U.S. fixed-line carriers Qwest Communication International and CenturyTel are reportedly in the final stages of merger talks.
The two companies plan to announce the terms of a deal later Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing an anonymous source. But others warned that talks could breakdown without an agreement, it said.
A merger with Qwest would be the second such deal in two years for CenturyTel, which operates under the CenturyLink name since combining its operations with fixed-line carrier Embarq in a 2008 merger.