FCC Pushes Companies to Abandon D.E.I

T-Mobile has become the latest company to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion DEI programs amid scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission during merger and acquisition reviews.

In a letter this week to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, T-Mobile announced it would eliminate all D.E.I.-related policies “in substance, not just in name.” 

This includes reassigning D.E.I. staff to focus on “employee culture and engagement” and removing all D.E.I. references from its website, going beyond the partial rollback it reported to the FCC in March.

On Friday, the FCC approved T-Mobile’s acquisition of a significant portion of UScellular’s wireless business. 

The agency’s order noted T-Mobile’s D.E.I. policy termination, stating it “expects these changes will prevent DEI discrimination in the post-transaction company.”

While the FCC typically evaluates media and telecom deals for consumer benefits, it has taken an unusual role in advancing the Trump administration’s push to eliminate D.E.I. in corporate America. Chairman Carr has embraced this agenda, leveraging an executive order to curb “illegal D.E.I.” by threatening to block deals and investigating companies like Disney and Comcast over their D.E.I. efforts. 

On Wednesday, Carr praised T-Mobile’s move on X, calling it a “good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest.”