AT&T has received regulatory approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its $1 billion spectrum acquisition from UScellular, but not without a major policy shift. The approval comes after AT&T formally committed to ending all of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Under the deal, AT&T will acquire a large batch of wireless spectrum licenses from UScellular, including 3.45GHz mid-band spectrum and 700MHz low-band licenses. The transaction, valued at approximately $1.02 billion, will help AT&T strengthen its 5G network capacity and expand coverage across multiple U.S. markets.
In filings submitted to the FCC, AT&T confirmed that it has eliminated DEI-focused roles, policies, training programs, supplier diversity requirements, and related internal and external messaging. The company stated that all hiring and promotion decisions will now be strictly based on merit, with no demographic-based targets or quotas.
The approval reflects a growing trend under current FCC leadership, where telecom companies seeking major transaction approvals are being required to abandon DEI programs as a condition for clearance. Both Verizon and T-Mobile have also made similar changes in recent regulatory reviews.
However, the deal has drawn criticism from rural wireless advocates, who warn that further spectrum consolidation among large carriers could weaken competition, reduce roaming options, and potentially increase service costs in rural areas where UScellular previously played a key role.
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