T-Mobile ends DEI programs while awaiting FCC approval on key deals

T-Mobile informed the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the wireless company will end its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs while it awaits approval from the agency on two key business deals. 

In a letter to FCC Chair Brendan Carr, which was made public Wednesday, T-Mobile said it will no longer have specific roles or teams focused on DEI. Instead, those employees will be redirected within Human Resources to focus on employee culture and engagement. 

It also said it is removing any references to DEI on its websites and will ensure that company websites and future communications do not have any references to DEI. 

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“We recognize that the legal and policy landscape surrounding DEI under federal law has changed and we remain fully committed to ensuring that T-Mobile does not have any policies or practices that enable invidious discrimination, whether in fulfillment of DEI or any other purpose,” the company said in the letter. “We have made the below adjustments to ensure our policies and practices maintain close alignment with the direction you’ve provided and are consistent with nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity laws.” 

A T-Mobile store in New York, US, on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. T-Mobile US Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on October 23. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty / Getty Images)

Carr said in his post the company’s efforts mark “another good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest.” 

The company said the changes stem from a comprehensive review of its policies, programs, and activities. The move comes as the company is still seeking approval for two major deals. For instance, the company is still awaiting FCC approval to acquire the wireless operations of United States Cellular, which includes customers, stores and 30% of its spectrum assets. The deal is valued at $4.4 billion.

T-Mobile is also waiting for approval to establish a joint venture with leading global investment firm KKR, that will acquire Metronet, including its broadband infrastructure, rapidly growing residential fiber business operations and existing customers. 

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T-Mobile is the latest company to halt such initiatives under growing pressure from the Trump administration. 

A number of companies, including Amazon, Lowe’s, Meta, McDonald’s, American Airlines and Boeing, have pulled back on their DEI programs. In November, Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, announced plans to roll back its DEI policies, including how it monitors products within its marketplace and reviews grant funding. Rival Target announced similar plans to do so in January.

Signage for a T-Mobile store in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Monday Jan. 31, 2022. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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By contrast, some companies have resisted activist pressure, publicly reaffirming their commitment to maintaining DEI policies.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in the tech firm’s annual report in October that it continues to ensure that its “workforce represents the planet we serve and the products we build always meet our customers’ needs” and that it continues to “hire, develop, and grow a global workforce that best supports each other and our customers.”