T-Mobile US Halts Diversity Programs

Telecom giant awaits federal approval for key transactions.

Under pressure from the US government, **Deutsche Telekom** subsidiary T-Mobile US is discontinuing its diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) programs as it seeks regulatory approval for pending deals.

Key Development

In a letter made public today addressed to **Brendan Carr**, head of the FCC, T-Mobile US stated their DEI guidelines would be terminated “not only to the name, but in the substance.”

The company said that dedicated DEI roles and teams will be eliminated. Furthermore, T-Mobile US will scrub all references to DEI from its websites and employee training materials.

Pending Approvals

T-Mobile is currently awaiting FCC authorization to proceed with its acquisition of United States Cellular’s mobile phone business for $4.4 billion (EUR 3.75 billion). A separate transaction is also pending: a joint venture with KKR for the acquisition of Internet service provider Metronet.

The fate of the transactions comes as studies show that companies with more diverse workforces tend to be more profitable (McKinsey 2020).

Trump Era Policies

The elimination of diversity programs aligns with goals previously advocated by **Donald Trump**. Shortly after assuming office, **Trump** dismantled regulations intended to promote equal opportunities and ensure balanced workforce representation regarding characteristics like race, gender, and religion.