FCC Approves Verizon Buy of Frontier Following DEI Concessions
The FCC announced Friday the approval of Verizon’s $20 billion buy of Frontier, in an action by the Wireline Bureau. The approval came after Verizon filed a letter at the FCC agreeing to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a top focus of the FCC under President Donald Trump. The FCC moved relatively quickly and the deal had only been pending since September (see 2409050010).
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‘We recognize that the regulatory and policy landscape surrounding [DEI] has changed,” said a filing by Verizon posted Friday in docket 24-445: “The Supreme Court, the President’s Executive Orders, and federal mandates require changes in the way companies approach DEI issues moving forward.”
“Approving this transaction allows Verizon to upgrade and expand Frontier’s existing network in 25 states, bringing more fiber to more communities,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Friday. New Verizon fiber deployments “will enable the retirement of old copper networks, ensuring that more communities benefit from advanced technologies,” Carr said. “Verizon expects to deploy fiber to 1 million or more American homes annually.”
“Verizon has now agreed to end its DEI policies as specified in a new FCC filing,” Carr said on X, ahead of the announcement. He called the concessions “a good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest.”