AT&T has told U.S. telecoms regulators that it has ended, and will not reinstate, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes — a move made as the company seeks Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval for its planned acquisition of wireless spectrum licences.
The telecoms provider agreed in November 2024 to buy spectrum assets from U.S. Cellular in a $1.02 billion deal that requires sign-off from the FCC. Under President Donald Trump, the FCC has made discontinuation of DEI initiatives a condition for approving transactions in the sector.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said AT&T’s letter this week confirmed commitments the company had previously signalled to withdraw DEI-related policies. AT&T wrote that it “does not and will not have any roles focused on DEI.”
The move follows similar steps by other major carriers. In July, T-Mobile US said it would end its DEI programmes while pursuing regulatory approval for two major transactions, including a $4.4 billion deal to acquire most of U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations and spectrum. The FCC also approved a separate T-Mobile joint venture with KKR to acquire fibre provider Metronet.
In May, Verizon secured approval for its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications’ fibre-optic network after agreeing to dismantle its DEI programme.
Carr, appointed FCC chair by Trump in January, has launched broader reviews into DEI policies within the telecoms and media sectors. In February, he opened a probe into Comcast’s internal DEI initiatives. The actions follow executive orders issued by Trump in January to dismantle government DEI programmes and encourage private companies to do the same.
