FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * COLE DAVID D   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol CENTURYLINK, INC [CTL] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) EVP, Controller & Ops Support (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O CENTURYLINK, INC., 100 CENTURYLINK DRIVE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/23/2016 (Street) MONROE, LA 71203 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 02/23/2016   A(1)   43,698 A $ 0 241,826 D   Common Stock 02/23/2016   D(2)   8,177 D $ 0 233,649 D   Common Stock 02/23/2016   F(3)   1,274 D $ 29.25 232,375 (4) D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
COLE DAVID D C/O CENTURYLINK, INC. 100 CENTURYLINK DRIVE MONROE, LA 71203			EVP, Controller & Ops Support

Signatures

/s/ Hope M. Spencer, Attorney-in-Fact for David D. Cole		02/25/2016
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Represents a grant of restricted stock (40% time-based and 60% performance-based). The time-based portion will vest in three equal annual installments beginning one year from the date of grant. The performance-based portion is divided among two separate three-year performance metrics, which will vest on February 23, 2019 to the extent that the applicable metric is achieved.
(2)	These shares of unvested restricted stock were forfeited due to a failure to achieve a specific level of performance required for vesting.
(3)	Shares withheld to cover the taxes due upon the vesting of restricted stock.
(4)	Includes 10,002 shares held in the Issuer's ESPP for the benefit of the Reporting Person as of the date of this report.

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