BT is spending £11.4m on converting three of its call centres in the region's into next-generation sites.
The move is part of a £100m investment by the telecoms group to create a network of 30 multi-function contact centres.
The new multi-function sites will cover a range a services for both residential and small business customers.
But the plans will see 53 existing call centres, including two in the North-East, close within two years, with the loss of around 2,200 full time jobs.
However, the group claims there will be no compulsory redundancies, with workers who want to stay with BT being offered alternative posts.
In the North-East, the state-of-the-art multi-function contact centres will be in Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland.
The sites closing in the region will be the direct enquiry centre in Marton Road, Middlesbrough and the billing operation at Bridge Court in Newcastle.
The staff affected by the closure of the Marton Road operation will move to the next-generation site at Dundas House in the town, while staff at Bridge Court will be redeployed to Salters Lane in Gosforth.
There are currently around 2,100 BT and agency staff employed at the five sites in the North-East included in the review, with Gosforth being the largest with more than 1,000.
The move follows an announcement last month that BT was reviewing the future of its call centre operations which run directory inquiries and accounting services.
Patricia Vaz, BT Retail's managing director of customer service, said almost everyone in the call centre operation would be affected by the plans.
She added: "We are totally committed to manage these changes sensitively and professionally and in line with specific principles agreed with the unions."
The cuts will take the number of full-time posts in the call centre operation to around 13,600 by the end of March 2004.
Ms Vaz confirmed the job losses would be part of the previously announced figure of 13,000 across BT Retail.
BT Retail runs 102 customer call centres and a further 48 sites catering for small and medium-sized firms.
The first closures will take place in October, but some centres will remain open to help staff find new work.
Ms Vaz said: "In close consultation with the unions, we are exploring every possible avenue to ensure that most people can be relocated to next-generation sites which are within travelling distance.
"Where that is not possible we are looking at alternative options across BT Group, including non call-centre work."
Union bosses said they were not convinced that BT could offer reasonable alternative job opportunities in the sites it has chosen to close.
Jeannie Drake, deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said she wanted guarantees that comparable jobs would be made available.
She said: "The introduction of these changes will in many cases cause enormous problems for members, their families and their communities.
"We believe the company has obligations to its people which it cannot ignore. This is a huge company with social obligations."
BT call centres currently take 2.3 million calls a day in total, including 1.5 million to directory enquiries and 90,000 emergency calls.
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