Under pressure from the Trump administration, wireless provider T-Mobile announced that it is terminating its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as it seeks regulatory approval for two significant agreements.
The wireless provider announced in a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr on Wednesday that its DEI-related policies will be ending “not just in name but in substance.”
T-Mobile announced that it will no longer have any teams or individual roles focused on DEI, that it will no longer use DEI-related keywords on its websites, and that it will no longer include DEI-related keywords in employee training materials.
Carr expressed his satisfaction with the modifications. According to the news agency Reuters, “This is yet another positive step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest.”
Democratic-run T-Mobile’s action was criticized by Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who claimed, “T-Mobile is mocking itself for its professed commitment to ending discrimination, promoting fairness, and amplifying underrepresented voices.
In a separate transaction to form a joint venture with KKR to acquire internet service provider Metronet, which serves more than 2 million homes and businesses in 17 states, T-Mobile is awaiting FCC approval to purchase almost all of regional carrier United States Cellular’s wireless operations, including customers, stores, and 30 percent of its spectrum assets.
Investors were disappointed with the news. The company’s stock, which was traded under the TMUS at 2:30pm ET (18:30 GMT), has fallen 1.3 percent since the market opened.
T-Mobile is just one of a growing number of businesses that are resolutely awaiting regulatory approval.
Source: Aljazeera
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