T-Mobile US told the Federal Communications Commission in a 8 July filing that it is dismantling its diversity, equity and inclusion programmes, eliminating dedicated DEI roles and stripping the term from corporate materials. The carrier said the move reflects changes in federal policy and is intended to ensure compliance with equal-opportunity law. FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who has warned he would oppose transactions by companies that maintain DEI mandates, called the step “a good move for equal opportunity,” while Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez criticised it as a “cynical bid” for regulatory favour. The policy reversal came as T-Mobile seeks clearance for two deals: a $4.4 billion purchase of nearly all of UScellular’s wireless operations and a $4.9 billion joint venture with KKR to acquire fibre provider Metronet. One day after the filing, the Justice Department’s antitrust division closed its investigation into the UScellular deal without seeking an injunction, saying the regional carrier lacked the scale to compete on its own. The following day, the FCC approved the Metronet transaction. With both authorisations in hand, T-Mobile stands to add about four million UScellular customers and expand its fibre footprint across 17 states. The company reiterated that it remains committed to nondiscrimination and equal-opportunity hiring, but it will no longer maintain any staff or teams focused solely on DEI initiatives.