❓WHAT HAPPENED: T-Mobile announced it will eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, citing legal and internal restructuring reasons.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: T-Mobile, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Trump administration.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made public on Wednesday, July 10, through a letter sent to the FCC.
💬KEY QUOTE: “T-Mobile will no longer have any individual roles or teams focused on DEI,” the company stated in a memo.
🎯IMPACT: The move aligns with the Trump administration’s broad pressure against corporate DEI policies and coincides with T-Mobile’s pursuit of federal approval for two major business transactions.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has scored another major win for the Trump administration with T-Mobile, the second-largest wireless carrier in the United States, announcing it has ended its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. T-Mobile states the decision to scrap its DEI initiatives stems from legal and restructuring reasons, but the move is widely seen as an effort to comply with President Donald J. Trump’s directives ending federal government contracts with companies that promote discriminatory DEI policies.
T-Mobile’s decision was made public on Wednesday in a letter sent to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. The FCC has aggressively enforced President Trump’s rollback of DEI, using its regulatory power to encourage major U.S. telecommunications and technology companies to ditch the discriminatory policy.
The company claims it is ending DEI-related policies “not just in name, but in substance.” Employees previously assigned to DEI-specific roles will be reassigned within the Human Resources department to focus more broadly on employee culture and engagement. T-Mobile clarified that it will no longer maintain any positions or teams focused solely on DEI initiatives.
“First, the handful of T-Mobile employees who focused on diversity and inclusion will be redirected within Human Resources to focus on employee culture and engagement. As a result, T-Mobile will no longer have any individual roles or teams focused on ‘DEI.’ T-Mobile is also removing any language, logos, or other references to DEI on its websites, and will ensure that company websites and future communications do not have any references to DEI or diversity, equity, and inclusion, and are consistent with T-Mobile’s commitment to promote nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity,” the company said in its memo.
T-Mobile is currently seeking approval from federal regulators to conduct two major business transactions. The company is pursuing a $4 billion deal to acquire nearly all of US Cellular’s regional carrier wireless operations, including customers, stores, and other assets. Additionally, T-Mobile is working on a joint venture with KKR to acquire Internet provider Metronet.
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