Verizon first announced plans to buy Frontier in September, offering around $9.6 billion in cash and taking on nearly $10 billion of Frontier’s debt. The goal is to boost Verizon’s fiber reach, with plans to bring high-speed internet to over 1 million additional homes every year.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the deal will help bring more broadband to more communities, calling it a win for infrastructure growth. But Carr also opened a probe into Verizon earlier this year, questioning the company’s use of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. That investigation played a role in the approval process.
Frontier advertises its Fiber 5 Gig internet on its site. | Image credit — Frontier
To move the deal forward, Verizon agreed to drop its DEI efforts. The company confirmed it will remove its Diversity and Inclusion website, cut DEI-related language from employee training, and change how it approaches hiring, career development, supplier partnerships, and sponsorships. Verizon also said these same changes will apply to Frontier once the deal is complete.
In addition, Verizon will no longer have internal workforce diversity goals. A part of its executive bonus plan that was tied to increasing representation of women and minorities in its U.S. workforce will also be removed.Verizon‘s chief legal officer, Vandana Venkatesh, explained the move by saying the company recognizes that some DEI practices could be linked to discrimination. Carr highlighted other aspects of the deal as well, including Verizon‘s commitments to support telecom workers and crews during the network buildout.
Now that the deal has the FCC’s stamp of approval, Verizon is set to begin integrating Frontier’s network. The merger is expected to speed up fiber rollouts across the country, even as the policy decisions surrounding it continue to draw attention.
