Reuters
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US wi-fi service AT&T stated in a letter to the US telecoms regulator that it had dedicated to ending range, fairness and inclusion programs, a transfer that comes because it seeks approval from the Trump administration to purchase wi-fi spectrum belongings.
In November 2024, AT&T (T) agreed to purchase some wi-fi spectrum licenses from US Cellular in a $1.02 billion deal that requires approval from the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC beneath President Donald Trump has required telecom companies to finish DEI programs as a situation of approving transactions.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr stated AT&T’s letter on Tuesday confirmed its dedication introduced earlier this yr to ending DEI-related insurance policies.
AT&T stated in its letter that it “does not and will not have any roles focused on DEI.”
In July, wi-fi service T-Mobile US stated it was ending its DEI programs because it sought regulatory approval for 2 main offers together with shopping for virtually all of regional service United States Cellular’s wi-fi operations together with prospects, shops and 30% of its spectrum belongings in a deal valued at $4.4 billion.
The FCC additionally in July accredited a separate transaction through which T-Mobile established a three way partnership with KKR to purchase web service supplier Metronet, which reaches greater than 2 million properties and companies in 17 states.
The FCC in May accredited Verizon Communications’ $20 billion deal to purchase fiber-optic web supplier Frontier Communications after Verizon agreed to finish its DEI program.
Carr, a Republican designated by Trump in January as chair, informed Comcast in February he was opening a probe into the NBC News-parent firm’s promotion of DEI programs. In January, Trump issued sweeping govt orders to dismantle U.S. authorities DEI programs, and pressured the personal sector to be a part of the initiative.