T-Mobile closes Lumos deal after dropping DEI

T-Mobile has officially closed its associated venture woody with the fibre supplier Lumos,  aft taking down its webpage dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) successful the process, as reported by Fierce Network. The now-blank page outlined T-Mobile’s “culture of fairness, respect, and inclusion” and was online until at slightest March 26th, the Internet Archive shows.

Its removal seems similar a nonstop effect to the threats from Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr, who said companies should “get engaged ending immoderate benignant of their invidious forms of DEI discrimination” during an interrogation with Bloomberg past month. He suggested that large deals, specified arsenic T-Mobile’s program to get astir of US Cellular, won’t hap if DEI is inactive successful play. 

T-Mobile enforcement vice president Mark Nelson has already indicated that the institution plans connected complying with Carr’s orders. In a March 27th missive to the FCC, helium stated T-Mobile is “conducting a broad reappraisal of its DEI policies, programs, and activities,” adding that the associated task with Lumos “will not beforehand invidious forms of discrimination.” As pointed retired by Fierce Network, the FCC signed disconnected connected the deal connected March 28th. The Verge reached retired to T-Mobile with a petition for remark but didn’t instantly perceive back.

Since becoming FCC chair, Carr has probed the DEI practices astatine Comcast, Verizon, and Disney. The Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats have responded by opening an probe of their own, which volition analyse the clip and resources the FCC has spent connected “bogus investigations.”