O2 Telefónica Sells Call Centres in Rostock and Bremen Amid Restructuring
The telecom provider is offloading two German sites employing nearly 430 workers as part of broader job cuts.
Telecom provider O2 Telefónica announced plans to sell its German call centres located in Rostock and Bremen, affecting a combined workforce of just under 430 employees. The purchase agreement has been reached with French call centre operator TP, formerly known as Teleperformance. Company officials in Munich stated that the deal remains subject to approval by competition authorities and is expected to be finalized around the turn of the year. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The divestment involves approximately 240 jobs at the Rostock facility and roughly 180 positions at the Bremen site. Following the transaction, O2 will continue to operate its remaining call centres in Hamburg, Potsdam, and Nuremberg. TP, a digital services provider, already manages customer service operations for various clients across the automotive, technology, and insurance sectors.
The sale forms part of a wider restructuring effort at O2 Telefónica, which faces mounting financial pressure due to declining turnover and operating profit. The company has continued to feel the long-term impact of losing major client 1&1 to rival Vodafone in 2024. Under the leadership of Santiago Argelich Hesse, who took over as manager at the start of the year, the firm previously announced plans to eliminate 1,100 positions throughout the year, equating to roughly one in six jobs.
Company executives linked the downscaling of traditional customer service operations to technological shifts and the growing adoption of artificial intelligence. As digital assistants and chatbots handle a rising share of customer inquiries, the demand for human call centre agents has diminished. Chief Operating Officer Mallik Rao explained that the organization must adapt its service concepts to reflect these modern developments, expressing confidence that TP possesses the scale and expertise to guide customer service into the future.
Meanwhile, the city of Rostock remains in the public eye through separate cultural developments, including ongoing television documentation. The social documentary series depicting daily life for residents living near the subsistence level continues to broadcast new episodes featuring local figures navigating personal struggles and life changes. Participants in the television program face various challenges, from housing relocations and bureaucratic hurdles regarding family reunification to everyday financial strains.
In other local developments highlighted by the series, residents pursue alternative activities ranging from virtual motor racing on professional simulation equipment to managing unexpected setbacks, such as vehicle breakdowns that disrupt long-planned family vacations. These personal narratives run parallel to the shifting corporate and economic landscape affecting the region's employment sector.