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.
33-17113,  No.  33-46562,  No.  33-60061,  No.  333-67815,   No.  333-91351  and
No. 333-37148) 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  26,  2001,  relating  to  the  consolidated  balance  sheets  of
CenturyTel,  Inc. and  subsidiaries  as of December  31, 2000 and 1999,  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, 2000, which report appears in
the December 31, 2000 annual report on Form 10-K of CenturyTel, Inc.


/s/  KPMG LLP

KPMG LLP

Shreveport, Louisiana
March 22, 2001