EXHIBIT 23


                          Independent Auditors' Consent

The Board of Directors
CenturyTel, Inc.:

We consent to incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements (No.
333-35432 and No. 333-91361) on Form S-3, the Registration Statements (No.
33-46562, No. 33-60061, No. 333-67815, No. 333-91351, No. 333-37148, No.
333-60806, No. 333-64992 and No. 333-65004) on Form S-8, the Registration
Statements (No. 33-31314 and No. 33-46473) on combined Form S-8 and Form S-3,
and the Registration Statements (No. 33-48956 and No. 333-17015) on Form S-4 of
CenturyTel, Inc. of our report dated January 30, 2002, relating to the
consolidated balance sheets of CenturyTel, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December
31, 2001 and 2000, and the related consolidated statements of income,
comprehensive income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows and related financial
statement schedules for each of the years in the three-year period ended
December 31, 2001, which report appears in the current report
on Form 8-K of CenturyTel, Inc. dated August 13, 2002.



/s/ KPMG LLP

Shreveport, Louisiana
August 12, 2002