Verizon Communications has received U.S. regulatory approval for its $9.6 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications. This development follows Verizon's decision to terminate its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Reuters reported the changes were instrumental in obtaining the necessary green light from U.S. authorities.
In response to an investigation initiated by FCC Chair Brendan Carr, Verizon made several significant alterations to its DEI efforts. The company discontinued its "Diversity and Inclusion" website, removed DEI elements from employee training, and discarded workforce diversity targets. It also revised management compensation plans that had previously included incentives for workforce diversity.
The investigation by the FCC stemmed from concerns that Verizon's DEI programs could complicate the approval of the Frontier acquisition. The termination of DEI initiatives aligns with broader regulatory dynamics under the Trump administration, which has been actively dismantling such programs across federal agencies and encouraging the private sector to do the same.