VodafoneThree Confirms Job Cuts, Offshoring Roles to India Amid 5G Network Buildout
VodafoneThree is moving forward with plans to offshore roles to India, impacting dozens of UK-based employees in it’s Network Progress division, and has informed staff that standard employment protections will not apply.
The newly merged telecommunications giant, formed earlier this year from Vodafone UK and Three UK, last week alerted employees to the impending changes during meetings led by chief network officer iain Milligan. According to sources, planning and optimization positions are slated for transfer overseas, leaving permanent staff “at risk of redundancy.” Contractors are expected to depart between the end of November and December, while full-time employees will leave by January 2026. While the exact number of affected individuals remains unclear, estimates suggest at least 80 roles are currently impacted.
The restructuring stems from a £2 billion partnership with Ericsson and Nokia, announced as part of “one of Europe’s largest privately funded infrastructure projects” aimed at delivering a standalone 5G network. “As part of our ambition to build the UK’s best network we have appointed Ericsson and Nokia as our key partners,” a company FAQ stated, adding that the deal is intended to fulfill commitments made to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) following the merger.
However, the decision to offshore has ignited significant backlash from employees, who were reportedly informed that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) – or TUPE – regulations would not be applicable. The internal FAQ explicitly states, “In our current context, the activity transferring to Ericsson and Nokia will be based in India, thus TUPE dose not apply.” Despite Ericsson and Nokia maintaining a presence in the UK and other European locations, the impacted roles will be relocated to India.
“People are pissed off,” a source revealed. “The merger was supposed to create jobs for the UK,not reduce them.” Approximately 55 permanent staff participated in last week’s initial announcement call, with separate sessions held for managers, contractors, and other departments.
Emails from milligan, also reviewed, direct affected employees to an online consultation resource center containing frequently asked questions, redundancy terms, and other relevant materials. The collective consultation process began on October 23rd.
VodafoneThree maintains that the changes are necessary to “accelerate delivery” of its CMA commitments and to “drive best practice, innovation, and process enhancement.” Though, the move has amplified existing anxieties among staff and unions regarding the merged operator’s cost-cutting measures and their potential impact on UK employment.
Milligan, formerly the CTO of V
Hear’s a breakdown answering the “Why, Who, What, and How” questions, turning the update into a substantive news report:
Why: VodafoneThree is offshoring roles to India to accelerate the delivery of commitments made to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) following the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK. The company also cites a desire to “drive best practice, innovation, and process improvement” through its £2 billion partnership with Ericsson and Nokia.
Who: The changes impact dozens of UK-based employees within VodafoneThree’s Network Development division, specifically those in planning and optimization roles. Approximately 80 roles are currently affected, with contractors departing in November/December and full-time employees by January 2026. Iain Milligan,chief network officer,led the announcements.
What: VodafoneThree is offshoring planning and optimization roles to India,resulting in redundancies for UK-based staff. The company has informed employees that standard employment protections,such as TUPE regulations,will not apply to these transfers.
How: The offshoring is a
