Sprint Nextel, the third-largest US mobile network operator, will cut up to 8,000 jobs, or more than 14 per cent of its workforce in a move designed to cut annual payroll costs by up to $1.2bn.

The job cuts, among the most aggressive announced by US telecommunications operators, come as Dan Hesse, Sprint’s chief executive, battles to halt customer losses and stabilise the troubled company. The company, which cut 4,000 jobs last year, currently has around 56,000 workers.