Verizon Ends DEI, FCC Approves Frontier Merger

Verizon has agreed to end all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs as a condition for the FCC's approval of its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications. This includes scrubbing DEI language from employee training, removing workforce diversity goals, eliminating executive compensation incentives tied to DEI, withdrawing its Diversity and Inclusion website, and reassigning HR roles focused on DEI. The FCC, led by Chair Brendan Carr, praised the move as supporting equal opportunity and nondiscrimination, while Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized it as part of a broader rollback of DEI initiatives under the Trump administration. The merger aims to expand Verizon's fiber network, accelerate the shift from copper to fiber infrastructure, and improve broadband access for millions of homes, especially in rural areas. The situation highlights increasing regulatory pressure on corporations to scale back DEI programs. Verizon's actions reflect a broader trend as companies face legal and regulatory scrutiny over DEI policies.