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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission File Number 001-14157

TELEPHONE AND DATA SYSTEMS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

30 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois  60602

(Address of principal executive offices)  (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (312) 630-1900

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes x  No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes  o  No x

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

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Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q

For the Period Ended September 30, 2008

Index

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Part I. Financial Information

Item 1. Financial Statements

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

Unaudited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Unaudited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Assets

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1.              Basis of Presentation

The accounting policies of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (“TDS™”) conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of TDS and its majority-owned subsidiaries, including TDS’ 81%-owned wireless telephone subsidiary, United States Cellular Corporation (“U.S. Cellular®”), TDS’ 100%-owned wireline telephone subsidiary, TDS Telecommunications Corporation (“TDS Telecom®”) and TDS’ 80%-owned printing and distribution company, Suttle-Straus, Inc. In addition, the consolidated financial statements include all entities in which TDS has a variable interest that requires TDS to recognize a majority of the entity’s expected gains or losses. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2008 presentation.

The consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by TDS, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, TDS believes that the disclosures included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. It is suggested that these consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in TDS’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 (“Form 10-K”).

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring items unless otherwise disclosed) necessary to present fairly the financial position as of September 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008 and 2007, and the cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 and 2007. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008 and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

2.              Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Pension Plan

TDS sponsors a qualified noncontributory defined contribution pension plan. The plan provides benefits for the employees of TDS Corporate, TDS Telecom and U.S. Cellular. Under this plan, pension benefits and costs are calculated separately for each participant and are funded annually. Pension costs were $4.6 million and $13.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008, respectively; and $4.1 million and $11.2 million for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively.

TDS also sponsors an unfunded non-qualified deferred supplemental executive retirement plan for certain employees which supplements the benefits under the qualified plan to offset the reduction of benefits caused by the limitation on annual employer contributions under the tax laws.

Other Postretirement Benefits

TDS sponsors two contributory defined benefit postretirement plans that cover most employees of TDS Corporate, TDS Telecom and the subsidiaries of TDS Telecom. One plan provides medical benefits and the other plan provides life insurance benefits.

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Net periodic benefit costs for the defined benefit postretirement plans include the following components:

TDS contributed $3.8 million to the postretirement plans during the third quarter of 2008.

Amounts Collected from Customers and Remitted to Governmental Authorities

TDS records amounts collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities net within a tax liability account if the tax is assessed upon the customer and TDS merely acts as an agent in collecting the tax on behalf of the governmental authority imposing such tax. If the tax is assessed upon TDS, the amounts collected from customers as recovery of the tax are recorded in Operating revenues and amounts remitted to governmental authorities are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The amounts recorded gross in Operating revenues that are billed to customers and remitted to governmental authorities totaled $42.4 million and $119.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008, respectively; and $39.5 million and $108.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (“SFAS 157”). SFAS 157 defines fair value as used in numerous accounting pronouncements, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in U.S. GAAP, and expands disclosures related to the use of fair value measures in financial statements. SFAS 157 does not expand the use of fair value measurements in financial statements, but standardizes its definition and guidance in U.S. GAAP. SFAS 157 emphasizes that fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity-specific measurement, based on an exchange transaction in which the entity sells an asset or transfers a liability (exit price). SFAS 157 establishes a fair value hierarchy from observable market data as the highest level to an entity’s own fair value assumptions about market participant assumptions as the lowest level. In February 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (“FSP”) FAS 157-2, to defer the effective date of SFAS 157 for all nonfinancial assets and liabilities, except those items recognized or disclosed at fair value on an annual or more frequently recurring basis, until years beginning after November 15, 2008. TDS adopted SFAS 157 for its financial assets and liabilities effective January 1, 2008. In October 2008, the FASB issued FSP FAS 157-3 to clarify and demonstrate how the fair value of a financial asset is determined when the market for that financial asset is inactive. As of September 30, 2008, TDS did not have any financial assets or liabilities that required the application of SFAS 157 for purposes of reporting such amounts in its Consolidated Balance Sheet. TDS is currently reviewing the requirements of SFAS 157 related to its nonfinancial assets and liabilities which become effective January 1, 2009, and has not yet determined the impact of adoption, if any, on its financial position or results of operations.

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In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (revised 2007), Business Combinations—a replacement of FASB Statement No. 141 (“SFAS 141(R)”). SFAS 141(R) replaces SFAS No. 141, Business Combinations (“SFAS 141”). SFAS 141(R) retains the underlying concept of SFAS 141 in that all business combinations are still required to be accounted for at fair value under the acquisition method, a method that requires the acquirer to measure and recognize the acquiree on an entire entity basis and recognize the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their fair values as of the date of acquisition. However, SFAS 141(R) changes the method of applying the acquisition method in a number of significant aspects, such as requiring the expensing of transaction costs previously capitalized and requiring the accrual at fair value of certain contractual and noncontractual contingencies. SFAS 141(R) is effective on a prospective basis for all business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after January 1, 2009, with the exception of the accounting for valuation allowances on deferred taxes and acquired tax contingencies. SFAS 141(R) amends SFAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, such that adjustments made to valuation allowances on deferred taxes and acquired tax contingencies associated with acquisitions that closed prior to the effective date of SFAS 141(R) also would be determined in accordance with the provisions of SFAS 141(R). TDS has determined that any transaction costs incurred and capitalized in 2008 for a business combination that will not close until on or after January 1, 2009 will be expensed upon TDS’ adoption of SFAS 141(R) on January 1, 2009. TDS does not anticipate that this treatment will have a significant impact on its financial position or results of operations. TDS is currently reviewing the remaining requirements of SFAS 141(R) and has not yet determined the impact of adoption, if any, on its financial position or results of operations.

In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, Consolidated Financial Statements, Including Accounting and Reporting of Noncontrolling Interests in Subsidiaries—a replacement of ARB No. 51 (“SFAS 160”). SFAS 160 amends Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51, Consolidated Financial Statements, as amended by SFAS No. 94, Consolidation of All Majority-Owned Subsidiaries, to establish new standards that will govern the accounting and reporting of (1) noncontrolling interests (commonly referred to as minority interests) in partially owned consolidated subsidiaries and (2) the loss of control of subsidiaries. SFAS 160 also establishes that once control of a subsidiary is obtained, changes in ownership interests in that subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control shall be accounted for as equity transactions, not as step acquisitions under SFAS 141. SFAS 160 is effective for TDS on a prospective basis beginning January 1, 2009, except for the presentation and disclosure requirements, which will be applied retrospectively. TDS is currently reviewing the requirements of SFAS 160 and has not yet determined the impact of adoption, if any, on its financial position or results of operations.

In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities – an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133 (“SFAS 161”). SFAS 161 expands the disclosure requirements for derivative instruments and hedging activities. The Statement specifically requires entities to provide enhanced disclosures addressing the following: (a) how and why an entity uses derivative instruments, (b) how derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for under Statement 133 and its related interpretations, and (c) how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity’s financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. SFAS 161 is effective for TDS beginning January 1, 2009. As of September 30, 2008, TDS did not hold any derivative instruments and, therefore, does not expect any impact as a result of this pronouncement.

In April 2008, the FASB issued FSP FAS 142-3, Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets (“FSP FAS 142-3”). FSP FAS 142-3 amends the factors that should be considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (“SFAS 142”). The intent of FSP FAS 142-3 is to improve the consistency between the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under SFAS 142 and the period of expected cash flows used to measure the fair value of the asset under SFAS 141(R) and other applicable accounting literature. FSP FAS 142-3 is effective for TDS beginning January 1, 2009. TDS does not anticipate that the adoption of FSP FAS 142-3 will have an impact on its financial position or results of operations.

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In May 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 162, The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“SFAS 162”). SFAS 162 identifies a consistent framework, or hierarchy, for selecting accounting principles to be used in preparing financial statements that are presented in conformity with U.S. GAAP for non-governmental entities. SFAS 162 is effective 60 days following the SEC’s approval of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board amendments to AU Section 411, The Meaning of Presenting Fairly in Conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The SEC approved the amendments on September 15, 2008. Therefore, SFAS 162 is effective as of November 15, 2008. TDS does not anticipate that the adoption of SFAS 162 will have an impact on either its financial statements or disclosures.

3.              Acquisitions, Divestitures and Exchanges

TDS assesses its existing wireless and wireline interests on an ongoing basis with a goal of improving the competitiveness of its operations and maximizing its long-term return on investment. As part of this strategy, TDS reviews attractive opportunities to acquire additional wireless operating markets, telecommunications companies and wireless spectrum. In addition, TDS may seek to divest outright or include in exchanges for other interests those wireless and wireline interests that are not strategic to its long-term success.

Transactions Pending as of September 30, 2008:

On August 1, 2008, TDS’ subsidiary, U.S. Cellular, executed an agreement to acquire 12 megahertz Block C licenses in the Lower 700 megahertz band of the wireless spectrum in three market areas in the state of Missouri for $11.6 million in cash, including acquisition costs. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2008.

On July 30, 2008, U.S. Cellular signed an agreement to purchase four 700 megahertz licenses in the state of Missouri for $8.0 million in cash. This transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2008.

A Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) auction of spectrum in the PCS and AWS-1 bands, designated by the FCC as Auction 78, began on August 13, 2008 and closed August 20, 2008.  U.S. Cellular participated in Auction 78 indirectly through its interest in Aquinas Wireless, L.P. (“Aquinas Wireless”).  Aquinas Wireless paid $2.1 million to the FCC for the licenses for which it was the provisional winning bidder in the auction.

U.S. Cellular also participated in the 2008 FCC auction of spectrum in the 700 megahertz band, known as Auction 73, indirectly through its interest in King Street Wireless, L.P. (“King Street Wireless”).  King Street Wireless paid $300.5 million to the FCC for the licenses for which it was the provisional winning bidder in the auction.

See Note 4 – Variable Interest Entities, for further details on Aquinas Wireless and King Street Wireless and the licenses acquired in Auctions 78 and 73.

Transactions Completed as of September 30, 2008:

On May 31, 2008, TDS Telecom acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Mosinee Telephone Company, LLC for $17.4 million in cash, including acquisition costs.  Mosinee Telephone Company, LLC is a telephone company serving 5,800 equivalent access lines in Wisconsin.

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On May 30, 2008, U.S. Cellular acquired the remaining 50%-ownership interest of North Carolina RSA 1 Partnership, a wireless market operator in which U.S. Cellular had previously owned a 50% non-operating, unconsolidated interest, for $6.9 million in cash.

On March 28, 2008, U.S. Cellular acquired six 12 megahertz Block C licenses in the Lower 700 megahertz band of the wireless spectrum in Maine for $5.0 million in cash.

In October 2006, U.S. Cellular’s interest in Midwest Wireless Communications, LLC was sold to ALLTEL Corporation. In connection with the sale, U.S. Cellular became entitled to receive approximately $106.0 million in cash. Of this amount, $95.1 million was distributed upon closing and $10.9 million was held in escrow to secure certain true-up, indemnification and other possible adjustments; the funds held in escrow were to be distributed in installments over a period of four to fifteen months following the closing. U.S. Cellular received $6.6 million and $4.3 million of funds from the escrow, plus interest of $0.2 million and $0.3 million, in the nine months ended September 30, 2008 and 2007, respectively.

On November 30, 2007, U.S. Cellular entered into an exchange agreement with Sprint Nextel Corporation which provided for U.S. Cellular to receive personal communication service (“PCS”) spectrum in eight licenses covering portions of Oklahoma, West Virginia, Maryland and Iowa, in exchange for U.S. Cellular delivering PCS spectrum in eight licenses covering portions of Illinois.  In connection with the exchange, TDS recognized a pre-tax loss of $20.8 million during the fourth quarter of 2007. This transaction closed on March 19, 2008.

On February 13, 2008, TDS Telecom acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of West Point Telephone Company, a telephone company in Indiana serving 1,100 equivalent access lines, for $6.8 million in cash, including acquisition costs.

TDS’ acquisitions for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 and the allocation of the purchase price for each respective acquisition were as follows:

Unaudited pro-forma financial information related to TDS’ 2008 acquisitions has not been presented because the financial statement impact of these acquisitions, individually and in the aggregate, was not material to TDS’ consolidated results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2008.

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4.              Variable Interest Entities

From time to time, the FCC conducts auctions through which additional spectrum is made available for the provision of wireless services. U.S. Cellular, TDS’ subsidiary, participated in spectrum auctions indirectly through its interests in Aquinas Wireless, King Street Wireless, Barat Wireless L.P. (“Barat Wireless”) and Carroll Wireless L.P. (“Carroll Wireless”). Each entity qualified as a “designated entity” and thereby was eligible for bid credits with respect to licenses purchased in accordance with the rules defined by the FCC for each auction. In most cases, the bidding credits resulted in a 25% discount from the gross winning bid.  Some licenses were “closed licenses”, for which no credit was received, but bidding was restricted to bidders qualifying as “entrepreneurs”, which are small businesses that have a limited amount of assets and revenues.

A summary of the auctions in which each entity participated and the auction results for each of these entities are shown in the table below.

(1)          Licenses have not yet been granted by the FCC for Auctions 78 and 73.

(2)          Provisionally won.

Although the bidding in Auction 73 and Auction 78 has ended, the FCC has awarded only a few of the licenses to winning bidders. There is no prescribed timeframe for the FCC to review the qualifications of the various winning bidders and award licenses.

As of September 30, 2008, TDS consolidates the following variable interest entities:

•                  Aquinas Wireless (1)

•                  King Street Wireless and King Street Wireless, Inc., the general partner of King Street Wireless

•                  Barat Wireless and Barat Wireless, Inc., the general partner of Barat Wireless

•                  Carroll Wireless and Carroll PCS, Inc., the general partner of Carroll Wireless

(1)          Aquinas Wireless, Inc., the general partner of Aquinas Wireless is a variable interest entity, but was not consolidated by TDS as of September 30, 2008 because TDS does not currently benefit from or absorb a majority of Aquinas Wireless, Inc.’s expected gains and losses.

These variable interest entities are consolidated pursuant to the guidelines of FASB Interpretation No. 46(R), Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, an interpretation of ARB No. 51 (“FIN 46(R)”), because TDS anticipates benefiting from or absorbing a majority of the variable interest entities’ expected gains or losses. Pending finalization of the variable interest entities’ permanent financing plans, and upon request by the variable interest entities, TDS may agree to make additional capital contributions and/or advances to the variable interest entities.

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Following are a summary of the capital contributions and advances made to each entity and the classification of these amounts in TDS’ Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2008:

U.S. Cellular may agree to make additional capital contributions to the variable interest entities discussed above and/or their general partners to provide additional funding for the development of licenses awarded in the various auctions.  U.S. Cellular may finance such amounts with a combination of cash on hand, borrowings under its revolving credit agreement and/or long-term debt.  There is no assurance that U.S. Cellular will be able to obtain additional financing on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

5.              Fair Value Measurements

Effective January 1, 2008, TDS adopted the provisions of SFAS 157 for its financial assets and liabilities. Also on January 1, 2008, TDS elected to adopt the provisions of SFAS No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities - Including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115 (“SFAS 159”), for certain assets and liabilities.

SFAS 157 Adoption

SFAS 157 defines “fair value”, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in the application of U.S. GAAP, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. SFAS 157 does not expand the use of fair value measurements in financial statements, but standardizes its definition and application in U.S. GAAP. SFAS 157 provides that fair value is a market-based measurement and not an entity-specific measurement, based on an exchange transaction in which the entity sells an asset or transfers a liability (exit price). This pronouncement establishes a fair value hierarchy that contains three levels for inputs used in fair value measurements. Level 1 inputs include quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Level 2 inputs include quoted market prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or quoted market prices for identical assets and liabilities in inactive markets. Level 2 inputs must be observable either directly or indirectly for substantially the full term of the financial instrument. Level 3 inputs are unobservable. As of September 30, 2008, TDS did not have any financial assets or liabilities that required the application of SFAS 157 for purposes of valuing and reporting such amounts in its Consolidated Balance Sheet.

SFAS 159 Adoption

SFAS 159 permits companies to choose to measure various financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. Pursuant to the provisions of SFAS 159, at the date the option is elected, entities are required to record a cumulative-effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings. In subsequent periods, for those instruments in which the fair value option is elected, unrealized gains and losses are recorded in the Statement of Operations. On January 1, 2008, TDS adopted SFAS 159 for its investment in Deutsche Telekom Ordinary Shares, and also for the “collar” portions of the variable prepaid forward contracts (“forward contracts”) related to such Deutsche Telekom stock.

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TDS adopted SFAS 159 for these items in order to better align the financial statement presentation of the unrealized gains and losses attributable to these items with their underlying economics. Specifically, prior to the adoption of SFAS 159 for these items, the Deutsche Telekom stock was subject to the recognition provisions of SFAS 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities, which required that the unrealized gains and losses on such stock be recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income, a balance sheet account. Since the related collars did not qualify as cash flow hedges after June 2003, the changes in the fair value of the collars were reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in accordance with the requirements of SFAS 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, after this date. As a result of adopting SFAS 159 for both the Deutsche Telekom stock and the related collars, unrealized gains and losses on both of these items were recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as (Gain) loss on investments and financial instruments. Such gains and losses were expected to substantially offset each other, and thus better reflect the economics of the collars, which were established to hedge the variability in the fluctuations of the fair value of the underlying Deutsche Telekom stock.

As a result of the election of SFAS 159 for its Deutsche Telekom stock and related collars, TDS recorded an adjustment to increase the January 1, 2008 beginning retained earnings balance by $502.7 million, net of $291.2 million of income taxes. This amount reflects an unrealized gain attributable to the Deutsche Telekom stock of $647.3 million, net of income taxes of $374.9 million, offset by an unrealized loss on the related collars of $144.6 million, net of income taxes of $83.7 million. The unrealized loss on the collars was attributable to the periods from inception to June 2003. During such periods the collars qualified as cash flow hedges and the changes in the fair value were recorded as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income.

There were no tax accounting implications to the Consolidated Balance Sheet or Statement of Operations upon TDS’ election of the fair value option for its Deutsche Telekom marketable equity securities and related collars other than to reclassify the related tax effects from Accumulated other comprehensive income to beginning retained earnings, as mentioned above.

The following table summarizes the impact of the adoption of SFAS 159 as of January 1, 2008:

In the first half of 2008, TDS disposed of all 85,969,689 Deutsche Telekom Ordinary Shares and settled all outstanding forward contracts related to such shares. See Note 11 - Marketable Equity Securities and Variable Prepaid Forward Contracts, for more information on these settlements.

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The following table details the (Gain) loss on investments and financial instruments included in the Statements of Operations: