FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:              FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
September 29, 2000                  Media: Patricia Cameron (318) 388-9674
                                    patricia.cameron@centurytel.com
                                    Investors: Jeffrey S. Glover (318) 388-9648
                                    jeff.glover@centurytel.com

CenturyTel Completes Purchase of 133,000 Wisconsin Access Lines;
Expects Strong Third Quarter Earnings

MONROE, La. ...CenturyTel, Inc. (NYSE Symbol: CTL) has completed the purchase of
approximately 133,000 telephone lines from Verizon Communications (formerly GTE)
in  Wisconsin   for   approximately   $364  million  in  cash  in  two  separate
transactions.  CenturyTel  paid  Verizon  about $194  million in cash for 70,500
access lines in 42 Wisconsin exchanges.  In a separate transaction,  CenturyTel,
as part of a joint venture with Telephone USA  Investments,  Inc.,  purchased an
additional 62,900 access lines in 35 Wisconsin  exchanges from Verizon at a cost
of approximately $170 million. CenturyTel will own 89 percent of the venture.

         "We are pleased to close the last remaining acquisition of access lines
from Verizon.  These growing markets  represent  excellent  assets and provide a
good strategic fit with our existing  Wisconsin  operations," said Glen F. Post,
III, CenturyTel President and Chief Executive Officer.

         Of  the   newly-acquired   properties,   83  percent   are  covered  by
CenturyTel's  cellular  operations  while the  remaining  17 percent  fall under
CenturyTel's PCS licenses. Together these two transactions include plant that is
100 percent digitally switched with more than 1,000 route miles of fiber.

CenturyTel Anticipates Solid Third Quarter Earnings

         Separately,  CenturyTel  expects third quarter 2000 earnings per share,
excluding one time items, to equal or exceed  FirstCall  consensus  estimates of
$.42 per share. Revenues will likely range from $470 million to $480 million for
the quarter.

         "CenturyTel is on track to achieve solid third quarter results. We have
successfully  integrated the Arkansas and Missouri access lines, achieved strong
wireless performance and have experienced  continued growth in our long distance
operations," Post said.

         CenturyTel's results have been driven by the integration of the 360,000
telephone  access lines  purchased from Verizon in Arkansas and Missouri on July
31. The  company  continued  its  aggressive  rollout  of DSL access  during the
quarter and expects strong demand for high-speed Internet access.

         Contract customer growth, strong roaming revenues and improving average
revenue per user (ARPU) have driven  CenturyTel's  wireless revenue growth.  The
company projects adding between 20,000 and 22,000 net contract  customers during
the  quarter  fueled  by  demand  for the  company's  new  digital  rate  plans.
CenturyTel  continues to lessen its focus on prepaid  customers and  anticipates
disconnecting  approximately 30,000  non-revenue-generating  prepaid subscribers
during the third quarter.

         CenturyTel  expects  to add  between  20,000  to 23,000  long  distance
customers  during the quarter.

         In addition to historical information, this release includes certain
forward-looking statements, estimates and projections that are subject to a
number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond the
control of CenturyTel. Actual events and results may differ materially from
those anticipated, estimated or projected if one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect. Factors
that could affect actual results include but are not limited to the Company's
ability to effectively manage its growth, including obtaining adequate financing
on attractive terms, integrating newly acquired businesses into the Company's
operations, hiring adequate numbers of qualified staff and successfully
upgrading its billing and other information systems; the risks inherent in rapid
technological change; the effects of ongoing changes in the regulation of the
communications industry; the effects of greater than anticipated competition in
the Company's markets; possible changes in the demand for, or pricing of, the
Company's products and services; the Company's ability to successfully introduce
new product or service offerings on a timely and cost-effective basis; and the
effects of more general factors such as changes in general market or economic
conditions or in legislation, regulation or public policy. These and other
uncertainties related to the Company's business are described in greater detail
in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
1999.

         CenturyTel,  Inc. provides integrated communications services including
local exchange, wireless, long distance, Internet access and security monitoring
services to nearly 3 million customers in 21 states. The company,  headquartered
in Monroe,  Louisiana,  is publicly  traded on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol CTL.  CenturyTel is the 8th largest local exchange telephone company,
based on access lines, and the 8th largest cellular company, based on population
equivalents owned, in the United States.

         Visit CenturyTel's corporate Web site at (www.centurytel.com)