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T-Mobile Shuts Down DEI Efforts to Smooth FCC Deal Approvals

By  |  July 9, 2025

T-Mobile US announced it is dismantling all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives company-wide, according to documents released Wednesday.

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    In a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr, the wireless carrier confirmed it is eliminating all DEI-related roles, disbanding associated teams, and scrubbing DEI references from internal training materials and public websites. The company said the changes were being implemented “not just in name, but in substance,” per Reuters.

    The decision comes as T-Mobile seeks the FCC’s green light for two significant transactions. The first involves a $4.4 billion agreement to acquire nearly all of United States Cellular’s wireless operations, including customers, retail locations, and about 30% of its spectrum assets. The second deal under review would see T-Mobile form a joint venture with investment firm KKR to acquire and manage Metronet, a fiber-optic internet provider serving more than two million homes and businesses across 17 states. T-Mobile intends to invest roughly $4.9 billion at closing for a 50% stake in the venture and full control of Metronet’s residential fiber retail operations.

    Read more: Justice Department Appoints New Trustee to Oversee T-Mobile/Sprint Deal

    Per Reuters, the move to abandon DEI initiatives aligns with pressure from the Trump administration, which has increasingly pushed private sector firms to end such programs. In January, former President Donald Trump issued executive orders dismantling federal DEI efforts and called on private companies to follow suit. Carr, a Republican appointed by Trump to chair the FCC earlier this year, has since opened probes into multiple corporations over their DEI policies, including Comcast and Verizon.

    In response to T-Mobile’s announcement, Carr expressed approval. “This is another good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination and the public interest,” he said in a text message cited by Reuters.

    However, not all commissioners agree. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, sharply criticized the move. “In yet another cynical bid to win FCC regulatory approval, T-Mobile is making a mockery of its professed commitment to eliminating discrimination, promoting fairness, and amplifying underrepresented voices,” she said.

    The DEI rollback mirrors actions by other major telecom players. In May, Verizon received FCC approval for its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications after agreeing to end its own DEI programs. That decision also followed an FCC investigation into the matter.

    Source: Reuters