Over 10% of employees are expected to be cut at Virgin Media O2.

By the end of the year, mobile operator Virgin Media O2 plans to cut up to 2,000 UK positions, or 12% of its whole staff.

According to the BBC, the number includes 800 already-announced position cutbacks.

A firm representative recognised that transitional times "can be difficult".

It follows announcements of job cuts by BT and Vodafone, two of its competitors, in May.

A spokeswoman for Virgin Media O2 stated: "As we continue to integrate and transform as a company, we are currently consulting on proposals to simplify our operating model to better deliver for customers, which will see a reduction in some roles this year."

The British corporation was formed in 2021 as a result of the merging of broadband giant Virgin Media and mobile provider O2.

The ongoing collaboration between the two companies and a broader initiative to increase efficiency is to blame for the job cutbacks.

The current state of the telecoms business, according to Karen Egan, senior telecoms analyst at Enders Analysis, is "very tough."

Although it's difficult for all of these businesses at the moment, she added, Virgin Media O2 are particularly likely to be reducing employment because they're still going through the merger process.

“Revenues aren't actually increasing, but expenditures are since they need to upgrade to 5G and fibre, both of which cost money. These expenses are unavoidable”.

The largest broadband and mobile provider in the UK, BT, said earlier this year that it would lay off up to 55,000 positions by the end of the decade, largely in the UK, in order to reduce costs.

According to the company, technology such as artificial intelligence will replace up to a fifth of these positions.

The action was taken shortly after Vodafone announced it will eliminate 11,000 positions, or a tenth of its workforce, over the next three years.

(Sources: bbc.co.uk)