The Financial Times is reporting this morning that it appears that CenturyTel will make an offer to purchase Embarq for $5 billion in stock.

 

Embarq, which was spun off from Sprint in 2006 following Sprint's takeover of Nextel, has reportedly been exploring options and talking to potential suitors for several months now.

 

According to their Web site, CenturyTel is the seventh largest US LEC in United States based on 2,077,100 access lines in service and over 600,000 high-speed Internet connections deployed.

 

If it comes to fruition, this deal that may presage further consolidation among regional US service providers.

 

CenturyTel currently has operations in 25 states. Embarq, which is headquartered in Overland Park, KS, has 18,000 employees and services customers in 18 states.