- This is Carr’s first investigation of a telecommunications company for DEI initiatives
- Many major telcos and cablecos launched DEI initiatives years ago to grow innovation in a traditionally stagnant industry with an aging workforce
- Telecom companies serve diverse communities and tend to hire employees who can best understand and serve them
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has sent a letter to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts to open an investigation into what it claims are “invidious” forms of civil rights violations due to the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The letter, first posted by Newsmax on Tuesday afternoon, states, "I am writing to inform you that I have asked the FCC's Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into Comcast and NBCUniversal. ... In particular, I want to ensure that your companies are not promoting invidious forms of discrimination in violation of FCC regulations and civil rights laws."
Comcast told Fierce in an emailed statement: “We have received an inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission and will be cooperating with the FCC to answer their questions. For decades, our company has been built on a foundation of integrity and respect for all of our employees and customers.”
The telecommunications industry has long promoted DEI initiatives to increase innovation and recruit a diverse workforce so that it could compete against hyperscalers and their fast-moving, Silicon Valley-like culture club — which was more attractive to younger workers starting out in their careers.
With approximately 200,000 workers needed to deliver broadband across the U.S., and a growing skills gap in fields like fiber technicians, cyber security, tower climbers, customer service and construction, DEI is an integral part of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. It’s right there in the name, New Street Research’s Blair Levin told Fierce Network last week.
As Fierce reported then, federal efforts to slash DEI initiatives come as the broadband industry braces for a worker shortage ahead of BEAD rollouts. A study commissioned by the Fiber Broadband Association warned of an expected shortage of 28,000 workers on the construction side and 30,000 on the technician side between now and 2030.
Comcast's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion webpage reads, "We believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive company is a more innovative and successful one. Across our workforce, products, and content, we embrace diversity of background, perspective, culture, and experience, and together with our partners, we are working to fight injustice against any race, ethnicity, gender or sexual identity, disability, or veteran status."
Fierce reached out to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile last month asking if they planned to change their DEI policies at the start of the Trump 2.0 administration. An AT&T spokesman said there was no plan to change their policy. Neither Verizon nor T-Mobile responded.
Last year during a panel discussion hosted by Fast Company, Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg said focusing on diversity is “common sense” as a business decision. Nearly 60% of Verizon’s U.S. workforce are women or people of color, a share that’s held fairly steady since at least 2016, when the mobile carrier devoted a section of its website to the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts, the publication reported.
“We’re stronger when we embrace diversity,” T-Mobile states on its website, noting that 63% of T-Mobile U.S. employees identify as members of traditionally underrepresented racial or ethnic groups.
“Ultimately, we believe that inclusivity fuels creativity, drives innovation, and strengthens our connection to the communities we serve,” AT&T states on its website.
This is a developing story.