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Private operators will have to wait for more time to set up mobile TV
NEW DELHI: Private operators will have to wait for some more time to introduce mobile television in the country as the decision to restrict the requirement of spectrum for various broadcasting services within 585-646 MHz has further complicated its introduction.
The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on vacation of spectrum took this decision in its meeting held on 5 March 2012.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that in the light of this decision, the feasibility of introduction of Mobile TV has been jeopardised.
Earlier, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had in its recommendations on Issues Relating to Mobile Television Service on 23 January 2008 made recommendations for introduction of Mobile TV services by private operators. Although the Information and Broadcasting Ministry was in agreement with majority of recommendations, the draft policy on Mobile TV has not been prepared due to non-availably of adequate spectrum in the UHF Band V (585-698 MHz).
50 MHz of broadcasting spectrum allocated to Defence
The Ministry had projected the requirement of spectrum for Doordarshan (585-646 MHz) and Mobile TV (96 MHz beyond 646 MHz) in UHF Band V. But Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing (WPC) said it had already decided to allocate frequency band 625-675 MHz – a total of 50 MHz – to Defence within 585-695 MHz, though it had been allocated to broadcasting services.
This allocation to Defence disturbs the entire band as requirement spectrum for DD and Mobile TV is to be met within 585-698 MHz, as recommended by Trai and National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) 2011.
The Ministry had, therefore, suggested that even if Defence has to be given spectrum, it should be towards one end of 585-698 MHz – beyond 646 MHz – so that broadcasting spectrum remains contiguous. Accordingly, the Department of Telecom and the WPC had been requested to talk to Defence about relocation of Defence spectrum to 646-698 MHz (a total of 52 MHz), but no reply has been received so far.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has been informed by the I&B Ministry that the draft Policy of Mobile Television has been put on hold due to non-availability of adequate spectrum in the VHF band V(585-698 MHz) and in view of this the Ministry may have to examine the feasibility of introducing mobile TV services.
Parliamentary Committee questions allocation to Defence
The Committee in its report says it fails to see why the frequency band 625-675 MHz was allocated to Defence when the I& B Ministry had already communicated to WPC about their projection requirement of spectrum for DD (585-646 MHz) and mobile TV (96 MHz) as 646-742 MHZ.
I&B rapped for failure to negotiate
The Committee said it was “extremely disappointed to note that Ministry has not handled the issue of spectrum allocation with concerned authorities timely and with requisite attention which has led to such a stalemate in the issue”.
In view of the decision of the EGoM, the Committee “has no choice but to advise the Ministry to review the spectrum availability and take up the matter suitably with the concerned authorities so that the launching of mobile television is not put into cold storage and the country does not lag behind in this area.”
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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.
