Federal Regulator Approves T-Mobile’s $4 Billion Deal – But Only After It Scrapped DEI
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved two T-Mobile deals after the company rolled back its DEI efforts following pressure from the Trump administration.
T-Mobile was permitted to purchase nearly all of regional carrier United States Cellular’s wireless operations, including customers, stores, and 30% of its spectrum assets, in a deal valued at $4.4 billion, according to Reuters. T-Mobile was also granted permission to acquire internet service provider Metronet, which serves over 2 million homes and businesses in 17 states.
The FCC approves two T-Mobile deals
In a letter to FCC Chair Brendan Carr, made public on Wednesday, T-Mobile stated that it would terminate its DEI-related policies “not just in name, but in substance.” “We recognize that the legal and policy landscape surrounding DEI under federal law has changed,” T-Mobile wrote.
The company will scrap any roles or teams dedicated to DEI, has removed any references to DEI from its websites and training materials, and has opened up training and other career development opportunities to all employees, as reported by USA Today.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr commented on the changes, stating, “Another good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest.”
Federal Pressure to drop DEI
The FCC is an independent agency of the US government that regulates radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable communications across the US. T-Mobile is the latest company to have succumbed to pressure from the FCC to drop its DEI initiatives, even though it framed its decision as voluntary, according to The New York Times.
Appointed by President Donald Trump in January, Carr has taken an aggressive stance against corporate DEI policies. He’s threatened to block mergers, opened investigations into companies like NPR, PBS, Disney, and ABC, and praised firms that abandon DEI.
In February, the FCC launched an investigation into Comcast and NBCUniversal, citing “substantial evidence” that they continued to promote DEI. Paramount, under pressure from the FCC, announced it would rethink its approach to DEI. Now, it awaits FFC approval for its $8 billion merger with Skydance.
Verizon, which had been awaiting its $20 billion acquisition of the broadband provider Frontier Communications since May, announced it was voluntarily ending its DEI policy in a letter worded similarly to T-Mobile’s. The FCC approved the deal a day later.
Image: Diego ThomaziniShutterstock
