Telia Has Cut 900 Jobs to Reduce Annual Costs
The telecom operator is shifting to a local-market model to achieve SEK 1 billion in annual savings.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Business Strategy
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Telia has announced plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 900 positions as part of a broader push to lower its annual gross cost base by SEK 1 billion. The reduction, which affects 6.4 percent of the company's 14,100 roles, follows an organizational shift implemented in late 2024.
Why it matters
The move aims to simplify Telia's structure and improve operational efficiency while sustaining investment in products and customer experience. This strategy builds on the company's December 2024 pivot toward a decentralized operating model that prioritizes country-specific management.
Telia is targeting SEK 1 billion in annual gross savings, supported by a 6.4% reduction in its total workforce of 14,100 positions. The company anticipates SEK 600 million in restructuring charges during Q4 2026.
The players
Telia
A multinational telecommunications and mobile network operator with a primary market focus on the Nordic and Baltic regions.
The details
The restructuring combines layoffs with a structural reorganization that transfers 220 positions from a centralized Technology unit to local country units. Management intends to pair these staffing changes with broader adjustments to the company's total operating cost base. Finland and Sweden will see the largest geographic impact, facing 280 and 260 position reductions respectively.
Timeline
December 2024: Telia implemented its decentralized operating model.
October 1, 2026: The company reached a total of 14,100 positions.
October 22, 2026: Telia released its Q3 2026 financial report.
Q4 2026: The company expects to incur SEK 600 million in restructuring charges.
December 31, 2026: The company intends to complete these organizational changes.
Market Landscape
This reorganization represents an evolution of the decentralized operating model Telia implemented in December 2024. By moving technology functions into local units, the company is intensifying its shift toward country-led management structures.
Operators should monitor the timeline for cash flow impacts, which the company expects to concentrate in 2027. The shift of 220 technology positions to local units suggests potential changes in how regional branches will handle product development and infrastructure support.
The takeaway
Telia's plan underscores the operational challenge of reconciling a decentralized, country-led model with centralized technology functions. Management teams should track the 2028 target for full financial benefits to gauge the effectiveness of these consolidation efforts.
Further reading
Learn more about organizational restructuring in Business Strategy.
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