Staff at Orange’s largest UK base in Bradley Stoke have woken up to the news the company will be merging with T-Mobile.

The centre, in the north of the town, employs some 2,200 people and contains the firm’s Executive Office.

The merged company will hold 37% of the mobile market in the UK overtaking the current leader O2.

Orange employs a total of 12,500 people in the UK while T-Mobile employs 6,500.

Neither firm has released any details on how the merged company will work but a spokeswoman confirmed to the BBC that there would be “efficiencies”.

Broadband could be cheaper for some Bradley Stoke residents after Orange installed their own kit in the Almondsbury exchange.

Many town residents are connected to Almondsbury and Orange’s own HQ, based in Bradley Stoke, is in the area served by it.

By installing their own equipment the mobile phone firm can offer high speed internet through a process called local loop unbundling.

It means broadband prices for those choosing to use Orange for internet services will drop to £12-a-month after the company recently slashed their prices.

Orange is the first firm to offer unbundled broadband from the Almondsbury exchange.

BT is set to offer faster services from May from Almondsbury through its 21st Century Wholesale Broadband Connect offering.