Rikin Thakker, Ph.D.

Rikin Thakker, Ph.D., is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Senior Vice President of Technology, at NCTA – The Internet & Television Association. He leads NCTA’s technology efforts and the industry’s interest in techno-policy, standards, and guidelines in such areas as broadband Internet performance, cybersecurity, video services, energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and wireless spectrum. Dr. Thakker is NCTA’s technical liaison with Cable Television Laboratories (CableLabs), the industry’s research and development consortium, and with the Society of Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), the industry’s standards setting body.

Prior to joining NCTA, Dr. Thakker was serving as the CTO at the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA). He has served on various governmental committees, including the Technological Advisory Council (TAC) at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Dr. Thakker also serves on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) and is an active participant in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) and 6G working groups. Additionally, he has been an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland, College Park since 2009.

Dr. Thakker received his Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University, his Master of Science in Telecommunications from the University of Maryland, College Park, and his undergraduate degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Gujarat University. He also earned a certificate in Executive Education in Cybersecurity from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Sloan School of Management.