data Systems founded?
Telephone and Data Systems was founded in 1969. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Telephone and Data Systems based?
Telephone and Data Systems is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Telephone and Data Systems make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Broadband and Residential Services are the primary driver. The others are commercial/Business Services, tower Site Rental, spectrum License Sales and wholesale Services.
Who are Telephone and Data Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Frontier Communications, Lumen Technologies, Consolidated Communications, WideOpenWest (WOW!), Cable One, American Tower, Crown Castle, SBA Communications and Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel). AT&T is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Telephone and Data Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Telephone and Data Systems.
What industry is Telephone and Data Systems in?
Telephone and Data Systems's product category is Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIABAC, Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers. Its NAICS code is 517111 and its SIC code is 4813.