Calif. counters FCC attack on DEI with conditions on Verizon/Frontier merger
Summary
California’s CPUC approved Verizon’s acquisition of Frontier Communications with a set of consumer protections and oversight measures aimed at expanding connectivity and sustaining DEI initiatives despite federal pressure. The conditions require extensive fiber deployment, rural access improvements, low-income broadband pricing, audits, compliance monitoring, and workforce and supplier diversity commitments, as well as funding for digital literacy and workforce programs. The article frames these measures as a pushback against the FCC’s push to end DEI programs, highlighting state-level guardrails and enforcement mechanisms to protect consumers and workers in the merged entity.