In a move igniting controversy across political lines, T-Mobile has pledged to terminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, a shift aimed at aligning with the Federal Communications Commission’s regulatory expectations as it seeks approval for two blockbuster deals totaling nearly $9 billion.
The decision, revealed in a letter to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, comes as T-Mobile awaits green lights for its $4.4 billion acquisition of UScellular’s wireless operations and a $4.9 billion joint venture to absorb fiber provider Metronet.
Regulatory Strategy or Corporate Capitulation?
T-Mobile said the decision followed a “comprehensive review” initially promised during its $950 million deal to buy Lumos, a fiber-to-the-home platform cleared earlier this year. In its letter, T-Mobile claimed the dismantling of DEI initiatives reflects changes in federal law and court rulings, adding it would eliminate DEI “not just in name, but in substance.”
“We recognize the legal and policy landscape surrounding DEI under federal law has changed,” the company wrote, promising to maintain “nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity” principles without DEI frameworks.
T-Mobile is the second telecom giant to bend to pressure from Commissioner Carr, who successfully pushed Verizon to make a similar move during its Frontier Communications deal earlier this year.
Carr celebrated T-Mobile’s decision as a win for “equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest,” posting his remarks on social media Wednesday.
