Another major telecom company, AT&T, is dropping its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies as it seeks to win approval from the Federal Communications Commission for its $1.02 billion acquisition of wireless spectrum licenses.

The Trump-appointed chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, has sought to use his agency’s authority to pressure companies to drop DEI policies, warning that the policies, which the Trump administration sees as a form of illegal discrimination, might lead his agency to block certain transactions. 

On Tuesday night, Mr. Carr shared a letter he received from AT&T detailing its “commitment to ending DEI-related policies.”

AT&T told Mr. Carr that it had “adjusted our employment and business practices to ensure that they comply with all applicable laws and related requirements, including DEI-related policies … not just in name but in substance.”

The letter said the company “will not have any roles focused on DEI” and “will not use hiring quotas based on race, sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.”

AT&T agreed to buy a number of spectrum licenses from United States Cellular in November 2024. 

In July, T-Mobile announced that it was ending its DEI policies as it sought approval from the FCC for two deals. Days later, the FCC approved T-Mobile’s $4.4 billion acquisition of most of the wireless operations of United States Cellular, including about 30 percent of its total spectrum assets. The agency also approved T-Mobile’s acquisition of internet service provider Metronet. 

Another telecom company, Verizon, also ended its DEI policies in May. Just one day after that announcement, the FCC approved Verizon’s $20 billion deal to acquire broadband provider Frontier Communications.