AT&T has officially put an end to its DEI programs, submitting to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) regulatory demands. The U.S. wireless carrier confirmed the news in a letter to the regulator, adding the confirmation in order to seek approval for further asset purchases. Under the current administration, telecom companies are reportedly required to end any active DEI programming in order to seek any approvals for additional transactions. This marks a major shift in the occupational landscape for remaining promoters of diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
Other major carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon have already conceded to similar changes to their business operations, and AT&T’s DEI removal confirmations for 2025 seal the deal on the future of DEI within the industry.
AT&T ends its DEI programs, joining a list of its competitors in submitting to FCC regulations in order to seek approval for a major transaction. (Image: Pexels)
AT&T Ends Its DEI Programs, Submitting to Regulatory Pressure
AT&T has dropped its DEI initiatives, announcing the complete elimination of all DEI-focused roles and initiatives within the organization. In its FCC correspondence, the company stated that it “does not and will not have any roles focused on DEI.” The general societal trends away from DEI have a role to play in the matter, but the primary catalyst for this is the regulatory pressure from the FCC, chaired by Brendan Carr, which has established conditional approval for telecom transactions based on the cessation of DEI programs.
With company’s commitment to the cessation of DEI efforts directly facilitates the FCC’s review of its $1.02 billion acquisition of wireless spectrum licenses from US Cellar, a deal that was originally agreed upon in November last year. Without this confirmation, AT&T risked prolonged scrutiny or outright denial of the deal.
The FCC’s policy aligns with governmental executive orders from earlier this year, which highlighted the federally mandated shift away from DEI, even for private-sector institutions. From the disappointment around AT&T’s RTO policy to the sigh of relief at the relaxation of its employee surveillance policies, this year has introduced a substantial number of changes for the company’s employees. With AT&T submitting to regulatory pressure with regard to DEI, it is evident that more changes are to come for AT&T workers.
There Are Industry Precedents to AT&T’s Removal of Its DEI Strategy in 2025
With DEI programs terminated at AT&T, we can look to other major businesses to understand their stance on the matter. T-Mobile similarly terminated its DEI programs in July 2025 to secure FCC approval for two separate deals. This included the $4.4 billion acquisition of US Cellular’s core operations and a joint venture with KKR to buy internet provider Metronet. Verizon Communications also terminated its DEI program so it could greenlight a $20 billion deal for the purchase of fiber-optic provider Frontier Communications.
These actions are less of a pattern and more of a precedent for the telecom industry that suggests that there are external considerations to make before any major deals will receive approval in the future. The trend isn’t evident among wireless carriers and telecom companies alone. From Walmart to Mattel, a large number of major US businesses have withdrawn support from DEI initiatives in order to avoid federal scrutiny and backlash.
Interestingly, while some companies have outwardly indicated their rejection of DEI messaging, most have re-committed themselves to inclusive policies instead. While there are no policies that promote representation or the upliftment of any particular community, businesses reiterated their goal of building safe and supportive workplaces. While this is a large part of what DEI stands for, there appears to be an active shift to such “inclusive” wording and practice to ensure that workplaces are not without their rules.
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