CHICAGO, April 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. announced today that shareholders approved, at a Special Meeting of Shareholders held earlier today, an amendment to TDS's Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized number of Special Common Shares from 20 million to 165 million (the "Special Common Share Proposal").

The TDS Board of Directors had approved in February a distribution of one Special Common Share in the form of a stock dividend with respect to each outstanding Common Share and Series A Common Share of TDS, subject to the approval of the Special Common Share Proposal by shareholders and certain other conditions.

With the shareholder approval received today, TDS expects to issue a stock dividend of one Special Common Share to each outstanding Common Share and Series A Common Share of TDS as of April 29, 2005, the record date for the stock dividend. The distribution is expected to take place on May 13, 2005. The Distribution is intended to be tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes to TDS shareholders.

Shareholders also approved amendments to three plans related to the Special Common Share Proposal to include the 2004 long-term incentive plan, the 2003 employee stock purchase plan and the non-employee director compensation plan.

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, is a diversified telecommunications corporation founded in 1969. Through its strategic business units, U.S. Cellular and TDS Telecom, TDS operates primarily by providing wireless and wireline service. TDS builds value for its shareholders by providing excellent communications services in growing, closely related segments of the telecommunications industry. As of Dec. 31, 2004, the company employed approximately 11,500 people and served nearly 6.1 million customers/units in 36 states.

For more information about TDS and its subsidiaries, visit the web sites at:

TDS: http://www.teldta.com/ TDS Telecom: http://www.tdstelecom.com/

USM: http://www.uscellular.com/ TDS Metrocom: http://www.tdsmetro.com/

CONTACT: Mark A. Steinkrauss, Vice President-Corporate Relations,
+1-312-592-5384, mark.steinkrauss@teldta.com , or Julie D. Mathews, Manager,
Investor Relations, +1-312-592-5341, julie.mathews@teldta.com , both of
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

Web site: http://www.teldta.com/