Consumer Technology Association Announces All FCC and FTC Commissioners Will Address CES 2016

Arlington, VA, November 18, 2015 – The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) , formerly the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, today announced two of the nation’s top regulators, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler, are returning as featured speakers as part of the CES® 2016 conference program. CTA also announced all of the commissioners from both agencies are expected to participate in roundtable discussions at CES, where they will provide insight into top policy and regulatory issues related to Internet of Things (IoT), spectrum allocation, privacy and disruptive innovation.  Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association, CES is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies, and will run January 6-9, 2016, in Las Vegas, NV.

Chairwoman Ramirez and Chairman Wheeler will join Consumer Technology Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro for a SuperSession featuring two, 30-minute candid discussions on the enormous and exciting challenges they face as their agencies navigate the rapidly changing technological landscape. The SuperSession is scheduled for 11:30 AM Wednesday, January 6, 2016, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), North Hall, Room N257.

“This is a great opportunity for CES attendees to hear how the FCC and FTC’s top regulators view their agency’s role in enhancing competition, stimulating entrepreneurship and supporting the kind of disruptive innovation on display at CES,” said Shapiro. “I’m thrilled to welcome back Chairman Wheeler and Chairwoman Ramirez to the stage to share their vision for the future.”

CES 2016 will also feature an Innovation Policy conference track, which will include a special two-part roundtable with all of the other commissioners of the FCC and FTC, titled “2016 Preview: FCC and FTC Commissioner Roundtable.” The roundtable is scheduled for 2:15 PM Wednesday, January 6, at the LVCC, North Hall, Room N254.

FCC Commissioners Mignon Clyburn, Jessica Rosenworcel, Ajit Pai, and Michael O’Rielly will begin by discussing allocating more licensed and unlicensed spectrum for mobile broadband, improving the accessibility of consumer technologies, increasing broadband adoption and speeds, fostering competition and innovative service offerings for consumers and other topics related to technological convergence and communications.

For the second part of the roundtable, FTC Commissioners Julie Brill, Maureen Ohlhausen, and Terrell McSweeny will address emerging policy issues surrounding the Internet of Things, balancing data privacy with consumer adoption of new services and potential upcoming regulatory reform.

More information about the CES 2016 conference program will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information about CES 2016, please visit www.CESweb.org.