Verizon chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg to deliver CES 2021 kick-off keynote

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® today announced that Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg will deliver the kick-off keynote address during CES® 2021, the world’s most influential technology event. Vestberg’s keynote will discuss 5G as the framework of the 21st century, the essential tech of the present and accelerated tech of the future to move our global community forward, such as telemedicine, tele-education, and more.

For the first-time ever, the CES keynotes will be viewed across the globe, giving the world a front row seat to experience the future of technology.

CES 2021 will be an all-digital experience, extending the reach of this global event to existing and new audiences around the world. Attendees will have a front row seat to the latest technology breakthroughs. Global brands and startups will launch the latest cutting-edge products. Thought leaders will share ideas that will shape the future. This new immersive experience will bring together the tech community in a meaningful way.

“CES 2021 will digitally convene innovators and business leaders from around the world showcasing tech changing lives for the better on a global scale,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “Technology is not only connecting us to one another, but is providing solutions to many day-to-day challenges created by the pandemic and that innovation is helping us reimagine CES 2021. We welcome Hans Vestberg back to a new keynote stage and look forward to learning how Verizon’s 5G platform will evolve a wide range of industries we all rely on every day.”

“Verizon’s keynote for CES will demonstrate the vital role that mobility, broadband and cloud — or the world’s 21st century infrastructure — has played in connecting the world this year and how the accelerated shift to 5G is transforming every industry,” said Vestberg. “This time in history is redefining the meaning of connectivity for consumers, industries and society as a whole — imagination is our only threshold.”

Vestberg is chairman and chief executive officer of Verizon Communications, a leading provider of wireless, fiber-optic and global Internet networks and services. Prior to assuming the role of CEO in August 2018 and the role of Chairman in March 2019, Vestberg served as Verizon’s chief technology officer and president of Global Networks from 2017, with responsibility for further developing the architecture for Verizon’s fiber-centric networks. At Verizon, he has focused on delivering seamless experiences for customers over network assets consisting of the country’s leading 4G LTE network, the largest 5G test-bed in the U.S., the nation’s biggest residential fiber network, a global internet backbone and undersea cable network carrying much of the world’s internet traffic, and fiber assets in 45 of the top 50 markets in the U.S. Vestberg presented a keynote address at CES 2019 and while CEO of Ericsson and spoke on a 5G keynote talk at CES 2018.

This is the first CES 2021 keynote announcement. The CES keynote schedule will be updated regularly as keynote speakers are announced. Top visionaries and thought leaders are expected to speak and share insights on premiere technologies during CES 2021.

The dates to CES 2021 have changed. CES 2021 will now take place Monday, January 11 through Thursday, January 14, 2021. January 11 will provide exclusive media-only access. January 12-13 will be open to all registered attendees, featuring the exhibitor showcase and conference programming. January 14 will offer conference programming.

Owned and produced by CTA, CES 2021 will be an all-digital experience connecting exhibitors, customers, thought leaders and media from around the world. CES 2021 will allow participants to hear from technology innovators, see cutting-edge technologies and the latest product launches, and engage with global brands and startups from around the world. For over 50 years, CES has been the global stage for innovation, and CES 2021 will provide an engaging platform for companies large and small to launch products, build brands and form partnerships. Visit CES.tech for all CES 2021 updates and the media page for all press resources.