Sec Form 4 Filing - PATEL SUNIT S @ CENTURYLINK, INC - 2017-11-01

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 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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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person PATEL SUNIT S 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) Executive Vice President & CFO (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O CENTURYLINK, INC., 100 CENTURYLINK DRIVE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YY) 11/01/2017 (Street) MONROE, LA71203 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YY) 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 (MM/DD/YY) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 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 11/01/2017 A 644,892 A 644,892 D Common Stock 11/01/2017 A 533,699 A 1,178,591 D Common Stock 11/01/2017 D 387,437 D $ 17.85 ( 3 ) 791,154 D Common Stock 11/01/2017 A( 4 ) 77,742 A $ 0 868,896 D Common Stock 11/01/2017 A( 5 ) 67,377 A $ 0 936,273 D Common Stock 11/01/2017 A 8,538 A 8,538 I By 401(k) Common Stock 11/01/2017 A 1,428 A 1,428 I By IRA

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible secu rities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 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 (MM/DD/YY) 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 PATEL SUNIT S C/O CENTURYLINK, INC. 100 CENTURYLINK DRIVE MONROE, LA71203 Executive Vice President & CFO Signatures /s/ Hope M. Spencer at Attorney-in-Fact for Sunit S. Patel 11/03/2017 Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

( 1 )On November 1, 2017, the Issuer acquired Level 3 Communications, Inc. ("Level 3" and such acquisition, the "Merger") pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") by and among the Issuer, Level 3, Wildcat Merger Sub I LLC and WWG Merger Sub LLC. Upon the Effective Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement), each outstanding Level 3 common share held by the Reporting Person was converted into the right to receive (a) $26.50 in cash, without interest, and (b) 1.4286 shares of the Issuer's common stock, with cash paid in lieu of fractional shares. ( 2 )Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, each outstanding Level 3 restricted stock unit award was converted into a restricted stock unit award (the "RSUs") relating to a number of shares of the Issuer's common stock (rounded up to the nearest whole share) equal to the product of (a) 2.8386 (the Equity Award Exchange Ratio, calculated as provided in the Merger Agreement) multiplied by (b) the number of Level 3 common shares subject to the award immediately prior to the Effective Time. ( 3 )Effective immediately following the Merger, pursuant to an agreement between the Issuer and the Reporting Person, these RSUs were fully vested and converted to a deferred cash award, which will pay out in accordance with the original award payout schedule. ( 4 )Represents a grant of restricted stock that will vest on November 1, 2020, with payout ranging between 0-200% based on the level of achievement on two separate but equally-weighted performance criteria (one qualitative and one quantitative). ( 5 )Represents a grant of restricted stock that will vest on November 1, 2018.

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