AT&T has notified the Federal Communications Commission that it is ending its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, a move aimed at winning approval for major telecommunications deals under the Trump administration. The FCC has made clear that it expects large telecom companies to dismantle DEI efforts when seeking approval for significant transactions.
Why now?
AT&T is trying to finalize a roughly $1 billion agreement to purchase wireless spectrum licenses from U.S. Cellular, first reported by CNN. The transaction cannot proceed without FCC approval.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr confirmed the agency received a letter from AT&T on Tuesday stating the company “does not and will not have any roles focused on DEI.”
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What AT&T says
In the four-page letter, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel David McAtee II wrote that the “legal landscape” surrounding DEI has changed, citing recent executive orders, Supreme Court rulings and EEOC guidance.
McAtee said AT&T has “adjusted our employment and business practices to ensure that they comply with all applicable laws and related requirements, including ending DEI-related policies as described below, not just in name but in substance.”
He added that the company remains committed to equal employment opportunity “merit-based opportunity.”
Other telecom companies making the same move
AT&T is not alone.
T-Mobile eliminated its DEI programs in July as it sought FCC approval for multiple transactions, including its $4.5 billion deal to acquire U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations, customers, stores and part of its spectrum assets.
Verizon also ended its DEI initiatives earlier in 2025, ahead of the FCC approving its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications.
The broader context
The shift follows executive orders issued by President Donald Trump shortly after taking office in January, directing federal agencies to dismantle DEI programs and urging private-sector companies to do the same.
Many major companies subsequently rolled back or eliminated their DEI efforts. NPR reports companies including Pepsi, GM, Google, Disney, GE, Intel, PayPal, Chipotle and Comcast have all taken steps to revise or remove DEI policies this year.
