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MSOs have to now start trial runs on STBs: Trai
MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has directed multi-system operators (MSOs) to start trial runs on homes where they have seeded the digital set-top boxes (STBs) for conditional access system (Cas). “We have reports of 10 MSOs having conducted the trials for testing out their digital systems under Cas. The deadline starts from today. We want to be sure that there are no glitches in implementation of CAS and the transition is smooth,” said Trai chairman Nripendra Misra while addressing a consumer forum meet today in Mumbai. The progress is satisfactory and let there be no doubt in the minds of stakeholders that CAS is going to be implemented on the due date, he added. “Digitisation is a way forward and consumers falling under the Cas notified areas should start ordering for STBs from now so that there is no crowding towards the end.” |
With effect from 1 January, pay channels in the notified areas of South Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata can be viewed only through the STBs. The cable and broadcast regulator will encourage various modes of digitalisation, Misra said. “We want to discuss on the road ahead for digitalisation. Besides mandated CAS, we are looking at voluntary spread of digitalisation across all technologies. We will be having a serious of discussions from 27 January-June.”
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Clarifying on the issue of taxes, Misra said it did not fall under the purview of Trai. “VAT will be on the deposits and rental schemes of the STBs,” he added. |
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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.
