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SES partners local firm to boost satellite capacity in Russia
MUMBAI: Global satellite operator SES has entered into a strategic partnership with Russian fixed satellite service operator Gazprom Space System (GSS) to provide additional satellite capacity for the Russian market.
Under the terms of a multi-year agreement, SES has re-located its ASTRA 1F satellite previously located at 51 degrees East to the orbital location 55 degrees East.
The use of ASTRA 1F at 55 degrees East is part of a strategic partnership between SES and Gazprom to explore opportunities for the provision of satellite capacity for Russia.
GSS will utilise 16 Ku-band FSS transponders on the ASTRA 1F satellite to provide communication services for Western Russia ahead of the arrival of GSS‘ Yamal-402 satellite in 2012.
In return, SES will use capacity on GSS‘ Yamal-402 once it becomes operational at 55 degrees East. Yamal-402 is currently under construction and scheduled for launch in November 2012.
Said GSS general director Dimitry Sevastiyanov, “The move of ASTRA 1F is good news for the Russian market. The additional satellite arrives at a time of high demand and scarce capacity and brings us in a position to meet the actual and growing capacity needs of our customers. The cooperation with SES is very productive and we may see
additional joint projects in the future.”
GSS will use the capacity on ASTRA 1F and later Yamal-402 together with Russian satellite service providers to deliver a wide spectrum of services including the transmission of TV bouquets for direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV operators, the distribution of TV signals to cable and terrestrial networks and broadcasting stations, the delivery of
broadband access for corporate clients and the consumer market, and point–to-point communication, as well as cellular backhauls and Satellite News Gathering (SNG) services.
Averred SES CEO and president Romain Bausch,”The agreement to move ASTRA 1F over Russia demonstrates SES‘ capability to quickly respond to market demands and highlights the advantage of a global and flexible satellite fleet. The launch of ASTRA 5B scheduled for 2013 we
will bring additional capacity to Russia. With Gazprom we have found an excellent partner to tap this highly important growth market.”
Gazprom Space Systems, a subsidiary of Gazprom that runs space and telecommunications activities, is a Russian satellite operator.
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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.
