T-Mobile Tells FCC It’s Scrapping DEI As It Waits for Deal Approvals

As it awaits regulatory approval on two multi-billion-dollar deals from the agency, T-Mobile has informed the Federal Communications Commission that it’s joining the longlist of companies that are pulling back on diversity, equity, and inclusion — known as DEI — initiatives.

In a letter to FCC Chair Brendan Carr, the company said it would end its DEI-related policies “not just in name, but in substance.”

The company said it would “no longer have any individual roles or teams focused on DEI” and would remove all references to the concept on its website.

T-Mobile has been awaiting approval from the agency for two separate deals: a partial acquisition of UScellular and the acquisition of Metronet, an internet service provider. Both deals are valued at over $4 billion, according to Reuters.

In apost on X, Carr called the move “another good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest.”

Companies that have also pulled back on DEI practices in recent months include Salesforce, Amazon, Google, and Target. The commission has gone after other companies for DEI practices, including Comcast and Disney.

Anna M. Gomez, a Democratic-appointed member of the commission, criticized T-Mobile’s decision.

“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,” Gomezwrote on X. “History will not be kind to this cowardly corporate capitulation.”