The NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association 2014 Fall Conference wrapped up in San Francisco with a series of keynote speeches that left conference attendees charged up to tackle industry challenges and focused on future successes.
The Closing General Session got underway with a Foundation for Rural Service update during which board President Dale Merten discussed the merger with the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED) that was announced in July.
Next, Chris Rivera took the stage to discuss how global service providers are streamlining operations to reduce costs. He said software-defined networking is instrumental in creating new business opportunities. Colin Dixon, founder and chief analyst of nScreenMedia, followed up with industry 
trends relating to millennials. He said social media and subscription video services are changing the game for broadband and traditional television, and that these trends will inform the future of services for NTCA members.
T
he final speaker was Alison Levine, the team captain of the first American Women's Everest Expedition. She discussed the importance of fear when it comes to innovation and leadership, and said it's important to take risks in order to achieve great success. She said that failure often challenges teams to work even harder to achieve their goals.
NTCA's 2015 Fall Conference will be held Sept. 19-23, 2015, in Boston, Mass. We'll see you there!
