An Optus spokesperson told iTWire in response to a request for comment that, "At Optus, we continually review our business model to ensure we’re working in the best way possible to meet our customer's needs and achieve our goals."

However, industry sources said that the talk that Optus was beginning the migration of Virgin Mobile customers to the Optus brand were more than just a rumour.

And, they added, after that the Virgin Mobile brand would cease to exist in Australia.

The spokesperson also indicated that even if there were such changes afoot, they would not be canvassed in the media.

"While we don’t have any changes to announce today, if there are changes, our priority is to talk directly with our employees first, and anyone who might be affected by any proposed changes," the spokesperson said.

Given that Virgin Mobile sells through more than 73 retail outlets, including flagship stores in Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as via telesales and online, closure would mean that hundreds of jobs would go.