By David Shepardson
(Reuters) -Wireless carrier T-Mobile US said on Wednesday it is ending its diversity, equity and inclusion programs, under pressure from the Trump administration as it seeks regulatory approval for two major deals.
T-Mobile said in a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr made public on Wednesday that the wireless company is ending its DEI-related policies “not just in name, but in substance.”
T-Mobile said it will no longer have any individual roles or teams focused on DEI, is removing any references to DEI on its websites and has removed references to DEI from its employee training materials.
Carr said in a text message he was pleased with the changes. “This is another good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination and the public interest.”
T-Mobile is awaiting FCC approval to buy almost all of regional carrier United States Cellular’s wireless operations including customers, stores and 30% of its spectrum assets in a deal valued at $4.4 billion.
The FCC is also weighing a separate transaction in which T-Mobile would establish a joint venture with KKR to acquire internet service provider Metronet, which reaches more than 2 million homes and businesses in 17 states.
T-Mobile plans at closing to invest about $4.9 billion to acquire a 50% equity stake in the joint venture and 100% of Metronet’s residential fiber retail operations and customers.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, criticized T-Mobile’s action saying “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.”
The FCC in May approved Verizon Communications’ $20 billion deal to acquire fiber-optic internet providers Frontier Communications after the largest U.S. telecom company agreed to end its DEI program and after the FCC opened an investigation.
Carr, a Republican designated by Trump in January as chair, told Comcast in February he was opening a probe into the NBC News-parent company’s promotion of DEI programs.
In January, Trump issued sweeping executive orders to dismantle U.S. government DEI programs, and pressured the private sector to join the initiative.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)
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