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Aksh Optifibre to deploy UTStarcom’s IPTV solution
BANGALORE: UTStarcom, Inc has signed a new contract with Aksh Optifibre, Ltd, expanding the operator‘s deployment of the RollingStream(R) Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) solution. |
This is UTStarcom‘s second deal with Aksh in India. The company plans on building and delivering IPTV capabilities throughout India. Aksh originally selected UTStarcom in early 2007 to deliver the first commercial IPTV service in India through Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL) in Delhi. The current contract helps Aksh extend its reach and deliver IPTV services to subscribers of MTNL in Mumbai. |
Aksh announced the launch of its IPTV and VoIP services in Mumbai on the MTNL network in March 2008, as an expansion to the initial launch of these services on the MTNL Delhi network in July 2007. “UTStarcom‘s RollingStream IPTV solution is a completely IP-based platform that will enable better delivery of the interactive entertainment services we plan to extend to our customers,” said Aksh Optifibre Ltd managing director Kailash S. Choudhari. “Innovation brings progress and Aksh understands the importance of maintaining cutting-edge technology as India embarks on pivotal IPTV growth. Our relationship with UTStarcom to bring the first IPTV service to India led that innovation, and now we are hoping to bring those high-quality entertainment services to more subscribers.” UTStarcom‘s RollingStream end-to-end IPTV system supports more than 850,000 live IPTV subscribers globally. The system maintains a current total system capacity exceeding 2.5 million subscribers as a result of recent deployments in China with China Netcom and China Telecom, in India with Bharti Airtel, MTNL/Aksh and United Telecoms Limited, in Sri Lanka with SLT, in Japan with Softbank, in Latin America with Brasil Telecom, in Taiwan with Markwell and in Europe with Jersey Telecom. |
UTStarcom was recently recognized with two award distinctions for the company‘s IPTV and broadband work and advancement in India. VARIndia named UTStarcom this year‘s “Most Trusted Company” in India in the areas of broadband and IPTV leadership. UTStarcom also received an “Excellence in Telecom Services and Solutions” award from the Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association (TEMA) in India for the company‘s innovation in IPTV, broadband and NGN and its direct impact on India‘s telecom market growth. “IPTV is building steady momentum in India and UTStarcom‘s understanding of the growing environment gives us a market advantage,” said UTStarcom vice president and managing director, South Asia operations Vijay Yadav. “UTStarcom‘s relationship with Aksh will assist the operator in bringing more IPTV-based services to its customers, increasing revenue opportunities and maintaining its leadership position in India.” |
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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.
