{
  "id": 17641887,
  "title": "Thousands of jobs at Virgin Media O2 to be cut",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/thousands-of-jobs-at-virgin-media-o2-to-be-cut-17641887",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-01T16:57:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Business",
    "slug": "bbc-business",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6rry8x9d9qko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Virgin Media O2 is set to cut thousands of jobs as the telecoms company seeks to reduce costs amid billions of pounds in debt and increased competition. The exact number of positions impacted remains unclear, but the move is expected to affect a significant portion of the 16,000-strong workforce, according to the BBC. The company is grappling with £27.2bn in debt and assets valued at £45.9bn, as reported in its latest accounts. Virgin Media O2 has been battling competition from smaller providers and major players such as BT, who are in the process of acquiring rival TalkTalk. The Prospect union, representing Virgin Media O2 staff, expressed disappointment and concern over the potential redundancies, vowing to support affected employees and explore ways to minimize job losses. The majority of those affected are expected to be in non-customer-facing roles, with senior leadership changes already underway. Virgin Media O2 is also reviewing its use of contractors and suppliers as part of its cost-saving measures. The company attempted to acquire competitor Netomonia for £2bn through a joint venture, but the deal was rejected by the Competition Markets Authority (CMA), leading to frustration among Virgin Media O2 executives. This rejection came after the CMA approved BT's takeover of TalkTalk, which Virgin Media O2 criticized as a \"stitch-up\" allowing its rival to gain an advantage. BT's share price surged 7% following reports that Virgin Media O2 is close to agreeing a deal to use their fibre broadband network, a move Virgin Media O2 had previously halted infrastructure upgrades to address debt concerns. The BBC suggests the deal is highly likely to be announced in the company's upcoming results on Tuesday.",
  "summary": "The broadband provider has not finalised the number of roles to be axed but it will likely be a sizeable chunk of its workforce, the BBC understands.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}