Telstra has put job cuts on ice for the next six months, as the telco’s boss warns that it is almost impossible to predict the damage the coronavirus pandemic will wreak on its business.

“To be honest it’s incredibly hard to predict what will happen, what we are doing is on the basis of what we know and what we can see right now,” Telstra chief executive Andrew Penn told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Telstra's CEO Andy Penn says foot traffic at the telco's stores has dropped and that it will continue to monitor conditions this weekend. Credit:Steven Siewert

“The challenge with this situation is the sharp decline in consumer demand, and consumers aren’t able to spend because they are restricted from travelling and going to hotels, restaurants and events.”

The telco yesterday announced a number of measures in response to the pandemic, including plans to speed up spending on its 5G mobile network and temporarily adding 1000 extra workers at its local call centres. The bulk of Telstra’s call centres have been shuttered after the Philippines enforced strict quarantine measures earlier this week.