Miles Jamison 
- Don Parente urged Congress to establish AI rules before the market becomes entrenched
- The MetTel VP pointed to the Telecommunications Act as a cautionary example of unresolved regulatory gaps
- He said policy uncertainty can shift key decisions from lawmakers to regulators and the courts
Don Parente, vice president of public sector sales and solution architecture at MetTel, stated that federal policymakers should draw lessons from the Telecommunications Act of 1996 as they develop artificial intelligence policy.
What Lessons Does Telecom Reform Offer for AI?
In a commentary published Thursday on Nextgov/FCW, Parente said the Telecommunications Act opened markets to competition and created opportunities for new companies, including MetTel, but left critical implementation details unresolved. He said questions surrounding market access, technical standards and dispute resolution were settled only after years of litigation and regulatory action, resulting in market consolidation and lost investment.
“The federal government’s responsibility is to establish clear rules before markets become entrenched,” Parente wrote.
He added that legislative ambiguity shifts policymaking from Congress to regulators and the courts, creating uncertainty for businesses and investors.
The commentary builds on Parente’s earlier calls for proactive government modernization. He previously argued that agencies should replace aging technology rather than continue to rely on temporary fixes, saying innovation requires moving beyond legacy systems.
What Does Parente Recommend for AI Policy?
Parente explained that AI mirrors the challenges lawmakers encountered with telecommunications, but with far broader implications. The technology spans healthcare, defense, transportation, financial services, education and critical infrastructure. He identified access to computing resources, control of frontier models, training data availability and system interoperability as potential market bottlenecks.
He urged Congress to establish clear definitions, responsibilities and enforcement mechanisms early, develop interoperability standards before proprietary systems become deeply embedded and ensure enforcement agencies can act at the pace of technological change.
Parente has also discussed AI’s growing role in government technology adoption. During a March ExecutiveBiz Spotlight interview, he said AI-driven managed services and commercial innovation will become increasingly important as agencies modernize their operations and acquisition strategies.
