WorldCom Inc. said Monday the company plans to cut 2,000 jobs representing 25 percent of its workforce in Africa, Europe and the Middle East in a bid to generate positive cash flow in those regions next year.
The company plans to have 6,000 people on the payroll in those regions after the job cuts are complete.
The Mississippi-based company noted it would discontinue “certain unprofitable niche products” while retaining “core retail and wholesale voice, IP and data services” through its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations. WorldCom also said Monday it would aim to achieve profitability through “minimal" investment in new infrastructure.
"We are currently conducting a review of all our products and services. No final decisions on what to eliminate have been made," a spokeswoman said Monday. "When we do, we will consult with customers before making any changes."
Based in Reading, England, WorldCom EMEA operates in 25 countries across Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
WorldCom said it serves 150,000 customers in Europe through three retail sales channels where the company markets to global corporations, national and pan-European companies and smaller businesses. WorldCom also operates a wholesale channel, marketing to other facilities-based carriers, resellers and Internet service providers. The company operates a single retail channel in Africa and the Middle East, selling IP products.
In July WorldCom filed the largest bankruptcy petition in U.S. history, listing $107 billion in assets. The company operates in more than 65 countries.
