EXHIBIT 23




                          Independent Auditors' Consent



The Board of Directors
CenturyTel, Inc.:


We consent to incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements
(No. 333-91361, No. 333-84276 and No. 333-100481) on Form S-3, the
Registration Statements (No. 33-46562, No. 33-60061, No. 333-37148,
No. 333-60806, No. 333-64992, No. 333-65004, No. 333-89060, No. 333-105090 and
No. 333-109181) on Form S-8, the Registration Statement (No. 33-31314) 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 29, 2004, relating to the consolidated balance sheets of CenturyTel,
Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, and the related
consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, cash flows, and
stockholders' equity and related financial statement schedule for each of the
years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2003, which report appears in
the December 31, 2003 annual report on Form 10-K of CenturyTel, Inc.


/s/  KPMG LLP

KPMG LLP

Shreveport, Louisiana
March 12, 2004