AT&T has formally committed to ending all its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, as conveyed in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 2, 2025.
This decision comes as AT&T pursues regulatory approval for its $1.02 billion acquisition of wireless-spectrum licenses from U.S. Cellular. The FCC, now led by Brendan Carr, has imposed a condition requiring telecom companies to shut down DEI initiatives to green-light major transactions such as this.
In its communication to regulators, AT&T explicitly stated that it “does not and will not have any roles focused on DEI.” This follows a broader trend among U.S. telecom and tech companies, driven by a shift under the current administration that rescinds previous affirmative-action and DEI-supporting policies and emphasises merit-based practices instead.
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The move by AT&T underscores how regulatory pressures are reshaping corporate approaches to workplace diversity and inclusion. Companies now appear willing to dismantle long-standing DEI programmes, not necessarily as a reflection of internal policy debate, but as a pragmatic step to fulfil conditions imposed for corporate deals. The decision highlights a changing landscape in corporate governance and societal priorities in the United States. Moreover, according to many people who are aware of the matter, companies are doing this in a bid to get in the good graces of the Trump administration.
