According to the financial news agency, about 800 workers joined a severance program in July, citing the president of the Altice Portugal workers' union, Jorge Félix, adding to the 200 who had already agreed to leave. Bloomberg says it contacted an official source from the owner of MEO, who declined to comment on the job cuts in Portugal.

"We cannot deny that Altice needs to adapt to the rise of automation and AI," the union official said in a phone interview with Bloomberg. "It's also true that Altice needs to cut costs and reduce debt, and these measures also make the company more attractive to a potential buyer," he added.

On August 29 of last year, Altice Group CFO Malo Corbin ruled out the sale of the Meo owner, but admitted that the group would continue to analyse opportunities, notably the sale of some Altice Portugal assets.

The telephone operator has been investing in AI in a market that is increasingly investing in technology and becoming more competitive with the entry of Digi, which offers low-cost offerings.