Applications
DAS can be the gateway for broadband and VAS
GOA: Broadband and value-added services, suppressed revenue streams so far, will get a major boost as India advances towards digitisation of cable TV.
A few multi-system operators (MSOs) like Hathway Cable & Datacom and Ortel in Orissa have already invested in broadband but on the cable front it has largely been tapped by local cable operators. All MSOs, however, have expressed interest in developing it as a second major revenue source after they move into the new digital regime where they will have more direct control over the last mile customer.
Cable TV networks realise that in broadband and value-added services (Vas) they have a distinct advantage over DTH. In a digital addressable era, broadband and Vas will become an important differentiated offering.
Said NDS Country Head and GM – India Jayant Changrani, “The convergence of technologies will come into play after the introduction of DAS and service providers could take advantage of this. The service providers have to ultimately go by what the consumer wants and provide him Vas to be able to monetise the medium to increase revenues.”
Changrani referred to the DVRs being made by NDS and hand-held boxes that could provide a gateway for gaming, Vas, chats and Wi-fi. He said the Hathway set-top boxes (STBs) already had the broadband advantage.
The Mosaic devices of NDS can help MSOs to configure some channels which he wants to push, he added. He was speaking at the first session on the second and concluding day of the Indian Digital Operators Summit (IDOS) 2012, organised by Indiantelevision.com in partnership with Media Partners Asia.
Management Technologies director Rajiv Dahhad said MSOs being in the best position to move ‘fat pipes’ could help use the DAS penetration to bring in broadband, VAS and other services. Pricing will work if new content and new channels are introduced. There will be need for “field agent management solutions”, he added. Broadcasters will benefit as they want less dependence on advertisement revenues and more inflow from subscriptions.
IBM India GM (Media and Entertainment) Vivek Prabhu said, “MSOs may also need to be trained in new fields such as Vas, billing and inventory as long as the costs were low. There was need for backhand infrastructure to study consumer habits.”
Dilip Singh of JainHITS said DAS had to come, and the passing of laws had only expedited the process, something which had not happened when cable TV or private TV came into the country — the law had followed the advent of these technologies. But the consumer will want much more than just TV signals or VAS, and digitisation will add value to lifestyles just as the mobiles had done.
Dolby Laboratories country manager Pankaj Kedia said television is ultimately an audio-visual and not just a visual unit and, therefore, sound plays a crucial role. Service providers often forget this aspect, but the customer cares for the sound quality.
Answering another aspect, he said pricing was a problem for the customers of LCOs, but those of DTH had already accepted this. He said customer awareness applications were needed if DAS had to be brought in.
Chrome Data Analytics and Media CEO Pankaj Krishna said broadcasters will gain by way of digital being able to carry more channels, but education has to be imparted to the viewer about DAS. This can either be by word of mouth or by branding, he added.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
