Company Update

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington D.C. 20549     FORM 8-K     CURRENT REPORT Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 20, 2026         Lumen Technologies, Inc. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)       Louisiana   001-7784   72-0651161 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)   (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer Identification No.)   100 CenturyLink Drive   Monroe , Louisiana   71203 (Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code) (318) 388-9000 (Telephone number, including area code)     Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the following provisions:   ☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)   ☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)   ☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))   ☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:   Registrant   Title of Each Class   Trading Symbol(s)   Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered Lumen Technologies, Inc.   Common Stock, no-par value per share   LUMN   New York Stock Exchange Lumen Technologies, Inc.   Preferred Stock Purchase Rights   N/A   New York Stock Exchange Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2). Emerging growth company  ☐ If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐       Item 8.01 Other Events. On May 20, 2026, Lumen Technologies, Inc. (“Lumen,” “us,” “we” or “our”) issued a press release announcing the early results of the previously announced cash tender offers (each, a “Tender Offer”) pursuant to which Level 3 Financing, Inc. (“Level 3 Financing”), Lumen and Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. (“QCF”) are offering to purchase the outstanding notes described below, pursuant to, and on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in, an Offer to Purchase, dated May 6, 2026. The notes offered to be purchased in the Tender Offers, listed in the order of priority, are (i) Level 3 Financing’s outstanding 4.250% Senior Notes due 2028, 3.625% Senior Notes due 2029, 3.750% Sustainability-Linked Senior Notes due 2029, 3.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2029 (formerly secured), 4.875% Second Lien Notes due 2029 (formerly secured), 4.500% Second Lien Notes due 2030 (formerly secured), 3.875% Second Lien Notes due 2030 (formerly secured), and 4.000% Second Lien Notes due 2031 (formerly secured) (collectively, the “Level 3 Notes”), (ii) Lumen’s outstanding 6.875% Debentures, Series G, due 2028, 4.500% Senior Notes due 2029, and 5.375% Senior Notes due 2029 (collectively, the “Lumen Notes”), and (iii) QCF’s outstanding 6.875% Notes due 2028 (the “QCF Notes”, and together with the Level 3 Notes and the Lumen Notes, the “Existing Group Tender Notes”) up to an aggregate purchase price, excluding accrued and unpaid interest, of $750 million (the “Aggregate Purchase Price”). The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the press release dated May 20, 2026, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1. This Current Report on Form 8-K does not constitute an offer to purchase or the solicitation of an offer to sell any Existing Group Tender Notes, nor will there be any purchase of Existing Group Tender Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Forward-Looking Statements Except for historical and factual information, the matters set forth in this Current Report on Form 8-K identified by words such as “will,” “should,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “plans,” “intends,” and similar expressions are forward-looking statements as defined by the federal securities laws, and are subject to the “safe harbor” protections thereunder. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are based on current expectations only, and are subject to various uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those anticipated by us in those statements for several reasons, including those discussed in Exhibit 99.1. We may change our intentions or plans discussed in our forward-looking statements without notice at any time and for any reason.   Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits. (d) Exhibits:   Exhibit No.    Description 99.1    Press Release dated May 20, 2026, relating to the early results of its Tender Offers. 104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted in iXBRL in Exhibit 101).   SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Lumen Technologies, Inc. has duly caused this Current Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned officer hereunto duly authorized.   LUMEN TECHNOLOGIES, INC. By:   /s/ Chris Stansbury   Chris Stansbury   President and Chief Financial Officer Dated: May 20, 2026