Source: CenturyLink Press Release

CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE:CTL) and EMBARQ (NYSE:EQ) have announced that CenturyTel's pending acquisition of EMBARQ has received approval from the Florida and Louisiana Public Service Commissions and the Illinois Commerce Commission. Florida, Illinois and Louisiana join Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Ohio, whose approval of the merger was previously announced.

We are pleased to have received state approvals for our merger from Florida, Illinois and Louisiana, and remain focused on securing the remaining approvals needed to close the transaction," said Glen F. Post III, CenturyTel's chairman and ceo. "We are confident that the combination of our two companies will create significant benefits for our customers and the communities we serve. We continue to expect a successful closing during the second quarter of 2009."

"We continue to receive tremendous support for this transaction, "said Tom Gerke, EMBARQ's ceo. "These state regulatory approvals demonstrate that the public interest standard has been met, and they are clear validation of the consumer benefits that will result across our combined service areas."

Eighteen of the 33 states in which the combined company will operate do not require formal approval of the merger. In addition to the state regulatory approvals, CenturyTel and EMBARQ have already received the approvals of their respective shareholders, who overwhelmingly approved all proposals related to the merger on Jan. 27, 2009. On Nov. 24, 2008, the companies received early termination of the waiting period required under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

Combined, CenturyTel and EMBARQ will have approximately 7.7 million access lines, more than two million broadband customers and more than 400,000 video subscribers, based on data as of Dec. 31, 2008.