Exhibit 99.1


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

March 19, 2002                          Media:  Patricia Cameron (318) 388-9674
                                                patricia.cameron@centurytel.com
                                    Investors:  Tony Davis (318) 388-9525
                                                tony.davis@centurytel.com


            CenturyTel Announces Divestiture of Wireless Properties

Monroe, La.. . . CenturyTel, Inc. (NYSE Symbol: CTL) announced today that it has
signed a definitive stock purchase agreement with ALLTEL Corporation (NYSE
Symbol: AT) to sell its wireless business and related licenses for $1.65 billion
in cash (approximately $1.3 billion after tax), subject to certain adjustments
which are not anticipated to be material.

The cellular licenses and operations include nearly 9.8 million CenturyTel
population equivalents, of which approximately 7.8 million are in markets
consolidated by CenturyTel. The CenturyTel consolidated markets serve almost
800,000 cellular subscribers in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan,
Mississippi, Texas and Wisconsin.

"We are pleased to announce the completion of our wireless separation process
with this definitive agreement with ALLTEL," Glen F. Post, III, president and
chief executive officer said. "We believe the disposition of our wireless
assets, along with the previously announced acquisition of access lines from
Verizon, positions CenturyTel as the premier pure play rural local exchange
provider in the industry."

CenturyTel employees who work in its wireless segment will be transferred to
ALLTEL as a result of this transaction.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2002, subject to
approval of the Federal Communications Commission and various other approvals
and consents.

CenturyTel continues to make excellent progress toward completing the
acquisition of telephone properties in Alabama and Missouri from Verizon
announced in October 2001, which are scheduled to close by the end of the third
quarter. While CenturyTel has not yet finalized its financing plans for these
acquisitions, the after tax proceeds from this divestiture of CenturyTel's
wireless business will provide a substantial portion of the required funding.
Upon completion of the acquisition of telephone properties from Verizon,
CenturyTel will serve approximately 2.5 million access lines.

Based upon current financing, operational and other assumptions, CenturyTel
believes the net effect of its wireless divestiture and its Verizon acquisitions
will be breakeven to $.03 accretive to earnings per share during the first full
year of operations.

CenturyTel believes its first quarter 2002 results will be within the range of
guidance given in its fourth quarter 2001 earnings release on January 31, 2002.

CenturyTel's management will host a conference call at 8:30 A.M. Central time
today to discuss this transaction. The telephone number is (800) 308-0477 and
the conference ID number is 3578968. The replay number is (800) 642-1687 and
will be available through Thursday, March 21, 2002. Investors can also access
CenturyTel's call and replay via webcast by accessing the company's Web site at
www.centurytel.com http://www.centurytel.com.

JPMorgan and Lehman Brothers served as financial advisors to CenturyTel in this
transaction and both rendered fairness opinions to CenturyTel's board of
directors.

In addition to historical information, this release includes certain
forward-looking statements, estimates and projections that are based on current
expectations only, and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and
assumptions, many of which are beyond CenturyTel's control. 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 integrating newly-acquired businesses into the Company's operations,
successfully financing and timely consummating pending acquisitions, hiring
adequate numbers of qualified staff and successfully upgrading its billing and
other information systems; successfully obtaining all governmental and other
approvals, consents or waivers necessary to complete the acquisitions and
divestiture discussed above; the risks inherent in rapid technological change;
the effects of on-going changes in the regulation of the telecommunications
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
products or service offerings on a timely and cost-effective basis; higher than
anticipated interest rates; 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 business are
described in greater detail in Item 1 to the Company's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001.

CenturyTel, Inc. provides communications services including local exchange,
wireless, long distance, Internet access and data services to more than three
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