TDS Telecom — Honest 2026 Review + the 30-State Fiber Buildout
TDS Telecom — Madison WI based, a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (NYSE: TDS) — has been one of the most aggressive telcos in the fiber-overbuild game. ~30 states of footprint, with symmetric XGS-PON fiber overbuilt across major chunks of WI, MN, TN, GA, AL, OR, MI, and others. Like Kinetic and CenturyLink, TDS still sells legacy DSL — make sure you're getting TDS Fiber, not TDS DSL.
The short version
- Who: TDS Telecom — Madison WI based, NYSE-traded TDS Inc.
- Footprint: 30+ states. Heavy WI, MN, TN, GA, AL, OR.
- Tech: Symmetric XGS-PON fiber + legacy DSL.
- Speeds (fiber): 300 Mbps, 1 Gig, 2 Gig, 8 Gig symmetric.
- Recommendation: 🟢 GREEN for TDS Fiber. 🔴 RED for TDS DSL.
TDS Fiber tiers + 2026 pricing
Verified at tdstelecom.com May 2026.
| Tier | Speed | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 300 Mbps | 300 / 300 Mbps | $50/mo |
| 1 Gig | 1,000 / 1,000 Mbps | $70/mo |
| 2 Gig | 2,000 / 2,000 Mbps | $90/mo |
| 8 Gig | 8,000 / 8,000 Mbps | $170/mo |
Rick's installer take
TDS Fiber at $70/mo for symmetric gig is competitive with Google Fiber pricing. Where they've overbuilt, take it. Where you're still on TDS DSL, look at T-Mobile 5G or Starlink instead.
How to check your address
- Visit tdstelecom.com.
- Confirm offering is TDS Fiber, not TDS DSL.
- Cross-reference with our Coverage Grid.