T-Mobile US has announced it will end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, following pressure from the Trump administration as the company seeks approval for two major deals. The wireless carrier confirmed in a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr that it is not only cutting DEI initiatives in name but also removing them in practice.
This means T-Mobile will dismantle any roles or teams focused on DEI. The company is also eliminating references to DEI on its websites and scrubbing related content from employee training materials.
Chairman Carr expressed his approval of the move, calling it a positive step for equal opportunity and nondiscrimination. T-Mobile is awaiting approval from the FCC for a $4.4 billion deal to buy most of United States Cellular’s wireless operations, including customers, stores, and nearly a third of its spectrum assets. Additionally, the FCC is considering a separate deal where T-Mobile would partner with investment firm KKR. Together, they plan to acquire internet service provider Metronet, which serves over 2 million homes and businesses across 17 states. T-Mobile intends to invest about $4.9 billion for a 50% stake in this joint venture and to fully take over Metronet’s residential fiber operations.
Not everyone is happy with T-Mobile’s decision. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, criticized the move, calling it a cynical attempt to win regulatory approval while abandoning commitments to fight discrimination and support underrepresented groups.
This is not the first time the FCC, under Carr’s leadership, has pressured big companies to end DEI programs. Earlier, Verizon agreed to drop its DEI initiatives as part of a $20 billion deal to buy Frontier Communications’ fiber-optic business. The FCC also launched an investigation into Comcast regarding its support of DEI efforts.
The push against DEI programs traces back to executive orders issued by former President Trump in January, aiming to dismantle government DEI policies and encourage the private sector to follow suit.
T-Mobile’s decision clearly shows how corporate policies can shift under political and regulatory pressure, especially when big deals and approvals are on the line.