SBC plans to eliminate 10,000 jobs

Tuesday, November 9th 2004, 9:46 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma officials with SBC Communications say they're unsure how the state will fare under a company plan to cut up to 10,000 people from its work force by the end of 2005.

SBC Oklahoma spokesman Andy Morgan says there is no state-specific information about the plan, which was revealed late last week in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SBC has about 3,300 employees in Oklahoma.

The company has been hit with the defection of traditional subscribers to alternative sources such as wireless or cable telephone.

SBC is reporting that the number of retail access lines in the Southwest region -- which includes Oklahoma -- declined 5.1% over the last year.

Systemwide, the company says the number of switched access lines in service declined 2.32-million in the previous 12 months